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Xanax Making Me Panic?


Posts: 9
Joined: June 21, 2008


Posted: June 21, 2008, 2:01 PM
I have only been taking Xanax (illegally) for about 9 months now. At first, I just tried it because I was having trouble sleeping and a buddy of mine turned me onto them and now I cant sleep without it.
But lately- during the day- I find myself having these WICKED CRAZY panic attacks. Thought I was having a heart attack or stroke the 1st time it happened. It's happening more and more lately? Is it the Xans?
I want to stop and I'm trying to taper but I'm terrified. I keep hearing crazy stories about people coming off and having seizures.....
I dont know what to do.........


Posts: 1928
Joined: September 14, 2004


Posted: June 21, 2008, 10:43 PM
Hi answered this one pain pills.. good luck
SP

--------------------
A Buddhist Lama once said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you."
So I didn't.




Get Help for Codeine Addiction Here


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Joined: June 21, 2008


Posted: June 25, 2008, 8:21 PM
I went to the site but I'm down about it. It seems like a slow taper-loooooooong process and it looks like you have to take some other kind of drugs while doing the taper. The point is that I dont want to have to take ANY pills anymore. I mean- I had a headache yesterday and suffered all day because I didnt even want to take a Tylenol. I just want to be better.


Posts: 1928
Joined: September 14, 2004


Posted: June 26, 2008, 3:53 AM
You can switch to another longer acting benzo like valium and do a slow taper, or you can take a short cut.

Even if you dont suffer seizures you will have all the awful side effects and anxiety and drastically decrease your chance of staying clean, if you take a short cut.

--------------------
A Buddhist Lama once said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you."
So I didn't.




Get Help for Codeine Addiction Here


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Joined: May 27, 2005


Posted: June 26, 2008, 1:30 PM
You can go to your primary care doc and tell him/her what's going on. What do you do when you run out of pills? Benzo withdrawal is pretty bad. I would start withdrawing every 3-4 hours towards the end of my using. The panic attacks were pretty bad too. But I took benzos for a very long time. Explain to your doctor what's going on and get some help. Maybe they will check you into a detox where they can monitor you. This would be the safest thing to do.

--------------------

१२ स्तैप्पैर!


kat11100@comcast.net

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
Mark Twain

Just because the monkey's off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town

Laugh because it shows people that you have what they want and what they need: a hope in things unseen, a peace that passes understanding, and a God of miracles who also has a great sense of humor.



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Joined: June 21, 2008


Posted: June 26, 2008, 9:00 PM
I just feel so STUPID (and scared) going to my doc with this. I have a family history of drug abuse and I am SO anti drug. I KNEW better than this. I dont know how I got here. All I wanted to do was get some sleep and now I'm an addict.
Addict. I have a family. And a career. People look up to me. And now I'm supposed to tell everyone I have a problem? There goes the family and the job.....
I would LOVE to go to some detox place but I just cant. I pay all the bills in the house and I need my paycheck. I can't miss any work. Anyways, my health insurance is through my work and they would find out. Then all I'll be to them is "some junkie"- Basically, I'm screwed.
The panic attacks get worse by the day. I started taking these to sleep and now I have to take one in the morning just to get myself to work. I could lose my kids over this. I hate myself right now.


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Joined: May 27, 2005


Posted: June 27, 2008, 9:04 AM
How much are you taking? Could you do a taper? Not the ashton way, something a bit more reasonable.

--------------------

१२ स्तैप्पैर!


kat11100@comcast.net

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
Mark Twain

Just because the monkey's off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town

Laugh because it shows people that you have what they want and what they need: a hope in things unseen, a peace that passes understanding, and a God of miracles who also has a great sense of humor.



Posts: 9
Joined: June 21, 2008


Posted: June 29, 2008, 11:15 PM
Was just small dosages. Then it was up to a whole blue a night. And half a blue in the morning. Then the panic started. Then it was a bar a night. Half a bar in the AM. 1/4 of a bar in the middle of the day if I even START to go panicky.....This is nuts. The stupid pill is MAKING me panic so I take MORE of the pill to NOT panic. I am at my lowest point right now. I'm so much better than this...


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Joined: June 21, 2008


Posted: July 10, 2008, 11:10 AM
Okay- so they have me some Klonopin and Buspar and want me to taper the Xans. Does anyon know about either of those 2 and if they are effective?


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Joined: March 29, 2009


Posted: March 30, 2009, 2:31 PM
Hi, I'm not much of one to give advice. Seeing I need some myself. I'm on the forum for painpills. But I also take Xans. I do not feel that I have an addiction to them and have been taking them for about a year and a half. I to feel very panicy but they due help calm me down. I have lowered myself to one blue pill in the a.m. unless for some reason I feel severe anxiety. I to am scared to not have one everyday because of the seizures. But I do know that you can not die from a panic attack and during one you just keep saying that to yourself with deep breathes and that seems to help me. I know it's a scarey feeling but it will pass. I have tryed kolonipin(not sure if spelled right) before and it does not give the same affect as the xans. I do think it helps with the anxiety,just without the feeling that your used to. It's good your tapering yourself down. Keep doing that for a while until you can take a quarter peice of a blue. You will not get a feeling but it will be in your system. I have stopped them before but I have an addiction to painpills and it is the only otherthing keeping me kind of sane. Seeing the amount of Xans you were taking a day I would suggest to keep a small amount in your system daily for a while until you are at the bare minimum. I watched my mother-in-law go into seizures after taking 3 blues a day and quiting cold turkey. So the seizures are real and do happen. But you can do this it will take time and you may even fall into a depression because they are known to due that and thats where I'm at now. So hang in there you can conquer the panic attacks. I wish the best of luck!


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Posted: March 30, 2009, 5:21 PM
Leann,
When you say blue, do you mean one mg? I was prescribed three mg a day for a long time and I just stopped. I'm not suggesting that by any means, but, while uncomfortable and other side effects, I did it. What are you on? Is it prescribed?


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Joined: September 15, 2005


Posted: March 30, 2009, 6:24 PM
I am not a doctor--I took Buspar made me nuts But I am whacked mentally without any drugs.BUT If I was you lose the I am embarrased etc.

I was taking up to 20 mg of zanax a day--I weaned with Klonopin meetings therapy and trusted my faith in My doctor who told me you will be a bit shaky but you will live. I survived.

If you try going C/T off of benzos you can die. we are all quite different. So go to a doctor be honest with him/her and be honest with yourself. You can read this board and do you want to get worse? You sound like from what you wrote you realize you have a problem.

I have taken benzos on and off for decades. They are quite difficult to kick but once you do? its worth the little bit of suffering. Get a good doctor and LISTEN and you will be just fine.

Good luck

Jeff

--------------------
It is Just Not worth it.

"Inside every older person is a younger person
wondering what the puck happened."

One Day At A Time


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Joined: March 29, 2009


Posted: March 31, 2009, 2:07 AM
Briar;
Yes when I say blue I mean a 1mg. and they were prescribed by a doctor. I also was prescribed them three times a day. I do believe I could just stop with no problem but considering my postion at the moment I might go wacko. I do know for a fact with some people if they have been taking them as prescribed or more than prescribed every day for atleast two years and quit cold turkey you can go into seizures. The only reason I know this is because I watched my mother-in-law go into 3 different seizures on 3 different occasions. She only took the 1mg three times a day. The first seizure she had was in the car driving home as soon as she got home she ran in the house and dialed 911 and went into a full blown seizure. The weird thing is the doctors said she was actually having the seizure in the car even though she looked perpectly normal. She did not know how she got home and did not really realize where she was at. Theres different kinds of seizures, and her first one started as if she was spaced out. The next one was a couple of days later and she could feel that she was about to have one. Thank god I knew something to do so I grabbed a rag, twisted it up and forced it in her mouth and laid my body across her arms. She went into a full blown seizure for about 3 minutes. And well the same thing happened the next time. The doctors and medics said they were caused from the Xans, stopping cold turkey. I would not beleive or think much of it if I didnt see it for myself. I only take one in the a.m. now so if I stopped I wouldnt be so worried, but for others who take more, consistently everyday for atleast two years I'd suggest the tapering. Also thankyou for your advice on my page,it was very helpful and good to know someone out there actually cares to give there opinion and advice. I seem to be a little better today but I still do not want to leave the house and it pretty much took all I had to get on the computer. Maybe tomorrow I might be better, will see! Again thanks for the feedback and hope to here from you again.
Leann


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Joined: April 3, 2009


Posted: April 3, 2009, 10:56 AM
My son had a similar problem. He was on a whole slew of anti-psychotics, benzos, percs, etc. He could not taper on his own because of the danger involved in doing this, He found a wonderful program in San Francisco that specializes in supervised tapering using a holistic and naturpathic approach. It only took a short time and his life has been forever changed. I suggest, no urge, anyone struggling to taper off meds or even illegal substances to look into this program. It is called Alternative To Meds Center www.alternativetomedscenter.com

If you have any questions just reply to this post or email me. I can put you in touch with the people who helped my son.


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Joined: May 27, 2005


Posted: April 3, 2009, 12:33 PM
Its interesting that both times you've posted here it's been to plug this place. Are you the owner?

--------------------

१२ स्तैप्पैर!


kat11100@comcast.net

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
Mark Twain

Just because the monkey's off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town

Laugh because it shows people that you have what they want and what they need: a hope in things unseen, a peace that passes understanding, and a God of miracles who also has a great sense of humor.



Posts: 320
Joined: July 26, 2004


Posted: May 4, 2009, 10:56 AM

Good Morning Jeffster,

Below. I've attached one of the most comprehensive benzodiazepine withdrawal websites in the world. Dr. Heather Ashton is one of the best in this field. The drawback with regard to the Ahston schedule is that it can take a good 16 weeks; however, the safety of a controlled withdrawal has tremendous advantages over one that, say, reduces the dose by 20% every 3-5 days, which is common for opioids. There are about 12 different schedules depending on which benzodiazepine you are on. I believe the 1st schedule is withdrawal from Xanax (alprazolam) by lowering the Xanax and adding a longer-acting benzodiazepine, which, most often, is Valium (diazepam). Withdrawing from alprazolam alone is extremely difficult. One would think it's easy, just cutting back from 1mg TID for 2 weeks, to 1mg BID for two weeks, etc., but for many people, including me, that was extremely difficult. Xanax's nature, being a triazolo-benzodiazepine, makes it one of the shorter acting and more powerful. Similar to Halcion (triazolam) - which has an even shorter half-life.

Though I mostly post on the Pain Pills thread, I've used benzodiazepines for panic disorder since I was 17 (which means I've used them, daily, for 15 years). I started on Xanax at 0.5mg BID and. due to tolerance and the fact that panic disorder "waxes and wanes" and is hard to get control of, even with the assistance of a psychiatrist and behavioral therapist, my dose now is 2mg QID (8mg/day is edging up to Xanax's top-end of 10mg/day). Throughout the years, both when I used opioids and benzodiazepines, we use a "rotation", so for several years I was on Ativan (lorazepam), and for shorter periods Tranxene (clorazepate) and Valium (diazepam).

Back to you, I really think you should go to your physician and explain, from the beginning, what happened. That you initally took the Xanax to help sleep and, from there, it's turned into a dependence. Xanax's short half-life is what causes those symptoms, which are really the beginning stages of withdrawal. And, yes, Xanax has one of the more severe withdrawal syndromes. You can't die from opioid withdrawal, but benzodiazepine withdrawal is much more grave. You need to have a slow taper with a long-acting benzodiazepine. The use of the long-acting benzodiazepine will ensure that when you stop the Xanax, you will have no seizures or other withdrawal symptoms. Then, over the next weeks, you slowly lower the dose of the long-acting benzodiazepine, which is much easier to wean off of than a shorter-acting.

Here is an example of how quickly withdrawal can start. I went to work and brought my other medications, but somehow forgot my Xanax (2mg tablet). By the 4th hour, I could feel the shakiness and anxiety building, and by hour 6 of an 8 hour shift, I could barely sign my name (having trouble writing is one of the more moderate withdrawal symptoms). This became scary, and thankfully one of my co-workers came in an hour early and I made it home in time to take a 3mg dose. About an hour later, I felt better, but that scared the hell out of me. So, please don't try to do this on your own. If your MD doesn't have experience with this, he or she can refer you to someone who can, but you can do this.

If you need any other advice or help, let me know. I wish you the best of luck, and you will make it through.

My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Best,

Ben

Benzodiazepine withdrawal schedules

This post has been edited by bender on May 4, 2009, 11:03 AM



Posts: 2606
Joined: August 18, 2005


Posted: January 11, 2010, 11:13 AM
Even if you dont suffer seizures you will have all the awful side effects and anxiety and drastically decrease your chance of staying clean, if you take a short cut.
- Silent Partner

Yeah, I couldnt agree more-- Ive seen a few people at the Mdone clinic who mix Xanax with thier dose. Thinking that if they just go up on thier dose it will be -OK-
Boy >is that wrong!!!- Seen Medical vans speed to the clinic to pick them up when they hit the ground....

though experience- I can tell you people -be careful with this one- -its bad news!

--------------------
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."
— Hunter S. Thompson[COLOR=blue]


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Joined: February 17, 2010


Posted: February 17, 2010, 5:58 AM
hi I was addicted to xanax for 1 year I was taking 200mg per day 4 tablets, I was going mad, so I tapered, 1st week 3 tablets, 2nd week 2 and a half tablets, 3rd week 2 tablets, 4th week, 1 and a half tablets, 5th week 1 tablet, 6th week a half, 7th week one fourth,,, and then I was done,,, it was tough but it worked,,, you can do it just takes timing during the day, time the mg through out the day and you will be fine,,, K.


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Joined: March 4, 2010


Posted: March 5, 2010, 6:13 AM
hey i have been taking xanax on and off for a year or more i was a heroin addict for 5 years then got on the subutex program. then started using again but i became so self destructive id take 5 bars then a big whack of heroin and have t drive home f***ing crazy in the last year i have crashed the car i think about 6 times all my fault just nodded off behind wheel. the last accident was a eye opener and my parents noticed i was goin no where quick and sent me t perth for a naltrexone implant which has been great, but since returning xanax are all that work for anxiety i take easy up t 3 bars or more a day. id been awake for 6 days last wk on speed and eventually came home knowing i had t sleep i took 6 bars and woke up on my lounge room floor with food all around me in the most uncomfortable position and didn't remember even cooking the food ! the thought of not having any t wake up too or go t sleep with scares me like crazy
Raven






Posted: December 23, 2010, 11:28 PM
I've gone 46 days today without Xanax, which is/was my drug of choice. It's an evil drug and has controlled my life on and off for about 10 yrs. I lost my career, and almost my life. It started out so innocently. I couldn't sleep and felt stressed and anxious. My doctor prescribed it for me. Before long I was not only taking that, but much much more. From a now dead cancer patient friend I knew. Every day is a struggle to stay clean, but it can be done. It's possible (at least it was for me) to spend some time without it and 'rationalize' it. When I inevitably ran out early I had shakes for weeks, couldn't eat, vomiting, bleeding, hallucinations, rashes, swollen eyes. Yet, I continued to ask for refills when I could. After going thru all that I still continued. Please save your lives and DO NOT TAKE XANAX UNDER ANY CONDITIONS! I find it to be extremely addictive which I believe is it's purpose. Maybe I'm paranoid after all the years of abuse :) Keep smiling.
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