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Student of Life
Member Since Mar 2014
Location: South America
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#1
Hi,
I am currently wondering why my psychiatrist wants to get me off of Xanax. It seems to be the only thing that controls my anxiety and obsessive thinking and behaviors. He put me on gabapentin and just increased the dose to 200 mg. I feel nothing from the gabapentin. No relief whatsoever. What should I tell my psychiatrist? I understand that Xanax isn't that good long-term, but if it's the only thing that helps, what do I do? I had been taking 1.5 mg of Xanax per day (0.5 mg 3x per day). Now I am only supposed to take 0.75 mg of Xanax per day. But I've noticed a big rise in my anxiety, having lowered the Xanax. I guess I just need to express to my doctor that Xanax seems to be the best medicine to control my anxiety right now? |
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~Christina
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#2
Did you change psychiatrists or something? Weird that he wants to change you all the sudden, especially if something has been working. I'd talk to him and see what's up. HUGS Kit
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WastingAsparagus
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#3
Quote:
Its tough to wean off a Benzo... the best way is a slow taper over a couple months but switching to Valium instead of Xanax is typically an easier way to do it. You have lots of room to increase the gabapentin. I see many people on 600-900 mg a day in split doses Just talk to your Pdoc and you can both come up with a solution that is doable __________________ Helping others gets me out of my own head ~ |
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Guiness187055, WastingAsparagus
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Student of Life
Member Since Mar 2014
Location: South America
Posts: 4,658
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#4
Quote:
No, I didn't switch psychiatrists. It's weird to me too that he suddenly wants to switch meds on me. I am having trouble deciding things, so it's ultra-hard for me to stand up for myself here. I did complain about being lazy and potentially depressed on Xanax, but I'm still unmotivated and kind of depressed without it. I don't really know what to do. I don't think gabapentin does a thing (even though he wants me to switch to that and is extolling the virtues of that drug). |
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#5
Would he try another benzo?
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Guiness187055, WastingAsparagus
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#6
Benzo's are kind of like opiates in that they've been out of favour for a while with Dr's. There are a lot of Dr's that won't prescribe them at all, and I know several people who have been forced off them, with fairly rapid tapers when they changed Dr's or their Dr's office changed policies.
I'm slowly tapering off clonazepam with a cross taper onto Valium, and I'm not having any problems, other than slight rebound anxiety, but I find my seroquel really helps with that. splitimage |
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WastingAsparagus
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Student of Life
Member Since Mar 2014
Location: South America
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#7
Hey all thanks for the help. Xanax is literally ruining my life right now though and I don't know how to get off of it!!!!!!
Sorry, I should explain. I feel *very depressed* on Xanax now. It's awful. I need to get off of it! Last edited by WastingAsparagus; Dec 04, 2019 at 05:20 PM.. Reason: needed to add additional info |
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Member
Member Since Oct 2014
Location: Boston, MA
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#8
Very hard to say without context, but in my experience some psychiatrists aren't anti-benzo so much as anti-xanax. Xanax has a very short half-life relative to others, hence TID dosing if you're using it for consistent anxiety control as opposed to PRN; it's also much more likely to cause euphoria when taken in recreational doses, thereby increasing the likelihood of addiction/dependence; and it's also just an unpleasant medication to wean off of because of the short half-life. You're at a greater risk of complication (seizure, DT's) during a med taper as compared to other benzos.
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Guiness187055, WastingAsparagus
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Student of Life
Member Since Mar 2014
Location: South America
Posts: 4,658
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#9
Ugh, currently going through Xanax withdrawal and it's horrible. Any other ways you guys have found to help with that?
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Member
Member Since Dec 2015
Location: Washington
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#10
consider klonopin. .25 mg 2x daily or .5 mg 2x daily and deal with withdraw from xanax if any and just manage with that. your more likely to get overall success with longer half life. save the xanax for emergency safety plan. i took .5 mg xanax for a year and switched to klonopin. glad i did. no rebound anxiety no need to increase dose for over 2 years now
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WastingAsparagus
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#11
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Guiness187055, WastingAsparagus
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