Xanax

I know a lot of women who are hooked on it, mostly BPD, sociopath incest survivors.

it seems that most women I know are on antidepressants - only a few on xanax.

several men are on antidepressants but more are on adderall. why do doctors hand that stuff out like candy? seems to make them agitated to me.

Xanax is not handed out like candy. You can’t fill a prescription early without jumping through hoops. It’s controlled big time.

The whole world is on something. Just makes you intolerable.

I'm a woman and I have a script but I rarely take it. It seems to make me insanely hungry and super lethargic the next day. I save it for when I'm super stressed and weed isn't cutting it.

R2 the biggest psycho corporate climber guy I ever knew was on Adderall. We had to keep him out of the lobby or he’d basically fuck the customers, so he just fucked the female employees in the conference room.

Not a woman, but yes! I love how quickly it works. That and Ambien keep me alive. What r3 said, it is getting harder and harder to get, which of course contributes to my anxiety...

Adderall is very similar to meth.

Your point, r8?

I didn’t bring it up r9

I made an Adderall thread since we are overrun with junkies.

I take it as-needed, which in my case amounts to:

Any time I visit my mother

For travel

I couldn't cope with either without it.

I take it every day. Same dosage for years and no desire to increase the amount. I’m on the extended release one so maybe that’s why I don’t get “high”. It’s a wonder drug for anxiety disorders. Saved my life.

Man up.

I've been on xanax on and off for 25 years now (mostly on for the last 5 or so) and have no regrets. I was plagued with social anxiety from middle school on and developed panic attacks in college, when I was first prescribed it. It has a longer half life than other benzos - ativan, valium are shorter acting - and since I have been on it for so long, I don't really experience either the mild euphoria or sedation any more - just the absence of high level anxiety. So far, I've only had to have my dosage increased once since I started it again several years ago because of long term tolerance - so far, it hasn't really diminished the anti-anxiety effectiveness but unlike when I first started or restarted, I don't get a buzz or get sleepy which is great for me - probably why I never was drawn to booze or opioids!

I used to be ashamed to admit I had been on it for so long but there is no real negative health effects of long term use so long as you strictly adhere to the prescribed doses. In fact, the times when I forced myself off of it almost always led to the eventual return of chronic anxiety, which can escalate into severe depression, which has caused more problems for me than taking xanax.

It is definitely problematic for many people but the people who abuse take like multiples of the recommended dose - I guess at higher levels it triggers more opioid like effects but it never made any sense for me because it would knock me out long before I felt that I guess....

-r13 same here - I wouldn't be alive without it and intend to stay on it the rest of my life as necessary. Every time I have attempted to taper off it, the anxiety returns even worse. I think the stigma over the over prescription of valium and other early benzos in the 60s - before anyone realized the dangers of withdrawal - remains for the general public (and many doctors) but it is a miracle drug for many of us.

Have fun with the Dementia.

I took Xanax for a while when m anxiety attacks started in earnest. But they seem to changed the chemistry of the drug and how it works, it didn't help me the second time around.

I take Valium now, which is no longer made by Roche which means that Valium is not as good as it used to be. But it does help at the end of an anxious day and when my heart starts to pound and my thoughts start to race.

I didn’t my care if I get dementia, I’m going to die anyway. I have told people that if I start showing signs of dementia, I want to know so I can euthanize myself.

Don’t care

Xanax has such a short half-life. There are better options.

I take it rarely, but when I do, it feels like honey being poured on my brain. Don't like the late-day lethargy though. On mornings I do take it, I pretty much write off that evening because I know I'll be sleeping early.

The Rolling Stones' song 'Mother's Little Helper' refers to Xanax. I was unaware Xanax has been around that long.

Mother’s little helper was Valium, also a benzo but different.

R21 such as what? Xanax acts quicker than any benzo which is what you want when having a panic attack.

R19 If the problem is bad enough - as in the case of chronic anxiety - sometimes you have weigh being able to live your life by using the meds and taking the risks that come along with it.

Watch they publish another study that does not link benzos to dementia.

[quote] It has a longer half life than other benzos - ativan, valium are shorter acting

Valium has the longest half-life of all the benzo's, including Xanax. i was under the impression that Xanax actually has a short half-life - and that's one of the reason it works so fast and so strongly, compared to Valium? Well, not sure of that - but I do know Valium has the longest half-life.

R27 is right.

I did a study and it linked benzos to a good time.

a running script for .25mg/PRN.

R13 and R15 You understand your dosage and you have a handle on how you use your Xanax, but please be careful.

Becoming physically dependent on benzos is pure, unadulterated hell.

If you find that you have to stop taking them due to dependence then taper off of them, do not stop taking them altogether. Taper. Take your normal dose and that cut back little by little each day.

OMG. Benzo withdrawal was unbelievably horrible. They have methadone for heroin addicts but nothing for benzo addicts. You have no mental defenses, you cannot sleep through it, you cannot sleep at all, nerves are always haywire, muscles are burning, you can't think.

To anyone who is listening - in the event of addiction you need to ease your brain off of benzos and just...taper. Taper back your usage until you are over the hump and back on your feet. (You can also die from a heart attack or a seizure while withdrawing from benzos.)

Xanax is over prescribed. You need to go to a good Psychiatrist that specializes in depression and anxiety. You need to take the complete battery (assessment) to find out what type of depression and anxiety symptoms you have. If you are put on the wrong medication, it can make you worse.

R31 I know I’m dependent on Xanax because I no longer have severe panic attacks. At one point I thought I had stomach cancer because it felt like I was being stabbed in the stomach area. After lots of tests that concluded I was “fine”, I saw a psychiatrist who put me on Xanax ER and the minute after taking the first tablet that horrendous anxiety and pain went away. It saved me. I know... MARY!!!

R32 Yes, you can learn to manage some levels of anxiety on your own, by eating a healthier diet, with physical exercise, breathing exercises, by pinpointing what triggers the attacks, etc.

But sometimes generalized anxiety disorder is so crippling and sometimes the random attack can be so bad that you do need outside help, such as a Valium or a Xanax.

R13 No, you're not a Mary.

Some people can control their anxiety by different means and sometimes the condition is bad enough where you just need your meds. Like depression or anything else, it is different for everyone.

I'm glad you saw a doctor and I'm glad you found relief my friend.

Thanks r35

R31, or, you could just stay habituated to the drug. If you're fully functional and not increasing the dose - especially if you're on a low dose - why torture yourself with withdrawal just so you can claim not be addicted to anything?

That said, clonazepam (Klonopin) has a longer half-life than alprazolam (Xanax). While the onset of effect may take a bit longer, the longer half-life results is less breakthrough anxiety. Also, if you do decide to taper off or reduce your dosage, a longer-acting drug like clonazepam or diazepam (Valium) is easier to work with.

R23 The song Mother's little helper is about valium, not Xanax. The song came out in the '60s and Xanax wasn't on the market until 1981.

I take both Clonazepam and Ativan in very small doses and I have no plans to ever stop. My physician agrees. I like whiskey too. I look good, I'm relatively successful and funny as hell. Sleep great (now) and have no memory problems. My libido is not as high as it once was - but I still feel sexy. All drugs have risks. So does a life crippled by anxiety or depression. My doctor is quite against antidepressants, but of course he will prescribe them. I tried most of them before we decided to just treat my damn anxiety. I started on Xanax, which was for me way too strong. Things are golden now. Weed makes me happy but does nothing for my anxiety. Everyone's body chemistry is different. Good luck to all. Including you judgemental fuckers.

"or, you could just stay habituated to the drug. If you're fully functional and not increasing the dose - especially if you're on a low dose - why torture yourself with withdrawal just so you can claim not be addicted to anything?"

That's true R37. That's another way to look at it.

Remember when the book and the subsequent made-for-t.v.-movie 'I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can' destroyed the Valium market?

1982

R24 and R38 Oh. So Valium came in the color yellow at one point. Interesting. "And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill, she'll go runnin' for the shelter..."

Xanax actually increases your anxiety because it is so fast acting. It wears off quickly and your anxiety comes back with a vengeance. This is why it is one of the most addictive drugs on the market.

R43 depended on the dose. The blue ones were 5mg and I think the yellow ones were 10's. Or maybe it was the other way around.

It's the 5mg ones that come in yellow, the 10s are still a lovely shade of powder blue.

My doctor gave me a prescription for Valium, 10 MG twice a day, I rarely use them but have amassed quite a collection.

R47 is on suicide watch

R44 Yes, if you start to abuse Xanax - take it w/alcohol to get a high or take a whole bunch of Xanax at once in order to get high - you start to get what are called rebound anxiety attacks. And they are often worse than the attacks you were trying to medicate in the first place.

Hope everyone who considers anti-anxiety medication does some research first and figure out which medication would help them the most, what the risks are and to use them wisely.

Buspar is better, less addictive and slightly anti psychotic

R50 Hmmmm. I've never tried Buspar. An anti-psychotic sounds interesting given the level of stress I find myself under on a regular basis.

R47, that's a huge dose. Are you sure those aren't 5 mg tabs? 20 mg in a day won't kill you (as long as you aren't taking other depressants as well), but it will sure knock you out. Do you go into hysterics and get the vapors a lot?

R47 said that they do not regularly take the prescribed dose R52

Yes, I saw that, R53. I was joking in the sense that such a large dose sounds like something a doctor would have given to a woman in hysterics in a 1950s movie ... except it would have been Amytal or the like instead of Valium. "Now just calm down, darling, and let the doctor give you something to help you relax."

Sorry R52, R54. You know what I read once? That doctors would use vibrators on overly anxious women. Guess it helped.

Lobotomies. Decrease. Anxiety. Too.

When a good fuck or two glasses of wine won't do.

the cocktail for 12 year-old boys who are out of line in France: Valium +¨Prozac + beer everyday... Xanax + wine is for mom (along Lexomil)... and Viagra + cognac for dad (with a smattering of Lexomil)... a happy country that voted for a president who was a victim of sexual abuse at school when he was 14 (by the actual first lady)... OP, my advice is to find a life WITHOUT any of these pills. I am living proof that it is possible to stop (as long as you have the courage to cut ties with any anxiet-indicing influence in your life, usually family, and find your own way). Big Pharma is not your friend...

I take Buspar, Celexa, and Klonopin. I work with the public in a southern hicktown full of Trumptards. I must have all three to get through each day.

I started a little over a year ago when I was getting really bad anxiety attacks. I'd just be standing in line to pick up take out or going to the movies and I'd feel like I couldn't breathe and couldn't swallow. Every now and then, it seemed like a body part would go numb. It was really terrifying.

I've never had a very addictive personality, so I've just been taking one when I need it. Nothing bad so far. If I know I won't be getting out much or nothing huge is happening that day, I don't take one, because I won't be dealing with many people. It really helped me when I took a trip to NYC and was surrounded by people. It calmed me down.

R59 Taking it on an as-needed basis is the best way to go. Yes, anxiety attacks are terrifying. Glad you have a handle on your "zannies" and that you don't pop them for the fun of it.

I've been taking very small doses of klonopin (about .125 mg, which means taking a children's chewable pill and breaking it in half) every night for maybe 20 years now. Occasionally I take more, and sometimes I don't need it at all.

It saved my life. Until I started taking it I would wake up at 2 am or so and never get back to sleep. Now I do. Maybe I'm dependent but on the other hand, I get a full 7-8 hours of sleep on a tiny dose so as fas as I'm concerned, it's saved my health and my job.

R61 If you take that small amount on an as-needed basis then you more than likely are not dependent.

I agree, these "little helpers" can save you professionally and they can save your sanity and your life.

I've had anxiety all of my life but when I started having full-blown anxiety attacks as an adult it was as if there was a force field around me where I could not receive comfort. It felt like comfort bounced off of me,

And I would just want to die. A lot of people have felt that way during an anxiety attack, you just want to die. I'd lay down and try to mentally will myself to death.

I took Xanax first thing in the morning and at night for months until I was able to only take it when I needed it. I remember doing the grocery shopping in the morning and I would just find everything overwhelming and then I'd feel the Xanax start to kick in. It was like a gift from the gods.

Just an FYI; benadryl, the over-the-counter allergy medication, can also help with feelings of anxiety, it can really clam you down. It also good for when you can't sleep.

And it is not habit forming.

There is a benzo out there called Vistaril - don't bother, it's just a high dose of benadryl.

Xanax and other benzodiazepines are not for longterm therapy, it's best at bridging the acute anxiety symptoms while safer non-benzodiazepines such as Buspirone take effect, usually between 4-8 weeks. I like prescribing Buspirone for my patients with anxiety because most patients with anxiety also have depressive symptoms or underlying depression. Therefore antidepressants like SSRIs are also used as first line pharmacotherapy. But there are a lot of meds we can play around and find the best one to treat both anxiety and depression symptoms. I always stress individual psychotherapy in addition to meds because both therapy and meds work together to give patients the best outcome. Therapy works on changing thought perceptions which lead to anxiety, basically get you out of the loop that feeds thought-emotions-physical symptoms/ behavior cycle. We're not looking for 100% no anxiety but relieve of acute symptoms so that you can function in everyday life.

Don't rely on benzodiazepines for long periods; studies show people who are on these for long stretches of time are at increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

[quote]I'm thinking of getting a cat after years of not having one. I was so saddened after my cat, a ginger boy named Jasper, went missing over 10 years ago. Jasper was the most mischievous cat I'd ever seen, he used to enjoy playing hide and seek with me, then every time he'd find me he would playfully bite on my hands. He was also smart too, I found that he wasn't freaked out by mirrors especially when looking at himself, it was as though he knew it was just a mirror and not another cat staring at him. What are some of your cat stories that make you think your cat(s) is/ are the best ever?

The above post is also from R65. We're all at risk honey.

Forgot to add, OP, maybe try taking zinc and magnesium supplements, especially zinc which is implicated anxiety and depression according to many recent studies. Many people are zinc-deficient and they don't know it. Zinc is a neuromodulator of glutamate and GABA in the brain; dysregulated GABA transmission is implicated in anxiety disorders as one of the factors anyways. Low levels of zinc is seen in patients with anxiety and depression, and supplementation has actually been shown to decrease symptoms. Magnesium can help with muscle relaxation and help combat the physical/ somatic symptoms of anxiety. Vitamin D and fish oil may also help, I've prescribed them for my patients too.

I was in the hospital for about four days for some painful issues. They gave me xanax for the anxiety while being hospitalized. I don't know what dosage they had me on but they sent me home with none. So, I went into withdrawal. It felt like my bones were vibrating throughout my entire body. I was smart enough to deduce what was going on and get a prescription from the doctor within a day. I then tapered off. But, damn, that was horrendous and that was only after four days.

Ever since then, xanax doesn't do much for me. I've tried up to .75 at a time on an as needed basis and at that point I can feel a little of the calming but it's gone really fast and isn't worth it. I want to try pot instead. It'll be legal here soon for recreational use. Might give it a try then.

Been on ambien for 15 years. Will I develop dementia? Give it a few more years maybe. By then I'll be 70+

Both my dr and therapist say stay on it because it gives me sleep and psychic relief. A few years ago I dropped the dosage too much at one time and the withdrawals were mentally terrifying and physically wrenching. It's a cruel drug that way. My dr wanted me to take valium to get the dose down but to me valium is a dangerous ally to be used sparingly and I couldn't really find a pathway to a non-drug life. Unfortunately my motivation to keep tapering faded away and I'm still on it.

Strangely I no longer feel the euphoria or elevated feelings at higher doses. But by the end of the day my brain lets me know it needs its dose. That is the thing I would like to have out of my life.

However there are new attitudes about addiction and the acknowlegement that anyone can become addicted so it is important to be kind and not moralistic. See Drs Gabor Maté and Peter Irvine

I agree with staying away from these drugs if you can.

Doesn’t Xanax rewire your brain if you stay on it for a long period of time?

[quote]Remember when the book and the subsequent made-for-t.v.-movie 'I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can' destroyed the Valium market?

'I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can' was not a made-for-tv movie, it was released in theaters, and quickly flopped.

That "Dancing as Fast as I Can" reference just made me remember that episode of Saved by the Bell where Jessie couldn't stop taking caffeine pills.

We all have different brain chemistry. Some lean towards easy addiction, others bear a great deal of tolerance. I guess I'm fairly lucky compared to other people on here. I've had a prescription to klonopin for over 10 years. I take as need but have never taken more than 1mg a day. When it got to the point where the 1mg no longer worked, I was switched for one month to Ativan. It was a little shaky, but then back on klonopin and it started to work again.... At one point, a major disappointment plus the devastating loss of my pet took me thru a very bad stretch and a friend traded me some of her Xanax for my 1/2 bottle of Vicodin I didn't need. Wow! That Xanax just nipped it in the bud. But I sensed it was best to use it sparingly.

Currently I have an ample supply of both. Ample because I renew 'scripts but use sparingly. Never more than 1mg of either in a day, and I never take the two together. I kind of think of them as beer and wine. It's been four days since I've taken either.

FIve years ago now, I had a very bad reaction to a psychotropic drug I should have never been put on. I was hospitalized and deprived of the 1mg of Klonopin I had been taking daily at that time. It didn't conflict with the drug I had a bad reaction to, and there was no reason I should have been cut off, (except for that particular doctor's hatred of all benzos). It was the one and only time I experienced that withdrawal others have described on here. And it was so unnecessary!

Now I always keep a small amount handy because I can. But continue to wean myself off my way, and as slowly as possible.

Your post is unintentionally hilarious R73. The very definition of an addict.

I have severe Social Anxiety Disorder as well as Generalized Anxiety Disorder manifesting in very early childhood and only grew worse as I got older and at my age, it feels like I've been on and failed on every medication available, it's like my anxiety fights off anything I take and sometimes my anxiety ramps up at night and I end up staying up all night then sleeping(and wasting)my day away so I'd really like to find something to at least calm me down at night so I can sleep normally.

Xanax makes me fall asleep. Good for a long airplane ride.

R74 I guess it does. lol My point was, yes I'm addicted, but fortunately for me it's at a much lower level, so as long as I am able to get the minimum I need, I'm able to keep it in check. Why put myself thru another grueling process if the resources are easily available to me. Which is what I'm recommending to others.

Getting off of Xanax can be a bitch as shown by a work colleague.

She became anxious and depressed after her fiancé cheated and the wedding was called off. After a roller coaster of emotional weeks, her doctor put her on Xanax. After about 3 months he tried to wean her off. Her behavior became so erratic that she got fired from her job.

It’s been a year now and she’s still loopy

R78 Withdrawal symptoms can go on for a couple of years. Wonder if your co-worker tried tapering. Poor kid.

Whether or not you become physically dependent differs from person to person and how you will handle weaning yourself off of benzos will differ from person to person. Some will have an easier time and some will have a harder time.

If you feel you want to stop using benzos do your research and have a plan in place. I feel like people are creating fear among those who do need a least a little medication in order to function.

I kind of go with the, "If I need to depend on them then so be it" philosophy. "Natural" cures do not always work. They can help but they don't always solve the problem.

"Slow tapering is safer and better tolerated than more abrupt techniques."

Stop fetishizing drugs.

R82 Go tell it to the pot heads.

The Onion: So, this is a panic attack, eh?

This is actually a pretty good summation of what it feels like.

Panic attack = extreme narcissism.

R85 = troll

WebMD: What Causes Generalized Anxiety Disorder (or GAD)?

The exact cause of GAD is not fully known, but a number of factors -- including genetics, brain chemistry, and environmental stresses -- appear to contribute to its development.

Genetics: Some research suggests that family history plays a part in increasing the likelihood that a person will develop GAD. This means that the tendency to develop GAD may be passed on in families.

Brain chemistry: GAD has been associated with abnormal functioning of certain nerve cell pathways that connect particular brain regions involved in thinking and emotion. These nerve cell connections depend on chemicals called neurotransmitters that transmit information from one nerve cell to the next. If the pathways that connect particular brain regions do not run efficiently, problems related to mood or anxiety may result. Medicines, psychotherapies, or other treatments that are thought to "tweak" these neurotransmitters may improve the signaling between circuits and help to improve symptoms related to anxiety or depression.

Environmental factors: Trauma and stressful events, such as abuse, the death of a loved one, divorce, changing jobs or schools, may contribute to GAD. GAD also may become worse during periods of stress. The use of and withdrawal from addictive substances, including alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, can also worsen anxiety.

It's mostly environmental. Brain chemistry changes after trauma. These people aren't born with it. They definitely need to learn coping skills. The pharmaceutical companies are purposely addicting people to these drugs. It's criminal.

R88 If coping skills and lifestyle changes work then that is great and people should pursue the non-benzo route. However, some moments and and some circumstances call for some outside help.

I do agree that Valium, etc. are probably being over-prescribed and that is wrong and dangerous.

Hope people who get these things prescribed take the time to educate themselves.

Everyone in the country is in drugs. Even children.

R90 Tom Cruise?? OMG! Welcome to DL!

R90 There is a saying, "Girls get extra help, boys get Ritalin."

Just another drug fetish.

I take 0.5 mg every other day or so to sleep. Never had issues. Work is intense and it’s ay too much social stimulation for me. When I get home at 9:30 and need to be asleep by 11, it’s the only way to turn my brain off. Tried every relaxation and insomnia tip - nothing worked. It’s been 15 years now and it’s the only thing that allow me to function in my job that is way too stressful for me. But need the money - and am grateful Xanax is able to help.

I take 2.5mg a day and I don’t even feel drowsy.

I keep hearing how horribly addictive it is but have never had issues. Of course, I take less than 1mg sporadically - not 2 or 3. So many scare stories about it - when it can actually help a lot of people. We have really become so conservative in drug use since the 70s.

'Tylenol Ingredient Reduces Psychological Stress'

"And while acetaminophen provides a good fix for a stubbed toe, it may also offer psychological relief for feelings of anxiety and social rejection. Not bad for an OTC drug."

Tylenol does not take away anxiety like benzodiazepines !! Please.

When my elderly mother wants a good night's sleep because she's playing bridge the next day, she always takes 2 Tylenol. Maybe there is something to it?

I suspect it's either placebo effect or perhaps it eases all the little aches and pains enough to allow one to get comfortable enough to fall sleep.

The double blind study on acetaminophen's effect on anxiety was done with people not experiencing any pain. The non placebo participants were given a 1,000 mg dose. The equivalent of two extra strength Tylenol.