Coming off any benzio has a huge risk of Seizures. Its just the nature of the beast. That is why a taper or detox must be done.

Here's a fun story

I have been on Xanax up to 3 mg a day at least 5 years.. Typically I took at least 1mg a day per my Pdocs orders as to avoid a Seizure. He had no problem with me taking it up to 3mg a day. I never abused them, or "ran out" before I was due for a refill and I never "lost them" So no problems, but he advised me that if I ever wanted off it I really needed to do a Hospital detox or do a 3 month very slow taper... Ok fine, No problem.

Last month I had to go IP for some situational trauma and my Fibro pain... While I was there my pain flared so bad I was actively suicidal, actually more so than what made to check myself in.. the weekend Pdoc said the only way he would help me is if I agreed to detox off Xanax , I explained the how and why I took them and that my Pdoc had no problem.. Anyway about 6 hours later apparently I agreed ,I honestly don't remember as my pain had me outta my mind, I had called my husband frantic and desperate and threatening to find a way to end things. I don't remember that or anything due to my pain. Fellow patients told me later I was just sobbing and begging for help.

Anyway that ratbastard put me through a detox using Phenabarbitol ,according to the nurses I was given 10 hours of doses ,you have to hit a certain neurology response that is how they know you have been sufficently poisoned .. I didn't know where I was, I didn't even know who I was. I do know I wasn't able to sit up let alone stand for "apparently about 12 hours" I do remember crawling towards the bathroom to vomit, not sure I made it all the way. I was blacking out. Nurses told me later that I was screaming and terrified for hours and I was not responding to them at all. Due to the Phenebarbitol there couldn't give me anything.

The pdoc never did do anything for my pain, go figure. So being manipulated in that way is wrong on so many levels.

I slept maybe a total of 8 hours in 6 days. my IP Pdoc was very upset that the weekend guy manipulated me that way, but he said he was glad I was off them due to the increase risk of early dementia. ( Which I have researched and I do understand why pdocs are not wanting to prescribe it)

Xanax was the only thing that gave me a halfass shot of any semblance of sleep.

So I go back to my Pdoc and he was really pissed that I went through that and was lied too. This is about 12 days after my discharge and I had slept less than 8 hours. He offered me to go back on Xanax.. NO THANKS !! I figured eventually someone was going to push the issue of going off it again, and no way do I ever want to go through something so horrific.. We still haven't found anything to help my insomnia, trust me I have tried everything.

So now I deal with massive anxiety and none of my coping skills are touching it. I also have a constant Nausea, Phenegren and Zofran doesn't even help. I also have a nice label of PTSD because of that Detox. Nice hu?

I don't regret going off of it. I just wish I had known what I was agreeing too. Not knowing who you are or where you are is f'n brutal. I lost 36 hours, I have no idea what happened, I will never get those hours back.

The end !