Major Anxiety

Hi all, I am new here and am a bit on the struggle bus as of late. A couple of months ago my doctor put me on Xanax 0.5mg for anxiety. I started taking them and was ok and then there were times I just didn't want to take them at all until my anxiety came back in full swing a couple weeks ago. I am supposed to take the 0.5mg three times a day but I am awful at remembering so I would take two at night before bed to equal 1mg since I wasn't sleeping very well, I am still not sleeping very well. I don't want to be on Xanax the rest of my life and a few days ago, I started cutting my 0.5 in half and only taking 0.25mg at night and if I need it during the day. Since it tends to wear off easily, I feel my anxiety coming on stronger in a sense, my heart will start racing and I think I am having a heart attack. When that happens, I grab my meds and I am ok but I don't want to live like this the rest of my life. Does anybody have any suggestions on what I can do to get myself off the Xanax? I have been trying to read how to do it but I am scared something bad will happen. I have a major surgery coming up in three weeks that is causing some major anxiety so I don't want to stop taking it now when I feel like I need it the most to avoid going postal on the surgical staff. Taking the 0.25 has helped, doesn't feel like it is too strong anymore which I like but I don't want there to come a time when I can't come off it at all cause my anxiety won't subside. Do I need to be put on something different to replace the Xanax? Please help, I am so scared

Thank you SC. I have not looked into any type of therapy yet since I have so much happening with business and trying to get ready for surgery. I was on a medication that helped with anxiety, I had been taking it for a few years before noticing it wasn't working as well as it used to and my anxiety was doing great for a while and then earlier this year in flared up and I was in full blown panic attacks and my doctor prescribed the Xanax. I know to not quit cold turkey but it isn't a drug I want to be on long term unless I absolutely need to be to keep myself in check. Cutting the 0.5 in half and taking one in the morning and one at night is helping though I do feel myself being a little jittery during the day but I have learned that getting out and walking has been a positive for me. I'd like to have something else in hand before trying to come off the Xanax. I imagine I am going to need it before and probably after surgery as this entire thing has been so traumatic. I have been dealing with issues from my hysterectomy for 5 years now and it has a way of making me feel so depressed and anxious about everything I have to have done. I appreciate the support. Are there any questions I should be asking my doctor about taking me off the Xanax? Do I need to ask him to prescribe something different?

Well my mom passed away in 2008 from a massive heart attack and I actually found myself in the ER a week ago because I thought I was having one. There was a flutter/skipped beat/extra beat, I don't remember on my EKG but my chest xray and bloodwork was all fine. I told them I have major anxiety and they diagnosed me with a major anxiety attack and maybe a little acid reflux but anything that goes on in my chest, I automatically think it is my heart and I cannot shake the thoughts. I went to my GP Wednesday and did an EKG, still saw the flutter but chest xray and blood work was fine. I had a stress test last year and an echo and everything was fine. Perfect cholesterol, no high blood pressure, everything seems like it is fine but I still can't wrap my mind around it

I will have to talk to my doctor about what to do and maybe have my GP prescribe me something else while I consult the prescribing doctor on how to come off. I want to thank you all for the replies, you have all eased my mind so much knowing I have a support system. I was on Hydroxyzine, it helped with allergies and anxiety and I was doing great until I felt that it quit working

Hello and welcome to the forum...there are a lot of nice people here who know a lot! I’ve certainly learned a ton over the years.

My thought on your benzo usage is that right now you shouldn’t be scared of being forever hooked and take comfort in the relief it provides to you. While people can get hooked, you have only been taking for a few months.

I’m convinced a benzo helped save my life in late 2014 / early 2015 as my anxious mind was so frail then due to unrelenting anxiety and panic. As my sleep got better (this was very important in hindsight by the way) and my mind got stronger, I needed the benzo less and less. I was on it maybe 5 months; a lot more at first then sporadically towards the end.

I’m now on an SSRI that has helped stabilize things further, and also my coping skills (learned here) have put me on a much better path.

However, if i had to go through it again, I’d have no hesitation taking a benzo.

Hang in there!

Will have to check what dose I was on...some days I was taking a few to several pills per day, especially early on, so it was a decent amount initially.

I guess the thing I did was to be deliberate in tapering (but not a perfect progression day to day). So I would set a goal of lowering by half every week but within that week if I had to deviate a little bit I could (more or even less). Also my body naturally seemed to not need it as much towards the end; I think because my sleeping was so much better at that point.

As much as Klonopin, having a sleep aid (Trazodone) was a big help during this time.