Going off of Xanax

Wow! Just looked up Indiana rules. Are they nuts?

Opioids, husband got hurt up there. Back and neck.

Had no problems back then. Now what has been placed into effect. Acute and chronic different things. Chronic is his and mine. 1-3,months? Lol. Feel for people who are physically messed up. He almost died 4 times. But not on death bed, so suffer sucker! What a state! No wonder why so many from Ind are moving in. Time to move! It’s just Xanax, what about people with MS or other painful issues. Get relief when on your death bed? Bet medical marijuana is not legal? It is here. Doctors I know take it!!!

Hi Flowergirl,

You can detox from a benzodiazepine safely and you won’t die. You can’t do it quickly or you can have seizures and possibly die. However if you work with a psychiatrist or addiction specialist they can help you detox safely. I’ve been on Klonopin since I was 16 and I’m now 58. I started on Xanax and asked to be put on clonopin instead. I felt no anxiety. I’ve tried to detox in hospital in two weeks. The doctors told me that my debilitating Anxiety was simply my anxiety returning. I then saw a psychiatrist who told me if I reduced my 2 ( one in an one at pm) milligrams a by 10% for about a month and then start another 10% and so on, I would be able to get off the benzodiazepine without experiencing total disorientation. I did it over a 7 month period of time. My normal anxiety returned but I was able to get pregnant and not be on Klonopin through the end of my breast feeding for about 10 months. My anxiety was bad butt at least the drug didn’t get into my baby’s system. I went back on the Klonopin as soon as I stoped breast feeding. I live in NYC and have no problem having it prescribed for me. It is possible that you can switch to Klonopin (Clonazipine) directly from Xanax and that may be an easier way to get prescriptions. It’s also easier to detox from because it’s half life is much longer. You can also try using the app Zocdoc and ask a psychiatrist to prescribe it to a pharmacy near by who will fill it. Good luck.

Good idea. Have no idea what strength she is on. Indiana is a strange state. I am only on 1.0 and chip as needed when I feel the PAC/PVC. I can go days without it. No withdrawal symptoms. Probably why I have had it for years. She stated her bones are a problem. Many drugs including thyroid meds affect bones. Lived in Indiana years ago. It was ok. But now reading things up there and hearing things, they went to the right. In New York as here for some unknown reason is like Illinois.

Well that is also a benzodiazapan so being changed to something in the same family won't do any good and mind you , you're in NYC I'm in a small town in Indiana,also another thing to consider everyone is different and reacts in different ways , yes I definitely want off of this med , however I'd like to live the rest of my days knowing who I am as well as my loved ones ,like I've said I've spoken to many over time nothing is truly safe for me so I'm told , I won't and haven't given up yet .

I'm on 2mg 3xs @ day

That’s a lot! Could not get that down here.!!!! Those are the bars I think. Wow!!!!! Wish you luck!

Btw. Zanax just like thyroid meds and others, hurt your bones. Oye! They should just come clean! “We don’t want to give you that”. It’s a lot. Never get that amount down here nor would I want it. Go slow, use THC.

Hi...I know where you're coming from. I am in my 60's and have been on Xanax for almost 30 yrs. I wish they would NEVER have prescribed this....long story short, I was prescribed it because of panic attacks from taking me off another prescription. My situation should have been handled COMPLETELY different, but here I am and it is what it is. No ethical doctor will 'yank' this med from anyone....my God, you CAN die. Your system will 'speed up', your BP will go up & you could possible also have a heart attack. You would have to be very slowly weaned off, and not by yourself. Monitored carefully. That's a pretty big dosage. My prescription has been 0.5 mg., twice a day, so 1 mg. total daily, for all these yrs. Much lower than yours...I will more than likely stay on it. I have 2 sons and 6 grandchildren (2 passed away)....I want to be around for longer, also. If ANYTHING, you'd think maybe a dr. would suggest slowly reducing the dosage....VERY slowly, because you WILL go through withdrawal....which is of course, anxiety. It's hard. Many yrs. ago, a dr. prescribed Xanax to me....started out at a low dosage....I later found out that he was doing this with many women (one was a neighbor), he always attributed any problems we had to 'nerves'. Every time I left his office, I'd sit in my vehicle and look at the prescription he had written out.....every one of them would be MORE PILLS.....he always said to me, "Don't worry...if you need more, take more....if you can't sleep, take another one"....on & on. (he was nothing but a 'legal' drug dealer) I became addicted. How could I not? Yes.....some may say, well....it was up to me to take it or not....and that is true. BUT, I trusted him when he said I 'needed' it and that everything would be 'fine'. So did other women. MANY women! Well...we all eventually saw why he was doing this....to get more 'customers'....that's what we were....'customers'. I finally had it...I called him & asked him to please help me wean off of it. Do you know what he said? His exact words...."Uh...there's a nurse waving at me...I have to go." And....he hung up on me. My God, instead of weaning me off....he YANKED the prescription! Before I knew it, I had a call from my pharmacy...with another med. he had called in. I can't remember the name of it now....but they said he was prescribing it as a 'maintenance' drug....all I remember was that it was HORRIBLE. I was having tremors, horrendous anxiety, I was scared....called my neighbor, she went through withdrawal, also (he had been her dr., too)....but she said she wasn't on the huge dosage I was given. The reason he was prescribing all of this was to make more money and open his own practice, which he did. He didn't care what he did to people....he was only trying to 'get ahead'. He left a lot of people in limbo and in mental pain. I soon got a new Dr., I was still VERY anxious (shaking badly, almost crying) when I went in, told her the whole story, she was pissed & knew who he was, she was the one who put me on THIS dosage....it has remained the same, she retired 5 yrs. ago, after 15 yrs. going to her. Best Dr. I ever had! Like I said, wish I DIDN'T need it....on the other hand, she saved me. I was an emotional mess when I went in to her. She had said she would help me wean off the new prescription, if I ever wanted to....but what she prescribed me was a tiny fraction of what the other dr. had prescribed me. It's been a rough road. Wow....sorry, didn't mean to go on & on. Guess it just reminded me of what I went through because of a very unethical dr. My new dr. said it was a miracle I did not go into seizures, possibly have a heart attack, etc. But....it was HORRIBLE. Do you have any rehab centers close to you, where you could call & speak to someone about this? Maybe a center that takes regular insurance and Medicaid, also? Do you have any refills on your Xanax prescription now? I should scroll up and see, but am so tired....but also worried about you. Even a counselor at a rehab center can give you information (I called one)....maybe have you come in to see another dr., and he could do this in a very safe environment.....or even as an out-patient. You would not have to be COMPLETELY off of it, if you feel a small dosage would help you. You know how you feel....only you can know this. And, I very much agree with you.....to yank a prescription on Xanax on anyone IS murder....or it could be. I was lucky...I made it through. Please keep us updated....the dr. who did this to me should have been disbarred (sp.?), but he wasn't.....he made enough $$$$ on customers to open his own practice. I hope there is such a thing as Karma!! Take care now and let me know how you're doing....hugs!!

I’ve been taking 0.5 Mg. (30) Alprazolam for years and recently had a stressful day took 1/2 in the afternoon and half at bed 2 or 3 days. I’ve run out and can’t get a refill till tomorrow. I’ve been without for 6 days. Had a bad headache off and on but I’m thinking I’d like to quit this medication. I need something else for sleep and occasional anxiety

ksmith14818 | @ksmith14818

I am not familiar with Alprazolam, but advice against switching or stopping any medication without consulting your provider. If still need something for sleep and anxiety, maybe they can suggest something else.

Is there a reason you want to stop taking Alprazolam?

Laurie