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Coming off Xanax

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Posted 9/28/2016 9:06 PM (GMT 0)
Some of you may remember that I was prescribed 20mg Prozac for my anxiety and OCD. I have decided I am going to give it a shot but not until I move back to Chicago in a couple of weeks. Part of the reason I'm going on it is so that I can stop taking Xanax daily. Of course I'll keep using as needed. I know a lot of people and my psychiatrist said Xanax will really help when starting the Prozac for possible increased anxiety and side effects. My plan though is to not need to take the Xanax daily. My question is, how to come off of it? I heard you have to taper off and not just stop.

Is that true even though I take such a low dose of .25? I have not been on it long. I've only picked up so far two prescriptions of 60 pills each and still have quite a few. Lately I have been taking it daily, maybe last two weeks or so. Any recommendations or experiences?
Posted 9/28/2016 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have any specific recs for the Xanax, other than ask your doc, as s/he probably has a step down plan you can use. I think the key is to just go slowly, and like you said, since you have a lower dose, it probably will be very manageable.

Also wanted to say congrats on deciding to start the Prozac! I know you've thought very hard about this and are taking a leap of faith, so good job working through it.

And finally, just a shout out from another Illinois resident - though not Chicago for me, I live down in the corn fields. :)
Posted 9/28/2016 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
MD,

Your doctor should be able to give you a discontinuation schedule...but if not...

.25 mg how many times a day? If you are taking it more than once, then decreasing by one pill for a week at a time should be a gradual enough decrease...

If you are taking just one, then going to one every other day will probably suffice.

If you are having any issues, then you could water titrate...but I doubt that will be necessary due to your low dose and short duration.;)

S.C.
Posted 9/28/2016 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hello fellow Illini! I'll actually be in the western suburbs of Chicago, not in the city.

As far as what I take, there's really no pattern it's all over the place. For a week I might take two in a day, then go days without any, then maybe one a day for a few days and so on.

The only reason I'm waiting to start the Prozac until I make the move is because I have no idea where to start to getting a doc back in Illinois since my insurance from my previous job runs out in a week. So idk where to go or how to go about seeing a psychiatrist without insurance. I'm going to have to look into costs and whatnot. Plan is to get there and start looking for one and see if they want to get me on the Prozac. I don't want to start the 20 pills this psychiatrist gave me then risk having a gap until I figure it out with the new psychiatrist.
Posted 9/28/2016 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Mike - I bet if you called your current doctor and told him your situation (that you'll be moving, getting new insurance, etc) he will extend your prescription for 6 months or whatever so you'll be covered. Just something to think about in the next week before your current ins runs out!

And I have a sister that lives up in the western burbs. Lots of IKEA trips for you! ;D
Posted 9/28/2016 10:41 PM (GMT 0)
Yea I was wondering why she didn't recommend doing that? I think I'll just wait until I get home and see how I feel. Either way I want the tapper myself off the Xanax and only use it sparingly. I know that'll have to wait until I get to Illinois also since I'm driving across the country, alone, so I'm sure they will be in use for those couple of days haha.
Posted 9/29/2016 12:19 AM (GMT 0)
Always best to talk to a doc or maybe even a pharmacist, but given the small dose and the fact that you already go 2 or 3 days without at times, I'd be surprised if you noticed anything more severe than a night of sleeplessness. Good luck with the drive, move and doc search.
Posted 9/29/2016 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Yea even the pharmacist weren't much help. My friends are throwing a little going away party for me on Sunday. I called to ask if I didn't take another Xanax between now and Sunday night if I'd be ok to drink and she said I "should be fine". Lol she sounded confident so that was cool cause I'd like to at least have a drink or two. My question to her though was in two parts. The second part was will I be ok if I took a pill .25 today then I don't take another one so i can drink on Sunday if it'll be problematic for withdraw reasons lol she said she didn't know. She said she thinks it'll be ok. I said ok I'm ok with feeling a little off, but I'm not gonna like die or anything crazy right and she said "idk" lol. That wasn't very promising.
Posted 9/29/2016 12:37 PM (GMT 0)
You could totally drink on Sunday. Xanax has a super short half life of 6-12 hours (depending on your metabolism).
Posted 9/29/2016 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
Momtoglgland has you covered on this, just dont take the xanax in the same 24hr time period,
just one caution, when driving remember many states will treat taking xanax the same as drinking,
while driving, stay alert! Peace

Larry ***

Post Edited (lgm1942) : 9/29/2016 8:26:46 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/29/2016 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I also think you will be fine...at your low dose and sporadic use, you will not have much built up in your system...

...and be safe if you don't take you med for 48 hrs. prior.

Hope it's a fun party! :)

S.C.
Posted 9/29/2016 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Well now there's a whole different problem. I'm worried about the possible serious withdrawals from just not taking it, whether at all anymore or even for a few days. I've heard all these horror stories about people who forgot to take their meds for a few days or who left the bottle at home on a trip and couldn't take for a few days, etc. I really just want to come off of them completely but freaked myself out reading how to do so. Everywhere I read says you MUST taper off slowly and not to just miss doses or stop suddenly. I wonder if that's the case for me since I've only taken for a few months and a low dose. I hear it doesn't matter, still as dangerous.
Posted 9/29/2016 5:12 PM (GMT 0)
At your dosage, I don't think you'll have an issue...

...however, your peace of mind is important, so you can certainly ask your doctor about cutting your .25mg in half for a week...then doing the .12mg for a week...

Or look into water titration for the most gradual and gentle discontinuation.

Hope you can put a call into your dr.s office today and get going on a plan that makes you feel comfortable. :)

S.C.
Posted 9/29/2016 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I made an appointment for tomorrow, but my doc is out for the week. Still fine though, the other doc will have all my info. I asked while on the phone and I have picked up a total of three bottles, 60 pills each since June 6th. Next was July 11th, then the last one was September 9th. I haven't even touched the September bottle yet and still have about 15 left from the July bottle. So I've only take just over 100 pills in just over 100 days...we'll see!
Posted 9/29/2016 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
Scaredy is right about your peace of mind, but I'll tell you this - I use xanax in the exact same way as you do. A little here, a little there, sometimes more, sometimes less. I have never felt withdrawal effects other than a sleepless night. I have a drink or two on occasion, and treat that very similarly to the advice given above without problem.
There a many horror stories about xanax withdrawal on the web. Those are almost always cases of abuse, or long term use in doses much higher than what you and I use.
This post is only intended to ease your mind. It is only my experience and opinion.
Better safe than sorry is about the best advice anyone can give when it relates to medication.
But I think you'll be fine.
Posted 9/29/2016 9:06 PM (GMT 0)
That's great to hear. It's so f'n crazy how the mind works. Yesterday I took a pill as normal. Just one .25 pill, the couple days before I was taking two. So anyway, I read all these Gordy stories about withdrawals then when I was sleeping, just about 7 hours after taking the pill yesterday I kept waking up and freaking out then going back to sleep. Today when I woke up I felt like complete crap, even for a while after taking one. It's like my mind has already taken over from all the bad stuff I read and it's like the withdrawal is already hitting...even though I haven't even stopped taking anything yet! lol wth?!?!?
Posted 9/30/2016 3:01 AM (GMT 0)
It amazing the profound effect t anxiety can have on us.

So many members post about a med's side effects...or withdrawl issues...

...and sometimes (after reading the symptoms) I think hmmmmm...

...and gently suggest...

'Or, it could just be the anxiety itself.'

;) ;) ;)

S.C.
Posted 9/30/2016 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
It really seems like it is just the anxiety. All yesterday I was reading about coming off of Xanax. Then last night I couldn't sleep kept waking up then all day today I felt sick. Like a lot of the withdrawal symptoms I read about yesterday, I was feeling today....and I didn't even stop taking the pills yet! So crazy. I hate it.
Posted 9/30/2016 11:32 AM (GMT 0)
Mike,

A couple summers ago, I was on .5 Xanax 3x daily for about 4 months. I had absolutely no problem getting off and it only took about a month. No withdrawl symptoms, at all. Like someone said earlier, the withdrawl usually comes with abuse or long term use.
Posted 9/30/2016 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
Momto, did you rapper off?
Posted 10/1/2016 2:01 PM (GMT 0)
Yes. By the time I really started the tapper, I was probably only taking .25 three times daily. Then I went two times, then to .125 twice a day. Then after that, I just took it intermittently. Soon I didn't need to take it at all.
Posted 10/2/2016 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
It sucks cause my doc recommended that I keep taking it until I move this week back to Chicago and get established with a doc then get on the Prozac she wanted me on. Now that shouldn't take long from now but just ever day I keep taking these I just feel it's going to be even more hell to get off.
Posted 10/2/2016 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
MD,

A few more days, or even weeks is not going to make a significant impact in the big picture.

I think it is sound advice to keep using your med until you are settled...

...and then you can start your discontinuation, and move forward.:)

S.C.
Posted 10/2/2016 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with SC. It will make the transition to Prozac so much easier.
Posted 10/2/2016 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with the others above, Mike. You're on a really low dose. And I think Momto makes a great point - the Xanax can help during the transition to a longer-term medication, which I know is your plan. I think SC had great advice to focus on the move first, then once you're settled and can find a doc to get the Prozac Rx, then focus on dropping the Xanax. People who have issues are often on it for YEARS. You've just been months, barely. You'll be ok!! :)
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