quitting xanax

Two days ago I decided to stop taking my xanax prescription cold turkey (2mg ER). Half of the reason is because I moved to a new state and I don't feel like dealing with finding a new doctor, and the other half is I'm scared I will take this for the rest of my life but maybe I won't actually need it.

For the past two days my anxiety level has not changed, just some racing heart and hand tremors, which I expected. I read about withdrawal symptoms online that mentioned that seizures are a huge risk, but I brushed those off. Now tonight I started having muscle spasms in my legs and my eye. I am a little paranoid right now because I spent the day reading articles about mysterious medical illnesses but I got really scared and took my xanax even though it's the middle of the night and i'm not sure I should take it again in the morning or not.

I'd start taking it regularly again tomorrow. Can you slowly decrease it?

I think it might be best to discuss a tapering schedule with your pdoc and let your pdoc know why you want to get off Xanax. Can you can your pdoc & discuss it or get in to see him/her? There are other things for anxiety though benzos like Klonopin are addictive too (but I've found that easier to stop than Xanax). If you are having muscle spasms, maybe your pdoc could prescribe something for the spasms such as a muscle relaxer? I take Tizandine for fibromyalgia, but for me, that works great as a muscle relaxer though when I take 2 or more pills it usually makes me sleepy. I once gave one to hubby for a crick in his neck (bad idea, I know), and he was zonkered for a long time. He is about a foot taller than I am and nearly 100 lb. more, but medication affects him much more than me (not that he is overweight, just he's 6'4" tall so doesn't look overweight nearly 200 lb.). I have not found Tizandine addictive, at least not for me. I can take it prn for fibro. There are times when I've had fibro flares that lasted several weeks and took it daily and then was able to just stop it without any consequences.

Yes, please do discuss a tapering schedule! Make sure to mention why you don't want Xanax, what happened when you stopped it cold turkey, etc.. Many docs are understanding, but they don't know what you don't tell them.

I definitely want to have that discussion with my pdoc. Sadly I haven't been able to see him since December (I see him at my university clinic) because I studied abroad and now I have an internship across the country, and they have a policy that he can't keep prescribing me meds if I haven't seen him in six months. That means I need to find a new pdoc where I live right now, even though that means only seeing him/her twice probably, and finding a new doctor scares me so much especially because I'm not familiar with the area and it will be really expensive since I don't have insurance in my state, does anyone have any advice for that?

Are you in Texas still or another state? If you are in Texas and are in certain counties (Harris, Brazos), those I know for sure, also maybe the Dallas area, you can get meds see a pdoc at an MHMR/MHMRA. I do not highly recommend it as they will overmedicate you, but I think the ones around Houston may be walk-in. The Houston clinics are not that great, you will see a lot of mentally disabled people there, but they will let you pay on a sliding scale, and I believe I got my meds for free. I went to the one in Bryan, TX when I was finishing up college at Texas A&M, and that one was much nicer (I was only given a certain number of psych appts. at the university each semester or year, and if they determined the problem was long-standing, you had to go out into the community for care). Like I said, it is not the best help around, especially if you are in Houston, but it's something, and it's affordable.

I quit Xanax cold turkey, but because I was also taking Valium as a prn I just upped my Valium temporarily.

My serious advice (from personal experience) to you is do not quit any benzo cold turkey. Ever. For any reason. The chances are extremely high that you will develop severe withdrawal symptoms - and it's not unusual for them to appear a week - or 3 weeks - after you've stopped the med. Even after you think you're out of the woods. Benzo withdrawal is no joke. It's the only substance that is more difficult and dangerous to come off of than heroin is.

As you have found out, dropping a benzo cold turkey is not a good idea. Do not quit any benzo cold turkey. You need to titrate down, even if this means cutting the pill into halves or quarters. I did not do this with Clonazepam. I thought since I was down to 1 mg, there should be no problems. My anxiety went through the roof. I had a panic attack. This was the first one of its kind in my entire life. I could not move out of the shower. So I stood there frozen for a period of time wondering what I should do next. Ideally I think you need to taper off of a med under the supervision of a doctor or prescribing nurse. I think this is particularly true with meds that you have been taking for a long time. By the way, seizures are listed as a side effect of withdrawl from this medication. However, I am sure you will be OK.

Annie,
I used Dame Heather Ashton's benzodiazepines reduction schedule. There is lots of stuff on line. She generally advocates switching to a longer acting benzo like diazepam. Then reducing by 10% a week. I was on benzodiazepines for years, like daily for 15 years and was successful with her method. I also used it to come off of ambien. You will find equivalency table at benzo.uk.org PM me if I can be of further help.The support of a psychiatrist is helpful.

I wanted to add that please don’t stop cold turkey just because I did.

I was ip under the care of two pdocs when I went cold turkey and therefore under close medical and nursing supervision.

Currently I am living in another state temporarily for an internship (which sucks because that means my insurance doesn't cover me here I think), but I do live near the Dallas area (and I have several friends who I visit at TAMU) so this is really helpful and I'll keep it in mind when I come home. Thank you.

Annie...I just noticed your signature statement about your dog. Awww. My Yorkie, Sparky, was very smart (died in 2017, at 13 years); hence my user name. I miss him so much.