Coming off of xanax?

Question

I have been taking xanax for a little over 2 months now. I take .25mg at bedtime as needed. I started off only taking it a couple times a week due to high anxiety I was having with certain situations going on in my life. Now I am taking it about 5 times a week and find it very difficult to stop taking it for fear that I won't sleep well, since I have a hard time falling asleep without it now. Can anyone recommend any ideas as to how I can slowly come off this drug? I don't want to take it anymore, but I am scared of sleepless nights and not being able to function properly at work. My anxiety has lessened since the initial taking, however I feel myself getting anxious when going to bed and not having it. I also feel that I have had some headaches associated with this medicine.

Answer 1

just taper down your daily dosage as you seem to be considering doing, by steps of 1/3 or 1/2 as you feel able

Answer 2

In your situation, I would taper off gradually rather than all at once. This is a drug to which one should not risk becoming habituated, good for you...

You are taking the smallest dose as provided in pill form. One can taper off by taking the pill on fewer nights and/or by taking 1/2 pill.

While working on this process, be sure to take a multivitamin daily. SAM-e is another remedy for your problem which is natural, somewhat like Vitamin B6. SAM-e comes in 400 and 800 mgm sizes typicallly, OTC, in the vitamin section at your drugstore.

I would take 800mgm during a two-week XANAX withdrawal / tapering off phase. If you feel a real need to take your usual XANAX tablet a few times (or less, hopefully), fine. But try to get by with 1/2 tablet, or no tablet insofar as possible.

SAM-e is a natural remedy which will take up where XANAX left off with the benefit of having NO dangers or side-effects. One can continue SAM-e 400 mgm as a daily vitamin supplement indefinitely if one feels benefited therefrom.

Along with your vitamins, try taking a Calcium-Magnesium supplement two or three times a week. Sometimes comes with Zinc, that is okay too. Your Vitamin D should be in your daily multivitamin.

SAM-e is very good for depression, anxiety and the like. Being natural it is the first choice of some doctors. As you know there are problems of withdrawal symptoms of patients using prescription drugs for these conditions.

Have a nutritionist anaylyze your diet too. Many times the problem is an easy one to fix.

Even when I did electronics repair, I learned to look for the simple problems first (is it plugged in, &c).

A doctor wrote a small book about SAM-e for conditions mentioned and related ones, alas the exact title escapes me. But I am sure you could find it, I believe he was a psychiatrist.

I strongly believe in natural remedies, or at least trying them first. Most people think I am 20 years younger than I actually am. But I have never used illegal drugs, had children, nor a drinking problem.

If one gets on the right track in life, there is no anxiety, even when things are not going your way. No anxiety means no wrinkles, too, another benefit.

If you do your best, truthfully and honorably, you can feel 'straight' with God and your fellow man. There are always others who can solve a problem for which you have no expertise.

That is why we are here, to help one another.

But I confess to being somewhat more anxious when I was young, and those days were not as trying as young people face today. At least there were not as many temptations and pitfalls.

Answer 3

You might have to ween yourself off the xanax a little at a time so it is not so hard on your body.Think about your habits first. Do you drink coffee, etc. I have anxiety also, I have cut down on coffee and started drinking green tea, taking vitamins, and I also listen to meditation Cd's before going to sleep if I have a problem sleeping. They really do help because they get your mind focused away from what you may be dwelling on. Chamomile tea or any other relaxing herbal teas are great before bedtime as well. Best wishes!

Answer 4

The length and size you have doesn't seem like much. I would simply suggest taking melatonin which is available from any GNC like store, maybe with Valerian root. Just taper like if your taking one a night, start taking half a pill and so on. You should not have much problem if any. I have taking Xanax in much larger sizes and stopped all of a sudden with no problems. Some people put to much emphasis on such drugs and the problems are caused by self versus the drug. No joke.

Answer 5

I was on xanax at 1mg, every morning, I would recomemed going on closapam (not sure if that is spelled exact) but I would recommend that, as if you've read up on xanax, it makes your memory suck, you have trouble concentrating, and so on. I was able to get off of anxiety meds. after going on closapam, but don't try with xanax, the withdrawal of that meds. is horrible! You feel sicker than all heck. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

No,but I'm an ex drug addict and after 20 years of using I figured
I wasn't going anywhere with it .So I quit. I do get help from some of the many substance abuse programs out there.Make that move if that's what you want to do.

Answer 7

Xanax is a highly addictive drug. Slow withdrawal is indicated and another sleep medication such as Restoril can be substituted.

Answer 8

You need to go see your doctor and have him/her put a plan together to help ween you off. I took Xanax for two years and it took me six months to ween off of it. I just took smaller doses at a time as recommended by my doctor.

Answer 9

Try Ambien or other sleep medication. Xanax is not necessarily a sleep med.

Answer 10

gradually reduce the amount you are taking, and replace it with over the counter sleep meds (like nytol) after you are only taking otc meds, then reduce the amount of those you are taking until you are taking none!