Xanax Withdrawl

I stopped taking Xanax about three to four weeks ago after having used it for anxiety and panic attacks for many years. I started to notice memory problems at work. Had trouble remembering routine tasks, names, dates, etc. I also take Effexor XR for depression.
I was having trouble getting my Psychiatrist to see me for a medication evaluation, so when my refill on Xanax ran out I stopped taking it. I know this is NOT the way to do it but by the time I saw my Psychiatrist it had been a week since I had taken any, so she said OK.
I knew the withdrawal would be unpleasant, but is it usual to feel such strong side effects after this many days? I have incredible tightness in my neck and body. My legs cramp up and I have muscle spasms. I have a headache all the time and my head feels like it's buzzing and about to explode. It feels like I am experiencing a severe panic attack 24/7 and haven't slept more than a few hours in almost a month.
Can anyone give me feedback on their experience getting off of a benzodiazepine?
Lisa

Yes, the side effects of withdrawal from Xanax are legendary; I had a friend whose withdrawal over many months (she too tapered off on her own) was a bear, convinced me to never take the stuff to begin with!

http://www.thehealthpages.com/content/xanax-withdrawal

This article really freaked me out....I've been taking xanax for years...does this mean I'll have to stay on it forever to avoid the withdrawal effects?

What I did with the 3mg of klonopin I was taking daily was to go off of it in the hospital. They tapered me down and helped me through the withdrawal side effects. The worst of it only lasted a week.

Xanax is a god send for many people and it has been the only thing that has helped me face my many problems but from the word go I never took it as prescribed only as needed and I still have good results from 0.25mg after 5 years. Some weeks I may take it several times, others only one or two days depending on how I feel.

Thats my experience.

OK, so after going it alone without any benzodizipine for almost a month I realized things weren't getting any better any time soon. I couldn't handle the leg tremors and twitches and feeling like I was going to fall down all the time. Thanks Perna for the link: now I know I wasn't imagining the difficulty swallowing, turning my head, walking, etc. For someone who studied ballet and played sports most of their lives, I knew something major was going on.
I went to a local clinic and explained my intention of getting totally of of the medication and she (Doctor) suggested I take a low dose of Ativan until I could see a more specialized medical professional. That's what I am doing. I have an appointment next Tuesday with a large medical clinic that specialized in those of us that are sorely lacking in medical coverage - which in California is quite a few of us. I used to look down my nose at clinics like this, but after my negative experiences with Kaiser Permanente for 18 months I'm open to new options.
Thank you all for the help,
Lisa
Thanks to the feedback and shared experiences on this site. It helped me make an educated decision...sooner rather than later!

I was in the psych hospital recently. I take 17 different meds a day, so the docs had a hard time figuring out when to give me which meds. Somehow in all the confusion, they did not give me my Xanax for 3 days. On the 3rd day, I woke up with a horrible headache. By lunchtime, I was really nauseous, but I just wrote it off as a migraine. Later in the day I was soaked in sweat, whole body was shaking, horrible headache, was throwing up, anxious, felt like my skin was crawling, etc. I knew that feeling....withdrawals. So, I asked the nurses to go over my meds with me & see if we were missing anything bc I definately recognized the feeling of what was going on. They checked & said WHOOPS...we havent given you your Xanax in three days. They gave me my Xanax & several other meds for the withdrawal symptoms. I was already feeling alot better by the next day. Every morning what wakes me up is withdrawal symptoms. I cant figure out which med is causing it. I'm assuming its one of my morning meds & about 24 hrs. later I am already withdrawing, but I cant figure it out. Xanax withdrawals are nothing to mess around with, it can kill you. Good luck!!! Take care & hang in there!!!

I once worked in a jail. Lots of people who are in jail are withdrawing from all kinds of things. I was told that an inmate who comes in with Xanax dependency is considered at extra high risk for medical crisis. That inmate would be more worried about by medical staff than the average heroin addict.

Benzo withdrawal is a very tough situation. Especially when you do it cold-turkey. Symptoms can range from flu-like symptoms to increased anxiety, agitation, vomiting, rapid mood changes, panic attacks, "raw" emotional states, physical symptoms - including body aches and pains, muscle cramps, etc. The list goes on.

Sometimes doctors prescribe the alpha agonist Clonidine to help with the withdrawal. So if it's unbearable I'd ask your doctor about Clonidine - which is NOT addictive. There's even a patch.

Hang in there and keep us updated.

Jerry