Please @A MyCOPDTeam Member do NOT just stop them. I can tell you from experience that it will mess with your mind. You can imagine all sorts of things....like believing you're not getting enough oxygen and being convinced you're going to die! My meds need approval from Workers Comp and I also have COPD and on oxygen....there was a mixup with the monthly approval, and as a result I was without for 3 weeks!! Every day it got worse until I ended up calling 911 for an ambulance. At the time I didn't connect the fact that I was having breathing trouble with the fact that I hadn't taken my anxiety drug for 3 wks...Boy did I rip them up one side and down the other for putting me through that! Now they automatically approve it for refill and my pharmacy lets me know to pick it up....I no longer have to call it in for a refill every month. :) God bless you and please take care!

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A MyCOPDT...

@A MyCOPDTeam Member Backing off any drug should be done with your Doctors approval and advice I do so hope you no longer require Xanax ! Best wishes Brother !

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A MyCOPDT...

Hopefully this isn't posted twice.

My primary physician told me (when I wanted to quit) that some people need to take Zanax and was I sure I wanted to stop? I told him that at 4mg a day I didn't like it, showed him the Aston protocol and he agreed to help me. With all the physical problems I'm now having I decided to go back on the Zanax at 2mg a day. Anxiety is your enemy. I was even practicing 'Mindfull Meditation' but it didn't help that much.

I started using my old backup supply of Zanax at 2mg a day (.5 qud) yesterday as at 73 the anxiety will kill me. I now believe my primary was right. Now I only hope he will agree to give me another perscription

My problem was that I was in Central America for 3 years and you can get it in any small shop on the street causing me to start abusing it.

Do the 'Heather Ashton Protocol'. Basically you slowly switch from Zanax to Valum and then taper off the Valum. Reason for switching is that Valum has the longest half life of any benzo making it easier to taper down.

I was taking 4mg of Zanax a day and using the Ashton Protocol was able to stop completely with all anxiety medication in 8 months. You must go slowly to allow for your brain and body to adjust to the lower dosages. If you go to quickly you will have other problems.

Ashton died last year but there's a lot of information on the web. Just type her name or you can start here. https://benzo.org.uk

Good luck. I stopped 2 years ago for the same reason as you but I'm thinking of going back on Zanax at .5mg 4 times a day.

Dan, aka tdhcsc

Thank u I did not realize it was addictive I had never heard of it.my pulmonoloist put me on it for anxiety.now Iam just trying to handle it on my own