Hello - my decision to come down off Xanax has been quite the experience ... and since talking openly and honestly with my PCP , things are going much smoother ...
Adjusting my meds to help with the withdrawals has worked out better for me .. at first my PCP , Pharmacist and Therapist all felt giving me buspirone to help with withdrawals would be best .. yet as my PCP upped that dosage to double the intake .. I got more shaky and foggy than expected ...
So rather than it easing that "edge" , for me, it seemed to make things worse .. after four days of the higher dosage , 15 mgs. 4 x's a day ... I stopped , and so did the withdrawals .. so to speak ...
Yes, I still felt symptoms , but adjusted my Xanax to be taken as 1 mg. in the morning ... this helped carry me through 5 -6 hours , before I felt the start of the withdrawals .. at that point I would have my snack or lunch and take a half ... it brought me down to calm , just good old calm ... no racing thoughts, shakes, palpitations .. and I am able to do my errands, chores and rest ...
This can last me until bedtime , so another 9 - 10 hours can go by and I am fine ... but still take that half to insure no problems at sleepy time ... although I must admit , I am waking two to three x's a night .. but usually to go relieve my bladder , as I do drink quite a bit of water ...
My intake of water has been beneficial in a lot of ways .. and I have often thought of trying to not drink as much at night .. but I think the meds may make me thirsty , and so if I do drink , it's water .. but I may try lowering my intake anyway ...
Actually, one evening I was tired from doing some extra activity , I purposly did not take that half at night and was able to get the same sleep results .. so that's good ...
This routine will last for another month , and I will then try not taking the half at night more and more ... getting down to just the 1.5 mgs. a day ... or just taking three halves .. a.m - midday - evening ... don't know yet , but I do know I now won't have to etox from buspirone , and that is a huge relief in itself ..
Take care people , as I keep up on my MS meds , excersize and soon , volunteer work at the Botannical Gardens , here in Santa Fe ... xoxo - agserra
