Hi, I am completely new to posting here, so forgive me if I am doing this wrong. I really just would like some help / advice. I’ve been taking around 8mg - 10mg of Xanax daily for 3 years. Last two times I tried to stop, I had grand mal seizures at work (thank god I wasn’t driving). I am terrified about quitting, but I do want off. I have tried tapering and was to scared to actually stop, which ended up with me getting back to my normal dose. I see people talking a lot about Valium and lorazepam for the taper since they are long acting. If done the right way with the right meds, could I possibly avoid the seizures? My next question is, I want to do this legitimately and I do not know how to obtain Valium or any other benzo through a doctor. The last one just told me good luck and sent me out the door with nothing and recommended an inpatient facility. Problem is I am the only income in my household and couldn’t take off work for that long. Is there any way I could explain my situation to a doctor and do an outpatient taper, because even on the black market I cannot obtain any Valium or any benzo for that matter, other than Xanax and klonopin. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Avoiding further seizures is absolutely possible with careful planning and consideration. First and foremost it's imperative that you don't attempt to go cold turkey.
Diazepam is generally recommended for tapering. However, you shouldn't just switch directly from Alprazolam to Diazepam. Instead, this should be done in gradual stages. As Diazepam takes time to build up inside the blood stream.
The equivalency dose for 1mg of Alprazolam to Diazepam is generally considered to be approximately 20mgs. I would recommend reducing your Alprazolam dosage by 1mg and substituting it with 20mgs of Diazepam each week. After 8 weeks, you'll have fully switched over from 8mgs of Alprazolam to 160mgs of Diazepam.
In terms of reducing your dosage of 160mgs of Diazepam, let me refer you to the Ashton Manual -
https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm
This manual has helped thousands upon thousands of people in your situation to get off benzodiazepine's safely while minimising the symptoms of withdrawal.
Dividing this up into 3 or 4 separate doses each day is recommended. So 4 doses of 40mgs spread across your waking day as opposed to taking it all in a single dose.
After the first week you can attempt a 10mg reduction. You can either do this by reducing one of your daily doses to 30mgs or spreading that division out over the 4 doses if you find that easier to tolerate. Which would be 37.5mgs taken 4 times per day.
If you tolerate this well for a week, you can then attempt yet another 10mg reduction. Again, you can either choose to remove 10mgs from one of your 4 doses or make the cut over all 4 doses, reducing each dose to 35mgs taken 4 times per day.
Continue to do this until you are all the way down to just 50mgs per day (4 x 12.5mgs).
Week 1 - 160mgs (4 x 40mgs)
Week 2 - 150mgs (4 x 37.5mgs)
Week 3 - 140mgs (4 x 35mgs)
Week 4 - 130mgs (4 x 32.5mgs)
Week 5 - 120mgs (4 x 30mgs)
Week 6 - 110mgs (4 x 27.5mgs)
Week 7 - 100mgs (4 x 25mgs)
Week 8 - 90mgs (4 x 22.5mgs)
Week 9 - 80mgs (4 x 20mgs)
Week 10 - 70mgs (4 x 17.5mgs)
Week 11 - 60mgs (4 x 15mgs)
Week 12 - 50mgs (4 x 12.5mgs)
Don't worry if you need to hold longer than a week at certain points during this reduction from 160mg to 50mg. Take 2 or 3 weeks if you need to until you feel that you've adequately stabilised before progressing with the next 10mg cut.
Once you reach the 50mg per day mile stone (and you're absolutely going to). Start to reduce the dosage by 5mgs each week instead of 10.
Week 13 - 45mgs (4 x 11.25mgs)
Week 14 - 40mgs (4 x 10mgs)
Week 15 - 35mgs (4 x 8.75mgs)
Week 16 - 30mgs (4 x 7.5mgs)
Week 17 - 25mgs (4 x 6.25mgs)
Week 18 - 20mgs (4 x 5mgs)
Again, don't worry if you find this to be too quick and unbearable. Simply hold for 2 or 3 weeks if you feel the need to before making the next 5mg reduction.
Once you reach the 20mgs per day mile stone (you better believe you're going to do it). Start to reduce the dosage by 2mgs each week instead of 5.
Week 19 - 18mgs (4 x 4.5mgs)
Week 20 - 16mgs (4 x 4mgs)
Week 21 - 14mgs (4 x 3.5mgs)
Week 22 - 12mgs (4 x 3mgs)
Week 23 - 10mgs (4 x 2.5mgs)
Once you reach the 10mgs per day mile stone, reduce by 1mg each week.
Week 24 - 9mgs (4 x 2.25mgs)
Week 25 - 8mgs (4 x 2mgs)
Week 26 - 7mgs (4 x 1.75mgs)
Week 27 - 6mgs (4 x 1.5mgs)
Week 28 - 5mgs (4 x 1.25mgs)
Then at 5mgs, reduce by 0.5mgs each week.
Week 29 - 4.5mgs (4 x 1.125mgs)
Week 30 - 4mgs (4 x 1mg)
Week 31 - 3.5mgs (4 x 0.875mg)
Week 32 - 3mgs (4 x 0.75mg)
Week 33 - 2.5mgs (4 x 0.625mg)
Week 34 - 2mgs (4 x 0.5mg)
Week 35 - 1.5mgs (3 x 0.5mg)
Week 36 - 1mg (2 x 0.5mg)
Week 37 - 0.5mg (1 x 0.5mg)
Week 38 - You've done it! Enjoy being benzo free!
Don't worry if you can't do it within 38 weeks. Not every cut has to be made every week. Allow yourself to stabilise if you don't feel ready for the next cut, but try to push for it no later than 3 weeks. The taper could take you anywhere between 38 weeks and 2 years. But you will reach your goal and you will be benzo and seizure free.
The taper may seem to drag on quite a bit with those last 5mgs or so. But sometimes it's those lower doses that pose the biggest challenge, so don't be tempted to rush your taper when you make it to the lower doses. Stick to the same plan used at the higher doses.