QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I have been on Xanax for 9 years - 2 mg a day. This past July I started coming off this drug. Now I am down to .5 mg a day. My problem is I can't seem to get any lower. The withdrawal is so bad I go back up to .5 mg a day. How can I go to a lower dose of this drug and not suffer the severe withdrawal?
Thanks.
ANSWER:
You may be a person who needs to stay on the medication long term. If you're being
treated for panic disorder you'll likely need it on and off for a lifetime. Taking an
SSRI medication like Paxil could help significantly.
The 0.25 mg pills can be broken in half and slowly tapering the dose below 0.5 mg daily
can be done that way. You need to discuss this with your physician.
