Going off of Xanax

Posted by bvgrammy @bvgrammy, Nov 23, 2016

I have been taking Xanax for 25 years for Fibromyalgia and Anxiety. I am trying to wean myself off of it. Has anyone done this?

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Profile picture for flowergirl9317 @flowergirl9317

Actually my bio is my question, I was told if I try to come off xanex I'd die , I was put on it at age 15 and now I'm 54 I didn't know any better or what the med was or what it could do to my body over time , all in all honesty I wish I could sue tge makers of this drug, not only am I addicted, the state of Indiana whwre qe bought a home wont write tge perception so wvery 3 months i drive 14 hours 1 way to get it , i cant hardly take tgis ride anymore as i have other issues like deteriorating bones and more , help please . Thank you 🙏

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Has anyone ever recommended that you switch to another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, which has a much longer half life and is easier to taper from.
Hang in there.

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Profile picture for sears @sears

You replied to the wrong person. It gets confusing sometimes.

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Ooops sorry about that.

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Profile picture for flowergirl9317 @flowergirl9317

Actually my bio is my question, I was told if I try to come off xanex I'd die , I was put on it at age 15 and now I'm 54 I didn't know any better or what the med was or what it could do to my body over time , all in all honesty I wish I could sue tge makers of this drug, not only am I addicted, the state of Indiana whwre qe bought a home wont write tge perception so wvery 3 months i drive 14 hours 1 way to get it , i cant hardly take tgis ride anymore as i have other issues like deteriorating bones and more , help please . Thank you 🙏

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I’m a 73 years old female who has been taking a benzodiazepine for over twenty years, for the most part I never had any issues or even concerns about being on this medication. I knew that I was dependent on it, I find this a better word than addicted but I do realize it’s all the same. I never really thought about it because millions of people are dependent on their medication and just accept it as a normal thing, they need it to survive either mentally or physically. In the past number of years there has been a strong shift towards the negativities of this drug resulting from problems that have come about regarding other drugs, i.e. opioids. My sympathies go out to the people who became victims of this drug, it was truly a terrible injustice and resulted in a horrific problem for the many people who were affected and victims of it. Sadly when these tragedies happen it causes a massive landslide taking more people with it. I have read many stories about people suffering from the stress of being caught in this pandemic of another kind, they never had any issues or problems with their medication, in most cases they used it carefully and never abused it, now these same people are suffering from the pressure being put on them by the government and the medical system. It was like reading horror stories about people who used benzodiazepine for years and were later abandoned by the very same doctors who provided it for them. I don’t know how this will run it’s course, at the end of the day we are a world filled with pain and suffering and medication has always been a very big part of it. It’s truly an injustice to all of us who are being affected by this and somehow we must rise above it whatever it takes, this crisis is one of so many that are in our world, all I can say is stay strong and don’t let it take you down, most of all keep your faith strong and positive and hope for better days ahead for all of us.

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Profile picture for frouke @frouke

I’m a 73 years old female who has been taking a benzodiazepine for over twenty years, for the most part I never had any issues or even concerns about being on this medication. I knew that I was dependent on it, I find this a better word than addicted but I do realize it’s all the same. I never really thought about it because millions of people are dependent on their medication and just accept it as a normal thing, they need it to survive either mentally or physically. In the past number of years there has been a strong shift towards the negativities of this drug resulting from problems that have come about regarding other drugs, i.e. opioids. My sympathies go out to the people who became victims of this drug, it was truly a terrible injustice and resulted in a horrific problem for the many people who were affected and victims of it. Sadly when these tragedies happen it causes a massive landslide taking more people with it. I have read many stories about people suffering from the stress of being caught in this pandemic of another kind, they never had any issues or problems with their medication, in most cases they used it carefully and never abused it, now these same people are suffering from the pressure being put on them by the government and the medical system. It was like reading horror stories about people who used benzodiazepine for years and were later abandoned by the very same doctors who provided it for them. I don’t know how this will run it’s course, at the end of the day we are a world filled with pain and suffering and medication has always been a very big part of it. It’s truly an injustice to all of us who are being affected by this and somehow we must rise above it whatever it takes, this crisis is one of so many that are in our world, all I can say is stay strong and don’t let it take you down, most of all keep your faith strong and positive and hope for better days ahead for all of us.

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Hi – thank you for your very thoughtful Insight. Can you provide a little more information about the crisis you are talking about? Are doctors now refusing to write scripts for benzos? If so, why?
Apologies in advance for not being up to speed on this.
Thanks so much.

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Profile picture for flowergirl9317 @flowergirl9317

It's much more harder than that I'm on 2mg 3xs @ day for past 20years I believe not certain on that but has definitely gotta be close maybe longer and this is the key sentence, Everyone is completely different!!!! I'm very happy your off this horrible drug . 🥰

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I totally agree and empathize. Everyone’s bodies and brains are different, everyone’s threshold for anxiety is different, and that always needs to be taken into account in conversations like this. I wish you all the best in your journey.

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Profile picture for londonex @londonex

Hi – thank you for your very thoughtful Insight. Can you provide a little more information about the crisis you are talking about? Are doctors now refusing to write scripts for benzos? If so, why?
Apologies in advance for not being up to speed on this.
Thanks so much.

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@londonex, hi there, thank you for reaching out, my purpose for posting this comment was based on all the comments I have read in the last few years from people who were struggling with fear about not being able to find someone to help them with their benzodiazepine prescription, the reasons were varied from doctors who were retiring and basically leaving their patients alone to get help, the new doctors and also younger ones were not interested in getting involved with these drugs, they were educated about them and at the very least they would provide a patient with a two week supply. The other problem was that the doctors who did provide them their meds were caught up in a the negativity surrounding benzodiazepine and some started pressuring their patients to withdraw, in some cases the withdrawal process was much too fast but they didn’t care, I was a victim of this and sadly all it did was increase my anxiety so the outcome was a disaster. I have posted many comments about this and the shaming I was put through, I never abused my medication and did my utmost best to stay on the same dose, believe me, that was so difficult to do because it’s very well known that you tend to increase over time because your body gets used to the medication. I had to get cancer before my doctor started easing up his pressure but he put me in the care of the pharmacy and I hated this arrangement for many reasons. I know that benzodiazepines were always frowned upon because they are addictive but that didn’t stop the doctors from prescribing them because they worked very well and it made things easier for the doctors who were getting busier with more patients, a quick fix for them and a possible life time of stress and struggles for the patient. I also believe that the opioid crisis which is another travesty of wrong doing got bigger all the time, another highly addictive drug and so they put everything together, thus creating another crisis, it’s a well known fact that you can’t mix benzodiazepine and opioid, it will definitely cause overdose.

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Profile picture for frouke @frouke

@londonex, hi there, thank you for reaching out, my purpose for posting this comment was based on all the comments I have read in the last few years from people who were struggling with fear about not being able to find someone to help them with their benzodiazepine prescription, the reasons were varied from doctors who were retiring and basically leaving their patients alone to get help, the new doctors and also younger ones were not interested in getting involved with these drugs, they were educated about them and at the very least they would provide a patient with a two week supply. The other problem was that the doctors who did provide them their meds were caught up in a the negativity surrounding benzodiazepine and some started pressuring their patients to withdraw, in some cases the withdrawal process was much too fast but they didn’t care, I was a victim of this and sadly all it did was increase my anxiety so the outcome was a disaster. I have posted many comments about this and the shaming I was put through, I never abused my medication and did my utmost best to stay on the same dose, believe me, that was so difficult to do because it’s very well known that you tend to increase over time because your body gets used to the medication. I had to get cancer before my doctor started easing up his pressure but he put me in the care of the pharmacy and I hated this arrangement for many reasons. I know that benzodiazepines were always frowned upon because they are addictive but that didn’t stop the doctors from prescribing them because they worked very well and it made things easier for the doctors who were getting busier with more patients, a quick fix for them and a possible life time of stress and struggles for the patient. I also believe that the opioid crisis which is another travesty of wrong doing got bigger all the time, another highly addictive drug and so they put everything together, thus creating another crisis, it’s a well known fact that you can’t mix benzodiazepine and opioid, it will definitely cause overdose.

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I just wanted to add that some of what I said pertains to where you live, I reside in Canada where benzodiazepines are labeled as a controlled substance and I believe that in the USA it is considered a black box drug which is stricter than here however it’s just a matter of time that it will be the same thing here. I can only say that if you want to get off this drug, do so with professional help and as many people who have been successful in getting off them, go very slowly, there is a lot of good help and support available so you don’t have to feel afraid or alone because you’re not alone.

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Profile picture for flowergirl9317 @flowergirl9317

Actually my bio is my question, I was told if I try to come off xanex I'd die , I was put on it at age 15 and now I'm 54 I didn't know any better or what the med was or what it could do to my body over time , all in all honesty I wish I could sue tge makers of this drug, not only am I addicted, the state of Indiana whwre qe bought a home wont write tge perception so wvery 3 months i drive 14 hours 1 way to get it , i cant hardly take tgis ride anymore as i have other issues like deteriorating bones and more , help please . Thank you 🙏

Jump to this post

I was on 2 mg of Xanax for about 10 years (prescribed in Korea). When I returned to the States in 2015, I got wild reactions from doctors. So, I began decreasing Xanax gradually, and ended up on Buspirone (Buspar), 15 mg 3x/day. I also take Gabapentin to assist in quieting anxiety. This of course with lots of therapy, which you may not be able to have? I suggest you see a Psychiatrist again and try to find other anxiety drugs (non-benzo’s) that might help you taper off Xanax.

Saying a prayer for you in your situation. I know how alarming such a thing can be.

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Profile picture for frouke @frouke

@londonex, hi there, thank you for reaching out, my purpose for posting this comment was based on all the comments I have read in the last few years from people who were struggling with fear about not being able to find someone to help them with their benzodiazepine prescription, the reasons were varied from doctors who were retiring and basically leaving their patients alone to get help, the new doctors and also younger ones were not interested in getting involved with these drugs, they were educated about them and at the very least they would provide a patient with a two week supply. The other problem was that the doctors who did provide them their meds were caught up in a the negativity surrounding benzodiazepine and some started pressuring their patients to withdraw, in some cases the withdrawal process was much too fast but they didn’t care, I was a victim of this and sadly all it did was increase my anxiety so the outcome was a disaster. I have posted many comments about this and the shaming I was put through, I never abused my medication and did my utmost best to stay on the same dose, believe me, that was so difficult to do because it’s very well known that you tend to increase over time because your body gets used to the medication. I had to get cancer before my doctor started easing up his pressure but he put me in the care of the pharmacy and I hated this arrangement for many reasons. I know that benzodiazepines were always frowned upon because they are addictive but that didn’t stop the doctors from prescribing them because they worked very well and it made things easier for the doctors who were getting busier with more patients, a quick fix for them and a possible life time of stress and struggles for the patient. I also believe that the opioid crisis which is another travesty of wrong doing got bigger all the time, another highly addictive drug and so they put everything together, thus creating another crisis, it’s a well known fact that you can’t mix benzodiazepine and opioid, it will definitely cause overdose.

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Thank you for clarifying – I am very sorry you have gone through this misery. I think any medication that helps any medical situation is something that all patients should be allowed to choose for themselves. After all, it is our body.
As discussed, in my case, a low-dose benzodiazepine over many years has been a useful tool for me to get through many challenging situations. While I have some physical addiction for sure, I’m sure the case would be the same for any medication I take whether it be for diabetes, cancer, heart, disease, etc. Even SSRIs are terribly difficult to pull away from. There’s also psychological addiction and fear of discontinuation that comes into play.
So the way I look at it —each one of these factors has to be considered on an individual level with risk factors and tolerances taken into account.
And I know it can be hard find the right doctor that’s tuned into each one of our unique cases. Everyone is so different — I know some folks who have derived a great deal of assistance from these medications and obviously we all know others who have had a rough time. I wish you all the best in your journey.

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Profile picture for frouke @frouke

@londonex, hi there, thank you for reaching out, my purpose for posting this comment was based on all the comments I have read in the last few years from people who were struggling with fear about not being able to find someone to help them with their benzodiazepine prescription, the reasons were varied from doctors who were retiring and basically leaving their patients alone to get help, the new doctors and also younger ones were not interested in getting involved with these drugs, they were educated about them and at the very least they would provide a patient with a two week supply. The other problem was that the doctors who did provide them their meds were caught up in a the negativity surrounding benzodiazepine and some started pressuring their patients to withdraw, in some cases the withdrawal process was much too fast but they didn’t care, I was a victim of this and sadly all it did was increase my anxiety so the outcome was a disaster. I have posted many comments about this and the shaming I was put through, I never abused my medication and did my utmost best to stay on the same dose, believe me, that was so difficult to do because it’s very well known that you tend to increase over time because your body gets used to the medication. I had to get cancer before my doctor started easing up his pressure but he put me in the care of the pharmacy and I hated this arrangement for many reasons. I know that benzodiazepines were always frowned upon because they are addictive but that didn’t stop the doctors from prescribing them because they worked very well and it made things easier for the doctors who were getting busier with more patients, a quick fix for them and a possible life time of stress and struggles for the patient. I also believe that the opioid crisis which is another travesty of wrong doing got bigger all the time, another highly addictive drug and so they put everything together, thus creating another crisis, it’s a well known fact that you can’t mix benzodiazepine and opioid, it will definitely cause overdose.

Jump to this post

Can you please explain what “ put me in the care of the pharmacy” means?

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