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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lady fever on April 19, 2003, at 17:08:45
Hi. I'm full of questions today :)
I've been on Xanax for 7 years. I started on .5 mg twice a day, and quickly worked up to 1 mg twice a day. Stayed there for 6 years. This year was stressful, and I worked my way up to about 4 mg a day total (in divided doses, usually just 1 mg, sometimes 2 mg at a time, I got to a tolerance point). I must admit, the in-between dose withdrawals were horrible, and I wasn't supposed to be on 4 mg a day, so I worked my way back down to 2 mg a day... it wasn't easy, but I did it over about 2 months.
That was 2 months ago. I am taking 1 mg twice a day, as prescribed.
And I am STILL having miserable feelings like I am in withdrawal, basically all the time now.
A little different than the ones I have read about, but I know my withdrawal pattern at this point all too well: I get really drowsy (that used to happen after the initial jitteriness of withdrawal started, about 12 hours if I had skipped a dose), spaced out, very irritable, my memory gets so bad it's like I have Alzheimers, apathy feeling and amotivation, and strong derealization (which I presume is my own form of anxiety or something, though I don't actually feel anxious at all) which can be the worst of it, along with the spaciness.
How long before some of the withdrawal feeling subsides? I'm being very patient. But it's been 2 months. I'm not going back up on my dosage though. And I'm not trying a different benzo, that's just silly at this point. What's realistic, after a year or so, for a withdrawal to go away?
A total withdrawal is far, far worse, btw, I get fevers, my heart gets bad, and I just get very very sick, and start seizing (I wound up in the hospital doing that once). This is different, obviously.
Posted by Guy on April 19, 2003, at 18:12:56
In reply to How long before the Xanax withdrawal gets better?, posted by lady fever on April 19, 2003, at 17:08:45
Lady, I think you may have to go on another longer acting benzo if you want to continue your tapering. I've read that benzo withdrawal clinics use valium ( a weaker benzo) to help people wean off. First you switch to an equivalent dose of valium and then when you feel comfortable, you start reducing the dose by very small amounts. You may have reduced your dosage too fast, and that's why you feel so terrible. Anyways, there are experts in this fiel that you may want to contact. Of course, if your initial anxiety problem still exists, it's not going to go away when you stop the benzo. Untreated anxiety is no picnic either.
Posted by Guy on April 19, 2003, at 19:15:48
In reply to How long before the Xanax withdrawal gets better?, posted by lady fever on April 19, 2003, at 17:08:45
If you want some sleep, try low dose Remeron. It should help.
Posted by BCI on April 21, 2003, at 19:59:45
In reply to Re: How long before the Xanax withdrawal gets better?, posted by Guy on April 19, 2003, at 18:12:56
I made the switch by going to Klonopin first. I have found the withdrawal from Klonopin to be much easier than the withdrawal from Xanax.
This is the end of the thread.
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