replacing xanax with herbals eg valerian passionfwer from Pr

Hi folks,I started using 0.5 mg xanax 3 weeks ago, for 2 weeks. I am now using 0.25 mg xanax for the last week, but I want to get off xanax. For two nights I have used a product called Rapid sleep PM which contains melatonin, passionflower, valerian and hops extracts.

First night I used the herbal softgels at 11pm (bedtime), but I was awake by 2am, and could not fall back asleep then took .25 xanax, which knocked me out. Last night I took .25 xanax first at 11pm and woke at 3am. Took herbals but did not sleep for an hour so I took an additional .125 xanax, which knocked me out.

Seems that.375 xanax should make me sleep ok thru the nite but I would like to know in what order to take the meds , and how much, so I can get off xanax.. Seems I may need to take the xanax for at least 3 more nights, and I would like to replace it with herbals.What do you think?

Sorry I forgot to mention I am currently on allegra 120 for nasal allergy, Avamys 27.5 mcg , steroid nasal decongestant which I take 2 puffs twice a day, 8am and by 7pm, and nexium 20 , taken at 7pm. I use resmed s9 with H1, and P10 pillows.Thank you.

djn1 wrote:Hi folks,I started using 0.5 mg xanax 3 weeks ago, for 2 weeks. I am now using 0.25 mg xanax for the last week, but I want to get off xanax. For two nights I have used a product called Rapid sleep PM which contains melatonin, passionflower, valerian and hops extracts.

There's nothing the matter with taking herbal supplements to help sleep, however IMO they don't really do much to put you to sleep, but again that's just my experience. Probably the melatonin alone would be just as effective for falling asleep.

djn1 wrote:Sorry I forgot to mention I am currently on allegra 120 for nasal allergy, Avamys 27.5 mcg , steroid nasal decongestant which I take 2 puffs twice a day, 8am and by 7pm, and nexium 20 , taken at 7pm. I use resmed s9 with H1, and P10 pillows.Thank you.

I don't take any decongestants, so I'm no help there but your dosage of xanax is so low and for such short period of time I should think you could just stop it altogether without much difficulty. Talk to your PCP or your pharmacist and they can fill you in on what to expect. I do know that some decongestants can lead to problems sleeping... something else to mention to your health team.

The Avamys could be a problem... check out side effects on Google. Melatonin (.5 - 1 mg, no more) can help you sleep. Xanax is wicked and you need to just quit it, if over a week... until it's out of your system, you may continue waking up because it will be wearing off and wanting you to take more. It is addictive.

Quitting any psychoactive drugs (those that work on the brain in some capacity) can be challenging. Taper off slowly so that your brain can adjust to not having that "prop" holding it in a position it does not necessarily want to be. Many physicians, including the "experts" do not know how to taper drugs of any kind, especially those that are psychoactive. However, keep in mind that sometimes drugs are needed, so you need to talk to a physician, preferably one with a holistic approach to treatment. IMHO, sleep disturbances are a serious medical problem that need to be addressed in a holistic way. We all know how dangerous sleep apnea can be - anything else that disturbs our sleep will be as damaging. Perhaps worse, because it is harder to detect and treat when we think we are already getting good treatment. Good luck with replacing the Xanax.