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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

XANAX: Withdrawal is kicking my ass

billyj

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
85
Been taking/abusing xanax every day for about 2 years. Have tried tapering, right down to half a pill a day and substituting valium etc. The withdrawal is SO BAD that even LOWERING the dose or changing to Valium still produces insomnia, hallucinatory anxiety, fear of impending doom, physical stiffness - the whole lot. I'm kind of worried that my best option is to weather it out and see if I can get used to lower doses and eventually phase it out altogether, but does anyone have any experience with this? I know I've earned the withdrawal from overusing, but I didn't plan on spending six months or a year trying to get off them. But the withdrawal is unbearable and at times, very frightening.
 
The withdrawal is definitely terrible. It does get better but you need to do the time unfortunately, and its directly proportional to the crime. It ends eventually.

What are the doses in involved?

Switch to diazepam and taper as much as tolerable, thats all you do unfortunately. I can guarantee ive been through it even worse, not only that but a full two times (i didnt learn my lesson i suppose).
 
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Um, earlier in the year it was normal for me to take 2 or 3 1mg xanax at a time, 2 or 3 times a day. But since then i went back down to 1 or 2mg a day. I have really tried to taper, but I'm terrified of going off them altogether as even the tapering is producing quite disruptive withdrawal symptoms.
 
2mg a day isn't that high a dose, I've cold turkey'd on 8mg a day which is potentially dangerous! Stabilize ur self on Diazepam, the equivalent dose of Diazepam compared to 2mg Alprazolam is 40mg (Alprazolam 0.5mg = Diazepam 10mg), then slowly taper down then you should be okay!

Imo you would of been better switching to a Clonazepam taper as thats the same in potency, and it has a much longer half life.
 
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ok................so 2 mg a day u`ll be fine im on 3mg a day klonopin a day have for years....but back to you here get ya self some gabapentin if u cannot get any benzos i wish u the best i have b.u.d. and o.u.d. ahhhhhhhh i suffer from anxiety ill be on kpin or some benzo my whole life yeaaa i know ;)
 
listen gabapentin help the most for benzo withdraw why is this now happeng to you >? no dr>? kicked out>? what`s goin on only benzos will end it totally but i take gabapentin also with my klonopin just so i dont eat 5 mgs ill eat 2 and 1800mg of gaba but how long was u taking 2mg a day-?
 
I second considering a clonazepam taper as it's the same potency as alprazolam but with a much longer half-life. If the diazepam switch is difficult for you, clonazepam should be much easier.
 
Been taking/abusing xanax every day for about 2 years. Have tried tapering, right down to half a pill a day and substituting valium etc. The withdrawal is SO BAD that even LOWERING the dose or changing to Valium still produces insomnia, hallucinatory anxiety, fear of impending doom, physical stiffness - the whole lot. I'm kind of worried that my best option is to weather it out and see if I can get used to lower doses and eventually phase it out altogether, but does anyone have any experience with this? I know I've earned the withdrawal from overusing, but I didn't plan on spending six months or a year trying to get off them. But the withdrawal is unbearable and at times, very frightening.
I've been through countless Benzo withdrawals.. with Xanax being the worst - producing Psychosis. I'd follow the advice of others and switch to Clonazepam (If you can get it??) if Diazepam is difficult for you.. With most Clonazepam coming in 2 mg and 0.5 mg dosed tablets that spilt into quarters.. That should hopefully help you eventually cut down to nothing... Good luck ;)
 
Two things that helped for benzo withdrawal are doxylamine and cetirizine .
You can obtain both of those over the counter in the U.S.

Doxylamine is a sleep aid (It is in the hypnotic family) and cetirizine is an allergy medication.
These two medications help a lot when in benzo withdrawal. ALOT.

I also think the move to clonazepam is a good idea.
Then you just have to put in the time to taper down slowly.

Getting of Xanax is going to take six months To a year. You must taper it down slowly or you can wreck yourself and have permanent damage. Go slow!
 
Thanks all for the advice - everything is actually going quite well. One week now since last xanax and have been taking 10mg valium twice a day. Feel good, sleeping well, looking to go down to 1 x 10mg valium soon, then taper off that into nothing. I am SO HAPPY to have the xanax out of my system, and xanax to valium taper has (so far) worked quite well for me.
 
Thanks all for the advice - everything is actually going quite well. One week now since last xanax and have been taking 10mg valium twice a day. Feel good, sleeping well, looking to go down to 1 x 10mg valium soon, then taper off that into nothing. I am SO HAPPY to have the xanax out of my system, and xanax to valium taper has (so far) worked quite well for me.
HEY-------------------- i am glad u didnt seizure up i would have my dr started abilify today i`m on sublocade-gabapentin-klonopin-remron-abilify- just .5 mg a day of klonopin i am so happy i am that low ill be on for life tho ---------------GOD BLESS HOW ARE YOU NOW NOT TRYING TO SAY THIS BUT I FELT FINE 2 MONTHS AFTER BENZO USAGE THAN IT CAME BACK WITH A VENGENCE--STAY STRONG U OK? I STARTED ABILIFY TODAY ITS HELPING
 
Actually I'm doing fine. It's at least three weeks since I had anything at all, the transfer across to Valium then taper from that worked wonders. I haven't even missed a night's sleep. I do have a bit of depersonalisation, things aren't quite aligned 100%, but I have no real rebound anxiety and no other acute symptoms. Touch wood, I hope it stays this way.
 
Been taking/abusing xanax every day for about 2 years. Have tried tapering, right down to half a pill a day and substituting valium etc. The withdrawal is SO BAD that even LOWERING the dose or changing to Valium still produces insomnia, hallucinatory anxiety, fear of impending doom, physical stiffness - the whole lot. I'm kind of worried that my best option is to weather it out and see if I can get used to lower doses and eventually phase it out altogether, but does anyone have any experience with this? I know I've earned the withdrawal from overusing, but I didn't plan on spending six months or a year trying to get off them. But the withdrawal is unbearable and at times, very frightening.
I’m not a doctor. This is from personal experience!
I feel your pain . I take Klonopin. I don’t take more than prescribed!!! Maybe switch to Klonopin or Valium and start a slowwwwwww taper. I was on Xanax and abusing it. My doctor switched from Xanax to Klonopin due to the half life. At this point I followed my doctor’s prescription to a tee. Wouldn’t take more and stuck to it.
I didn’t start to taper for years after that. I was on 6 mg on Klonopin a day for years. 2mg x 3 times a day. Went down to 4 mg a day for years until I started to taper last year. I tapered .25 every four weeks until I got down to 1.75 mg. Once I went below 2 mg I started to feel very funky. My doctor and I stopped the taper and I’ve been taking 2 mg a day. I’m proud I was able to get down from 4 mg to 2mg. At some point I’ll tackle another taper in Hope of being free of Benzodiazepines completely.
You should have professional help when tapering. Don’t stop cold turkey, sever withdrawals (including seizures) could happen. Benzo’s is are a hard one to kick. Do it slowwwwwww!
 
. . . . . . and cetirizine is an allergy medication.
These two medications help a lot when in benzo withdrawal. ALOT.
. . . . .
Getting of Xanax is going to take six months To a year. You must taper it down slowly or you can wreck yourself and have permanent damage. Go slow!

how would cetirizine help, being that i thought it was just a stimulant. still trying to learn and find proper relief from quitting various meds, well just the two now interested in the xanax benzo situ !

will the cetirizine help with focus and energy levels also ? what is the main purpose of help to take it exactly for ? i am trying my best to really understand all of this ?
 
how would cetirizine help, being that i thought it was just a stimulant. still trying to learn and find proper relief from quitting various meds, well just the two now interested in the xanax benzo situ !

will the cetirizine help with focus and energy levels also ? what is the main purpose of help to take it exactly for ? i am trying my best to really understand all of this ?

I do not know exactly why it helps but benzo withdrawal kicks up the allergy system and the citirizine helps calm down the allergy system.

It also calmed down that horrible panic attack, restlessness inside for me.
I took a triple dosage of it.
It saved me from going to the hospital due to panic attack while in benzo withdrawal.
It also made me stop pacing the house due to my leg starting to go into seizure and traveling up my body if I did not keep moving constantly. I was in serious trouble. It kept me from having a seizure. Calmed it somehow.

The other one, doxylamine is the strongest over the counter sleep aid that I have found.
It is in the hypnotic sedative family.
Getting sleep and calming down nightmares while in benzo withdrawal was hard to do and that medication helped me.

There are better alternatives, I am sure, but I was working with only what I could get over the counter in the U.S.
 
while in benzo withdrawal was hard to do and that medication helped me.

There are better alternatives, I am sure, but I was working with only what I could get over the counter in the U.S.
i am sorry that you went through all of that, really.

sure and i have taken cetirizine to help me breath better and to calm down to try and sleep also.
and it did work, but i do not really take it much at all because i am mostly just seeking pain relief lol. so i don't know ?
💔
thanx lovely ♡
 
also back to OP.
someday i want to ween from my xanax to valium.
my thoughts on valium is that it is completely not as strong as xanax. as long as you don't take more and don't take too much as well.

you cannot just quit !!! it's the law of the universe.
losing weight, do it gradually.
just don't over do it take your time.

but by all means continue to quit.
even with the smallest bit and amount you will still be taking something.

quitting is complete freedom and that is what you will get.

personally i wished i was able to take valium, because xanax was always too strong for me.

i don't know why xanax is pushed so much, ( maybe because of it's potency) but the valium for me would be a great follow through to help go through with the taper.
 
I think I am going to try the cetirizine when i need to focus, I mean really focus because I cannot most of the time anyway.
it's been really bad for about the last year and a half, almost.
just death would be a better deal for me (maybe).
but i take care of my baby, so i can't.
adopted strait out a kennel !

good lucks ! 🐶

edt: the zyrtec does help me to concentrate on sleeping though, when i really need.
 
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I think I am going to try the cetirizine when i need to focus, I mean really focus because I cannot most of the time anyway.
it's been really bad for about the last year and a half, almost.
just death would be a better deal for me (maybe).
but i take care of my baby, so i can't.
adopted strait out a kennel !

good lucks ! 🐶

Thank God for dogs!
I am so grateful for my little baby!
she takes such good care of me!!
🐶
 
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