Benzos What are the signs of Xanax dependancy and when should I be worried?

[buttershots21]

So I am legitimately prescribed Xanax for GAD and panic attacks. I am prescribed .5mg to take 3 times a day, and I've been on this dose for about a year now. I usually just end up taking 1mg once a day. Sometimes I only take one a day, or 4 a day, the most I've ever taken is 6 a day for a total of 3mg. I've only done that 3 or 4 times. I get no "fun" out of these, I use them for what they are prescribed for, and to potentiate my pain medication. (Morphine and Percocet). I have run out a time or two, due to the Dr office not getting around to getting my new script called in to the pharmacy on time. The longest run I've been without is 12 days straight. In this time, the only WD effects I recall are some shakes, and a large increase in anxiety and being very short tempered with people but since I was out of pain meds at the same time idk if it was from not having my benzos or just opiate WD. I guess I'm just worried about forming a dependency to benzos and from all the info I've read about it, it's horrible and can kill you and it's a Hell I don't wish to go through. I don't fear addiction to them as like I said, I get no fun effects, no euphoria, they are just a tool I use for anxiety. But I feel that physical dependency could be a real issue. Would I be considered dependent on them now? If so, what should I do to break the dependency? If not, what should I do to avoid it from happening? Is my dose something i should be worried about? Is it considered a high, medium, or low dose? Should I decrease my usage? If I should take a break or quit, how should I go about tapering this med? Would switching to a different benzo be beneficial? I've had Valium in the past, but feel the Xanax works better for my symptoms. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[《Plasticity》]

Your dose isn't really high, but since you take it three times a day it's constantly in your system and that's enough to cause dependence regardless of dose. Once I started to get rebound anxiety, insomnia, and headaches that marked the early stages of dependence. Since your getting rebound on the days you don't take it, and it seems you want to avoid dependency at all costs, it's time for a break. That's really the only solution at this point if you don't wanna fall victim to dependence.

Take some time off, I would avoid benzos for at least a week after all rebound/withdrawal symptoms have gone away. When you resume, take it only a few times a week and space out your doses more if you start to notice rebound. Are you dependent at this point? Sounds like it, although in the early stages. At some point you'll have to ask yourself if the benefits are worth the risk, and if not perhaps it's best to leave the benzos alone altogether. Good luck though, hope you find a regimen that works for you... benzo withdrawal really sucks though, especially with short acting benzos and IMO it's just not worth it, even as an individual with GAD. But that's up to you to decide.

 

[kayaker318]

Hi Butter - How about something longer acting like clonazepam? Then you might benefit from just .5mg once a day instead of 3 or 4 or more. From my own experience it should still help w/anxiety.

 

[phatass]

Defnately a physical dependancy at that dose for a year... Withdrawals are bad at first, especially with a short acting and half life benzo like xanax.... but only get worse with PAWS (Post acute withrdawal symptoms). Which most experience after daily long term daily use.... when they quit, less so if you do a slow taper... the slower the taper, the lesssevere the PAWS in theory...

Maybe it would be an idea to think about switching to gabapentin (Neurontin), or pregabalin (Lyrica) for your aniety issues, the latter will be more efficint for GAD IMO/IME but the former may cut it for you, and is less "dangerous than Lyrica...

It MAY be VERY tough, to quit the xanax and make the switch to another anti-anxiety med (there are others than the ones i mentioned) but definately worth it in the long run....

Not many quit benzos entirelly after sevral years of daily addiction without serious repurcutions for months, or years, so i would suggest you change to one of the lesser "evils" than ANY benzo whilst you're still a bit ahead!

Good luck to ya!

 

[buttershots21]

I'm already Rxed Neurontin for neuropathy and I am prescribed 800mg 3 x a day. I hate taking it though, as I hate the way it makes me feel. It's on par with being drunk. I was briefly on Lyrica and that was even worse. So I only take the Gaba when I'm out of my regular pain meds or xanax to help with opiate withdrawals. I hate feeling drunk, dizzy, uncoordinated, with dry mouth, and I never know if it's going to help me sleep or if it's going to keep me awake. It also makes me talk a mile a minute. On the rare occassions I have to act social, it's good to have. But I have found that if I try and take it for more than a couple of days, it starts making me feel really bad. Achy, headache, and just kind of flu like really.

I can go a few days without taking the Xanax and I'm fine with not having it, as far as I don't go out of my mind, just increased anxiety and I get short tempered with people. Though I had that problem before taking xanax, those are a couple of reasons why I started taking it in the first place. I can say that the 12 day dry spell I had to go through was rough, but it was the opiate WD that was kicking my ass, not the lack of benzos. I think what I'm going to do is just take my pain meds for awhile, and just stop taking the xanax, and see how my body and mind react to that. I find myself taking it more to increase my pain meds effectiveness more than for anxiety. I'm allowed 3 a day, I usually only take two a day, and I take them at the same time. I may just cut down to one a day and see how that feels and if that's ok, drop down to a half a day. They just make me feel normal, it's never been a fun drug to me, but a way to function as normally as someone with all my medical problems can function. I just find it hard to believe that I could have problems taking the doses I have, I always thought those with benzo problems are the ones who take it for fun, who over do it and get all blacked out on them, and who take way more than recommended therapeutic doses. I guess even responsible use can be a problem if you are on them long enough

My biggest fear is having a siezure. Say I just stopped them cold turkey, what is the danger zone for seizures? I didn't have any problems like that during my 12 day stretch, is it something that might not happen until weeks or months after cutting down or quitting? I thought I was okay after going that long without them, and going through opiate withdrawal at the same time but maybe I was wrong?

 

[Nom de Plume]

I can go a few days without taking the Xanax and I'm fine with not having it, as far as I don't go out of my mind, just increased anxiety and I get short tempered with people. Though I had that problem before taking xanax, those are a couple of reasons why I started taking it in the first place. I can say that the 12 day dry spell I had to go through was rough, but it was the opiate WD that was kicking my ass, not the lack of benzos.

If that is the case, you don't have a physiological dependence to Xanax. If one can take a few days off from their drug use, and not become stricken with the twinges and pangs of withdrawal, then they have no substance dependence.

In the particular case of Xanax dependence, you'd probably require fewer than 24 hours (after your last use) for the first few mildly rebarbative symptoms of benzo withdrawal to be felt. A "few days" of abstinence would be more than enough time.

I think what I'm going to do is just take my pain meds for awhile, and just stop taking the xanax, and see how my body and mind react to that. I find myself taking it more to increase my pain meds effectiveness more than for anxiety.

Notwithstanding my belief that you don't have a physiological dependence to Xanax, if I were you I would not abruptly discontinue a drug like Xanax without having first received the reasoned go-ahead from a professional, like a physician or, better yet, the person currently prescribing you the drug. The obverse—that is, not consulting a qualified professional beforehand—would, I think, be very unwise and potentially tragic.

 

[silas GUY]

oo no worries until you have a full blown seizure from WD ride that shit out homey

 

[silas GUY]

305 till i die ninja

 

[phatass]

I'm already Rxed Neurontin for neuropathy and I am prescribed 800mg 3 x a day. I hate taking it though, as I hate the way it makes me feel. It's on par with being drunk. I was briefly on Lyrica and that was even worse. So I only take the Gaba when I'm out of my regular pain meds or xanax to help with opiate withdrawals. I hate feeling drunk, dizzy, uncoordinated, with dry mouth, and I never know if it's going to help me sleep or if it's going to keep me awake. It also makes me talk a mile a minute. On the rare occassions I have to act social, it's good to have. But I have found that if I try and take it for more than a couple of days, it starts making me feel really bad. Achy, headache, and just kind of flu like really.

I can go a few days without taking the Xanax and I'm fine with not having it, as far as I don't go out of my mind, just increased anxiety and I get short tempered with people. Though I had that problem before taking xanax, those are a couple of reasons why I started taking it in the first place. I can say that the 12 day dry spell I had to go through was rough, but it was the opiate WD that was kicking my ass, not the lack of benzos. I think what I'm going to do is just take my pain meds for awhile, and just stop taking the xanax, and see how my body and mind react to that. I find myself taking it more to increase my pain meds effectiveness more than for anxiety. I'm allowed 3 a day, I usually only take two a day, and I take them at the same time. I may just cut down to one a day and see how that feels and if that's ok, drop down to a half a day. They just make me feel normal, it's never been a fun drug to me, but a way to function as normally as someone with all my medical problems can function. I just find it hard to believe that I could have problems taking the doses I have, I always thought those with benzo problems are the ones who take it for fun, who over do it and get all blacked out on them, and who take way more than recommended therapeutic doses. I guess even responsible use can be a problem if you are on them long enough

My biggest fear is having a siezure. Say I just stopped them cold turkey, what is the danger zone for seizures? I didn't have any problems like that during my 12 day stretch, is it something that might not happen until weeks or months after cutting down or quitting? I thought I was okay after going that long without them, and going through opiate withdrawal at the same time but maybe I was wrong?

Seizure, especially with xanax, but with all benzos, is a real danger when CT'ing benzos, allthough not necessarily fatal, they can be, and are nasty buisness anyway...

Sucks about the lyrica and neurontin, not being possible "replacements"

I would advise against cold turkey, you can't really taper xanax, so maybe think of switching to a longer half-life benzo (diazepam, Chlordiazepoxide, ethyl loflazepate etc., and tapering a bit)

good luck