Question: I have never taken medications in my life and was given Xanax .25 to be taken as needed. I took it on and off for a few months. However, I started taking it more regularly in December and started to rely on it to stop panic attacks etc. in between doses I would feel dizzy type spells etc. I completely stopped it and have not had another one for five weeks. I never want to take any medication again. Nobody told me to taper it and I have made it five weeks already. I know it was a low dose, however the first week was awful. I experienced the worst anxiety I have ever had. It seemed to get better for a while at week three and then returned, but not as bad last week. I am on week five now and still feel very anxious, dizzy, heart palpitations(all have been checked out by MRI, heart echo, Holter monitor etc etc). This happens on and off but it is really frustrating. I don’t want to go on anything else. How long should I expect this to last and is it from coming off the Xanax? I had anxiety before this and I just feel it has been really exaggerated. I do have moments where I feel back to normal but it comes and goes.

I am starting CBT tomorrow. Hopefully it will help. I still feel that my anxiety condition was made worse after stopping the Xanax though. My psychologist told me that it could take up to three months for all of the symptoms to disappear and go back to how I was before taking the Xanax. My anxiety was never this bad before I took that medication. I guess between the CBT and more time I should go back to normal.