AboutBarbara Judge Expertise Outpatient pharmacy and general health. I have recently completed a Pharmceutical Care Certificate Program offered by Purdue University (Spring 1999 completion). I have personal experience dealing with terminally ill persons and their needs, as well as their families` needs. I graduated in 1984 from Pharmacy School and have been a Licensed Pharmacist since then. I have 18 years retail pharmacy experience. Prior to my pharmacy training I have 3 years hospital experience as a Nurse`s Aide.
Expert: Barbara Judge Date: 3/28/2008 Subject: xanax withdrawal
Question hi i have used xanax 1 mg for 5 weeks and I decided I have to stop it and stopped it 4 days back. On the first day I was able to sleep but I was getting up in the middle and I am aware of the surroundings when I am sleeping. On the second day my heart rate increased and I could hear my own heart beat.I slept for 2 hours and on the 3rd day I can sleep for other 2 hours in the early morning hours. On the 4th day I couldnot sleep at all. I think I slept for 30 min and that 30 min is full of dreams and thoughts. I again tried to sleep at 5 by taking melatonin 3mg but it didnot work. It made me drowsy. I dont want to use any medications and get back to sleep normally. For the dosage of xanax I used how may days will it take for me to sleep properly. Please reply me as soon as possible.
Thank you
Answer I can't tell you exactly how long it will take for your normal sleep routine to return. The best thing for you to do, if possible, would be to withdraw from Xanax gradually instead of stopping all at once. You should reduce the dose by 1/2 tablet every 3 to 4 days to slowly allow your body to adjust to a more normal sleep without Xanax. Once you are down to 1/4 tablets or even 1/8 tablets, if possible, you should have much less problems stopping the medication. If you still have problems after withdrawing slowly I would recommend calling your doctor.
