1. < Depression & Anxiety
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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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melnhd72 | @melnhd72 | Sep 30, 2022
In reply to @dianrib "I found out the hard way how difficult it is to get off Xanax. My MD..." + (show)
Profile picture for dianrib @dianrib

I found out the hard way how difficult it is to get off Xanax. My MD never warned me of this . 3 days with no Xanax sent me to the ER with 300 BP.. horrid headache, nausea. I thought I was dying or having a stroke . ER team did a brain scan to check. People must be made more aware of this. Check with your Pharmacist. I did not have this problem with Prozac...quit easily.

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I will be starting my weaning off of Xanax due to being denied mental health med management that has worked for me for 20 years, very soon. I refuse to go in patient. I've spent a long and HARD 23 years living with my mental health issues and being a functional parent and adult. Never once having to go in patient during the mirage of medicine cocktails that it took in order to find what worked for me and my issues. Since I moved back to where some pharmaceutical companies are being sued and they cry victim about an opiate addiction/meth addiction issue. Yet they won't allow what has been proven to work for someone, because..it doesn't pay to, like it once did. So for that, I won't put myself into a detox hospital because my healthcare didn't pay the doctors to maintain. No thanks.

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clutch | @clutch | Oct 1, 2022
In reply to @sears "Long story short. My physchiatrist and GP thought it was fine for me to take Xanax..." + (show)
Profile picture for sears @sears

Long story short. My physchiatrist and GP thought it was fine for me to take Xanax for 25 years. Never once did I hear they would someday quit working(tolerance), never once did I hear the word addiction, withdrawal, nothing. Then at age 67 when I should be enjoying my life I’m tapering a benzodiazepine and antidepressant. This has been going on for 3 long years. I’ll be 70 soon. I’m angry.

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@sears, Same here, my friend.

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jan62 | @jan62 | Oct 1, 2022
In reply to @dianrib "I found out the hard way how difficult it is to get off Xanax. My MD..." + (show)
Profile picture for dianrib @dianrib

I found out the hard way how difficult it is to get off Xanax. My MD never warned me of this . 3 days with no Xanax sent me to the ER with 300 BP.. horrid headache, nausea. I thought I was dying or having a stroke . ER team did a brain scan to check. People must be made more aware of this. Check with your Pharmacist. I did not have this problem with Prozac...quit easily.

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And here.

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siackma | @siackma | Oct 3, 2022
In reply to @dianrib "I found out the hard way how difficult it is to get off Xanax. My MD..." + (show)
Profile picture for dianrib @dianrib

I found out the hard way how difficult it is to get off Xanax. My MD never warned me of this . 3 days with no Xanax sent me to the ER with 300 BP.. horrid headache, nausea. I thought I was dying or having a stroke . ER team did a brain scan to check. People must be made more aware of this. Check with your Pharmacist. I did not have this problem with Prozac...quit easily.

Jump to this post

I have been stuck on what I call garbage in other words benzodiazepines since I was 38. I have been trying to get off of it 3 years after I started it. I am now 66 and I'm still attempting to wean myself off of it. Going off of it abruptly is extremely dangerous. Please never attempt to do that! The only way I got down to 1 mg and 1/8 is by literally taking 1/8 of a milligram off of the tablet for months sometimes. I am still not off of it but I am trying 1/8 off of it again and it is a hideous feeling.

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2 replies
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lindasmith1222 | @lindasmith1222 | Oct 4, 2022
In reply to @siackma "I have been stuck on what I call garbage in other words benzodiazepines since I was..." + (show)
Profile picture for siackma @siackma

I have been stuck on what I call garbage in other words benzodiazepines since I was 38. I have been trying to get off of it 3 years after I started it. I am now 66 and I'm still attempting to wean myself off of it. Going off of it abruptly is extremely dangerous. Please never attempt to do that! The only way I got down to 1 mg and 1/8 is by literally taking 1/8 of a milligram off of the tablet for months sometimes. I am still not off of it but I am trying 1/8 off of it again and it is a hideous feeling.

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Hi. I am down to 1 mg of valium, and it is a nightmare. At age 70, I am dependent on this drug. I, too was about 38 when I started and have been taking it on and off all these years. When I was younger, I just quit taking it and had no noticeable withdrawal symptoms. I tried going down to 1/2 mg and I was very, very sick and could not sleep which is the worst.
How do you "shave off" 1/8 mg? I had to guesstimate using a medicine cutter from 1 ,g to 1/2 and I know there were times when it was 1/2 more or less. An accurate method is what I am looking for. I'm ready to try to taper again.

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2 replies
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sears | @sears | Oct 4, 2022
In reply to @lindasmith1222 "Hi. I am down to 1 mg of valium, and it is a nightmare. At age..." + (show)
Profile picture for lindasmith1222 @lindasmith1222

Hi. I am down to 1 mg of valium, and it is a nightmare. At age 70, I am dependent on this drug. I, too was about 38 when I started and have been taking it on and off all these years. When I was younger, I just quit taking it and had no noticeable withdrawal symptoms. I tried going down to 1/2 mg and I was very, very sick and could not sleep which is the worst.
How do you "shave off" 1/8 mg? I had to guesstimate using a medicine cutter from 1 ,g to 1/2 and I know there were times when it was 1/2 more or less. An accurate method is what I am looking for. I'm ready to try to taper again.

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Valium does come in liquid. You might talk to your doctor about prescribing the liquid. It comes with a marked dropper and would be really accurate.

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sears | @sears | Oct 4, 2022
In reply to @siackma "I have been stuck on what I call garbage in other words benzodiazepines since I was..." + (show)
Profile picture for siackma @siackma

I have been stuck on what I call garbage in other words benzodiazepines since I was 38. I have been trying to get off of it 3 years after I started it. I am now 66 and I'm still attempting to wean myself off of it. Going off of it abruptly is extremely dangerous. Please never attempt to do that! The only way I got down to 1 mg and 1/8 is by literally taking 1/8 of a milligram off of the tablet for months sometimes. I am still not off of it but I am trying 1/8 off of it again and it is a hideous feeling.

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Can I assume your doctor has not been helpful or even a part of your taper?

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lindasmith1222 | @lindasmith1222 | Oct 4, 2022
In reply to @sears "Can I assume your doctor has not been helpful or even a part of your taper?" + (show)
Profile picture for sears @sears

Can I assume your doctor has not been helpful or even a part of your taper?

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Yes, he is amazing, but he is going to retire next year and has a small practice so is very personable. Younger doctors if they are not performing sex changes on children, because those operations are where the BIG money is, are horrible, IN MY OPINION

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siackma | @siackma | Oct 4, 2022
In reply to @lindasmith1222 "Hi. I am down to 1 mg of valium, and it is a nightmare. At age..." + (show)
Profile picture for lindasmith1222 @lindasmith1222

Hi. I am down to 1 mg of valium, and it is a nightmare. At age 70, I am dependent on this drug. I, too was about 38 when I started and have been taking it on and off all these years. When I was younger, I just quit taking it and had no noticeable withdrawal symptoms. I tried going down to 1/2 mg and I was very, very sick and could not sleep which is the worst.
How do you "shave off" 1/8 mg? I had to guesstimate using a medicine cutter from 1 ,g to 1/2 and I know there were times when it was 1/2 more or less. An accurate method is what I am looking for. I'm ready to try to taper again.

Jump to this post

My doctors are so sick of me griping about being on it that they actually told me to attempt to withdraw very slowly on my own. I take 0.5 tablets and break those in half and then I take the half and break it in half getting 1/8 mg. I just do it with my fingers because it's more accurate that way. I've also discovered that taking chamomile tea while I am attempting to withdraw really helps. Hugs for you.

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alina23 | @alina23 | Oct 24, 2022
In reply to @grannydee "I’m rooting for you! There is nothing more powerful than DECIDING that we as individuals are..." + (show)
Profile picture for grannydee @grannydee

I’m rooting for you!
There is nothing more powerful than DECIDING that we as individuals are ultimately responsible for our care physically and mentally.
I’m embarrassed to admit that it has taken me most of my life to learn and live this on my journey. It’s not easy, but it’s better than I EVER could have imagined. I am finally free of feeling like a victim of my circumstances.
Your life/health is worth fighting for every step of the way.
My “personal” rebellion started when my GP told me that I would NOT be able to taper off the anxiety meds.
Ultimately, that statement was something that I decided that NO ONE has the right to make that decision but ME. I’m 67, and my health is MY responsibility.
I’m rooting for ALL of us out here fighting for ourselves and our health.

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Hi grannydee
i’ve been takining xanax for 10 years. I don’t even know if it’s possible for me to wean off of 6 to 8 mg every night before I go to sleep. My doctor originally prescribed it with an anti-depressant that was giving me anxiety but I have suffered anxiety attacks previously. We began at 1 mg. When I didn’t resolve the problem they pushed it to 2 mg pills. A few years went by and I was taking 2 2mg pills. here I am 10 years later and I am taking between three and 4 2mg pills. It has affected my memory etc. 1 mg pill does nothing for me, even though it has a short half-life, I’ve tried taking 1 mg during the day when I feel very edgy. I just lost my family and it’s a tough time to try to wean off but I know I’m hurting myself by tapering up instead of down. Regardless of my emotional status. I’m currently overseas for work and my job just ended but I will be here another two months so I feel a little bit trapped in a foreign country trying to figure this out. Any suggestions? Thank you for taking the time to read this:/

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