Stress Center Peer Support

Hello!I was just wondering if anyone has been on xanax for any length of time?I was just watching some videos on you tube about xanax withdrawals and addictions and it really scared me.I've been on xanax for a little over two years now everyday.I take 1mg of xanax extended release 3 times a day.I really do feel the racy feeling when it's time to take another pill like they described when you become addicted.I really wish that I would have never started taking it now.Has anyone been on this med and weaned off of it ok or was it terrible?

If you wean off VERY slowly with a tapering schedule from a DR you should barely feel any withdrawls if any. Don't be scared. People abuse Xanax and some quit cold turkey which you should never do. . . If you want to get off talk to your DR and wean off slowly. It may take a few months to get off it completely but better than doing it cold turkey and feeling the withdrawls. STOP reading/watching bad things about your medication. Xanax was prescribed to you for a reason. You're not abusing it. I take Ativan everyday and knew someone taking 12 mgs a day and is now off them completely. She tapered off them very slowly. Took her many months but she is totally fine now.

I don't take xanax every day only as needed, but I have gone off anxiety meds before and if you go off meds slowly with a plan from your doctor you should be ok. And don't worry just because other people have had problems. Most likely you don't have the same problems they do so it is likely you will not have the same experience with the medicine.

Thank you guys for the comforting post.This has just been one of my worries.I'm not ready to be weaned off yet but I do hope to be before to long.I just don't want it to be where I get myself better from the anxiety and then have to go through the withdrawals.I trust my Dr.I would never stop cold turkey.I trust God to help me through all of this.Thank you guys again for the support.It really means a lot.

You must taper off at your own pace not to much to fast or you will have withdrawal symptoms and end up having to go back to the dose you just dropped down from to stop them or in the hospital with observation to detox safely if for some reason you cant do it on your own. If your taking it for a anxiety panic disorder your symptoms may flare up and you might need a med thats less addictive that works for you. Good luck cause I couldnt find one so I got put on the Xanax XR and been on it for years, so take it slow and ask for help if it s to hard.

<IMG ALIGN="left" SRC="http://METABOLISM.NET/BIDLACK/BIDLACKCROPPED.JPG">

Xanax withdrawal did cause an increase in my BP and pulse. Best to decrease gradually.

I've had experiences getting off of Xanax both ways.

When I was 18, I was inpatient for 3 months with my PDw/A and was weaned off of the Xanax at a decrease .25 daily every week. And after 3 months, I was stable on Paxil (which I took for 10 years and had no problems or panic on) and was Xanax free. I remember feeling a little jumpy for like a day or two after each decrease but then I would adjust and be fine. I think alot of it was psychological. To me, Xanax was the only thing that sorta helped (it didn't work very well because I don't believe at the time I was on enough of it) with my severe symptoms and letting it go felt like that safety net wouldn't be there for me anymore. But again, I learned how to be my own safe person and feel confident to deal with my anxiety head on without it.

At the very end, I was on like .25 mg a day or every other day or something like that and I just threw them away and was done. No horror story. I just kept working out and taking my medicines and eating well and taking are of myself and I had no problems.

Fast forward eleven years and having gotten off my Paxil a year prior (again with minimal withdrawel as it was done slowly) when I had a total relapse of symptoms for which Iwas totally unprepaired to deal with.

So I was put back on the Xanax and Paxil ****tail again but this time, I was scaring myself when I took the Xanax (due to a re-emergence of a medication phobia)that would cause me to panic while it kicked in and my anxiety level would actually be higher when I first took it. And my doctor said it was alright when that happened to take .5 mg every hour until it stopped. Bad idea.

I presented myself to a psychward for stablization and thier brilliant idea was to take me off the Xanax cold turkey and raise my paxil 15mg to 30mg at the same time (Paxil for me has to be increased at 2.5 incriments or else I start feeling bad.) The end result was that my blood pressure was 160/115 and my pulse was 144-155 while laying down. Then they discharged me in worse condition that when I went in there. I didn't eat or sleep for almost a week and lost 20 pounds. I shook non-stop like some junkie and can't describe the feelings. It was like my entire body and brain was chewing on tinfoil. I gave it a week and a half and went back to my doctor who immediately put me back on the xanax .5 every 6 hours instead of as needed and took my paxil back down to where I was before I went into the hospital.

I've been on that now for a month or so and am mostly stable. The paxil is really starting to work now and feel confident to start weaning myself off the xanax with my doctors help.

So I'm taking .25 for one of my four daily doses. Started last night and so far no problems. I'm also starting to stretch my doses a little further apart.

Bottom line, I've done both and believe me, I'm no rockstar when it comes to dealing with anxiety, getting off of Xanax if done correctly with the right mind frame and the correct tapering schedule is not going to mess you up as bad as some of these other people. You just have to let go of it and make sure you have a good support network in place and something to keep you really busy. I always liked going to NA or CA meetings and listening to how bad other people have had it and then I think to myself, I can handle a little benzo tapering, no problem. I read up on benzo withdrawel too during the week I was in it and I know from experience that you just have to take it slow!!!!

Good Luck honey and take care.
Jeny