First, I would like to communicate with someone who is going thru Xanax withdrawals.

I was taking 4 mg.da of Xanax for just over a year. I wanted off and my Dr. is helping me. I also take Neurontin to prevent seizures. He's tapering me at .5 mg.wk, mixing some XR with the regular. The withdrawals are Hell and when I get off this, I'll never take it again. It is the most dependent of all the benzos. I've read The Ashton manual from the UK, but I'd like to do this in less than 6 or 9 months. So I'm just toughing it out.

Mainly, I have a headache, stomach ache and my hands shake. I feel more sick than anxious. More like I'm coming down with something, but I'm not. The shaky hands may be from the Neurontin and I can handle that.

Yesterday the Dr. gave me Campral, which is to prevent alcohol withdrawal. He said this would help me with the withdrawals but it will be about 5 days before I should feel any relief.

I live out in the country and do have a very supportive husband. But I'd like to get some support from anyone who's gone thru this. Maybe we can help each other.

Thanks !!:confused:

Hi Reach -

Thanks for checking in on me. I need all the support I can get. Yesterday was a good day. My husband tilled my vegetable garden, I'm too shaky to handle the little tiller. I managed to rake out the compost and that kept my mind busy. I'm now down to 1-1/2 mg/da. from 4. The Dr. had me on morning and evening and the afternoon was really bad. So I've divided it into 3; breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I get up in the morning, I really need that pill !! Then I watch the clock til noon. I'm off the XR which I know was upsetting my stomach, it had in the past. The evenings are always comfortable. I have always slept well and do not have depression. So there's 2 points in my favor. I'm decreasing .5 mg.week. That's as fast as I can go.

I had my first panic/anxiety attack in 1984 and was given .5 mg Xanax as needed, which wasn't very often. I did fine for over 20 years, even surviving breast cancer, with chemo, 20 yrs ago without anxiety.

About a year and a half ago now, my daughter developed severe depression with thoughts of suicide, very out of character. This just blew me away and I got up to the 4 mgs. She was put on Effexor and is now find and detoxing from that. We commiserate together over the phone as my family is scattered. Last Fall I knew I needed help and found a good psychitrist. I'm in a small town and he wasn't taking new patients but when he found what I was going thru, I got in. He ordered a Qeeg and found many of my brain waves were out of sync. I had neurofeedback sessions for 5 months, where you can alter your own brain waves, but I wanted to get off Xanax first. So I put the neuro on hold til I get thru this first.

I always have a dozen question for the Dr. I like information to handle what I'm dealing with. He said that I'd been on Xanax for so many years that it had taken over the GABA neurotransmitter. Now as i detox I have to get my body to make it's own. That I could understand. The Neurontin I'm taking is an anti-convulsant to prevent seizures. That's what's making my hands shaky. Just the thought of that scares the Hell out of me!! And the Camprel is used on alcoholics for withdrawal. He said this would help me too, especially my stomach aches. I can stop that any time but will eventually have to withdraw from the Neurontin. I told him don't give me anything that would prevent my glass of wine at dinner! That's my reward at the end of the day. And yes, I smoke also. I do enjoy it and have no plans to quit at this point.

It is in my genes as I lost my mother when I was 12 and I think she was depressed. I was raised by my maternal grand mother. I was an only child as was my mother. My grand mother had problems with her "nerves" and my oldest grandson is bi-polar altho he has that under control. I'm also a Type A personality and a perfectionist along with the traumas of my childhood and later years, including a divorce after 20 years of a "perfect" marriage. He came home one day, said he wasn't happy and walked out.

I'm now married (30 yrs.) to a wonderful, supportive husband. We live on 5 beautiful acres in the country. When I get anxioius or feel scared for no reason, I go out and dig in the garden.

Deep breathing does nothing for me but I found a good meditation tape I listen to when I do my crafts. And that's difficult with shaky hands. So that's where I stand today, one day at a time. I am determined to get thru this as there's so many things I want to enjoy. It's frustrating not to just be able to relax.

RLM

Hi Reach -

When you say .05 do you mean 1/4 mg., wk? How much are you taking now and do you take any other meds to help with the withdrawal? And how much longer until you're completely off?

I stopped the Camprel because I'm now off the Xanax XR and I know that one was effecting my stomach, it has in the past. What I'm experiencing is shaky hands, from the Neurontin. I've taken that since January and you would think I'd be past that. And just feeling scared. Especially in the morning. My husband goes to work, I'm enjoying my coffee (decaf) and looking out at my gardens and the beautiful flowers. But I'm just scared for no reason. It's seems so dumb but I just can't talk myself out of it. Sometimes I look at the clock in the a.m. waiting til noon to take another dose. Jeez, I really feel like an addict. How does the anxiety effect you, do you feel scared?

This is not a good morning, but I'm going to busy myself and try not to think about it.

Take care . . . Ruth