HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

How To Withdraw From Xanax Slowly?

Posted on Wed, 30 Apr 2014

Question: I am currently taking 6mg of Xanax a day, one in the morning, one in the after noon and one before bed. I want to stop but I know I need to taper. I now have Diazapam 10 mg tablets, at what dose should I start my taper and how long should my taper be and how much should I subtract per week/2 weeks (what ever the taper time is) I am very scared so please medical adviceis very important. The uploaded file is from my Veteran Affair's file and shows all current conditions that I am being treated for. The Alprozolam and Diazapam are not prescribed medication. Rehab is not an option, I am a single dad with a 15 month old child that I take care of 24/7, which is why I started taking the pills in the first place. I wanted to say thank you in advance, I cannot tell my doctors at the VA because they will force me into a substance abuse treatment, which would be fine if I wasn't a single dad. This is the only option I have. you know have the full PDF file showing various things such as labs, current medical conditions, and everything you need for my background. Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Very gradual tapering is best... Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query. I understand that you would like to come off the medication Xanax (Alprazolam) that you are currently on. Since it appears that you are already developed dependence on the medication, it would be advisable to taper it very gradually. Otherwiise, there is a risk of withdrawal / rebound anxiety symptoms. I would suggest that you reduce the dose by 0.5 mg every week, so that you would be completely off the medication by 12 weeks. Since you are taking a thrice daily dosing, the 0.5 mg reduction can be spaced over two doses (i.e. 0.25 mg each) Wish you all the best. Regards, Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar Consultant Psychiatrist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (2 hours later)

So switching to diazepam wouldn't help? It's easier to taper and also has a longer half-life.

Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (12 hours later)

Brief Answer: No significant advantage of switching to Diazepam Detailed Answer: Hello again, Both Alprazolam and Diazepam are benzodiazepines and have very similar pharmacological actions. So, if you have decided to come off the benzos, then I don't think it would help much if you first switch from one to another and then taper. Moreover, it's an added hassle to do the tapering in two steps: 1) Firstly, to practically arrive at the dose equivalents with Diazepam 2) Then, start tapering the Diazepam. Also, though it may appear that the no. of tablets of Diazepam would be lesser, still it would only be in the same "dose equivalent" as Alprazolam. Since you are taking a thrice daily dosing of Alprazolam and you are cutting off a very minor quantity - that too spaced over two doses (0.25 mg each), I don't think the half-life factor would also make a significant difference. Best wishes, Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar MRCPsych.(u.k.) Consultant Psychiatrist

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar