Notes on a Night without Xanax

Posted on June 30, 2009 in Medications

I’ve been taking half a [[xanax]] to help me get to sleep at night. I combine this with [[melatonin]], [[benadryl]], [[doxepin]], and a handful of other drugs at bedtime because I need a hammer to bring me to sleep. Last night, after reading a terrifying article about benzodiazepines at Furious Seasons, I decided to try an experiment: could I get to sleep without the Xanax?

The trick was to take the melatonin about an hour or two before bedtime, let it soak into the system, then go to sleep at my usual bedtime. It worked, but I woke up about five hours later. So I took more benadryl and slept an additional five hours.

I notice two things: first, I am slightly more irritable. Second, I am more alert. For the first time in weeks, I am able to set my hands at the keys and make sentences appear.

So here’s the plan: tonight, I am taking half a Xanax. The next night I perform a drug fast. I do this routine for a few weeks so my body gets used to the lower levels in my system and then make another jump.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.