Has Anyone Gotten off Alpraxolam 0.5 (Xanax)

S., what a crazy md you have! My mom was also put on xanax for anxiety and she could not get off with out going into a treatment facility. When she tried to stop it the anxiety/panic attacks where awful! My husband takes lexapro and Busiperone for anxiety and it really helps him. He only takes the Busiperone when it is really bad and it is non addictive and cheap. He takes lexapro daily and only the smallest dose. We also have unicare and it is the worst for paying anyghing. They are very clear on what they will pay and basically that is nothing if it isn't life threatening. IF you find another plan please tell me. I would look up xanax on google and see if you can find a website about cutting back slowly. And I would change MD first!! Good luck.

Hi S.,
There is a Dr. in Boerne ~ Dr. Victor Vela. He is a family practice physician that has a great deal of experience with patients dealing with anxiety based conditions. He is extremely caring and will listen to what you have to say. His office address and number: 1201 S Main St # 114 Boerne, TX 78006 ###-###-####. Good Luck with everything.

Yes you need to change Dr's anytime you and your Dr have a disagreement of this sort. If you want to get off the drugs then find another Dr. The main concern with getting off xanax is that it can cause seizures, and most anti-depressents can also have bad side effects ranging from seizures to psychotic thoughts. I reccomend you find another dr immediately who will take your wishes into consideration so that you can safely wean yourself off of these drugs. There are just too many Dr's out there who are willing to dope everyone up, find one who doesn't!

Hi S.,
I too am a grand mother and a great grand mother- I also have had loses in my family and it seems that sometimes we just need a little help getting thru the trauma of loss. I had a horrible time when I lost my mother, about 12 years ago and still have issues from time to time- I miss her so much- but I learned to lean on theLord for my strength. I was on Xanax and I don;t know what all but thankfully my dr. would let me wein myself from those chemical drugs. It is not hard but you can do it even if it means changing your dr. any dr. that constantly gives you those drugs without helping you reduce the amount you take untilyou eventually are off is not any dr. I would use. Loses are hard, but living your life is harder with those drugs. There are ways to reduce the stress and other feelings that come with losing those you love- -join a gym,- consider yoga, join a ladies club where you can just vent- I had a very close friend that I could lean on and she helped me tremendously get thru those times.............you can get off those drugs- just tell your dr. you want off and he needs to help you and if not find another dr.
good luck
Blessings

S.,
You need to cut the dose and not stop cold turkey. Ask him to get you smaller doses, try each for a week and see how you do. You can get .25, you might need to take .5 one day and .25 the next, then .25 for a week, then cut them in half and take a whole, then a half.
These should be cheap though. Call Costco.
K.

I took it for a month after suffering nervous breakdown and recurring panic attacks(14 yrs ago). To get off I began taking half dose for two weeks then quarter dose after another couple of weeks. After that, you need to rely on antidepressants or nothing. I chose nothing because of side effects of medication. I did on the recommendation of my amazing therapist, drink Sweet Dreams tea by Bigelow(found anywhere) around the clock, i would drink 2-3 cups in morning upon waking up, all thruout the day, and 2-3 cups before bedtime and it curbed the anxiety without taking antidepressants. this i did for almost a year and though i went thru a heck of alot of teabags, i did get better, and now i havent had to drink it for almost 12 years. really having a great therapist helps too. the name of mine is Susan Hartman. She is amazing.

Good Luck!
L. B.

On that dosage, it won't be hard. Break the pills in half, don't take them as often. Only take that 1/2 if you feel the anxiety flutter, (it feels like a small electric shock in your stomach or chest). Lexapro, same thing, break in half then back off. I have been on both of these medications, therapy and other medications. With my lifetime of depression I have found that I need these medications if I want them or not. I had to accept this as my lifeline. I cry all the time without the Lexapro and I cannot leave the house without the anxiety preventative, acute panic disorder. Then when there is life situations like you have been thru, I require to up my dosage thru the turmoil then go back down to regular dosage when I feel OK! Condolences to you and your family, I lost my mother and brother in one month 2005. Good Luck!

I have a little information. When I was seeking treatment for anxiety attacks, my doctor told me I could choose between a medication like lexapro, which changes some things chemically but is not mood altering, or a couple of meds like xanax that ARE mood altering and thus addictive. I was surprised, at that time, to learn that xanax was still on the market, since I had seen friends using it recreationally years before and had kind of assumed that any drug that had that much recreational appeal would have been identified as a poor choice as a treatment tool for people who are anxious and depressed, especially when other, non-addictive options are available! Anyway, I chose lexapro and it has worked very well -- I share my story because I was having pretty significant anxiety attacks -- waking up at night confused and screaming multiple nights a week -- and if your anxiety attacks were at this level or under it, I would say that your doctor made a pretty questionable choice to put you on both lexapro AND xanax. This is especially true if your doctor has had you taking xanax on a daily basis -- my doctor mentioned giving me the "happy" pills as something I could take if the anxiety started to come back despite the lexapro, so I could take it occasionally, and I told her no thanks, that I have an addictive personality and am better off without pills I saw my friends using years ago to keep them entertained between binge drinking bouts. Another friend of mine was offered the same choice and does have a mood altering pill she takes occasionally during high-stress periods. If your doctor suggested this way of approaching anxiety medication, then she or he was definitely in the treatment ballpark. If you started taking xanax on a daily basis instead of using it occasionally, to me that is very understandable and the exact reason why xanax seems like a poor "back up" for lexapro. But if your doctor TOLD you to take both lexapro and xanax on a daily basis, than either you had anxiety issues that were very serious -- maybe feeling so anxious you felt suicidal? -- or else the doctor did something that I would consider to be very questionable.

I don't know what the answers to any of these questions are, but they might be worth considering, especially because if you've only been using xanax occasionally, stopping should NOT be difficult -- that is why these drugs are usually prescribed as for use on an occasional basis -- it keeps dependency from setting in. On the other hand, if you went to a doctor with garden variety anxiety and not only did the doctor prescribe both xanax and lexapro to take on a daily basis right off the bat, without even trying lexapro alone with xanax as a backup, and is now trying to keep you ON xanax despite the fact that you are having trouble paying for it and fear that you are now dependent on it, then this doctor probably has WAY too close a relationship with his or her drug rep, and should be reported.

Good luck -- I'm very glad that the anxiety is now under control, and wish you all the best getting xanax free in a healthy way.

M.

Hi S.,

I too have had panic attacks and was able to fully recover through the use of xanax and therapy. I no longer take xanax and was able to get off the drug safely. Addiction in those with true panic disorders is actually fairly rare. The real "problem" with xanax is not really addiction, it's that your body builds up a tolerance and the drug quits working as effectively as it did when you originally started taking it. When that happens, some people tend to take more and more with the hope that it will start working like it did originally. If you aren't doing that, then I wouldn't worry about getting addicted. Overall, xanax is really a pretty safe drug - when you take it, it does it's job and then leaves your body relatively quickly. If you would like to read a good article about what is going on inside your body when you take xanax, here is a good one: http://lexington-on-line.com/naf_xanax.html

You didn't mention how much you were taking and how often so it's really hard to say what you should do from here. In retrospect, I actually wish I would have taken it more often when I was in the seemingly hopeless cycle of panic attacks. But like you, I didn't understand how it worked and was terrified I would get addicted.

As for getting off the drug, it's my understanding that you should NEVER go cold turkey... particularly if you have been taking large doses regularly for a long period of time. I've always heard that you should work closely with your doctor to develop a plan to wean you off. I've heard that going cold turkey can do more harm than good - sometimes even causing seizures so be careful. It sounds like your doctor is concerned about you and is looking out for your best interest, but it does concern me a little that your he/she doesn't seem to be listening to you. If he/she isn't listening to you, then you might need to find a new doctor. Have you talked to your counselor? What does he/she think?

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Panic attacks are like a vicious cycle, but you can BEAT this! I know...I've been there!

Do not cold turkey yourself off of this medication. I have panic attacks also and depression. When I cut myself off completley I became suicidal. Consult with your doctor in most cases they will switch you to another medication with less dosage.

Ask your doctor to reduce your meds and if he doesnt get another doc and tell him/her that you don't need them anymore. There should be very little side effects since they are a low dose. I used to take lexapro and i did not like it and i quit cold and i had no side effects. My husband is on a very large amount of meds and used to be on xanax and would go weeks without it after being on it for several months and had no issues. They are mainly for if you are going to be in an "excitable" place that would cause you to have a panic attack. So just take it when you need it. It's fast acting and short lasting. Lexapro did nothing for me. This should not be concidered medical advise. just personal opinion.

My first suggestion would be to try and switch doctors. My other suggestion would be to research things out on the internet to make a better informed decision; don't just rely on your doctors. Then, make sure to lower your dosage very gradually. Even when you get down to the smallest dose, then switch to taking it every other day, etc. The more gradual, the better. I'm not sure how addicting it is. I would also suggest not weaning from both medications at the same time, but I may be wrong on that one. My husband was also on Xanax on an as needed basis. He has also weaned himself off other medications, including antidepressants, very successfully. I will ask him when he gets home if he has any advice for you. Whatever you do, don't do it in haste.

My doctor prescribed Lorazepam, generic for Ativan. I take .5 mgs. as needed for anxiety.

Ask your dr., if you can try this medication.

Good Luck.

Rosie

It is possible to do on your own but it's not easy. My husband had violent seizures from his withdrawals and now suffers from epilepsy. He kept taking the dose down gradually but he was taking it down too quickly, I think. Then one day he went to the ER for yet another seizure and they gave him Ativan. He only got 10 but finally weined himself off with that. Ativan has benzos which is what your body gets addicted too. I don't know why it was easier to get off but it definitely is. Keep taking it until you find a better doctor and he/she should help you get off the Xanax. I wish you luck! You've got a task ahead of you.

Edit: I read another response that said "the othe medications have much more serious side-effects than a muscle relaxer like Xanax" it is NOT a muscle relaxer. It's an anti-anxiety medication and it
DOES have serious side effects. That is an important piece of information. You are on a moderate dose so you do need supervision. Although some people wean themselves successfully because of cases like my husbands I would never recommend that. Please take care!

This is a very hard thing to do but I have been on and off this medication for years. I take it for Post Tramatic Stress Disorder. The best way to get off is to ween yourself down. Take your regular dose the first day. Then start quartering the pill. Slowly take less and less till you can stop. You might suggest to your doctor you would like to switch to Adivan (sp?) It is the lowest form of a benzo and will keep you from having seizers while you get off this medication. Whatever you do, do not just stop taking it. You could have seizers or panic attacks and this is not a plesant expirence. It is tough but you can do it. You are on a low dose. I take 3 2mg at night, and I am scared when I don't have it. Good luck and just start looking for alternitive ways to handle your stress or anxitey. Exercise or breathing helps me the most.

getting off medication needs supervision. going off cold turkey can make you feel much much worse..... with something like xanax you might need to switch first to a drug in the same family that is lighter, and then wean off of that. it is possible, but it takes all of the time that it takes, no rush. do switch doctors..... the one i have been working with is not on insurance, very expensive, but worth it. if i had started with him in the first place i would have saved myself a ton of money, because other docs misdiagnosed what was going on, then over-medicated.... get the help you need, and i promise all of the other looming issues will be manageable. i am so sorry for your losses, no wonder panic attacks are happening. take care, and try not to be hard on yourself, you don't deserve that.

You need to see another physician. My ex-husband became highly addicted to this....besides the seizuers, there are many other risks with stopping this medication without a weaning process. I always told my ex-husband that your doctor's job is just like anyone else's.... it's 50% knowledge and 50% opinion/judgement call. We all know that we all don't always share the same opinion and our judgement calls are not always correct. It is important to be proactive in your own healthcare.

I wish you luck....

Hi there, what a lot of stress you have been under. I agree with the advice that you should change doctors if you are having a fundamental disagreement about meds management. A second opinion is definitely in order.

You don't say if the symptoms are going away, usually depression and anxiety treatment is done for a specific period to help get chemical levels in the body back in sync. Adding counseling is a great way to address the issues affecting you while getting the body back in sync. Several friends have had problems with insurance and anti-depressants ... if you still need one I read that Lexapro's parent company has a discount program (others might too) or you could change to another drug or generic that is on the formulary list. Be sure you are addressing your underlying health vs. the medical fees. Don't drop the medication if you really need it.

A second opinion might be helpful. Your counselor also might be able to give a professional opinion if you can manage the issues with counseling alone.

Best of luck!

Hi there. i don't know how often you take Xanax or how many times a day, but I took it maybe once a day mainly on an "As Needed" basis. I still kep some on hand incase I ever have another anic attack, one pill in my purse is like a security blanket for me. I did not seek medical help for stopping them. I just stopped. Once I stopped taking them, for the first day or two I was a little more anxious and did not sleep as well, but after that I was fine. So, it's up to you, but not up to your doctor. You doctor i there to help, not to run your life. However,do not stop your anti-depressents without your doctor. Those kinds of meds.have much more severe withdrawal symptoms than muscle relaxers like Xanax. Good luck!

for what it's worth, xanax is the type of drug that is in and out of your system in a relatively short period of hours. ween yourself off and you should be fine. do not quit lexapro without a plan of action, however. oh, and i am not a doctor - so i can't really give medical advice ;)

I was on lexapro too. All those medications for anxiety, panic attacks, and depression are mostly additive. Some more than others. I expressed concern about the same thing. My doctor told me that chances of getting addicted were very low because we take them to calm down and not to get a high. I don't know much about it all, but this is what my dr. has said. He also said that if I start feeling like I don't need the medicine that he will keep me on it for a while just to make sure I am completely healed so there is no chance of a relapse. I hope this helps in some way. Best of luck, I'm sure you've had a journey!

I agree with all the other responses. Doctors had out prescriptions for drugs like candy and it is becoming a problem for a lot of people. Just because the doc wants to "try" you on something does not mean it is best for you. I don't knock needing something on a prn basis because with life's stresses like you and others have had to deal with on occasions it helps. I am also a firm believer in vitamins and exercise(whatever kind works for you) for mild anxiety and mild depression, especially the B vitamins for us women. I can tell a difference in my emotional state when I don't get enough of these two things. As far as the insurance stuff all insurance sucks especially when you have your own, we are also on private insurance and use Assurant it is not that great but I heard is better than Unicare. Hope this finds you well. Good luck with it all, and drop that doc!

I think doctors just like making money off of it. I was on xanax for a while for panic attacks along with atavan and then others but I only took xanax as needed and never ever had a problem. It was like having a glass of wine. Never was I addicted. I am no doctor but I would suggest if you really want to get off try weaning such as take every other day for 2 weeks then every 2 days for 1 week then every 3 days for 1 week then you are done. Then you could get a refill and take only one when you feel like you really really need it. Good luck. Hope everything works out for you. Sorry to hear about all of your losses.