Dr. Ramchandra Lamba
Psychiatry
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Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
I was attacked by COVID-19 seven months back. I got post-viral neuropathy from it, and it rocked my world. Anxiety was debilitating, and I keep on having a hypertensive crisis. I took 5 mg of Xanax thrice daily. Now I feel much better. I want off of Xanax, but I think I have a strange mild dependency on it. I had used it in the past acutely, but this has been consistent for seven months. I have been tapering down my dose, and I am currently on 75 of Xanax a day right now, and I am doing fine with mild breakthrough anxiety mid-afternoon. I have been taking 25 thrice a day instead. Am I doing this, right? I do not want to end up another year down the road and utterly dependent on Benzos.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Yes, you are doing it right. Just taper the Xanax (Alprazolam) slowly, like a 10 to 20 % reduction in doses over a week or so. Sometimes it becomes difficult to divide this dose; in such a case, you are taking three tablets of 0.25 mg, then reduce them to 2.5 tablets for next week; after a week or so, make it two tablets and continue doing so. When you reach one tablet per day, reduce it more slowly, like taking it for 15 days or more and then half tablet for two weeks or so. This will help you to get off this. Sometimes using long-acting Benzodiazepine such as Chlordiazepoxide can be taken to lower the intensity of withdrawal. I hope this helps you.
Thanks and regards.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thanks for your reply.
Do you think my withdrawal symptoms will be terrible since I was only on it for a short amount of time? My biggest complaint is that I have become hypersensitive to noise and motion.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Withdrawal symptoms will not be terrible, as the doses are not high, and you have taken them for a few months. It is also a part of withdrawal symptoms, being hypersensitive to noise and motion. So just going slow to taper it will help you to make your journey more comfortable and smoother. So taper slowly over a few weeks to completely stop the Xanax. Thanks and regards.
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Psychiatry
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