Hi - can anyone give me some insight into the use of Xanax. I have just been prescribed a months supply for 2 a day 60 pills. I understand the dosage is very low 0.5, does that sound correct. I have an addictive personality as it is, although I am going through a very stressful time with a newly diagnosed autistic son. Any advise on how to use this without becoming dependent would be helpful.
Thanks.
__________________ sadmama
Last edited by Izzorc; 09-19-2004 at 08:34 PM.
Reason: spelling
I feel for you because of your daily struggles with your son. However, please try to find another solution for your stress and anxiety. Xanax (benzos) is the #1 addictive RX and getting off it takes months to a year. Even at a low dose, you will get addicted fast.
Please read all of the horror stories from the board.
Hi - can anyone give me some insight into the use of Xanax. I have just been prescribed a months supply for 2 a day 60 pills. I understand the dosage is very low 0.5, does that sound correct. I have an addictive personality as it is, although I am going through a very stressful time with a newly diagnosed autistic son. Any advise on how to use this without becoming dependent would be helpful.
Thanks.
All xanax does to me is knock me out.
(even at the dosage you are taking). Does it make you drowsey????
Sounds to me like you need to be alert to take care of your son,
plus xanax is addictive.
What about an anti-depressant?
Hey there...Concerning your question about xanax...I also agree with the previous posts , and Wind- I had to admit I had a good laugh at your last
reply , you are exactly " straight ,sober to the point ! "...yes often times,
patients are rxd benzos,ADs as first line tx without even considering some
of the " non-chemical approaches " to reducing anxiety,stress,etc..eating
healthy,exercise regulary,yoga,mediatation,therapy," walking it off " ,etc..
However, if one MUST use a benzo as rxed by their PCP - try asking your
doc about a benzo with a longer half-life (such as diazepam,clonazepam,etc..)
the extremely short half-life of alprazolam is indeed one of the many traits
that lends to its high rate of " abuse/dependence/escalating dosages,etc.)..
However, as the previous posters replied I am in total agreement as to a
benzo being used until "..all else has failed.."..Hey Wind, on a personal note,
if I ever make it to an AA meeting , could use a " sponsor " such as yourself..
I have always respected your posts/replies,etc...
I do sponsor a couple of people who are struggling like hell right now. If you do make it to AA/NA then get a sponsor who "likes" the same dope you do. That sponsor will know all the tricks, the deceits, the madness....all that.
Believe me if I could do no chemicals I would, I take Zoloft for depression and everytime I try to taper off I become unwound - I do not have an addiction to antidepressants, I have a chemical imbalance. I have tried yoga, meditation, exercise etc, in order to live a balanced life, but unfortunately I have a chemical imbalance that requires medication. Secondly, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children ages 5, 3 and 2 whom, even if I do say so myself, I take care of beautifully. Unfortunately, due to no doing of my own, my son does have some issues and at this time I feel I need a little extra help with my stress levels. My question was regarding the addictiveness of Xanax, if anyone has any better suggestions on something that would temporarily help with perhaps less addictive side affects, I would appreciate knowing.
BTW, I see many people on this board have only themselves to be responsible for yet still need help in some way or another and I am sure they would all love to use no chemicals. Sometimes it is necessary, all I was looking for was a little advice to help me over the hump, especially due to the fact that I have an addictive nature.
Thank you for the information on the Xanax, it was exactly what I was looking for. I can see after taking it for a couple of days that it has a very short half-life and the urge to take more to retain the same effect could be VERY addicting. Do you think valium is any better? My Dr. also recommended something called "clonopin" does that sound right? Any advice/info would be appreciated.
Wichris is very, very informative. She use to post a lot but now she's here and there. Unfortunately for the healthboards here, she doesn't post as often. She mentioned "clonazpam" is Klonopin. Diazepam is Valium. She used ingredient names and not brand names thus adding more to the confusion. Read all about these drugs from people who have the experiences here. Please do another search on this board. Unfortunately, they're all addictive, but if you must take one or the other then I would use a longer acting benzo. Have you tried herbal OTC supplements?
I am a single mother and I totally understand your struggles. I also have a chemical imbalance and now hormonally it seems to add to my brain dysfunctions. So I truly only have 14 days out of the month that are really good and the rest are hormonal hell. I do pretty good because I only have one child that is 6 years old. Unlike you, you have 3 under five and that can be extremely difficult.
I hope you find a solution soon. Have you tried accupuncture with meditation?
Believe me if I could do no chemicals I would, I take Zoloft for depression and everytime I try to taper off I become unwound - I do not have an addiction to antidepressants, I have a chemical imbalance. I have tried yoga, meditation, exercise etc, in order to live a balanced life, but unfortunately I have a chemical imbalance that requires medication. Secondly, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children ages 5, 3 and 2 whom, even if I do say so myself, I take care of beautifully. Unfortunately, due to no doing of my own, my son does have some issues and at this time I feel I need a little extra help with my stress levels. My question was regarding the addictiveness of Xanax, if anyone has any better suggestions on something that would temporarily help with perhaps less addictive side affects, I would appreciate knowing.
BTW, I see many people on this board have only themselves to be responsible for yet still need help in some way or another and I am sure they would all love to use no chemicals. Sometimes it is necessary, all I was looking for was a little advice to help me over the hump, especially due to the fact that I have an addictive nature.
Zoloft itself can cause stress, this is why many who take SSRi's end up on benzos like Xanax as well. Serotonin is a powerful vasoconstrictor and excitatory neurotransmitter. Vasoconstriction will cause narrowing of blood vessels, causing stress on the heart to pump blood harder.
Anyway, over time, the brain does become dependant on an SSRi so trying to quit is either impossible for some or a long, drawn out process for others. But alot of people do patiently taper off them successfully and feel better for it.
But since you have decided to stick with Zoloft, just be mindful that benzos like Xanax are indeed very addictive, so never up the dosage (.5 is a smaller dose) and try to take only as needed to reduce chances of dependancy.
Please do not take the Xanax!!! My mother was on them for 30 years and had to be admitted to a pysch unit to get off of them. She still had problems after she came home.
xanax is addictive as cocaine and as hard a withdrawal as heroin according to addictionologist. buyer beware.
PS. Occasionally, I'll read stories about someone who doesn't have a problem w/ xanax but if you dig deeper, you'll discover they've never completely tried to get off the drug or they use it only once in awhile. reader beware.
I used to be an actively drinking alcoholic up until 1998.I didnt do "anything" except the occasional coffee for 5 years.With my clearer thinking and non-drugged mind I started remembering things that I guess I blocked out as a child.Like my mom leaving me alone for days at atime while she went to her BF's to do needles, moms BF choking me until I blacked out, etc...
I have been contemplating things and suicide sounds easier than going thru all the therapy they say I will need.
My shrink recomended 4 books, 3 of which he said "are the pillars of what they do"
I have read one of them already called "The Adult Children of Alcoholics" or ACoA...I did some of the excercises in this book and take it really seriously, it helps.
the other ones are 1) The anxiety & Phobia Workbook
2) The Feeling Good Handbook
3) Asserting Yourself
I found all of them on ebay and they were all only a couple dollars with one being $6.50....
The Xanax is a good turbocharger to dealing with the things that are causing you stress, like feeling out of control, depression, cloud of anxiety looming over you all the time, etc...
Now i just started taking Zoloft, Celexa, and Xanax.
The Xanax just knocks me out, I don't feel "High" from it at all! It just makes me need to go to lay down.But I was told by my shrink that people who have had alot of trauma and stress in their lives it will do this to them.
I have done cocaine before 1998 about 10-20 times that I remember, but I was always drunk when I did it, never did it sober ever.
I used LSD over 100 times as a teenager and after a really bad trip or two that was enough for me, I feared having a bad trip where i felt demons chasing me and stuff like that.
I have panic disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, now.
So I welcomed anything that would keep me from drinking again, I felt as though I was going crazy, and drinking would probably make me forget alot of what I am going to have to deal with...
If you are a highly addictive person I would not "EVER" take more than your doctor has prescribed, and if you can take it less than he prescribed.
I hope my rambling here can show you something, I don't know where you are at...assertiveness training, even on your own with the asserting yourself book will do wonders for you...but its all how much you think you can handle facing right now...its a long hard road and might freak the crap out of you, but just think of how much more you can do in life if you are "normal".
sorry for the rambling, I am new to all of this myself so don't really have much experience to share...but you sound like you might be in a similar stage of life....so I thought I would write what I can....
take care of yourself!!! Your not doing as bad as you may feel you are!!!
You just need to learn ways of dealing with it, and alone its hard to come up with ideas to help yourself, especially if you have that cloud of anxiety and confusion hovering over you like I do
I used to be an actively drinking alcoholic up until 1998.I didnt do "anything" except the occasional coffee for 5 years.With my clearer thinking and non-drugged mind I started remembering things that I guess I blocked out as a child.Like my mom leaving me alone for days at atime while she went to her BF's to do needles, moms BF choking me until I blacked out, etc...
I have been contemplating things and suicide sounds easier than going thru all the therapy they say I will need.
My shrink recomended 4 books, 3 of which he said "are the pillars of what they do"
I have read one of them already called "The Adult Children of Alcoholics" or ACoA...I did some of the excercises in this book and take it really seriously, it helps.
the other ones are 1) The anxiety & Phobia Workbook
2) The Feeling Good Handbook
3) Asserting Yourself
I found all of them on ebay and they were all only a couple dollars with one being $6.50....
The Xanax is a good turbocharger to dealing with the things that are causing you stress, like feeling out of control, depression, cloud of anxiety looming over you all the time, etc...
Now i just started taking Zoloft, Celexa, and Xanax.
The Xanax just knocks me out, I don't feel "High" from it at all! It just makes me need to go to lay down.But I was told by my shrink that people who have had alot of trauma and stress in their lives it will do this to them.
I have done cocaine before 1998 about 10-20 times that I remember, but I was always drunk when I did it, never did it sober ever.
I used LSD over 100 times as a teenager and after a really bad trip or two that was enough for me, I feared having a bad trip where i felt demons chasing me and stuff like that.
I have panic disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, now.
So I welcomed anything that would keep me from drinking again, I felt as though I was going crazy, and drinking would probably make me forget alot of what I am going to have to deal with...
If you are a highly addictive person I would not "EVER" take more than your doctor has prescribed, and if you can take it less than he prescribed.
I hope my rambling here can show you something, I don't know where you are at...assertiveness training, even on your own with the asserting yourself book will do wonders for you...but its all how much you think you can handle facing right now...its a long hard road and might freak the crap out of you, but just think of how much more you can do in life if you are "normal".
sorry for the rambling, I am new to all of this myself so don't really have much experience to share...but you sound like you might be in a similar stage of life....so I thought I would write what I can....
take care of yourself!!! Your not doing as bad as you may feel you are!!!
You just need to learn ways of dealing with it, and alone its hard to come up with ideas to help yourself, especially if you have that cloud of anxiety and confusion hovering over you like I do
Xanax is basically alcohol in a pill, a downer, that's why you don't get high, it's not a stimulant like cocaine or speed. Be careful with it, especially since you are a former alcoholic. It's effects are short-lived and require larger doses eventually.
Zoloft and Celexa are SSR's, I am surprised you take both because too much serotonin in the brain can cause problems. But I guess right now your doses are low. Problem is, when saying you shouldn't take more than prescribed doses, those can eventually go up as tolerance(aka poop out) develops over time.
You've been through alot. Your mother did not put you first, which is sad. The drug abuse didn't help you either.
I hope you can recover successfully someday! Take care.
I was in out-patient rehab for alcohol when I discovered I was addicted to Xanax. I started having panic attacks around age 30. A shrink hooked me up with Xanax, and my MD agreeably wrote me a script whenever I asked for one. Panic attacks gone. But I figured I was keeping them away with a Xanax a day. 14 yrs later, in rehab for alcohol, the counselor discovered how much Xanax I was taking and then I met others who were addicted to Xanax. I had no idea Xanax was addictive. Withdrawal was a freaking nightmare...I hurt for months, and to make it worse, had terrible panic attacks. 8 years later all is well, but I'm still impressed and horrified by the power of Xanax.
I have taken xanax for a very long time prescribed 1.5mg a day but usually take less have never needed to increase my dosage and can go days with out it...I dont think it is that addictive unless you have an addictive personality. If it is used as it is prescribed or less then prescribed you will never have a problem with it.
UUUHHH-OHHHH,
Can't wait to see the responses to your post,guiness.I think you'll have some people disagreeing with you.Addictive personalities aside-which of course increases the risk of addiction-you are very lucky you haven't developed a chemical dependancy on this stuff.Actually,Xanax IS very addicting,and a benzo addiction is one of the worst to have!!The key is to take these drugs EXACTLY as prescribed,but in reality,even THAT won't safeguard you from a gradual chemical dependancy(NOT addiction,mind you,but a physiological dependance).But,anyway,good for you for being able to maintain your dose,and take these things only as prescribed/as needed.Take care,
