Xanax WD's - Not evil yet, but odd.

[Alex000]

So, I have been on benzos daily for about five months. Started with Klonopin, then switched to Xanax around the New Year. I was started on 1 mg Klonopin daily, to 1.5 mg daily, then switched to 2 mg Xanax daily, then 2.5 mg, and now I've been taking about 3 mg for a couple of weeks. I realized I actually didn't need to take a bedtime dose, if I dose higher in the beginning of the day, which I prefered anyway. But today I decided not to take Xanax at all. I want to use it PRN, and don't want to be dependent on it. I know CT from benzos is extremely dangerous and all of that, but I am wondering if what I am feeling now is normal, and how long the acute WD's will last, and when they will peak. My last dose was a 2 mg dose 29 hours ago.

I feel fairly wound, and quite odd. I don't really feel anxious, but wouldn't say I felt very pleasant, and I am wondering why no mental anxiety? I feel my body aching a little, and my heart beating, and my hands shaking a bit, but feel no mental anxiety. I am more easily startled, and do feel a bit raw emotionally, but don't feel anxious or obsessive. I don't feel too restless either, so long as I keep occupied.

Is it normal to not feel "mental anxiety" in benzo WD's, but instead just off, somewhat uncomfortable, and physically sore? I feel a bit shocky, but again not anxious, or worrying. It is almost a trippy sort of feeling.

BTW- I also take Lamictal, and SSRI's.

 

[Skillz36]

I don't know much about the subject so don't trust my opinion but I'll give u my experiences so u can trust that my therapist had me on 6 mg xanax a day 2 mg 3 times daily I decided to quit them about a year ago I cut back .5 mg daily for a week which is very quick to stop then I went cold turkey people warned me about seizures and shit like that but real talk I had no withdrawl what so ever from it I dono I think it all depends on the person

 

[RobotRipping]

It took me a while to really feel the withdrawal. Since xanax is shorter acting, it should set in a bit faster compared to a longer acting benzo. I don't really remember the first week or so, after that was rather awful however.

The withdrawal is strange, I didn't realize what was going on at first, my body was aching so badly, back would hurt and I couldn't move much. Then I started to have sleeping problems and severe anxiety. Along with this, I became hypersensitive to everything; lights, sounds, touch. Dreams and memories became very intense and vivid. After that, I went a bit delusional, feeling disconnected all the time, as well as having many other psychological issues. All of this occurred within an 8 week span, afterwards I was more or less back to my normal anxious self.

It was a progressive thing for me, likely from abusing long acting benzos and a bunch of other stuff. The withdrawal is a bit trippy but more like going schizophrenic trippy than psychedelic. IMO, the symptoms you describe signal the beginning of withdrawal, but I sincerely hope that's as bad as it's going to get for you. If you were just using your medication for the therapeutic effects then maybe it won't be so bad. In any case, I would ask your doctor, you don't want to risk a seizure and a slow taper on Valium would be less painful.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

The more significant withdrawals shouldn't kick in until about 48 hours after your last dose. The slighter, more subtle withdrawals that you are currently feeling, will kick in within just a day, maybe sooner, but they won't be terrible after being on them for just 5 months at doses around 3mg. Usually someone who feels nasty withdrawals after just a day without taking them are those who have been on them for years on doses like 4+mg (although some may still from lower doses). Then again some people are more sensitive to benzo withdrawals.

 

[Alex000]

Thanks for the replies, I do appreciate them. It later turned my mindspace turned a little disturbing, like someone mentioned "schizophrenic" like. I didn't have frank hallucinations, but felt edgy and weird. I wanted to occupy myself for the night, assuming sleep wouldn't come easy if at all, so I began to write wild descriptions of nightmares in verse, and that kind of freaked me out. I felt just out of it, and not in a good way. I wasn't insanely restless, but my muscles ached some, and my body felt heavy and different. My muscles would jerk and twitch some, too. It wasn't fun, and decided to call it quits after 33 hours, taking 1 mg Xanax. I needed another 1 mg after an hour trying to go to sleep.

I tasted Xanax WD's and don't really think I could go through them or PAWS cold turkey, when it is time I will just have to do a Valium taper.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Thanks for the replies, I do appreciate them. It later turned my mindspace turned a little disturbing, like someone mentioned "schizophrenic" like. I didn't have frank hallucinations, but felt edgy and weird. I wanted to occupy myself for the night, assuming sleep wouldn't come easy if at all, so I began to write wild descriptions of nightmares in verse, and that kind of freaked me out. I felt just out of it, and not in a good way. I wasn't insanely restless, but my muscles ached some, and my body felt heavy and different. My muscles would jerk and twitch some, too. It wasn't fun, and decided to call it quits after 33 hours, taking 1 mg Xanax. I needed another 1 mg after an hour trying to go to sleep.

I tasted Xanax WD's and don't really think I could go through them or PAWS cold turkey, when it is time I will just have to do a Valium taper.

Don't those jerks and twitches suck? My muscles go so far to even spasm. When your out having to do things in society it is real embarrassing when people are around you and see your arms and legs twitch.

 

[ro4eva]

I get the twitches too, but midsection and neck also twitch... violently.