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xanax withdrawal help in nyc

solano1

solano1

Greenlighter
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
11
Location
The Big Apple
hello every Im fairly new to bluelight......I have an issue with xanax....well here goes. Ive been smoking pot for the past 20 years....been looking for a way to stop this disgusting habit, Im 37 years of age and I think its time to stop.....been trying for many years with no luck, someone told me xanax was good for marijuana withdrawal....so i decided to pick up a couple of these nasty pills.....i picked up (from a source) 10-2 ml xanax bars in early feb. one thing led to another and I also picked up some flexeril and ambien(dont know why) anyhow...been taking xanax for a 7 weeks....but my intake varied from day to day.. as much as 3 mil and not less than 1/2mil per day...well the bars ran out and i started consuming 1/4 and 1/2 mil footballs generic xanax. Needless to say i was hooked....i was also taking the flexeril and ambien but not very often....and my pot habit continued but it was too late i was hooked....so on 3/25/12 i called my source....and the bastard didnt pick up(a blessing in disguise)but i had a couple of football pills left....and my dose lowered trying to save them...on 3/28/12 i took my last 1/4 xanax pill...withdrawal hit me the following day...3 days in on sat. 3/31/12 i took half a flexeil and went to get a haircut...i was paranoid and the left half of my face was numb!! needless to say i was freaking out...so i went home and smoked half a joint thinking it would relieve my horrible experience....damn big mistake it made matters worse i went into panic mode and this time the whole left side of my body was numb!!! i was paranoid i couldnt even go to work....i was a big mess for the rest of the day.....i took ambien to help me sleep....didnt help much but it was better than nothing...so sunday came and i was still very much on edge...but not to the point of paranoia....took 2 pulls of a joint an ambien and went to sleep for about 4 hours....today is day 5 and i feel so much better...took an advil pm to try and sleep(only 2 ambien left) I feel tired but i still cant sleep....but i feel much better...im a little tiny bit on edge but i think its because i havent smoked my pot.....now heres the kick in the head.....about 3 years ago i withdrew from xanax.... at that time it was a 3 week period at about 1 1/2 mil a day....and it was withdrawal hell for about 1 1/2 weeks......i mean pure hell....but not the numbness....so my question is.... is the worst still to come or will i just get better? i dont understand whats going on, i did double the mil in 7 weeks and i dont feel half as bad as i did 3 years ago(with the exception of day three of withdrawal)im scared to smoke(good thing) due to i think i will have severe panic attacks....can anyone help me and explain what is going on...and if im out of the woods or do i still have a long way to go? should i be worried or am i over the hump....please help thanks in advance
 
I am not going to pretend that I have any expertise or experience with what you are going through---I will leave that other wonderful members of our community that do----but I did want to jump in and say two things.First, if the left side of your face went numb and then the left side of your body, you should seek medical help immediately. For all you know this has nothing to do with your withdrawals! Get checked out by a doctor and be honest with him or her about what you have been on. Second, since you have done this before it sounds like you have adequate information about tapering, so good luck and stay strong and hopefully you will be free of this for good.<3
 
I was in a sober-living with a girl that been addicted to xanax. If you really have a chemical dependency it's not something to mess around with. Medical supervision for that detox for sure. I won't list her withdrawal symptoms, but I didn't envy her.
 
I feel angry that someone would suggest Xanax to you, as a means to quit marijuana.

Alprazolam (Xanax) is a benzodiazepine; a group of drugs that are physically and psychologically addicting. Like alchohol, barbiturates amd GHB/GBL, they work upon GABA receptor sites in your brain. Withdrawal from any of these substances can cause seizures as well as death. It sounds like your probably over the worst of it, but you can never be too careful when it comes to benzo withdrawal. I would talk to a medical professional about this, detoxing or tapering yourself can be dangerous, and it is best if you can be monitored.
 
No way to tell if you "are over the hump" because benzo withdrawal effects people in a wide range since it's mostly mental or at least was for me. I can say I don't wish it upon anyone and withdrawing from xanax was hell for me, and i probably didn't take it every day but damn near close to every day for several months at large doses. Like I would seriously skip days having it all blur together. Shit those bars will make you do some crazy stuff.
 
Between four and five weeks of continual, daily benzodiazepine use is where physiological dependence begins to develop to the extent that you'd be, at the very least, appreciably uncomfortable if you were to stop taking it. Seven weeks is not too far beyond that.

However, most of the deleterious effects of BZD withdrawal syndrome that significantly affect or threaten one's health and well-being cement themselves over longer periods of time than seven weeks. Given all my years, trials and tribulations involving BZDs, I believe you hit withdrawal, but that you haven't been using long enough to extend the discomfort into the PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome/Protracted Withdrawal)

Protracted withdrawal, strictly defined, is the presence of substance-specific signs and symptoms common to acute withdrawal but persisting beyond the generally expected acute withdrawal timeframes
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In other words, the information that I know about the interactions between BZDs and the human body suggests that you probably are over the hump - and, unless you have some pre-existing neurological condition (e.g. epilepsy), the risk of withdrawal-induced seizures is next to none.

What my knowledge suggests to me in the context of your story is not a substitute for licensed professional medical assessment/treatment, however; please do not take it as such and if you feel your symptoms worsening, call 911 or get yourself to the emergency room immediately.

"Benzodiazepine safety" is a very haphazardly used term and is almost a misnomer in the context of use spanning more than 4 weeks!

Be safe, please please please!

~ Vaya
 
It will suck, but the 7 week extent of your use will minimize the withdrawl to 3-5 days max. it will peak by the third day and by a week you will think wow I feel fine. I have had serious benzo w/ds several times and xanax is the worst to endure, but over the quickest. You may want to check into a supervised detox because even though some have success at home, there is risk of seizure with benzo detox.
 
I am not qualified to hand out a diagnosis, but just a tidbit of info that might be interesting for you to know: When I first began to experience full blown panic attacks years ago- the worst I ever had(that went on for quite awhile); my whole face would become numb, tip of my nose, chin, fingers, legs. Before I was diagnosed by a doctor, it was an extremely scary and horrendous feeling. If someone has never felt that way, they would never think that could happen due to severe anxiety.

I won't discourage you from seeking medical attention; doing so could lessen your anxiety largely/be a relief. But there is a chance the numbness you experienced could have been tied into the anxiety attacks you were having.

Hoping you are feeling better-take it easy on yourself!!
 
mareseatoats said:
I won't discourage you from seeking medical attention; doing so could lessen your anxiety largely/be a relief. But there is a chance the numbness you experienced could have been tied into the anxiety attacks you were having.
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The last statement could definitely be correct, good point.
Great point about seeking medication attention - dually for soundness of body and mind. Health issues can be so terrifying.
OP, lighten the load you're bearing and have a visit to a doctor. You can be totally honest without fear of reprisal, and the benefits would be incredible and lasting.

Good advice, mareseatoats!

~ Vaya
 
a month and a half of xanax in semi low doses.

my advice stop now. medical advise will be futile. what are they going to tell you? here taper with these .25's for a month. pffffft.

good luck!
 
bagochina said:
a month and a half of xanax in semi low doses.
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This^

Was exactly the point I was trying to make. That the OP's situation was long enough to develop a physical dependence, but is really only a very small amount in relation to the amount of exposure required to develop a severe, two-week to one year long or greater PAWS episode, called Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome. Herein lie the truly troublesome and lasting changes that benzodiazepines exert upon the brain: disruption of sleep architecture; sedation, apathy; depression; amotivation; drug-seeking behavior/addiction; development of potentially fatal physiological dependence if the chemical were stopped abruptly, derealisation/dissociation from self... I mean, these are true benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms that are most certainly not all relegated to the 'extreme' side of the scale. And with, as bagochina put it, "a month and a half of xanax in semi low doses" illustrates how low an amount that represents against the development of true toxicity in humans.

Obviously BZDs should be taken lightly by no one. But inasfar as your question goes, I really don't think you're in danger of having a seizure or protracted withdrawals. I've gone off 4mg Xanax and 3mg Klonopin/day for 3 years with only two weeks worth of meds left to spread out. It was awful, but I didn't have nearly as severe a time than I thought I would (I fully anticipated a powerful tonic-clonic or grand-mal seizure, even allowing for the possibility of entering staticus epilepticus. IDK. It was a wretched and scary time, and I hope to illustrate to the OP that it's extremely unlikely that anything of significance will happen, but always consult a doctor over advice you receive on these forums.

Good luck to you... you're extremely lucky that you're getting out with almost no exposure! That is something you should be absolutely joyous about :)
I wouldn't wish strong BZD dependence upon any one. It tears you apart mentally and physically more and more the deeper one falls into it; I've failed three times in the past 11 years to rid my body of this poison. A handful of seizures along the way - from someone with a tolerance many, many times that of yours whose body required the drug to function on even basic levels.

If you wouldn't mind, keep us updated along the way and let us know how you're progressing!!
Best wishes,
~ Vaya
 
Thank u all for replying.....yesterday i was feeling well enough to go (plus I have a family tp support) i wasent 100 percent...so in the morning I bought my usual breakfast a butter bagel with a bottle of 20 oz pepsi......couldnt eat .....so o drank half the soda....about 30 min into my drive...my mind starts racing start getting paranoid thinking of my family...wow that was the worst day at work ever...i couldnt talk i could stpp swallowing my spit....looked like i was coming down a cocaine night binge...i was really embarrased to say the least....so i spent the rest of yhe day drinking water and gatorade...i was feeling really dehydrated....so i got home...my wife was cooking....so i couldnt pass that up....but i didnt have an appetite...so i decided to smoke half a joint....(bad move)! Came out the bathroom with a full panic attack...my left side went numb again i was in paranoa for about 3 hours...very thirsty the whole time still no appetite... Took an ambien i felt better i slept 4 hours....still no appetite but im not numb....but im dont feel to good im going to e.r. today...i need to overcome this...for my family ...but im really scared...really really scared....thank iu all gor your replys
 
I cant type on this stupid phone....anyhow thank u....its reasurring to know theres people who care and that im not alone in this uphill battle....
 
Damn Vaya...im only 7 weeks in amd it feels like ive been taking xanax all my life...i have to get over this....not so much for me but for my family....i cant function properly.....my mental process is just to accelerared .....my mind is racing...but im physically tired......im scared to smoke pot....but ive been smoking for 20 years....so i think im withdrawaling from that also.....but im really scared to smoke.....how can i sleep and start eating again?.....im scared to drive due to scared of having seizure and hurting someone....
 
Solano-I really hope things work out for you-you'll be ok I'm sure; the doctors will take care of you.

Please come back when you are feeling better and let us know the outcome and how you are doing- hoping you're feeling better now as I comment...

Vaya, thank you for the positive comment on my comment-and also for your insight to try and help Solano as well:)
 
curious on what the ER will do for benzo w/d.

Nothing is really effective except more benzos. They might give you some vistiril, lyrica, or neurontin if your lucky and personally those helped slightly for me for about a week and that was just more mental as I was swallowing a handful of pills [bullshit pills mind you]. Maybe they will say your depressed and suggest seeing a psych and getting on anti-d's. Or just write you a small script for trazadone or another sleeper. Most likely send you home and tell you to deal with it.

The one time I went to the ER for benzo w/d I was about 2 months off of them and I was still just shaking like a leaf in a storm. They gave me ativan 2mg. I was pissed because i didnt want to take it, they didnt understand that. Total waste of time.

good luck
 
solano1 said:
...but im really scared...really really scared....
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Hey, solano. It's okay to feel scared. Fear is amongst our most powerful and positive motivators. In all circumstances, the sensation of fright is certainly unpleasant. But it's meant to be. That unpleasant feeling originating from deep within the center of your brain appears to be the foremost reason why you are seeking help. It may sound silly, counter-intuitive, or it may just piss you off - but try appreciating fear for what it can do for you, as well as what it can take away from you. In this sense, fear is a lot like fire - catastrophic and devastating if it gets out of control or is unexpected, but also a tool that may be harnessed for your benefit.

solano said:
i need to overcome this...for my family
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Your family will most certainly benefit from your getting back on track and well again. But why couldn't this endeavor be for yourself as well?

~ Vaya
 
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