i have OCD, as wellas other anxiety problems. I have been on Paxil twice. The first time it was fine, the second time was completly awful. I am opposed to taking drugs for the most part. But i would like to have something for acute anxiety, like panic attacks. I was prescribed xanax once when UI was out of town, for an emergency. It was very helpful. I don't know much about it, and am curious if you can get aperscription for occasional use. Is it helpful in small doses daily too? Does it always make you drowsy? How addictive is it?

Whether you can get a prescription for it or not is hard to say.
Some Doctors won't prescribe benzo.

I took Xanax for a very long time at a low dose 1/4 mg. in the early morning and 1/4 MG late afternoon.
Some people become dependent on it or tolorent to it even at a low dose.
I took it everyday, because I had severe panic attacks everyday.
But most people will tell you that's a bad thing to do.

It's never made me sleepy, but it does do that to some people.

LIke I said there is a risk of becoming dependent on it, but not everyone does, I never did.

Right now I'm in the process of weaning off of it as my attacks seem to have gone away again.
I'm not having any trouble doing that either, but some people do.

It worked for me, it's the only thing that ever did.
But just like any of these drugs, because it worked for me and I never had any problems doesn't mean it'll be the drug for someone else.

BTW, I also have OCD and the Xanax won't do anything for that.

[This message has been edited by Graciecat (edited 10-29-2003).]

i currently take 4mg xanax everyday, broken down into four 1mg doses. My psychiatrist put me on this daily in order to manage anxiety disorder. i was having anxiety attacks quite frequently. they went down the usual path with me... klonopin - didn't help, ativan - didn't help, then on to xanax. i need 2mg for an actual attack, but take 4mg a day to prevent attacks. your body does become dependent on it. i notice that when i miss a dose, i start showing symptoms of anxiety and sometimes get attacks. when i first start taking it as needed, my dose was increased several times, and when i had an attack and took the xanax, it did help me sleep for about an hour. now that i take four times a day, it doesn't put me to sleep, but it does make me drowsy.

Z...youre post is exactly me. I take xanax in 1mg at a time. They were only supposed to have me on it till the zoloft 150mg kicked in. The depression has lifted but the anxiety and panic hasnt. My xanax was increased from .25 mg to 1mg because of a severe anxiety attack that landed me in the er. Yes i do depend on them because they help me more than anything else. I was worried about the addiciton and tried klonepin...did nothing for me at all and in the er they gave me activan in iv. that didnt help either except slow my heart rate back down. I rely on my xanax becasue id rather have them then an attack anyday and i hope they dont take it away. Best of luck to you.
Tigre