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Disclaimer! All information provided is based on my experience. I am not a licensed medical doctor, nor hold any medical or nursing license. Moreover, I cannot tell you what to do in regards of taking medications or not taking medications. I am providing my experience with benzo addiction to help you make decisions that you can present to your licensed medical doctor for review and if he or she thinks that my suggestions and experience may help you end your addiction to benzodiazapines, then only he or she can see fit to implement my advice or to modify my advice and then implement a treatment plan to help you safely taper from bezodiazapine addiction, or he or she can simply refuse any or all the information that has been provided on this page.

Most people addicted to benzodiazapines don’t realize that there is an easy method to quit the benzo addiction. Most people struggle to quit and others simply give up and stay addicted and too afraid to quit for fear of withdrawals. From 1997 – 2017, I was prescribed three different benzo’s including Xanax 1mg QHS for sleep, Ativan 2mg TID and Klonopin 2mg BID. Of course, these different benzo’s were not taken at the same time. I simply started with Xanax, then Ativan and graduated to Klonopin.

In the summer of 2017, I successfully quit taking a 2 year prescription of Oxycodone 30mg QID. I did this using Tramadol and did it in 7 days with no withdrawals. I went to see my doctor and told him that I also wanted to stop taking Klonopin 2mg BID. My original prescriber moved and I needed a doctor to either to continue me on the Klonopin or write the script for my new taper and I chose the latter.

I gave him all the information he needed which included the drug Xanax (alprazolam), the dosage: .25mg tablets, and the duration of the taper: 45 days. He agreed and wrote the prescription for my taper which I successfully implemented and was able to follow through which lead to the end of my 20-year benzo addiction.

If you are addicted to one of the following benzo’s, you can use this taper to successfully end your addiction in about 45-days:

  • Klonopin/Clonazepam
  • Ativan/Lorazepam
  • Xanax/Alprazolam

This taper should not be used by anyone taking Valium! The reason for that is that Valium/Diazepam has a much longer half-life than the other benzo’s and the taper for that would be much different.

Why Are We Using Xanax for a Taper Protocol?

Xanax has a shorter half-life than Ativan or Klonopin which makes it easier to withdraw from. Typically, the longer of the half-life of benzo, the more difficult it is to wean off of. Moreover, Xanax comes in strengths or dosage of 0.25mg tablets which are ideal for this taper. This taper will require a prescription for Xanax using only 0.25mg tablets. These tablets will be taken whole or split in two. We will not ask the doctor for any other strength or dosage and this is done to avoid confusion.

Benzo Half Life

Xanax:  Half life: 11.2 hours (range: 6.3-26.9 hours).

Klonopin: Half life: 30 to 40 hours.

Ativan: Half life: 14 hours.

Who Is The Benzo Taper Protocol For?

This benzo taper protocol is intended for anyone who has a legal prescription for Klonopin, Ativan or Xanax. It is intended for people who LEGALLY take benzo’s according to the instructions on their prescription. The reason I specify LEGAL PRESCRIPTION users is that they have a tendency to follow the directions on their medications and their doses are much lower than that of people who abuse benzodiazapines.

For example, Bob has an Rx for Xanax 1mg TID. Bob has been on it for 5 years and does not abuse his medication. Whereas Jane regularly takes Xanax 2mg frequently and then takes Klonopin 2mg or more frequently and will abuse Valium and Ativan whenever she can obtain it.

Bob will have a much easier and predictable outcome whereas Jane will not. The reason Jane will not have a predictable outcome is because she abuses various benzo’s that have various half life’s and even if she saw a doctor and asked for a prescription for this protocol, he would probably decline and recommend her for in patient detox.

How Does The Benzo Taper Work?

Number 1, you have to visit your doctor and provide him with the information about this protocol.

Number 2, he has to agree to it and then write the prescription for it.

Number 3, you have to follow the protocol exactly. If you take your medication before the time frame set for it, chances are you cannot do the protocol. The reason for that is because you have to take your medication precisely 7 hours apart during the day, and if you don’t take your dose at the right time every day, your benzo metabolite blood levels will fluctuate, and if they fluctuate, that will impact your ability for your mind and body to wean from benzo’s. This is especially true as you decrease your dosage and as you progress through the taper.

Number 4, it works by administering an EXACT, TIMED and EXACT METERED DOSE of Alprazolam every 7 hours, three ties per day. You withdraw slowly by decrements of 0.125mg of Xanax every 5 days.

The 45 Day Benzo Taper Protocol

Let me preface this by saying that regardless of strength and type of benzo you are taking, if it is prescribed, chances are you can easily switch to Xanax to begin this protocol. Most doctors don’t write crazy scripts for people. Here is an example of someone who would not probably benefit from this taper: This would be a crazy and not normal script: Klonopin 4mg QID. A dose that high and that frequent is not written for normal people. I was a nurse for 11 years and I only saw an order for  EXTREMELY HIGH DOSE of BENZO’s, one time, and that was on a patient who had a trachea. He also suffered from agitation and organic brain disease. The only waI would attempt to modify the taper by suggesting that instead of trying the tapery to clean his trachea was to premedicate him with Klonopin 4mg, 30 minutes before the procedure, four times per day.

If you are taking high doses of Benzo’s, such as the one I just described, this taper is not for you. In order to safely taper, you would need to be taking less than 4 mg a day of either Xanax, Klonopin or Ativan in equally divided doses.

If you can safely taper down to 4 mg a day of equally divided doses of benzo’s, you can attempt this protocol. However, YOU MUST HAVE YOUR DOCTOR’S KNOWLEDGE AND APPROVAL!

Someone who is on a MEGA DOSE described above is not a good candidate for this taper.

This taper would work best for someone on a dosage range of 0.5mg – 2mg TID or 3 times per day by mouth, regardless of whether it’s Ativan, Xanax or Klonopin. Anything more than that, might be a problem.

Unless you are SUPER SENSITIVE to changes in dosage, you should be able to switch from Ativan or Klonopin to Xanax, and start out at Xanax 1mg TID (3 times per day).

I was on Klonopin 2mg BID (twice per day) and I was able to switch to Xanax 1mg TID with no problems. Moreover, Klonopin 2mg is much stronger than 1mg of Xanax.

The reason for Xanax 1mg TID is simple. If you are on a stronger benzo like Ativan or Klonopin, taking a weaker benzo like Xanax at 1mg every six hours is tolerable and very easy to adjust to as well.

What if I AM Taking Less Than 1 mg Per Day of Benzo’s?

If starting this protocol of Xanax 1 mg three times exceeds your normal dosage of AI would attempt to modify the taper by suggesting that instead of trying the tapertivan, Klonopin or Xanax, Start the taper at the dose you are on now. For example, you are taking Ativan .5 mg TID, or Klonopin 0.5 mg TID or Xanax 0.5 mg TID, start at 0.5 mg of Xanax or the “5th Cycle” of the taper. See below…

What if I Am Taking A Benzo Only BID or Twice Per Day?

I would suggest that you ask your doctor to modify the taper protocol to suite your requirements of a BID Taper instead of a TID Taper. However, unless you are already taking Xanax twice per day, switching to Xanax from Klonopin or Ativan at the same dose and same frequency may pose a problem for you. The reason for the problem is that both Klonopin and Ativan have a longer half-life than Xanax. And if you take Xanax only twice per day at the same dosage as your Klonopin or Ativan, you may feel anxious in between doses. If that’s the case, ask your doctor to try the Xanax TID Taper.

Here is The Itinerary of the 45 Day Benzo Taper.

This has to be followed with NO DEVIATIONS!

A CYCLE is a period of 5 days.

You decrease your dose every 5 days by 0.125mg of Xanax. 0.125mg of Xanax is ONE tablet of 0.25mg, split into half. Every cycle begins with a decrease in dosage of Xanax by 0.125mg!

You need to either use a daily planner or a calendar, and clearly mark the days you begin each cycle. You have to follow this precisely, otherwise, your benzo blood levels will fluctuate making it difficult to taper off.

Cycle 1

Cycle 1: 5 Days    –   Rx means Prescription – TID means 3 times per day.

You will take Alprazolam 1mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 1mg

3PM: Xanax 1mg

10PM: Xanax 1mg

You will be taking 4 tablets of 0.25mg of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 4 x .25=1 or 1mg which equals 4 tablets of .25mg Alprazolam.

You will do this for 5 days.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 4 tablets TID for 5 days and then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 2

Cycle 2 will last for 5 days.

You will take Alprazolam 0.875mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.875mg

3PM: Xanax 0.875mg

10PM: Xanax 0.875mg

You will be taking 3.5 tablets of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 3.5 x .25=0.875mg which equals 3.5 tablets of .25mg Alprazolam.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 3.5 tablets TID for 5 days and then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 3

Cycle 3 will last for 5 days.

You will take Alprazolam 0.75mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.75mg

3PM: Xanax 0.75mg

10PM: Xanax 0.75mg

You will be taking 3 tablets of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 3 x .25=.75mg which equals 3 tablets of .25mg of Alprazolam.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 3 tablets TID for 5 days and then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 4

Cycle 4 will last for 5 days.

You will take Alprazolam 0.625mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.625mg

3PM: Xanax 0.625mg

10PM: Xanax 0.625mg

You will be taking 2.5 tablets of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 2.5 x .25=0.625mg which equals 2.5 tablets of .25mg Alprazolam.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 2.5 tablets TID for 5 days and then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 5

I would attempt to modify the taper by suggesting that instead of trying the taperCycle 5 will last for 5 days.

You will take Alprazolam 0.5mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.5mg

3PM: Xanax 0.5mg

10PM: Xanax 0.5mg

You will be taking 2 tablets of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 2 x .25 = .5mg which equals 2 tablets of 0.25mg of Alprazolam.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 2 tablets TID for 5 days then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 6

Cycle 6 will last for 5 days.

You will take Alprazolam 0.375mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.375mg

3PM: Xanax 0.375mg

10PM: Xanax 0.375mg

You will be taking 1.5 tablets of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 1.5 x .25 = 0.375mg which equals 1.5 tablets of 0.25mg of Alprazolam.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 1.5 tablets TID for 5 days then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 7

Cycle 7 will last for 5 days.

You will take Alprazolam 0.25mg, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.25mg

3PM: Xanax 0.25mg

10PM: Xanax 0.25mg

You will be taking 1 tablet of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: 1 tablet x 0.25mg = 0.25mg which equals 1 tablet of 0.25mg of Alprazolam.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Take 1 tablet TID for 5 days then stop!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 8

Cycle 8 will last for 5 days.

You will take 0.125mg of Alprazolam, 3 times per day for 5 days.

Each dose needs to be taken 7 hours apart.

Here is a typical 5 day cycle dosing info: (your schedule may be different. Adjust as needed)

8AM Xanax 0.125mg

3PM: Xanax 0.125mg

10PM: Xanax 0.125mg

You will be taking one-half tablet of Alprazolam for each dose. Here’s the math: We really don’t need math here. If I did it, it would be confusing. All we are doing is SPLITTING a 0.25mg tablet in half, and that’s your dose.

You will need a prescription for Xanax or Alprazolam and this is what you prescriber needs to write:

Alprazolam 0.25mg. Break each tablet in two and take one-half tablet TID for 5 days then stop! <-Please Read Carefully!

(TID means 3 times per day)

Cycle 9 – The End of Your Addiction Is Near!

Cycle 9 will last from about 3 – 9 days. Please read carefully.

At this point, you are decreasing your dose from 0.125mg to 0.0625mg.

As you know, 0.125mg dose is a .25mg tablet broken in half. The next step is to carefully break your 0.125mg tablet in half. It may be difficult to do and this may depend on the size of the tablet and who made the tablet. In my case, my tablets were OVAL in shape which made it easy for me break, even when I had to break them from the smallest size which was 0.0125mg.

You will need a PILL SPLITTER, one that preferably has a MAGNIFIED GLASS WINDOW. You will need to CAREFULLY split this 0.125mg tablet in half. If You cannot find a good pill splitter, you will need a razor blade to do the job. Thankfully, you will not have to split very many pills because at this stage of the taper, you have a pediatric dose of Alprazolam already in your system and you are almost to the point where your craving is almost negligible.

You will take 0.0625mg of Alprazolam when you wake.

You will only take another 0.0625mg of Alprazolam when and only if you feel the need to do so. You will continue to only take this MICRO dose when you feel you just have to have it. Otherwise, Keep pushing onward! The more time you put between doses, means the closer you are to ending the taper. I cannot tell you how many hours it will take for you to take the final dose, but it will happen somewhere between 3 to 9 days.

For me, it ended 3 days after my first micro dose of 0.0625mg. That was September 2017 and I tapered off without any side effects, any sickness, any nausea or muscle aches or headaches.

It is an AWESOME feeling knowing that life can go on without needing something to either help me sleep or relax.

Tips To Help Safely Taper and To Stay Off of Benzo’s

Prayer is really helpful and if you believe in Jesus, trust me, he is just a prayer away!

Exercise. This helps in many ways. For one thing, it helps the body eliminate the metabolites of benzo’s. Another reason is it helps DISTRACT your attention away from your next dose. Another benefit is it helps you to relax and sleep better. If you are able, get a gym membership, hit the treadmill and lift some weights. It’s a good investment. If you are not a gym rat and would prefer something else, bike riding and walking are excellent alternatives.

To help you sleep. Melatonin is a great and non habit forming. I take 10mg every night and I sleep well. I combine Melatonin with Benadryl 50mg every night and I get about 9-10 hours of sleep every night.

Set a schedule and stick too it! If you wake whenever and sleep whenever, chances are your sleep cycle is screwed up. Set a waking time and get some exercise every day. Of all my time working as a nurse, the people who were the most dependent on benzo’s and other habit forming drugs were people who had no set schedule and no exercise routine and no sleep routine.

A Letter To Your Doctor

—->COPY and Paste into Your Text Editor and PRINT<———–

Dear Doctor____________,

My Name is Douglas and I was addicted to benzo’s for about 20 years. It started with Xanax 1mg QHS and that lasted for about a year and then I grew tolerant of it. I presented to my doctor and told him that the Xanax was not working anymore and that I am now having anxiety. Instead of realizing that I was now addicted and needed either an increase in dosage or tapering, he came up with an incorrect diagnosis of anxiety. He then gave me Prozac and Ativan 2mg TID, and like a fool I took it. I should’ve used better judgement because the ‘drug reps’ were in and out of his office all day long and he was peddling their wares…

From 1997 to 2017, I was either on Xanax, Ativan or Klonopin. In the summer of 2017, I realized that my anxiety was not a real diagnosis. The anxiety was REBOUND anxiety that was the direct result of LONG TERM benzo usage. The prescriber for the Klonopin 2mg BID had moved away and I went to see another doctor I knew in another town to help me with this problem.

After studying the half-life of Klonopin, I gave my doctor my plan for tapering off the Klonopin. He agreed and wrote the Rx for my taper. The taper lasted about 45 days. I started at 1mg of Xanax TID and every 5 days I decreased my dosage by 0.125mg. Every 5 days was a cycle, and with each cycle, I decreased my dosage by 0.0125mg of Xanax until the last and 9th cycle.

I completed this taper with no withdrawal symptoms. It worked so well for me that I wanted to share it with other people who are needlessly addicted to benzodiazapines. This taper will work for anyone on Ativan, Xanax or Klonopin. Valium is a different story as it has a much longer half-life.

And here’s what your patient is requesting.

Xanax or Alprazolam

Please write the Rx for 0.25mg tablets only. It will confuse your patient if they are asked to take the Xanax bars or .5mg or 1mg tablets. By keeping the pill form in 0.25mg tablets, that will simplify the taper.

Cycle 1 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 4 tablets TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 2 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 3.5 tablets TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 3 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 3 tablets TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 4 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 2.5 tablets TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 5 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 2 tablets TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 6 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 1.5 tablets TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 7 Rx

Alprazolam .25mg. Take 1 tablet TID for 5 days then stop.

Cycle 8 Rx

Alprazolam .0125mg. Take one tablet TID for 5 days then stop. < Notice Change in Dosage!

Cycle 9 Rx

Alprazolam .0125mg. Take 1 half tablet (0.0625mg) PRN ONLY until fully withdrawn. YOU ARE REQUESTING THAT THE PHARMACIST FILL THIS AS RX’D. OTHERWISE, IT WOULD BE CONFUSING IF YOU RX’D: Alprazolam 0.25mg. Split each tablet in half and then split each half tablet in half again for a dose of 0.0625mg. Please fill for three 0.25mg tablets. No Refills!

At this point in the taper, your patient will only take 0.0625mg of Alprazolam PRN until fully withdrawn. There should be enough Alprazolam to allow your patient the latitude to take the final doses as they see fit. This is the point where your patient knows to prolong each dose by as many hours as possible. Though a dose of 0.0625mg is just a MICRO DOSE of Alprazolam, and seems insignificant to anyone one else, it means the world to your patient and these final, few ‘micro doses’ will help them successfully withdraw from Alprazolam in complete comfort and without suffering any withdrawal symptoms.

This is the toughest and final chapter in your patients addiction. In my case, it was easy, but for some, it may be a struggle. One of the main reasons patients continue in addiction is because tapering is difficult and frustrating. I created this taper because in the past, the various tapers that I was presented with all failed. Aside from being addicted, I was also a nurse for 11 years and I used my insight into addiction and my knowledge as a nurse to come up with this 45 day benzo taper that should help your patient end his or her’s addiction.

This is where it gets tricky for your patient. They will be taking a half tablet of a 0.125mg tablet which equals 0.0625mg of Alprazolam. If the pharmacist cannot or will not split the tablet, your patient will have to do it themselves.

I know that the Rx for this is goofy and if you gave it to a pharmacist, he would probably call you for a clarification. A dose of 0.0625mg, TID for 5 days does not even amount to one WHOLE 1 mg of Alprazolam. So please write it to fill for at least three 0.25mg tablets. That should suffice as your patient will split each 0.25mg tablets into 4 equally divided doses of 0.0625mg.

 

Respectfully,

 

Douglas,

A Former Benzo Addict