xanax detox

[Ronn68]

Neeranam, I'm not saying that everything a doctor prescribes is ok. What I'm saying is that many, many people take benzos and are doing just fine. How much you take is also very important. If you are over-medicating and take 3 or 4mgs a day then that is too much. I've been taking benzos for 2+ years and I haven't had a problem with them because I never take over 1mg a day and I only take them on an "as needed" basis. I also take them for anxiety and not for recreational use as some of the posters here have. As for your parents, I know nothing of their medical history or WHY they were taking benzos so I just can't tell you why they experienced what they did. And have you ever taken benzos or had anxiety disorder? Trust me, anxiety is no joke and although things like meditation, exercise, etc, do help they are not the complete answer.

P.S. And you talk about being "zombified". I've never been "zombified from benzos but I have from SSRIs and to me SSRIs are much more dangerous than benzos and that's why I quit taking them after a few weeks.

[Ronn68]

Twice Shy, sorry for your experience. I've heard both sides of the story- the success stories and the horror stories of taking Xanax. It's good to know that you are aware of the benefits of exercise because exercise really does help. I take benzos to "take the edge off" when I go out in public because for I time my anxiety left me somewhat agoraphobic and it took time for me to feel comfortable going out in public- especially to malls and other crowded, noisy places. And having to wait in a long line is still a bummer for me! In these situations, the benzos really do help. You said you abused Xanax. Why did you take it in the first place? And many mgs were you taking a day?

[Ronn68]

Neeranam, with all due respect, have you ever suffered from anxiety? Yes, it is "fear" as when you are having an anxiety attack you go into "fight or flight" mode but there are real physical symptoms that go along with anxiety. DO you speak from experience or are you speaking from what you have seen your parents and other people experience?

[Ronn68]

Neeranam, I should have scrolled up a little more. So you have taken benzos. 200mg a day (Valium?) and you were drinking at the same time? That is a recipe for disaster, and in my opinion you were taking WAAAAAY too much...

[NowImEasy]

I don't like sharing personal info, but I would like to add my experience, maybe help someone. I was on Alprazolam (Zanax) for about 25 years. Not very much, 0.5 mg, and I took it daily. Never really increased the dose but sometimes popped an extra hit when I was anxious. My addiction became my inability to sleep without the pill. Without all the details, I switched to Mirtazapam (Zoloft), 15 mg at bedtime. Upside? Good sleep. Great dreams. Downside? None. I still have a jar full of Zanax that I haven't used in about a year. Only take them now on the 13 hour flight from Chicago to Narita.

[Ronn68]

Ammagic, All I can go by is what my doctor told me. She is psychiatrist who works at a hospital in Thailand that specializes in treating people with mental disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, etc. Luckily for me she lives only a few minutes from me and operates a clinic just down the street so I don't have to go to the hospital every month to a my prescription of benzos. If Xanax is still being prescribed, then it means that maybe her particular hospital isn't prescribing it anymore but I really don't and can only go by what she told me. SO you are using the generic version? How many mgs do you take a day and why are you taking it?

[Ronn68]

Connda, I can only go by what my psychiatrist told me but who really knows? Maybe they're just trying to get rid of old stock?

[Lumbini]

Congratulations Neeranam

PS : there are no success stories no matter what the dosage if someone stays on Xanax until they get off . Look up tolerance withdrawal and understand no matter what dosage you take in time you will experience this daily hell . I know almost nothing but know from experience this as all those who look back after getting off this roller coster .

Edited August 25, 2014 by Lumbini

[Ronn68]

NowImEasy, you sound a lot like me although I've only been taking benzos for only a little over 2 years. For me, I never take benzos at home or close to home because I guess that my "safe zone" but when I go out and feel anxious I take.5mg and on the occasions that doesn't work (it usually does) I'll take another .5 but I never take over 1mg a day. Have you ever had an anziety attack before?

[sustento]

Neeranam, with all due respect, have you ever suffered from anxiety? Yes, it is "fear" as when you are having an anxiety attack you go into "fight or flight" mode but there are real physical symptoms that go along with anxiety. DO you speak from experience or are you speaking from what you have seen your parents and other people experience?

I didn't leave my house for 3 years. What cured me was a book. It literally saved my life. I owe my life to Dr Claire Weekes.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Self-Help-Your-Nerves-overcoming/dp/0722531559

[Neeranam]

Neeranam, I should have scrolled up a little more. So you have taken benzos. 200mg a day (Valium?) and you were drinking at the same time? That is a recipe for disaster, and in my opinion you were taking WAAAAAY too much...

Hi Ronn

Yes I was as I became tolerant to the drug.

As for 'anxiety' - yes I know what it's like.

You are correct in that there is a pace for these drugs but trust me that MOST doctors in Thailand don't know how to prescribe them safely.

They probably saved my life on occasion but also caused a living nightmare when it was time to come off them.

You're not abusing them so you'll probably be ok but I urge you look for the underlying causes rather than sweeping them under the carpet i.e blocking the feeling with tranqs.

[stiggy]

One thing to help with "anxiety" is to stop calling it that.

It is FEAR.

Get to the root of the fear and then it can be overcome.

I'm glad you got to your root, and hope your doing well.

However Anxiety has many causes, not all are fear or experienced based. Some non mental illnesses that effect the endocrine system, especially the Adreanal gland can cause clinical anxiety.(uncontrolled flight or fight reaction)

Understanding your own cause, triggers or just recognising it building can help a lot.

As for Xanax can help a lot of people, if not dependent. Anxiety/Fear what ever you want to call it, is very real for a lot of people, totally debilitating and misunderstood by many.

It can be beaten or at least controlled.Drugs alone are not the answer.

Edited August 25, 2014 by stiggy

[Twice shy]

Twice Shy, sorry for your experience. I've heard both sides of the story- the success stories and the horror stories of taking Xanax. It's good to know that you are aware of the benefits of exercise because exercise really does help. I take benzos to "take the edge off" when I go out in public because for I time my anxiety left me somewhat agoraphobic and it took time for me to feel comfortable going out in public- especially to malls and other crowded, noisy places. And having to wait in a long line is still a bummer for me! In these situations, the benzos really do help. You said you abused Xanax. Why did you take it in the first place? And many mgs were you taking a day?

On a good day 3mg,on a bad day 5mg and I was drinking also .

sang thip and Xanax was my thing mixed with hookers and the madness they bring to the show

I had a history of heavy drug use in my youth brought about by trying to shut out crap that happened

When I was growing up ... I enjoyed switching off and not thinking to much

And I always abused tamazepam easily 60 mg most days more on a bad day (alcohol as well )

but they did not grab me as physically or Mentally as Xanax did ...

it's been years now since I have been drug free and I have kids now and moved on With my life but I still do not sleep well and I have just learned to do things to keep me mentally stimulated instead of being gloomy

I enjoy mike tyson new tv series about his life as I can feel like him some days

Totally down but it's not about me anymore it's all about my kids now !!!

Being a good father is the best reward in the world and better than drugs

And not forgetting exercise ...that pulled me up out of my whole also

[CMFarang]

Once the xanax is stopped, and you want to stay that way,may I suggest looking for narcotics anonymous in pattaya... I know it is there. Look at. Www.na-thailand.org. for more info... Good luck, and watch out for internet doctors.

[angelbat]

Congratulations to anyone here who has decided to quit taking benzo's!

When I quit benzo's in July 2012 I quit cold turkey since I had been taking a very small dose and figured it wouldn't be any problem. Big mistake. I had protracted withdrawal symptoms for almost a year.

Then I quit drinking alcohol in March 2013, and had protracted withdrawal symptoms for 8 - 9 months. The alcohol withdrawal is very similar to benzo withdrawal.

Now that I am past all of this I am happier and healthier than ever before in my life!

Based on my own experience I highly recommend doing a long slow taper of the Xanax. If you want to quit alcohol too, wait till you are finished with the Xanax taper / withdrawal.

Good luck!

Edited August 25, 2014 by angelbat

[mrfaroukh]

Hi, myself wanted to detox and get rid of diabetic and weight. Thailand was quite expensive so I found a place in India, very clean, organized and pretty cheap. Spend 40 days, lost 14 kg, 5 inches on belly and got rid of diabetic for good too. They will not allow you any eatable, cigrattes, etc. The cheapest room including some treatment, food, juice etc is a Single Deluxe room for 1250 Baht a night and almost 500 a day extra for other treatments like oil massage etc. It really worth it. I go there now once a year for 21 days to detox. The address is www.jindalnaturecure.org

Good luck

[WitawatWatawit]

Angelbat - you went cold turkey and did not suffer a seizure? Very lucky. I hope you read my earlier post.

I was mildly put in my place for relating my story about CT on this thread (my experience was accidental). But I hope anyone taking benzos will read this thread and our experiences and avoids CT at all costs. It's apparent from this thread that many people still take them but are ignorant of the consequences. If there are specialists out there who help with this sad dependency, well, I just wish my sorry excuse for a doctor had told me about them.

[Lumbini]

"

Now that I am past all of this I am happier and healthier than ever before in my life "

Thanks for sharing and congratulations it's been many years for me and it's just gets better . I learn now brain heals with time because of the phenomenon of neurogenesis and real brain plasticity that is potentialized after that drug rewired with it's power to change so much . One does not know how bad they feel on this drug till your off a few years . Sorry to go on and on but wish I had found out all this when I was told it was medicine years ago and had life so detoured with such small amount ( got up to about 2 to 3 milligrams a day after a few years and not proud to write this but feel I owe it to others .

[BKKSnowBird]

Looks like a lot of good advice has already been given. i can tell you I have been off for about a year now and will never go back on it. I hated being dependent on that stuff. Xanax is a great drug as it kills a hangover in minutes, helped me keep my calm but HELL if you miss a dose. I was only taking about 2mg /day for 10 years and I would hallucinate and just want to die when not on it.

They switched me to another benzo (I think it started with a K) and I tapered it for about 6 months.I also was finding it harder to get in BKK. I had to pay 300 Baht the last time for 10 which is double from a few years ago.

[flagator96]

Posted 2014-08-13 20:41:52

Could anyone recommend a reasonably priced detox clinic, hospital, place to help someone get off a daily xanax habit, preferably in the Chonburi, Pattaya, Rayong area. Live in might be good but not necessary. Takes about 2-3 milligrams a day. Wants to get off the habit but has very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when stops taking it. Thanks.

dear OP

You cannot safely detox from benzos / Xanax / etc in one to two weeks as many detox places claim. The brain can take up to a year or more to fully reverse all the brain cell changes that have taken place as a result of taking benzodiazepines. Most doctors are seriously clueless about this. The foremost authority of benzodiazepine withdrawal is Dr Heather Ashton, from the UK. She spent over 20 years of her life running a benzodiazepine detox clininc. You and your doctor should read her manual and practice her method of safe withdrawal. See more information below.

the Ashton manual. http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

This is THE definitive source of how to SAFELY get off benzodiazepines. If your doctor does not want to follow this protocol find another doctor. You will be very happy you did. This is the only way that will safely get you to the other side.

Basically you need to look at the tables and convert your Xanax dose to an equivalent Valium ( Diazepam) dose and go from there. The tapering is very gradual about 10-20% every 2-3 weeks and only if you are feeling well after each cut.Do not rush the cuts. Take your time, and give your brain a chance to heal more and more with each reduction / cut. Whatever you do Do not stop your medicine, and do not go cold turkey as you can suffer for years if you shock your brain like that.

Please take the time and read Dr Aston's manulal above. Also another good web resource is benzobuddies.org.

I wish you well, but please be very careful on how you go about this.

[dotpoom]

There is one (and I think a second one) in Siracha. I meet people from there on occasions and can find out more information for you if you want me to (PM me). I think I heard someone say it was about $10,000 a month to stay there.

Sorry about giving you the price in $$$. It mystifies why people quote prices in dollars seeing as we live in Thailand. I come from the EU but I don't give prices in Euros. but as they say....that's a story for another day.

I wish your friend all the best.

Edited August 25, 2014 by dotpoom

[Ronn68]

AngelBat, were you taking Xanax and drinking at the same time? If you were, that was not a good idea. We are all different and when I stopped drinking I had no withdrawal symptoms. I haven't tried to quit the benzos just yet but when I do I will taper off slowly. But as I take them on an "as needed" basis, I have gone 3, 4, and 5 days without taking them and really had no symptoms. You said you took Xanax in low doses. How many mgs did you take in a day?

[WitawatWatawit]

Posted 2014-08-13 20:41:52

Could anyone recommend a reasonably priced detox clinic, hospital, place to help someone get off a daily xanax habit, preferably in the Chonburi, Pattaya, Rayong area. Live in might be good but not necessary. Takes about 2-3 milligrams a day. Wants to get off the habit but has very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when stops taking it. Thanks.

dear OP

You cannot safely detox from benzos / Xanax / etc in one to two weeks as many detox places claim. The brain can take up to a year or more to fully reverse all the brain cell changes that have taken place as a result of taking benzodiazepines. Most doctors are seriously clueless about this. The foremost authority of benzodiazepine withdrawal is Dr Heather Ashton, from the UK. She spent over 20 years of her life running a benzodiazepine detox clininc. You and your doctor should read her manual and practice her method of safe withdrawal. See more information below.

the Ashton manual. http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

This is THE definitive source of how to SAFELY get off benzodiazepines. If your doctor does not want to follow this protocol find another doctor. You will be very happy you did. This is the only way that will safely get you to the other side.

Basically you need to look at the tables and convert your Xanax dose to an equivalent Valium ( Diazepam) dose and go from there. The tapering is very gradual about 10-20% every 2-3 weeks and only if you are feeling well after each cut.Do not rush the cuts. Take your time, and give your brain a chance to heal more and more with each reduction / cut. Whatever you do Do not stop your medicine, and do not go cold turkey as you can suffer for years if you shock your brain like that.

Please take the time and read Dr Aston's manulal above. Also another good web resource is benzobuddies.org.

I wish you well, but please be very careful on how you go about this.

Well said. I was well into my w/d before I discovered groups on the internet dedicated to helping you quit. the one that helped me the most was benzobuddies - lots of good people and lots of advice. Glad to see you stressing the bit about cold turkey - it can't be mentioned enough as there are still people who are ignorant of benzo and think they can just quit and tough it out. I have the medical bills to prove that this is not a good idea.

That detox clinic sounds awfully expensive. Is that 10,000$ figure correct? That puts it way beyond the reach of the average person.

[Sarana]

I have been taking .25 Xanax for more than 10 years for insomnia and anxiety. In Thailand you need to get a prescription and the medecine from a government hospital. If a psychiatrist has previously presrobed the dosage then the general doctor will usually fill your prescription again for at least 1 month once they have you on record. They also run Methadone clinics. But few medical staff understand the dangers of involuntary and sudden withdrawal. I ran out of tablets in Laos and flew to Cambodia where you can buy it over the counter along with Valium at the corner shop because I started going through withdrawal. I recommend anyone running out of meds should immediately taper their dose (anything over 1mg is not effective in my view.) Take the same or a reduced dose (if your dose is over 1mg) every second day then reduce it by half every second day over a period of a week or ten days. But alprax replaced several much stronger tablets I was taking so is quite mild in comparison and low dose but the involuntary withdrawal was very frightening. Take care. I read there are non addictive alternatives to Xanax now so will try to switch. Thanks for more info. Cheers.

[belg]

ibogaine,

for addictions to drugs, alcohol, etc...

https://www.google.be/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ibogaine+for+xanax+thailand

[peterh123]

Thanks to all posters for this interesting topic which has made me realize I have an addiction problem. I've been taking 1mg Ativan (lorazepam) for 7+ years to help with insomnia. After reading the Ashton manual I would like to go for a substitution taper.

My question is: where do I find a doctor who has knowledge or at least will be sympathetic to the idea and prescribe the necessary medicine? I can come up with a plan myself based on Ashton's manual but I obviously need a doctor's consent.

I live in Bangkok so if anybody can recommend a hospital doctor here to consult in this matter, I would be very grateful.

[Sheryl]

I stronglty advise that you enter counseling (see this link for counseling resources in Bkk, there are some good Western therapists to be found http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/90910-mental-health-resource-list/ ) and let the counselor refer you to whatever psychiatrist s/he uses, they all have one they refer to. The combination of counseling plus tapered med approach is far more effective than meds alone, plus it ensured you get referred to the best doctor.

If you insist in doing without counselling, the following doctor specializes in addiction disorders:

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Pichai-Saengcharnchai (US trained)

[Lumbini]

Perterh

Congratulations on effort you are making and post you wrote . The Ashton manual can be taken in to any Dr. if you want to be supervised . You can also get help here below as talking with others who have tapered and are tapering is also very helpful and will help with support so your experience is uplifting , positive and of course life changing . (benzobuddies is my favorite and many using Ashton .

BenzoBuddies Community Forum - Index

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/

Benzodiazepines - Drugs Forum

https://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=20

Chances are when you print out and take Ashton manual to Dr. you will be helping educate him so it may be helpful for you and him so he really understands the other side of what he may be prescribing as he watches you and others get off the pills that so many of his colleges and he or she prescribes . Interesting how many Dr.'s address symptoms with pills like a patient not being able to sleep and for short term may be a valid option but getting to the root of issue and getting patient off the quick fix is really what most of us came to Dr. for . When you see Dr. to get off the pills also let them know you are interested in also seeing if he or she can help you get to root of your original problem you were prescribed so called medicine for as you now want off and a way to resolve the sleeping issue or whatever drug you will be tapering from was prescribed for . Medicine is getting whole new group of customers these days who want real help and not just a way to patch the problems temporally . Many Dr.'s not get too much education in medical school about diet , exercise and nutrition . You may want to supplement what you do with Dr. with a good nutritionist who does BloodWork to help get to root of many issues you may have or deficiencies . I know little but learning much since I tapered years ago and now understand treating symptoms is just that at times and only buys time and does not fix the real issues often . Benzo's kind of kill the internal messenger we have and when we have issues much of the time it's the wake up call to something body or mind needs resolved not just silenced . How many times does a Dr just prescribe pills for mind without doing BloodWork and really investigating body ? Many cases they just treat symptoms with quick office visit and see the next patient but things are changing as many not get the help they need and are forced to treat side effects of these quick fixes with more drugs . All of this just muddles the original problem when side effects from original problem addressed with quick fix drugs become worse of a problem than original problem we went in for that is still there now buried under more drugs and tolerance issues . Just know by you wanting to taper that you are really being proactive in helping yourself and that is huge and a great example for others thanks . PM me if I can help and thanks again for your post .

[inbangkok]

Thanks to all posters for this interesting topic which has made me realize I have an addiction problem. I've been taking 1mg Ativan (lorazepam) for 7+ years to help with insomnia. After reading the Ashton manual I would like to go for a substitution taper.

My question is: where do I find a doctor who has knowledge or at least will be sympathetic to the idea and prescribe the necessary medicine? I can come up with a plan myself based on Ashton's manual but I obviously need a doctor's consent.

I live in Bangkok so if anybody can recommend a hospital doctor here to consult in this matter, I would be very grateful.

Hmm, sounds like this might be a "dependency" problem rather than an "addiction" problem. Either way, best of luck if making the decision to quit. Just though it might be worth mentioning that dependency and addiction are not the same.

[peterh123]

Sheryl, thanks so much for your advice. I will seek counselling. Lumpini, I will explore your links shortly, thanks, and to inbangkok, re the difference between addiction and dependancy, am I right in guessing that addiction is being physically dependant on the substance whereas dependance is more of a psychological nature?