WHAT IS CONSIDERED A HIGH DOSE OF XANAX TO WITHDRAWL FROM??

Hi,
I currently take .25mg or .5mg of xanax just ONCE daily if needed. I
have been taking them for about 3-4 years---I do not take them every
single day--but love the feeling when I do take them. I started taking
them for anxiety reasons and here I am 3 years later. I am trying to
make a conscious decision to stop taking this medication--eventually I
would like to get pregnant. I hear horror stories about xanax
withdrawl--but mostly its from people that take very high doses. I
ONLY TAKE .25 OR .5MG PER DAY. (one pill a day, usually in the
morning). I spoke with my doctor and he agreed in the fact that my
dose is pretty small and that if I just taper them I will be ok. If
anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or advice please respond to
this. I know that I just take xanax to "feel good'. I do suffer from
anxiety but it is much more under control now, so I feel I can fight it
without the xanax. I am just afraid of getting off of the xanax. Any
thoughts, suggestions, comments--then please let me know.

Thanks--Jennifer

..25 to .5 a day is nothing, I used to take 8mg a day. I still take 3 x 1mg's
every day.
you could try a very low does of valium or serapax to mask any withdrawals,
but on such a low does I doubt you would have any withdrawals. Once I get
down to .25 per day, that's when I will stop completely.


Andy.

<jnfit4@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1163043475.267713.303500@h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi,
> I currently take .25mg or .5mg of xanax just ONCE daily if needed. I
> have been taking them for about 3-4 years---I do not take them every
> single day--but love the feeling when I do take them. I started taking
> them for anxiety reasons and here I am 3 years later. I am trying to
> make a conscious decision to stop taking this medication--eventually I
> would like to get pregnant. I hear horror stories about xanax
> withdrawl--but mostly its from people that take very high doses. I
> ONLY TAKE .25 OR .5MG PER DAY. (one pill a day, usually in the
> morning). I spoke with my doctor and he agreed in the fact that my
> dose is pretty small and that if I just taper them I will be ok. If
> anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or advice please respond to
> this. I know that I just take xanax to "feel good'. I do suffer from
> anxiety but it is much more under control now, so I feel I can fight it
> without the xanax. I am just afraid of getting off of the xanax. Any
> thoughts, suggestions, comments--then please let me know.
>
> Thanks--Jennifer
>

"Andy" <andy@"ask_me_nice_and_ill_tell_you".net.au> wrote in message
news:BnC4h.61750$rP1.39705@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
..25 to .5 a day is nothing, I used to take 8mg a day. I still take 3 x 1mg's
every day.
you could try a very low does of valium or serapax to mask any withdrawals,
but on such a low does I doubt you would have any withdrawals. Once I get
down to .25 per day, that's when I will stop completely.


Andy.

<jnfit4@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1163043475.267713.303500@h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi,
> I currently take .25mg or .5mg of xanax just ONCE daily if needed. I
> have been taking them for about 3-4 years---I do not take them every
> single day--but love the feeling when I do take them. I started taking
> them for anxiety reasons and here I am 3 years later. I am trying to
> make a conscious decision to stop taking this medication--eventually I
> would like to get pregnant. I hear horror stories about xanax
> withdrawl--but mostly its from people that take very high doses. I
> ONLY TAKE .25 OR .5MG PER DAY. (one pill a day, usually in the
> morning). I spoke with my doctor and he agreed in the fact that my
> dose is pretty small and that if I just taper them I will be ok. If
> anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or advice please respond to
> this. I know that I just take xanax to "feel good'. I do suffer from
> anxiety but it is much more under control now, so I feel I can fight it
> without the xanax. I am just afraid of getting off of the xanax. Any
> thoughts, suggestions, comments--then please let me know.
>
> Thanks--Jennifer
>
Jennifer, I prescibe Xanax nearly every day to my patients. I myself take
around 4-8 mg daily. A dose such as .25mg daily is so miniscule that if you
had withdrawl symptoms they would probably brought on by your fear of having
them, not stopping the meds. You can't even theoretically measure a dose
less than .25mg(unless a pharmacy can do it for you). If your really
afraid, you could try taking one every other day for a week and then
stopping. The half-life isn't very long for the drug, 6-8 hrs, so if you
had symptoms you'd probably see them around the 24h mark. Believe me, this
dose is very, very small, but do whatever you have to to make yourself
comfortable in stopping. I really doubt you'd need a "low dose" of valium to
mask withdrawl symptoms and I can't imagine someone prescribing it for that
situation. I'm sure you'll be fine. I have gone 36h sometimes with none,
and then I only take it because I have to drive or go somewhere where I
might be anxious. Please try not to worry so much.
Scott

"SJ" <skjoy@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:t7udnWzfQKg4a87YnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d@adelphia.com...

"Andy" <andy@"ask_me_nice_and_ill_tell_you".net.au> wrote in message
news:BnC4h.61750$rP1.39705@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
..25 to .5 a day is nothing, I used to take 8mg a day. I still take 3 x 1mg's
every day.
you could try a very low does of valium or serapax to mask any withdrawals,
but on such a low does I doubt you would have any withdrawals. Once I get
down to .25 per day, that's when I will stop completely.


Andy.

<jnfit4@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1163043475.267713.303500@h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi,
> I currently take .25mg or .5mg of xanax just ONCE daily if needed. I
> have been taking them for about 3-4 years---I do not take them every
> single day--but love the feeling when I do take them. I started taking
> them for anxiety reasons and here I am 3 years later. I am trying to
> make a conscious decision to stop taking this medication--eventually I
> would like to get pregnant. I hear horror stories about xanax
> withdrawl--but mostly its from people that take very high doses. I
> ONLY TAKE .25 OR .5MG PER DAY. (one pill a day, usually in the
> morning). I spoke with my doctor and he agreed in the fact that my
> dose is pretty small and that if I just taper them I will be ok. If
> anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or advice please respond to
> this. I know that I just take xanax to "feel good'. I do suffer from
> anxiety but it is much more under control now, so I feel I can fight it
> without the xanax. I am just afraid of getting off of the xanax. Any
> thoughts, suggestions, comments--then please let me know.
>
> Thanks--Jennifer
>
Jennifer, I prescibe Xanax nearly every day to my patients. I myself take
around 4-8 mg daily. A dose such as .25mg daily is so miniscule that if you
had withdrawl symptoms they would probably brought on by your fear of having
them, not stopping the meds. You can't even theoretically measure a dose
less than .25mg(unless a pharmacy can do it for you). If your really
afraid, you could try taking one every other day for a week and then
stopping. The half-life isn't very long for the drug, 6-8 hrs, so if you
had symptoms you'd probably see them around the 24h mark. Believe me, this
dose is very, very small, but do whatever you have to to make yourself
comfortable in stopping. I really doubt you'd need a "low dose" of valium to
mask withdrawl symptoms and I can't imagine someone prescribing it for that
situation. I'm sure you'll be fine. I have gone 36h sometimes with none,
and then I only take it because I have to drive or go somewhere where I
might be anxious. Please try not to worry so much.
Scott

Oh... and I also don't like this line you said in your post.
"but love the feeling when I do take them".

What exactly does that mean? If one of my patients told me that... they
would be off the medicine pronto. Usually benzo users with true anxiety
rarely "love the feeling" of them, they just like the fact that the anxiety
is gone. That line sounds like what someone would say about Oxycontin.

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for responding to my question about xanax withdrawl.
It makes me feel a little better inside. In regards to the comment
about how I "love the feeling" when I take xanax, I just meant that I
guess I love how I feel when Im not experiencing anxiety. I have
social anxiety, hate large crowds of people and hate the freeways.
SO...when I take the xanax I am able to be around large crowds of
people without feeling extremely anxious and am able to drive on the
freeway short distances. I must say I have come a long way with
ANXIETY. I had my first panic attack 7 years ago and was rushed to the
ER..noone, especially me knew what was going on--( I was crawling out
of my skin, and thought my life was literally ending at that moment). I
then didnt want to leave my house and started researching anxiety
through the web and books, etc. Now in my life I feel 10 times better
and am able to live and be ok. I have a wonderful career, I am a
Registered Nurse.
I prayed so so much and I know that GOD has helped me tremendously with
anxiety and how to not let it control me. I had wonderered if anxiety
is hereditary? My grandmother and mother had it to some extent, but
noone else in my family experiences it. I also went through many
years trying different antidepressants and now I dont take any. I
just take the one xanax a day. I WOULD NOT WISH ANXIETY ON ANYONE AND
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND ALL ABOUT IT AND HOW IT CAN CONSUME YOUR LIFE.
IT IS AN AWFUL THING TO LIVE WITH. I STILL GET GENERALIZED ANXIETY
FROM TIME TO TIME AND THEN JUST TALK MYSELF OUT OF IT.

Thank you
SJ wrote:
> "SJ" <skjoy@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:t7udnWzfQKg4a87YnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d@adelphia.com...
>
> "Andy" <andy@"ask_me_nice_and_ill_tell_you".net.au> wrote in message
> news:BnC4h.61750$rP1.39705@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> .25 to .5 a day is nothing, I used to take 8mg a day. I still take 3 x 1mg's
> every day.
> you could try a very low does of valium or serapax to mask any withdrawals,
> but on such a low does I doubt you would have any withdrawals. Once I get
> down to .25 per day, that's when I will stop completely.
>
>
> Andy.
>
> <jnfit4@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1163043475.267713.303500@h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> > Hi,
> > I currently take .25mg or .5mg of xanax just ONCE daily if needed. I
> > have been taking them for about 3-4 years---I do not take them every
> > single day--but love the feeling when I do take them. I started taking
> > them for anxiety reasons and here I am 3 years later. I am trying to
> > make a conscious decision to stop taking this medication--eventually I
> > would like to get pregnant. I hear horror stories about xanax
> > withdrawl--but mostly its from people that take very high doses. I
> > ONLY TAKE .25 OR .5MG PER DAY. (one pill a day, usually in the
> > morning). I spoke with my doctor and he agreed in the fact that my
> > dose is pretty small and that if I just taper them I will be ok. If
> > anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or advice please respond to
> > this. I know that I just take xanax to "feel good'. I do suffer from
> > anxiety but it is much more under control now, so I feel I can fight it
> > without the xanax. I am just afraid of getting off of the xanax. Any
> > thoughts, suggestions, comments--then please let me know.
> >
> > Thanks--Jennifer
> >
> Jennifer, I prescibe Xanax nearly every day to my patients. I myself take
> around 4-8 mg daily. A dose such as .25mg daily is so miniscule that if you
> had withdrawl symptoms they would probably brought on by your fear of having
> them, not stopping the meds. You can't even theoretically measure a dose
> less than .25mg(unless a pharmacy can do it for you). If your really
> afraid, you could try taking one every other day for a week and then
> stopping. The half-life isn't very long for the drug, 6-8 hrs, so if you
> had symptoms you'd probably see them around the 24h mark. Believe me, this
> dose is very, very small, but do whatever you have to to make yourself
> comfortable in stopping. I really doubt you'd need a "low dose" of valium to
> mask withdrawl symptoms and I can't imagine someone prescribing it for that
> situation. I'm sure you'll be fine. I have gone 36h sometimes with none,
> and then I only take it because I have to drive or go somewhere where I
> might be anxious. Please try not to worry so much.
> Scott
>
> Oh... and I also don't like this line you said in your post.
> "but love the feeling when I do take them".
>
> What exactly does that mean? If one of my patients told me that... they
> would be off the medicine pronto. Usually benzo users with true anxiety
> rarely "love the feeling" of them, they just like the fact that the anxiety
> is gone. That line sounds like what someone would say about Oxycontin.

jnfit4@aol.com wrote:
> Hi,
> I currently take .25mg or .5mg of xanax just ONCE daily if needed. I
> have been taking them for about 3-4 years---I do not take them every
> single day--but love the feeling when I do take them. I started taking
> them for anxiety reasons and here I am 3 years later. I am trying to
> make a conscious decision to stop taking this medication--eventually I
> would like to get pregnant. I hear horror stories about xanax
> withdrawl--but mostly its from people that take very high doses. I
> ONLY TAKE .25 OR .5MG PER DAY. (one pill a day, usually in the
> morning). I spoke with my doctor and he agreed in the fact that my
> dose is pretty small and that if I just taper them I will be ok. If
> anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or advice please respond to
> this. I know that I just take xanax to "feel good'. I do suffer from
> anxiety but it is much more under control now, so I feel I can fight it
> without the xanax. I am just afraid of getting off of the xanax. Any
> thoughts, suggestions, comments--then please let me know.
>
> Thanks--Jennifer