brain zaps from xanax?

[Ethansmom]

I'm really upset right now. I've been on xanax for abot 7 weeks or so at .5mg and for the last two days have dropped the dose to .25. I'm getting these terrifying brain zaps. When will these go away? does anyone have experience with this?



[Shazamataz]

I haven't had the zaps from dropping benzos but did have zaps when dropping SSRIs. However, I've started tapering diazepam and am getting a lot of twitching, especially when napping as well as extreme fatigue and tight muscles. Maybe you dropped too fast? Can you drop by 1/4 dose instead of half?

---------- Post added at 20:46 ---------- Previous post was at 20:43 ----------

Alternatively sometimes people switch to equivalent doses of diazepam and wean off that as it is longer acting. I just looked up and .5 Xanax is equivalent to 10 mg diazepam so dropping to .25 is a bit drastic, though you haven't been on it too long but it's different for everyone.

I've noticed effects just dropping from 2mg diazepam to 1.5.

Good luck!

[Ethansmom]

Thanks for responding
I was on .5 of Xanax for like four months straight a couple years ago and just didn't need it one day and was fine . No zaps or anything ,, so who knows maybe maybe otl's stress related

[MrsDavies]

I got these from both anxiety and going cold turkey on Sertraline so it could be one or the other or even both...

[Fishmanpa]

Docs gave me some Xanax to help cope with the stress I've been going through with the illness of my wife. I take as needed (.25mg). I've had no side effects at all. I can take it three times a day if needed (and have) and I've had no issue whatsoever. I guess it's different person to person.

All I can say is thank goodness for this. It's helped immensely.

The thing is, it's addictive. Fortunately, I don't have an issue with that.

Positive thoughts

[roseanxiety]

I have never heard of zaps from Xanax but I bet they could be from increased anxiety.

[PanickyGuy]

Xanax (alprazolam) was the first anti-anxiety medicine I was put on after being diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder. But I had trouble with that med. It seemed to cause me a weird brain fog reaction every time I would take it and I also had trouble remembering simple things that I usually didn't forget.

At the time I didn't know for sure all this was because of the Xanax I was taking, but then I found out later on that Valium and Xanax can cause pseudodementia side effects.

Anyway, I switched over to Ativan (lorazepam) and I've been doing good on that for years now. The only problem with it though is they say it might lower blood pressure and I have noticed that I've had low blood pressure on a few occasions.

Lol. Can't win for nothing.