Weaning Off Xanax - Getting Clean/sober
May 25, 2014
March 25th I made the decision to leave the entertainment industry and get sober. Since then I have slipped up and drank only 3 times and have no desire to sip a drink again... It always makes me feel worse/horribly depressed. It just brings me to a dark place. I have been taking Xanax for the past 7 years because it helped me deal with my job... Being in the spotlight... Having no privacy... And it also helped me deal with a very mentally abusive Husband who also happened to be an actor and active cocaine addict. I am proud to say that I filed for divorce and finally got away from a very toxic lifestyle that I felt was leading to my death.
I am weening off Xanax... I am down to 3 mg a day (I was taking up to 10 mg a day... Maybe more at my worst point) and I am under a doctor's supervision.
All of this is just so hard. My whole life is changing and I know it is changing for the better in regards to my health but this is so hard. Divorce, massive job/.lifestyle change, moving out of la, searching for a job and going through all my savings fast. It is SO SO hard not to get caught up in fear right now. I have been SUPER depressed and overwhelmed and I have been letting my depression and anxiety get the best of me lately. I'm feeling really defeated lately and super overwhelmed.
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I've been sober 90 days. I just wanted to share it somewhere, to mark it somehow... I hope it doesn't sound (too) self-congratulating.
I was never sure that counting days was a good idea - I try not to dwell on how long it's been but I can't help it really!
It feels like a big moment (a quarter of a year!) but as ever I'm taking each day as it comes, being careful not to get complacent. Sometimes I go days on end without temptation, some days the temptation is like a fly buzzing in front of my face. Only last night, when I was feeling quite down in the dumps, the temptation to have a drink was suddenly very strong indeed. I just kept thinking 'oh go on, you've done so well - a couple of cans of lager would really take the edge off and you've earned it'.
For me, exercise has really helped. Booking an early morning exercise class for when I'm a bit stressed creates the impetus to have an early night. A couple of friends have said 'you're getting addicted to exercise' - maybe true but as I now know there are worse things to get addicted to!
I've been having treatment for anxiety for a few years, and I've been surprised at how going sober has lessened my overall anxiety. My old notion that alcohol de-stressed me was a myth I had come to believe. Last month I overcame my fear of flying and got on a plane for the first time in 10 years. I can't link this *directly* to sobriety but maybe it isn't a coincidence.
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So I been smoking marijuana for 5 years heavily everyday since I was 15 I am 20 turning 21 smoking Mostly blunts & papers I been sober for 9 days and I had my first anxiety attack after smoking a bowl for the first time in four days . I been depressed not been hanging out with my friends playing ball just feeling disconnected with the world . When I was smoking I was a out going energized playing basketball all the time living life carefree but every since I stopped I been over thinking everything mind racing . Checking my heart just been thinking something is wrong because I don't know what being sober feels like any more . I don't know if I'm just not used to being sober or what's going on ? Can someone shed light on this pls
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When cleaning the penis, should the foreskin be retracted fully? Is it necessary to wash the top part of the shaft under the foreskin too or just the head? What is it doesn't retract that much? Is it sufficient just to clean the head?
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A few hours, I was masturbating with a clean pencil. After I got an orgasm, I urinated and cleaned myself off. Less than an hour later, I had this feeling that I wanted to pee but whenever I tried, my vagina started to hurt (as if it was being stabbed by a needle) and then, I noticed my vagina was bleeding slightly. Afterwards, I decided to shower. Now it has a few hours, I just went to pee, and it still really hurts. It's still bleeding. What should I do?
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Since I posted a thread about self-catheterization -- more formally called Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) -- there have been a few different discussions on the topic in various threads. I thought it might make sense to bring those discussions over to a dedicated thread. With that in mind, I will summarize and/or copy and paste some of what was said before into this thread for better continuity.
My story in a nutshell. 68 years old with BPH probably since my late 20’s. Watch and Wait strategy with on-and-off trials of Tamsulosin (Flomax) with poor results. Symptoms were the normal retention issues resulting in frequent urination with incomplete emptying, urgency, and having to go to the bathroom at night in increasing frequencies. Near the end, two or three uti’s per year often accompanied by gross hematuria (bleeding).
Two years ago things got significantly worse and I couldn’t urinate on my own without physically pushing against my bladder (Crede Maneuver). That led to another trip to the urologist where ultrasound showed significant retention and hydronephrosis (water in the kidneys). I was told I needed an operation (this facility primarily did Turps) but first I had to rehabilitate my bladder because at the time it was too flaccid (stretched) for a good surgical outcome. I was given the choice of wearing a Foley Catheter for six weeks, or a program of self-catheterization (CIC) in order to decompress the bladder. I chose CIC so I didn’t have to wear a Foley 24/7, and also because I felt it put me more in control.
Six weeks later my bladder was rehabilitated to the extent they could do a Turp, and the hydronephrosis was gone. After doing some research and a lot of thinking I decided to put off the Turp due to the potential of irreversible side effects, primarily retrograde ejaculation. Two years later, I am still doing CIC while waiting for newer procedures with better outcomes and fewer side effects.
I will detail my experiences with CIC in following posts -- but to summarize, once mastered, it’s a painless five minute procedure that allows you to empty your bladder completely any time you want. With CIC, I therefore have no retention issues, no urgency, and in most cases sleep 6-8 hours through the night without having to get up and go to the bathroom. No UTI’s in over 18 months. And because my bladder has been partially rehabilitated, I can urinate normally about 50% of the time without using the Crede maneuver. My IPSS Score (International Prostate Symptom Score) would be Zero (the best), albeit with a little mechanical assist.
As of now, nothing that I have read about the various current procedures has tempted me to have an operation. That could, or could not change, in the future, but the nice thing about CIC is that you can stop it any time you want with no repercussions. The caveat is that CIC should be done under the supervision of a doctor who will monitor your BPH as required. Similar to seeing a doctor on a regular basis during a Watch n’ Wait BPH strategy.
I know many of you here have already had operations like Turp, and in most cases people seem pleased with the outcomes. CIC certainly isn’t’ for everyone, and I can understand why someone does not want to carry around a urinary “tool box” with them. On the other hand, with practice, it’s not the traumatic and scary procedure some think. I can honestly say right now that for me it’s about as traumatic as brushing my teeth.
I’m offering my experiences and thoughts on CIC for any of those who haven’t yet made up their mind on an operation. It even can make sense for those of you who don’t need an operation yet, but want to increase their IPSS quality of life score. In fact, wish I had done CIC earlier while on Watchful Waiting. Didn’t realize how much BPH had been affecting me for most of my adult life until I was able to empty my bladder completely.
CIC doesn’t have to be a permanent solution, it could just part of a waiting strategy like I’m on, until better surgical operations are developed with better outcomes and fewer permanent side effects.
For any number of reasons, the majority of urologists don’t seem to offer CIC as an alternative to surgery. My current urologist doesn’t as far as I know, but he’s OK with what I’m doing because it works for me. So, either you have to find a urologist you can convince to go along, or go to some of the major teaching hospitals where CIC is probably more in use and better understood. That is where I was taught, albeit not very well, but that is another story.
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Do you have to have a clean U.A. to get treatment?
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I am a Heroin addict of 7 years. I have been clean on and off for the past 2 Years. I have been on 50mg of Methadone Maintenance. I did not find out I was pregnant until today I am 12 weeks. In the 12 weeks I was clean 30 days then used for one night then got clean for 18 days and then I've been using hard for this past past week and a half. I am not going to pick up again. I am on methadone but I am going into rehab to detox the methadone as soon as I am in my second trimester. So I only want to know if any other women have been through this same thing. Used during first trimester and stayed clean the rest of the pregnancy. Is your child healthy? Are there any complications? Because of my use would it be smarter of me to abort because I honestly don't know the damage I have done? I will not have an addicted baby to ANYTHING! And I also don't want any complications. Please give me any advice. I am already taking prenatals, eating extremly healthy, proper hygiene, and dr check ups are scheduled. I will take care of this child the best that I can. I am just anxious to know if the damage I caused from using early in pregnancy is already done?
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Today I am 12 days clean of methadone and 7 no oxy... Today has been a real struggle I feel horrible. Today has been the worst yet. I'm exhausted my body aches I have hot and cold flashes yet I'm constantly freezing no matter what I do. Terrible headaches that last all day and night. Feeling really close to my breaking point. I hope it doesn't last too much longer I don't think I can last if it does.
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In from my evening shift at work, and I have got to say that I spend the time before I had to go in, scrubbing my eye lash margins with a wet cotton ball and baby shampoo (the old standard) both top and bottom, then after rinsing it off, I proceeded to wipe the rest of my face with some full strength tea tree oil on a cotton ball, and let it sit for a while before I took a shower. Scrubbing the margins (insides where the oil glands are) really was a bit uncomfortable (it didn't hurt though) and it did produce some of that lovely old whitish stuff, but I cannot believe how much better my eyes felt all night long (and they look better too) after doing this. Now I am going to hit this full force and keep doing this every single morning and every single night and see what happens. (I fell by the wayside on the Wet Ones, b/c they dried out my skin in the eye area too much, sadly). But I did mention in a previous post that my skin under my eyes felt like it was "pulling" and it was VERY crinkled looking and pulling upward. After doing this, it seemed to lessen that feeling (and it looks better too). I am hoping and praying that with dedication and persistence in encouraging my m glands to produce oils again, this could be something to get excited about. I sure hope so, but wanted to share. Has anyone else had success in doing this persistently? What inspired me to really get to it was watching the video today on the BlephEx procedure. I can't afford to get that done so I thought to myself, well I can certainly deeply clean and stimulate those glands on my own at home (especially after I saw all the gunk that the lady in the vid had come out of those areas). I saw some of the same thing with my own eyes after doing this and it is giving me some hope so I thought I would share.
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I don't know what happened. I have been doing great the last 2 weeks, and then all of a sudden this morning was bad. I woke up in a panic attack. I really want to know what is going on. I am still seeing a counselor, doctor, and going to na meetings. Being over 120 days clean, would this still be some sort of PAWS. I am still struggling with how all this started while i was using. I don't really feel depressed, but this anxiety does make me feel down. Can you have anxiety this deep into withdrawal. Again, i used normal opiates for over 2 years, and switched to loperamide the last year. The lope was about 20 to 30 a day. A big part of me still thinks that after even 12000 dollars of testing, the doctors have still missed something. Is all this still normal? I mean I felt great the last 2 weeks, and then all of a sudden. Please respond anyone who has experience with this. I really think it's something else. I am scared of something not seen. I know this is a contrast from last post, but what is going on. I am trying to not take any of the xanax they gave me, but today i had to take 2 of the smallest doses.
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I am waiting for a scan and not trying to worry, there is a milk diet designed for gastric patients to clean and shrink the liver before surgery, it also helps to lose weight, thank you for you're replays and you're kinds words, I wish the best for all who are waiting for results.
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So i've been on nortriptyline for over 4 years for chronic migraine. I'm 25 and have had migraines for years, they used to be constant everyday, when i waken up etc, my neurologist had me try all medication but i had no luck with beta blockers, topamax etc and my last chance was nortriptyline and if it didn't work, the next option was an injection into the base of my skull (which i didn't want) luckily the nortriptyline at 75 mg decreased the severity and frequency of my chronic daily migraines.. now i have other health problem undiagnosed yet, and very bad constipation problems and fluid in my abdomen with bad distention, i never thought until recently that the nortriptyline could have been causing this but from reading on the internet its possible.
So im considering weaning off to see if my bowel problems go away and the fluid water retention, has anyone any suggestions on how to wean off this?
Withdrawal symptoms?
I know its possible that my terrible migraines could come back but i want to take a chance.
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So I am a breastfeeding mom. My son is 5 and 1/2 months old. I introduced formula for supplementation when he was about 4 and 1/2 months old. When I got pregnant I set a goal of exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months. I only introduced formula due to the fact that my son ate alllll the time and when I would pump I was barely getting an ounce. So he only got formula like before bedtime and when we we're out and about. Now when I pump i get like 5 ounces. Now I am trying to only breastfeed in the morning when he first wakes up and at bedtime. But the reason for this post is because I am trying to find ways to wean my son from breast feeding. I know that it's a process and I don't want to just take it away completely I enjoy the bonding time and the comfort I can give him from it.
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I took Propranolol 60 mg sustained release for a brief time, then reduced to 20 mg 2x per day. Bad side effects, low pulse rate, bradycardia and irregular heart beats, weaned off the stuff over weeks. Now been off it for about 2 plus weeks and still have a low pulse rate of only 60 with low blood pressure particularly while standing. Often feel faint with the low heart rate and BP. How long does it take for the body to readjust after getting off this med or is the bradycardia permanent. I had no problems before this drug and had bp around 140/80. now goes very low and sometimes high at night while lying down. Very scary stuff, I'm afraid it will never go back to normal.
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I've only been on lyrica for 6 days now. Im finding the 75mg dose to strong 1 a day is what i am taking.I was wondering if the capsule can be split in half so i take half of that per day .then was wondering how long does it take to wean off completely if i decide to come off completely off the lyrica. And is it safe to take half of the 75mg has i've noticed that dose is not listed on the patient sheet etc.
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I need help in weaning of Omeprazole. I have been a 20Mg a day user since 2002 and the last 5 years have been hell. I am now at the point that I really need to get off this drug, whatever my GP is saying. Does anyone have any tips and suggestions on how they got off the pills. The daily symptoms I'm having is terrible.
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I have just joined as I believe I may be becoming dependant. Currently I take between 3-6 nurofen plus a day. It began with my job which is very stressful at times. O would get constant headaches at work and found this was the only thing which helped. I never take anymore than 3-6 as I'm so worried about my liver and kidneys. I've decided to wean myself off, whether I go cold turkey is another thing. So today I haven't taken any nurofen plus. This morning I had hot and cold sweats slightly as well as a bit of a runny nose but they seemed to disappear as the day went on (the sweats mainly). But the headache has been with me most of the day but just a very dull ache. I took some ibuprofen before to ease it as I read this will help with the initial withdrawal headaches. Does anyone hAve any idea how long these headaches will last for while I wean myself off?? =
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I don't know all the reasons why Doctors won't just tell a patient the truth about dependency, but, my best guess is fear of the unknown. In my opinion they are scared of Lawsuits. Scared of what this person may do. If you are trying to stop taking Oxycodone like I was in 2011 then you probably felt like no one was giving you a roadmap to success. You felt like you had somehow acquired a PHD in chemistry and the medical field with all of the knowledge you had obtained through the internet. You asked and pleaded for help to stop taking these drugs. I read everything. I felt as if no one cared. I felt like my doctors were pawning me off to pain management doctors and no one was simply saying the obvious...Stop taking them! That is it.
I suffered a back injury, had spinal fusion, was given Oxycodone during recovery and was taking them for a year. As I felt my back injury and recovery or healing process of that surgery was over. I started weaning off the meds. Lowering my dosages. I did everything any normal person would do. I asked doctors, everyone, how? How to I stop taking this drug? The back injury and surgery was no longer my issue, the issue now was this feeling that I was a drug addict and it had to stop, in order to fully heal. In retrospect I would have gladly suffered the pains of the surgery, because, that was to be expected. After surgery it is going to hurt. You can expect to be in pain from that. What I didn't expect was becoming dependant on the drugs and being shunned by my own doctors who prescribed me the medications. Surgeons perform surgery. Mine didn't have any concerns with anything afterwards. I tried slowly weaning off the meds. I felt like c**p! I learned as much as I could from every media I could. I asked everyone How to stop taking these drugs. I asked all the questions one would ask? Will I die if I just stop taking them, How do I stop taking them? Is there someone who can give me a list of what to take and slowly taper them off of me? Nothing worked! Nothing....worked. After reading everyone's experiences and seeing everyone go through the same things I had been going through. I came across one post...one person...simply said "You people are stupid"....Stop taking the drugs. This was on a site where I had been reviewing probably fifty cases of people begging for relief, begging for answers on how to slowly wean off these meds. No one wants to feel pain. It's that simple, but, here's the reality....It's going to suck! You will feel terrible. Go to CVS and buy some circulatory leggings ( stocking to help bad circulation) They are tight fitting socks that go up to your crotch, put them on! Find your favorite pillow or large stuffed animal and get in bed, have plenty of Gatorade, pedialyte, anything to replenish the fluids and vitamins, you are going to need to keep drinking these fluids as much as possible! Tell your family to bear with you and forgive anything they hear come from your room. I screamed, I cursed, I cried and after a couple of days the worst was over. It was two Hard days. It was a hard week following, but the days get better, the weeks get better and the good news is...You will no longer be dependant or addicted to this ridiculous drug. I'm not a Doctor. I don't claim to be a drug Guru. I was a patient suffering from an injury and thrown away. My recovery process was just as important to me as my surgery. That was not the sentiment my surgeon shared. he performed surgery, that's his job and that's how he saw it. Oh , you're having difficulty with the medications? well here is a doctor who specializes in that, go away! The pain management doctor wanted to substitute my addiction, dependancy? (whatever) with other drugs? Methadone, you name it, and told me he was there to give me whatever I wanted for as long as I wanted. I can call that guy right now and get drugs if I wanted! Stop taking them! That's no life. The pains you are experiencing on a daily basis regardless of whatever injury or illness you have are increased by these pain medications. They tell your brain this doesn't hurt ...but, now you have this pain...these doctors have no idea, what you are going through. They will give you drugs, they will perform surgeries, but, they are not going to hold your hand and suffer with you, this horrible suffering... you are going to have to overcome. Check with your doctors first, tell them your plan, get their opinions and make a choice.
Ask your doctor this one question...Am I going to die if I quit taking these medications right now?
Once the drugs were no longer in my system (and I mean months, If not a year to fully regain my sanity of overcoming this) I was able to get my life back.
Do not flush your meds in the toilet! I do not want to drink from my tap water and worry about ingesting your meds. Empty the contents of your prescription bottles in the trash can and then dispense of the bottles themselves. I finally threw all my drugs away about a year AFTER I completely withdrew from my addiction...I was not in my right frame of mind to part with them. I honestly kept them as a backup to end my suffering, but, one day the clouds separated and my eyes were finally opened enough and were clear enough, not to need them anymore.
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I am taking 4 or 5 tablets a night (7.5)
i did this 8 years ago and stopped cold turkey when i was caught.
The side effects were terrible.
I want to stop now slower.
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I was on cocodamol for 7 years and just recently weaned off using a taper plan and good planning.
I didn't realise just how mind and body controlling these drugs were.
Ok to cut a long story short I became ill and was prescribed 30/500 cocodamol the first few weeks I felt great yeah less pain and what a head rush.
I started to get addicted and needed my 2 tablet four times a day fix,was my injury gone I don't know I just needed the fix.
I tried a few times before to go cold turkey and ended up with the worse symptoms possible I sure you have had these.
The restlessness and aches in the legs were the worst I'm sure you will agree.
Through my dependency I became intolerant to any products containing caffeine as I noticed my body would itch and I had pain in my kidneys all the time.I stopped caffeine 6 years ago and cured that issue.
This time around I decided enough is enough and try a taper plan.
week 1
8 tablets a day
2 at 7am
2 at 1pm
2 at 6pm
2 at 8pm
for 7 day only then I started my taper plan and it really works.
week 2
2 at 7am
2 at 1pm
2 at 6pm
1 at 10pm
week 3
2 at 7am
2 at 1pm
1 at 6pm
1 at 10pm
week 4
2 at 7am
1 at 1pm
1 at 6pm
1 at 10pm
week 5
1 at 7am
1 at 1pm
1 at 6pm
1 at 10pm
week 6
1 at 7am
1 at 1pm
1 at 8pm
week 7
1 at 7am
1 at 8pm
week 8
1 at 7am
This worked for me and just remember plenty of water but not mountains of it as too much water can be deadly.
I would say to anyone who has just been prescribed co codamol just be aware that the come down after long term use will really spoil your day.
For the full impact of going cold turkey should only last around 8-10 days from sources I read but I will say this for a easier stage of coming off and less side effects try a taper.
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