Deb tomato paste, tomato puree,fresh tomatoes.potatoes, spinach are all good sources of potassium. So take a ride out to the north fork, enjoy the day and buy a large basket of tomatoes for ten dollars.

So how do I wean myself off of Xanax.

I usually take 1 and a half mgs a night. Alan takes the same amount.

We just relax and go to sleep.

But I'll be honest. I don't ever want to have another spasm. I know I'm not being realistic but it really scared the heck out of me.

And how do you know where the spasm originates from?

Mine started with my toe curling up, then it went to my calf, then up my thigh and I almost dropped dead from the pain.

Today, I was able to go out and make a wash.

But right now I'm sitting with a hot pack under my calf muscle. I heard that you keep muscles warm. Kind of like when ballet dancers wear those calf warmers. To keep the muscles warm right?

So is using hot packs under my calf, well is that a good method to warm up the muscles.

I'll call up the company and ask the ratio.

Be back later.

Melody

Melody besides the excellant advise you got above, make sure you are drinking plenty of water to help avoid muscle spasms and cramps...not too much though, everything in moderation

a few people i know have that sound machine, with river sounds, ocean sounds etc. and say that it helps them get to sleep

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Okay, I just called Nature's Bounty. I explained what it said on the bottle. Her response:

"There is no way to know what the ratio is". I asked if there was anyone else who knew and she put me on with a supervisor who said the following:

"By law, the manufacturer of this product does not have to give the ratio, so I'm sorry, I don't know BUT BECAUSE THE WORD OXIDE IS BEFORE THE WORD CITRATE, THERE IS MORE OXIDE THAN CITRATE."

So (and this gets even better). I just looked at the dosage and it's 4 tablets.

Never knew that, I took one tablet this morning. I just took the other 3.

So tomorrow I'll take the correct dosage.

I also am drinking water (that's been a problem with me, when I go out or go shopping, I never remember to drink water). and in the past (with blood tests), they always told me "you are probably dehydrated". (Now I have no idea if that was in the Potassium level), but usually in the past, whenever I took a blood test, they always told me I might be dehydrated.

But the other day I got my potassium level and it was 3.9.
I gather this means I'm not dehydrated?????

So, until I find the exact perfect kind of magnesium I am supposed to take, well, I'll just take what I just bought, drink my water, and keep my calf muscles warm.

Sound like a plan???

And I really want to go off the alprazolam. I'll find other ways to get to sleep. I don't want any problems because I'm on a benzo. Alan has no choice, this I know. But do. So can I wean myself off?

Maybe, for example, tonight I take 1 mg, instead of 1 and a half. I have done this. There are some nights I only take 1 mg.

So if tonight I take the 1 mg, and tomorrow ....well, how exactly does one wean themselves off of a benzo and not get any cramps or spasms???

Thanks.

Melody,

Before you even start to consider weaning off of Xanax, PLEASE talk to the doc that prescribed it. Everyone is different. But the norm is usually to cut the benzo's by quarters. And to go SLOW!!! Now, my mom had no problem coming off of Lorazepam but she did it without even really trying. I don't think she took that much to begin with but over a period of time she just kept taking it down by quarters and then was completely off. I, on the other hand, had a horrible situation tapering off of Klonopin and I was following my Neurologist's schedule to the letter...that's why I am still on it besides the fact that it works for me. I just thought at the time that I was tolerant of it and I wasn't. Anyway, benzos aren't something you want to taper down off of by yourself without the direction of your doctor. So, let the doc advise you as to how to go about it. He or she should be able to provide you with a PROPER tapering schedule.

It is 4 tablets, because the calcium is large, and typically the pills are
big...so 4 tablets makes sense.

Don't try to change your Xanax for now. 1.5mg is a lot for someone who is
not using it for psychiatric purposes.

It takes sometimes MONTHS to get off benzos... so don't try this yourself, without supervision.

This is an example:
http://www.vitacost.com/Source-Natur...-Bis-Glycinate
120 caps = 60 days supply for 7.12

Do the magnesium first, correctly. You can decide about the Xanax later.

okay, no changing of xanax for now. (But honestly, there are some nights that I only need the 1 mg, and I slept like a baby).

But I won't go down to a half or anything like that. I don't want my body to start spasming.

I've been doing the warm compresses on the back of my calf.

And I'm now going to click on the link you gave me.

Thanks much Mrs. D and all who responded.

I really don't know what I would do without all of you.

Bye for now.

Melody

Thanks Joe, but I can't do tomatoes or spinach. Tomatoes especially! They are a nightshade and I am intolerant of those, especially tomatoes. I love them, but they hate me! I even love spinach, but I can't have it either. I am very limited with foods, my diet would make most of you cry! That's why I have to go the vitamin and mineral route. Then I have to watch them very carefully too!

I never, ever used Xanax to sleep, I never even knew it was for helping a person sleep, not until recently. I always used it for panic attacks and I only take it occasionally, whenever I panic, and only if I can't stop the panic myself. I knew that one of the side effects are "may cause drowiness", but have only used it to calm myself. At one time, a doctor prescribed it to me, 4 times a day, I could not walk around the house. That's when they told me to take it as needed--that was over 20 yrs ago. Pfizer has always told us it was gluten free, and now denies it ever was, so I had to search and search to find a generic that was, just so I had one for my panic attacks. I keep it on hand, as a crutch, I know I shouldn't, but I have too. When I get glutened now, it's usually a neurological reaction, and I need the Xanax for the reaction.

They are correct Mel, you need to slowly wean off of anything like Xanax. Even though a doctor will tell you they are non addictive, they are wrong, you get addicted to them. You have to have it. I was on Paxil for a very long time. I weaned myself from it, and it was months and months before I stopped wanting it, there were times that I wanted that crutch back. So, if you decide to stop taking it, go very slowly.

Don't worry Deb, I'm not stopping it. Last night I was dog tired, so I just took the 1 mg. I went to bed like a baby. I'll continue this until I'm sure I'm not getting any more spasms. Then I'll slowly go to 3/4s of a pill and then slowly after that. Maybe there's hope for me to get sleep the natural way.

Hey, you never know.

But I once read that older people need less sleep (and sleep less), than younger people.

So now that I'm 60, does this mean I don't need the same amount of sleep?

Oh well, you can't have everything in this world.

Oh, years ago, when my son was doing his bizarre behavior thing after he moved out, I thought I would lose my mind, I was crying in the doctor's office. And forget about getting any sleep.

The doctor gave me zoloft.

I had never taken anything like that before. He gave me the starter pack and before you knew it I was at 100 a day.

I also gained weight. But, I felt great. I'll never forget walking around smiling at everybody and if someone told me a sad story, I would respond with "oh, really??? why, how sad". But I never FELT anything. The zoloft allowed me to conquer anything that gave me stress.

But when I saw that I put on 20 lbs, well, in MY case, that's a no no.

So I slowly weaned myself off of it and learned other coping mechanisms. Like going to nutritionists, starting my own asperger forums, helping other parents of compulsive gamblers, sharing our stories. That how I coped with what I was going through.

Alan, on the other hand, well he takes his zoloft every day. He had a much harder time coping with our son's behavior, and for him, I truly believe the Zoloft saved his sanity. And it didn't impact his weight one iota. Maybe it's a male thing vs a female thing? Maybe the females gain weight on zoloft but the males don't???

I have no idea.

So I cope each day as best I can.

Isn't that really all we can do???

Take care,

Melody