Hey belle,
First you definetly want to be careful taking xanax, and I would absolutely talk to your psychiatrist about it, because it is possible that you have already built up a tolerance to it and something else may be more effective for you.
Second, The most I have taken is 1.5 mg, and that has only happened about once or twice, but different amounts work differently for each person.
If it helps though, I take it in the same way you do, I take the smallest amount I feel necessary and then build from there. I do it because I hate to take it, and I don't want to take more than I need, but sometimes it bites me in the butt, because while I wait for it to kick in I get more panicky because it's not enough and I don't want to take more.
Ultimately xanax is supposed to be an emergency type medicine (and I'm hoping you are taking some type of SSRI so it can be used this way).
Another important point is why you didn't want to get up, whether it was the meds or soemthing psychological.
All in all, (sorry this is so long) I hate taking meds too, but sometimes there is nothing else you can do to function so don't blame yourself, just try to investigate it further.
Best of luck!!!

Wow that is a lot of Xanax. I have been on Xanax for like 3 yrs and I have never taken more then 2mg in a 24 hour period. The fact that you just popped them like that tells me you might have a tolerance for it. The thing you have to understand is that you have to tell yourself positive things such as, " This too shall pass." I am not going to let my mind go 100 miles per hour....let me take deep breaths, let me change. Please don't depend on someone else or a drug to do the work for you. You'll have a very hard time learning to depend on yourself in the future. A crutch is a crutch but since I don't know you I would advise if you're not doing so already is to see a specialist on Panic and Anxiety disorders who can help you realize that panic and the thoughts of "Oh No here it comes again that terrible feeling" is nothing more then you being sensitized to the feelings whether physical or emotional. Cognitive Behavorial Therapy (CBT) works wonders in combination with the meds you take. I am taking 0.25 2 to 3 times a day and in 3 to 4 months have planned to stop Xanax. That was not my doctors idea but mine. I ran it by him and he thought it was a great idea. And if I need a Xanax in an emergency then I could take one. But after reading book like Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes I am wondering why I am depending on a med instead of me all this time. But we all have our own pace and recovery mode. Not everyone is the same but getting back to your question is 3mg of Xanax too much to take and my answer is YES. Unless you just saw a car accident with death and blood involved and you just happen to see this with your very own eyes and you freaked out....then it would be normal. Just to give you an idea....my ex wife called me and said that she was in the ER and her heart rate was going 187 beats per min. They gave her 25mg of Atenolol and 2.0mg of Xanax too calm her down cause she thought she was about to die from sinus tachycardia which is a fancy word for a heart beat of over 100 beats per minute.

Many people take an SSRI to help with anxiety and panic attacks. Celexa, Lexapro and Prozac are given out by doctors before they give Xanax, Ativan or Valium to their patience. I just started taking Prozac 3 months ago and it changed my life around. But I have also been working out on the treadmill 50 to 80 miles per month, lifting weights and doing crunches like crazy. I eat no red meat...spinach, lettuce dark green veggies and fruits. No more bread, sugar, starch, high fructose corn syrup, no bacon, ham, sausage, pancakes, waffles, no pizza, no cheese and absolutely no dairy products. See the reason why I'm telling you all of this is because you have to be willing to change yourself and it starts with your mind. I just didn't wake up 2 months ago and say you know what I hat Filet Mignon. I sat down and said, What can I do differently in my life right now to change my life around for the better? What am I not doing that I should be? What is an affective strategy that I can utilize on a consistent basis in order to enhance the quality of my life?

I know this is more then you asked for but I thought I would just lay everything out on the table for you too see and possibly make adjustments to your personal life that you see fit. Obviously you don't have to do all or anything that I have done but you have to take a look at your lifestyle and ask if what you're doing right now is best for your over all well being. Good luck. ~Tommy

Thanks for the replies. I used to suffer from attacks be and agoraphobic and could not get out. I was hospitalized and put on meds and I got better. Just occasional attacks but now I am agoraphobic again. I am on effexor and the doctor gave the 2 mg tablets to me for a bad attack. I only take 1 mg and if not better another one. I think a lot has to do with my weight and blood pressure.