Xanax (Alprazolam) WD's

[scottjamez]

Hey all,,, Been taking benzo's of some nature for about 10 years now. Currently take at least 4 x 2mg bars daily along with clonapin before bed. How has you been ane been able to get off of it?

[chucky]

Scott,
As I'm not a doctor I can't say for sure, but I think that being on xanax that long can be fairly hard to detox off of. I have friend that was getting perscribed a little less then you and his doctor told him he had to ween off as there is a chance of stroke,or cardiac arrest with going cold turkey.As with all detoxes, they are painfull even off of sleeping/anxiety pills.I'm sure someone on this site will chip in and give a more specific diagnoses. :cool:

[Peripat]

Unlike opiate withdrawal, benzodiazepene withdrawal can actually kill you - there is the risk of seizures, stroke, cardiac arrest etc. So proceed VERY slowly and with caution. If you can do this under a doctor's care, all the better; if not, I'll see what information I can dredge up on the web.

Welcome to opiophile, scott...

[chucky]

This link should clear some things up for you. Hope it helps.

www.xanax-addiction.com/xanax-withdrawal.htm

[Dr Benway]

Iv done a benzo detox. I was on nitrazepams for about four-five years. You must not do this alone! It essential you get assistance from a GP or clinic. At one point I tried to quit alone, had spasms while in bed and broke a tooth. It was a nasty experiance. The feeling is terrible. Opiate WD is like a walk in the park in comparrison. You wont die, but you could convulse if you stop suddenly. A gradual reduction is the only way. Dont rush. It takes time, a lot of time.

[red26]

I myself have been coming off of 5 mgs. of klonopin a day for over a year and 1/2. Over the past two weeks I've been slowly weening and am now down to 1mg a day and sometimes I just take a half a day. I now have one or two left and dont get any more till the 7th by my doctor. I'm alittle scared, especially of my anxiety and panic attacks, but I've never been told that it can kill you straight up from D.t.in' from the heavy benzos. They just say " dont stop taking this medcation abruptly there guy, okee dokee?" I've formed such a deep loathing for the medical "Profession" due to things like this and being labled. Doc, you can suck a fart outta my ass. Indignant, self righteous ...

[Dr Benway]

Red26, when I done my de tox it was over a week before the wd's kicked in proper. I actually thought I'd got away with it. So you might have a weeks grace. Still, if I was you I'd approach my doctor early. Weaning your dose down over two weeks will improve things a bit, but its not really enough. But, try not to worry. It wont kill ya (we aint talking about barbs). Things may seem very strange and you will get very uncomfortable, you wont sleep, etc, but you will be ok. You wont convulse or anything nasty like that on that dose. Go see your doc when your clucking and he might lend you a little sympathy.
Good luck mate ;)

[red26]

Muchas Gracias amigo. I have been nervous about it. Does being on opiates help with the w.d.'s? I have till the 7th to get my script refilled and one left, so I guess I'll just check out with the doc and tell em' they ummm..... fell in the sink? My chest pain has been returning and I'm sure that has to do with it as well as a recent coke binge that lasted well over a month.

[Dr Benway]

Yeah, opiates do help a little, especially with an anti-histamine. My methadone with a phenergan did give me a few hours respite. I also found a little cannabis helped (too much made it worse). But for a friend of mine it made his symptoms worse. He never really puffed much tho.
Your chest pain probabaly is caused by this. This is really easy to say, but try not to worry.

ps; this is obvious, but stay away from coke until you get your script.

[red26]

Thank you and I appreciate the advice/support. I am moving to fla. in a week and a half so really if i make it till then, I'm in the clear for a while.The last one that I have, would you suggest breaking it into 1/4's over the next 4 days? Or say fu*k it and take it whole?

[Dr Benway]

I s'pose if ya break up your pill it's gonna give you some extra time. A quarter pill probably wont do much for you, but might hold back the wd a bit, and with about ten days left, it might be worth it. It might give you enough to avoid a full wd. But saying all that, I would probably just do the whole pill myself.

[bi11i]

Not me! I would treat it a like a salt-lick, taking only what I need and when I need it! (ssslllllllppppp!)

[Dr Benway]

Well thats the sensable thing to do. But I aint got that sorta self-control. ;)

[bi11i]

neither do i, but the salt-lick thing kind of made me smile a little. funny how that works out. about 10 years ago, when i decided to get married, i took 10 balloons of h with me to vegas, hidden in my mouth (and from my fiance, of course, what else?) and could they last me an easy seven days in the desert? hell no. the power of the pleasure center - what an amazing thing.

[red26]

I guess I've always been lucky in the department of control? Except coke of course. The benzos are for severe anxiety and panic attacks that I used to get. It was terrible. Being that I havent had one in over a year and a half just makes me wonder if it's still there. They started right after an o.d. from coke and the fear of god was shoved down my throat in the form of a breathing tube. Of course the benzos stopped me from driving over any more medians while stuck in traffic, but now I want to know if it's still there. I think the withdrawls started kicking in last night when I started getting these wierd spasms in my inner ear. Like my eardrums were trying to pop themselves. Is this a sighn of a coming convulsion?

[Dr Benway]

Sorry Red , I aint been around for a while. Bit late now, but that buzzing in your ears could well be wd. I'd assume you've picked up your Rx today, so most of this is probably irrelavent now.

Happy Popping :D

[red26]

Gracias se`nor Benway. Everything is copasetic now and them some! I appreciate the support greatly and what input you had helped put my mind at ease when I needed it most and it meant alot to me. thanx again Dr. B!

[Dr Benway]

No prob, glad ya sorted. You can show your appreciation by chucking a few of them klonnies this way.

:cool: peace

[GMorris]

Having come off of both Valium and Klonopin, I can say that one of the best ways to deal with W/D is to drink alcohol. It has similar effects on the CNS and got me through the worst of it. Only problem is, you might then get addicted to the alcohol and then have to come off of it. So, one of the best ways to get over alcohol withdrawal is with a few benzos, etc., etc., ad nauseum...

[fiiendin]

This link should clear some things up for you. Hope it helps.

www.xanax-addiction.com/xanax-withdrawal.htm (http://www.xanax-addiction.com/xanax-withdrawal.htm)

although that site seems like the official site for xanax addiction/habituation...the grammar is horrible. The guy who wrote it seems like an idiot, I personally wouldn't trust them. :cool:

[fiiendin]

I feel for you scott and all the other people that are dealing with being prescribed to Xanax. My best friend shot himself recently, and I am certain that the benzos he was prescribed to played a big role in his decision. This horrible drug should never be prescribed. It only worsens or makes whatever problem you are having impossible to deal with. Most doctors are fucking stupid. And those who cause people hell by giving them shit like this w/o doing their homework and being aware of the dangers of what they're doing deserves to be shot up with 100 mgs of Xanax daily for 2 years and then having it end abruptly for punishment. That's just what I think.

...

sorry I never read the whole thread before I reply so I always post a lot but Red, it might seem like a good idea to use opiates until the withdrawal from Xanax is over. And then just deal with opiate withdraw which seems like a walk in the park compared to xanax. I don't know but that's prolly what I'd do
:D

[Dr Benway]

I found this the other week regarding those wanting to quit benzo's, have a look at "benzo.org.uk". Read the Aston Manual, FAQ's, and take what info you feel is relevant. They deal with all benzo's and benzo's only. They have a forum for people needing help quitting benzo's, and is good if you've got nowhere else to go. Its for people of all nations.

I hope I aint breaking forum rules here.

[subbylara]

Thanks for the tip, Dr Benway... I have a husband with a wicked benzo habit and I need some help tapering him down. That site may well help.

Again, thankyou!

[Babydollangel]

Having come off of both Valium and Klonopin, I can say that one of the best ways to deal with W/D is to drink alcohol. It has similar effects on the CNS and got me through the worst of it. Only problem is, you might then get addicted to the alcohol and then have to come off of it. So, one of the best ways to get over alcohol withdrawal is with a few benzos, etc., etc., ad nauseum...

I have personally self detoxed off of a 6mg/day xanax 2 year habit...dr gave me a 2 week self taper to use...what a joke..it was very scary and i will never forget what I went through. Since i never took them as much as supposed to i had a full prescription left and very slowwwwwlllllyyyy over about an 8 month period of time weaned myself from this drug...at the end of this detox was when I got started with opiates and i promise you thse last few slivers of the x i was taking was forgotten..i have since been put back on the same xanax schedule...i try to be careful with it but do find when im going through opiate wd I tend to take more...im being foolish that is for sure..i almost had myself completely off of it then dr re prescribes it for my GAD...it does help me but i realy agree with those that said that the drs couldnt possibly know the hell involved in getting off of benzos....drinking did help some as supposedly alcohol occupies some of the same receptors in the brain as the benzos, but I didnt want to have that addiction for sure !!
My heart goes out to anyone going through a benzo wd and i myself try to maintain alot of control with them in my possession again. I know the hell they caused before, but I do get tremendous help from them at times too so its a double edged sword for sure.