Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Stop Alprazolam
• Method 2 of 3: Self-care during dosage reduction
• Method 3 of 3: Consequences of drug withdrawal
• Tips
• Warnings

Alprazolam, or Xanax, is a drug also known as benzodiazepine and is prescribed for anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and other similar mental disorders. Alprazolam and other benzodiazepines enhance the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter in the human brain. Long-term use of alprazolam can cause addiction and dependence, and abrupt discontinuation can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, uncontrolled refusal of alprazolam can be fatal. Due to the serious consequences of stopping alprazolam, it is very important to take certain precautions so that you can safely and correctly quit this drug.

Attention:this article is for informational purposes only. Consult your healthcare professional before using prescriptions.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Stop Alprazolam

1. 1 Consult a psychiatrist. Any refusal to take benzodiazepines should be supervised by a physician familiar with the process. He will monitor your health and progress, and make changes to your medication regimen.
   • Tell your doctor about all medications and vitamin supplements you are taking. Also, don't forget to tell him about all your health concerns. All of these can affect the plan to discontinue the drug.
2. 2 Follow your doctor's orders when you stop taking this drug. Abrupt withdrawal from alprazolam usually leads to the greatest risk. Abrupt refusal to take any benzodiazepine is dangerous to health, so experts do not recommend doing this. To reduce the manifestations of the drug withdrawal syndrome, you need to gradually lower the dose of the drug, while reducing the time between doses of the drug. This will allow the body to get used to reducing the dose. After that, the dose can be gradually reduced even more. Until you reduce your intake to the lowest dose, you will not be able to give it up completely.
   • The drug withdrawal regimen is selected individually for each person. It will depend on the duration of admission, dosage and other factors.
3. 3 Talk with your doctor about switching to diazepam. If you have been taking alpracholam for a long time (more than six months), your doctor may switch you to a longer-acting benzodiazepine, such as Diazepam. Your doctor may also recommend it if you are currently taking large doses of alprazolam. Diazepam acts like alprazolam, but its effect is longer. This means it stays in your body longer, which can lead to fewer withdrawal symptoms.
   • Another advantage of diazepam is that it can be purchased in liquid form and in low dosage tablets. Both of these options will gradually reduce the dose of the drug.Switching from alprazolam to diazepam can be instant or gradual.
   • If your doctor decides to switch you to diazepam, he will make sure that your initial dose of diazepam is the same as your current dose of alprazolam. 10 mg of diazepam is equivalent to 1 mg of alparzolam.
4. 4 Divide your daily dose into three mini doses. Your doctor may advise you to divide your total daily dose so that you take it three times a day. Of course, this will depend on your dosage and when you take the benzodiazepine. For example, if you have taken alprazolam for a long time, this may lead to a longer period of dose reduction or a slight decrease in the dose of the drug.
   • How you respond to a dosage reduction can affect your plan to stop the drug.
5. 5 Reduce your dose every 2 weeks. If you are taking diazepam, doctors generally advise you to reduce the total dose by 20-25% every 2 weeks, or 20-25% after the first week, and then by the same amount after the second. Then the dosage should be reduced by 10% every week. Some doctors advise reducing the dosage of the drug by 10% every 1 to 2 weeks until you are only taking 20% ​​of the original dosage. Then the dose can be reduced by 5% every 2-4 weeks.
   • If you are taking diazepam instead of alprazolam, your total dosage should not be reduced by more than 5 mg of diazepam per week. When you are already taking, for example, only 20 mg of diazepam, reduce the amount of the drug taken by 1-2 mg per week.
6. 6 Understand that the dosage reduction schedule is specific to you. No dosage reduction model is universal for all patients. The dosage reduction plan will depend on various factors, such as how long you have been taking alprazolam, at what dosage, and the withdrawal symptoms you are experiencing.
   • If you have been taking alprazolam in small and irregular doses, your doctor may not allow you to reduce the dosage or advise you to do it faster than a patient who has been taking large doses of this drug for a long time.
   • Generally, anyone who has been taking a benzodiazepine for more than eight weeks will need a dosage reduction plan.

Method 2 of 3: Self-care during dosage reduction

1. 1 Check with your pharmacist. The pharmacist will be one of your best friends during the dosage reduction period. His knowledge is critical to a successful dose reduction. He will be able to determine the correctness of prescriptions, advise on which over-the-counter drugs to avoid, and answer other questions about medication.
   • If your doctor has prescribed other drugs for you instead of alprazolam, this will also count towards your dose reduction plan.
2. 2 Monitor your health during the dosage reduction period. Withdrawal symptoms may make you feel unwell. Continue to monitor your health. This will help your body go through the detoxification process. While no research suggests this, exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help you and reduce your withdrawal symptoms.
   • Drink plenty of fluids.
   • Eat lots of healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. Do not eat processed foods.
   • Get enough sleep.
   • Exercise regularly.
3. 3 Avoid caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol. You should keep your consumption of caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol to a minimum while you taper your dosage. Alcohol, for example, creates toxins in your body that can interfere with the recovery process.
4. 4 Do not take over-the-counter medications without first talking to your doctor. Never take over-the-counter drugs until you talk to your pharmacist or your healthcare professional.Many over-the-counter medications can increase the stress on the central nervous system. These include antihistamines and hypnotics.
5. 5 Keep a diary. The dosage reduction schedule is based on the duration and dosage of alprazolam. Keep track of your dosage reduction by recording when and what dose you took. Keep a record of your good days and bad days and adjust your dosage accordingly. Do not forget that over time you will make small changes in the intake and dosage of the drug.
   • An example of a diary entry is the following:
     • 1) January 1, 2015
     • 2) 12 noon
     • 3) Current dose: 2 mg
     • 4) Dose reduction: by 0.2 mg
     • 5) Total dose reduction: 1.88 mg
   • Keep a few notes if you are taking multiple doses of the drug throughout the day.
   • List withdrawal symptoms and noticeable changes in mood.
6. 6 See your healthcare provider from time to time. For the period of dosage reduction, it is necessary to visit a doctor every one to four weeks. The frequency of dosing depends on the dosage reduction schedule. Tell your doctor about your concerns and difficulties.
   • Be sure to mention withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, panic, and headaches.
   • Get immediate medical attention if you experience severe withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations or seizures.
7. 7 Ask your doctor about other drugs. If you do experience severe withdrawal symptoms, your doctor may prescribe other medications to help relieve them. Your doctor may also advise you to start taking anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine (Tegretol). During the period of refusal from alprazolam, the likelihood of epileptic seizures increases.
   • If your plan includes a slow and gradual reduction in dosage, the above steps will not be necessary.
8. 8 See a psychotherapist. After stopping benzodiazepines, it is very important to pay attention to your mental health, because it can take weeks, months or even years to fully reverse the neurological changes they cause. Short-term treatment can take up to three months, but full recovery can take several years. During the period of withdrawal from the drug, you should go to appointments with a psychologist and / or psychotherapist.
   • Consider continuing to see a psychotherapist after the drug has stopped.
9. 9 Consider enrolling in the 12 Step Rehabilitation Program. If you have taken high doses of alprazolam, you may want to enroll in the 12 Step Rehabilitation Program. The drug withdrawal plan is not directly related to the rehabilitation program, but if you think you are becoming addicted to the drug, the rehabilitation program will help you.

Method 3 of 3: Consequences of drug withdrawal

1. 1 Uncontrolled refusal of alprazolam is dangerous to humans. Alprazolam, or Xanax, is a drug also known as benzodiazepine and is prescribed for anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and other similar mental disorders. Alprazolam and other benzodiazepines act on neurotransmitters or GABAA receptors, which are chemical channels in the brain. Long-term use of alprazolam can cause addiction and dependence, and abrupt discontinuation can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. Abrupt discontinuation of the drug can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. This is due to the chemicals in the brain trying to restore balance. Avoiding benzodiazepines like alprazolam can lead to life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
   • In some cases, uncontrolled refusal of alprazolam can be fatal.
2. 2 Remember the withdrawal symptoms. Before you start reducing your alprazolam dosage, read the withdrawal symptoms of benzodiazepine discontinuation. This will help relieve the mental pain caused by the patient not knowing what to expect and / or withdrawal symptoms have taken him by surprise. Reducing the dosage of the drug under the supervision of a doctor will reduce the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms. When you stop taking alprazolam, the patient may experience various combinations of symptoms, varying in severity. These symptoms include:
   • Anxiety
   • Irritability
   • Anxiety
   • Insomnia
   • Panic attacks
   • Depression
   • Headaches
   • Nausea
   • Fatigue
   • Blurry vision
   • Muscle aches
3. 3 Don't forget about severe withdrawal symptoms. Severe withdrawal symptoms after giving up alprazolam include hallucinations, delirium tremens, and seizures. Get immediate medical attention if you experience these symptoms.
4. 4 Find out how long withdrawal symptoms may last. Withdrawal symptoms after withdrawal from alprazolam occur approximately six hours after the last dose. The peak of symptoms usually occurs between 24 and 72 hours. Symptoms can last two to four weeks.
   • Remember, until you successfully complete the dose reduction of your benzodiazepine, your body will be in constant mild withdrawal symptoms. This is why slow withdrawal from the drug is strongly recommended.
5. 5 Be patient. Reducing the dosage of alprazolam should be as slow as you feel comfortable. If you slow down the dose reduction even further, the symptoms will become even less severe. Remember that lowering your drug intake slowly leads to fewer withdrawal symptoms. The goal is to stop taking the drug and not experience long-term side effects, rather than complete the withdrawal plan as soon as possible, experience severe side effects, and not completely restore GABAA receptors. The longer you take sedative-hypnotics like alprazolam, the longer it will take for your brain to return to normal after you stop taking it.
   • The withdrawal period from the drug is approximately 6 to 18 months and depends on the dosage, age, general health, stress factors and the duration of the drug intake. Despite the rejection schedule your doctor has drawn up, it should be:
   • Slow and gradual.
   • Planned: Your doctor will ask you to take your dose at a specific time, not "when you need it."
   • Corrected according to experienced withdrawal symptoms, panic disorders and existing medical conditions.
   • Tracked weekly or monthly, depending on your circumstances.

Tips

• When you recover and stop taking benzodiazepine altogether, try to manage your stress and anxiety with your usual methods. These strategies can help you manage stress without resorting to medication.

Warnings

• Reducing the dosage of alprazolam on your own can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, some of which can be life-threatening.
• Do not try to stop taking alprazolam abruptly without consulting your doctor. Reducing your dosage is the best and safest way to stop taking your medication.