TDS Need advice after 3 weeks of xanax abuse

[buschamo]

In the past I used xanax 3 to 4 times a week 0.5/1mg. I do use dexedrine 15 to 20mg daily since January.

But since ~15 september, I've used a lot of xanax for 3 weeks. I've had blackouts and spent lots and lots of money.

Since then I suddenly stopped from Sunday to Thursday evening (5 October) and went through hell, without support. The thing is that I didn't even realize that suddenly stopping xanax was what was making me feel bad. I called help Thursday afternoon.

My purchase history shows:

• 35d 50 x Xanax 2mg Bars
• 66d 10x Xanax / Alprazolam 2mg Bars

I'm still trying to puzzle everything together. The GP says that I should keep taking 3mg a day. I had a first intake on Monday and I have a 2nd intake at a clinic next Monday, but they are 50-50 and seemed my situation not very urgent so far.

I'm afraid that xanax is the worst drug while waiting in line to be helped, especially at these messed up high dosages. I am scared of xanax and have strong respect for anybody who's gone through benzo withdrawal and reduced their dose.

I'm very confused and desperate as nobody gives me any idea about a plan for the future. I've taken 2mg xanax yesterday. Today I think I'll end up at 2mg as well.

All advice is welcome. I've messed up and struggle thinking. Should I say I'm really ***'ed up to get my way into a clinic so that they increase my priority? Or keep taking 3mg daily until I get help, whenever that may be.

Also, dosing xanax is a pain, 1mg gets me really exhausted/tired. 500mg makes me remember the stupid stuff I've done and that I've lost my mind totally for 3 weeks.

 

[Mafioso]

The safest way to quit using benzos, especially Xanax, is to taper down slowly. A longer lasting benzo may be better for tapering down, as Xanax has a very short half life so it has a fast onset but also leaves the body very quickly, which is largely responsible for the terrible withdraws.

I wouldn't suggest taking a full 1mg at a time if it is making you sleepy. it might be wise to switch to .25-.5mg doses and spacing them out throughout the day, gradually going longer between doses and lowering the daily max dose. The memory recall may have to do with the fact that you remember things in relation to environment. They say if you listen to music or eat a snack while studying you should do the same while taking a test.

I'm not sure what you mean by purchase history, but you should probably take the prices off, if those are prices, so it doesn't get removed. Also, it would be easier to understand if you just stick to the amount used over a period of time, people might be able to get a better idea of what you are in for.

Acute benzo WD usually last a few weeks to a few months and post acute withdraw can last years. Comparatively, 3 weeks is pretty minor. I've gone cold turkey after years of heavy abuse, up to 20mg in a day, and have had a seizure and psychotic episodes relating to benzo WD. Although it is difficult to say that I am over post acute withdrawal due to the nature of it, I made it through the acute withdrawal within a couple of months.

I don't know if a clinic would be a necessity in your case, but it would probably help. Another option might be finding a substance use disorder counselor and seeing him.her on an outpatient basis.

 

[buschamo]

Thanks for replying.

My purchase history showed on 7 October:


35 days ago - 50 x Xanax 2mg Bars
66 days ago - 10 x Xanax 2mg Bars

So I must've taken around 3/4mg per day in the abuse period. I'll try to work with 0.25mg doses too from now on yeah.

Thanks. I've just taken 0.25mg xanax, I'll try catch some more sleep.

 

[Mafioso]

Even 1mg a day is not an insanely high dose, but many people report WDs even on daily low doses of alprazolam. At one point I was taking up to 20mg a day, dosing 4-8mg at a time.

How are things going for you?

 

[JessFR]

Yeah, I had a short lived Xanax habit a few years back. I don't remember how much I was using but I think it was about 1-2mg a day for a few weeks. Then I quit cold turkey (well not quite cold turkey, I drank a lot and smoked a lot of weed while I was sick. It helped somewhat). I'd only been using a couple weeks but I still had some very unfun withdrawals for about a week or so. Horrendous nightmares. My point is I decided never to use Xanax again and I haven't and I was amazed how fast dependence set in.

 

[FnX]

Yeah, I had a short lived Xanax habit a few years back. I don't remember how much I was using but I think it was about 1-2mg a day for a few weeks. Then I quit cold turkey (well not quite cold turkey, I drank a lot and smoked a lot of weed while I was sick. It helped somewhat). I'd only been using a couple weeks but I still had some very unfun withdrawals for about a week or so. Horrendous nightmares. My point is I decided never to use Xanax again and I haven't and I was amazed how fast dependence set in.

Damn, I was really hoping 3-4 weeks would be relatively safe with few milligrams a day and asked for a one time prescription to get through a really emotionally rough patch.

OP: One thing which could help would be to ease on the dexedrine, either lower the dose or take a break. I know it's really tough when you need it to function, but on the other hand can you function if you have stimulants in the mix making your benzo WD worse?

 

[JessFR]

Yeah. I remember being amazed at how quickly I became chemically defendant.

Some drugs can do that though. I was only using it for maybe a couple weeks. Definitely less than a month. Maybe 3 at most.

Just Xanax though, I have used Valium on and off for years. Sometimes for a couple weeks at a time without harm. I think xanax's short half life and a tendency to not notice how potent it is is responsible for it having so much more dependence liability.

I stick to long lasting benzos now. Diazepam and oxazepam. Never had a problem yet. But I only use them for a couple weeks at most then stop for long stretches. And I mostly use them for anxiety and such. Sometimes to potentiate opiates.

I don't suffer anxiety bad enough to get much out of benzos by themselves. And the withdrawals are SO unfun. God the nightmares I had with Xanax withdrawal were intense. I have problems with nightmares already but this was so much worse.

 

[buschamo]

Damn, I was really hoping 3-4 weeks would be relatively safe with few milligrams a day and asked for a one time prescription to get through a really emotionally rough patch.

OP: One thing which could help would be to ease on the dexedrine, either lower the dose or take a break. I know it's really tough when you need it to function, but on the other hand can you function if you have stimulants in the mix making your benzo WD worse?

You are right. I quiet dexedrine raw Turkey exactly 2 weeks ago now. I'm fine physically, a little tired, but not even sure it's still from the dexedrine. Dexedrine usage made the benzo WD worse yeah. Quitting it helped getting down to 0.375mg more quickly, although I still feel bad mentally. I think it's because of the xanax though.

Yeah. I remember being amazed at how quickly I became chemically defendant.

Some drugs can do that though. I was only using it for maybe a couple weeks. Definitely less than a month. Maybe 3 at most.

Just Xanax though, I have used Valium on and off for years. Sometimes for a couple weeks at a time without harm. I think xanax's short half life and a tendency to not notice how potent it is is responsible for it having so much more dependence liability.

I stick to long lasting benzos now. Diazepam and oxazepam. Never had a problem yet. But I only use them for a couple weeks at most then stop for long stretches. And I mostly use them for anxiety and such. Sometimes to potentiate opiates.

I don't suffer anxiety bad enough to get much out of benzos by themselves. And the withdrawals are SO unfun. God the nightmares I had with Xanax withdrawal were intense. I have problems with nightmares already but this was so much worse.

Thanks. I have nightmares yeah. I had a extremely realistic one last Tuesday.

Tuesday
06:00
12:33
15:35 0,125mg
17:52 0,125mg
0:00 0,125 (after waking up from cannibalism nightmare)

Wednesday
09:30
20:33
21:32

Thursday
09:30
16:10
19:51

Friday
09:47
16:03
17:52

Saturday
09:30
13:30
17:33

I'm trying to taper down from 0.375mg daily now: http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/833626-Next-step-in-taper-from-0-375mg-xanax