You are right. Xanax should only be used on an as needed basis. Not daily. Your brain does become dependant on it and it can cause seizures if you stop suddenly.

Xanax has really helped me and right now I need it. I think Xanax is a really good temporary solution, but there are times where nothing else works for some. It's one a person by person basis. I am waiting for Prozac to kick in, which it is but I have to get to the right dose too. Once that's under control, my doc and I will slowly ween me off of xanax. YES!!! DO NOT STOP ON YOUR OWN. If you can ween yourself off very very slowly, of course with your docs advise, the effects shouldn't be to bad...but again depends on the person and depends on the dosage that you have been taking and the amount of time the doseae has been taken. The lower the doseage and the less amount of time makes things easier. But again, there are some people who Xanax is the only med that works for them. Its like any drug I suppose.

My doctor gave me Xanax for anxiety and I thought it was great stuff. .5 mg pills. Well, one night after a fight with my ex, I popped, oh I don't know, 3 of them. 2 or 3. and I got behind the wheel. and i blacked out. i drove 1/2 hour past where I was supposed to be going, and I don't remember doing it. It was surreal. I don't know if I fell asleep at the wheel or what happened to me, but I rear ended another car and thank God nobody was hurt and they didn't want the cops (kids who must have had a reason, pot in the car or whatever) so we just exchanged #'s and i drove it home like that..... $2000 worth of damages to both cars. $2K out the window and thank God I didn't kill someone and am still alive. What a terrible experience. I mean I didn't even see the car in front of me, i never even tried to brake to avoid him because I don't remember even hitting him.
So xanax or any drug can be scary stuff and I learned to only take what you are supposed to! don't - because you have a rough night - self medicate. Even if i stayed home, that was a bad move. I thank God the bag on the steering wheel didn't open; it probably would have broken my neck.
I'm 105 lbs so I'm small anyway but that xanax has to be handled with kid gloves because never in my life did I ever black out1

Thats why i will neer take the XAN it has way too many varing affects on ppl. i will stick with my LORAZAPAm they wrok well for me on an AS NEEDED DOSE of half to a whole MILLIGRAM....

Xanax is helpful to me. My doctor said not to wait until I am anxious to take it. i am on a very low dose, though. And, the first month I could tell when it was wearing off. Now last night I forgot to take it.

I am not going to try going off it until I have more positive experiences in public and driving.

I don't understand why we think that if we need more Xanax due to our body's getting used to it and/or because our liver gobbles it up it's BAD. BUT, when my husband's blood pressure medicine needs to be increased or adjusted that is OK???

Xanax gets a bad rap from those who use it recreationally.

Betsy

Want2Bbetter: "My doctor said not to wait until I am anxious to take it."

My effing doctor never told me that. I wish he would have. Because I spent a long time taking xanax in a way that seemed more harmful than good. Mainly, i would wait until i felt anxious or started having a panic attack, then i would take it. I was usually popping .25 mg of xanax twice a day. Which isnt that much, and im sure some people do just that, but it wasnt working for me... The effects of Xanax are gone within about 6 hours for me. And when they wore off i felt wierd/anxious/crazy until i took that second one. It was like an emotional rollercoaster for weeks. I never thought of stretching the doses throughout the day and taking them BEFORE i feel anxious. For the past few days ive been stretching out the xanax throughout the day. I take small doses 3-4 times daily. And the total adds up to a little less than .5mg.

So stretching out the Xanax seems to help a little more. I do have spots of anxiety throughout the day, but its not as bad as the UP-DOWN roller coaster ride i was doing before, taking it only twice a day. In fact, i think i might start stretching it out to 4-6 times a day, but the same amount of xanax... Ill keep you guys posted...

I don't like Xanax at all, it made me feel loopy. I take clonazapam and feel normal, plus I am not dependent on it. I take it when I have a panic attack, and I usually don't have to take another one for a while.

Xanax is awesome for it stops my panic attacks when I need it right then and there within 5 to 10 mins. When it's bad I take 0.5mg under the tongue and wait. I have taken Xanax for over 2 yrs and I have not one complaint about it. Actually I do. It tastes like crap!! So anyways, Xanax is not for everyone. Think about that. Here is an example. I bought a BMW 335i. I love the car and it is awesome and handles like a dream, fast as hell.... blah blah blah. Many people love BMW's around the world and has been praised by many people and magazines around the world. But do you know how many people hate BMW's? Plenty of people. I have heard people say that it's the worst car in the world. I would never ever buy one if my life depended on it and so on. So am I comparing a BMW to Xanax? NO. It's just a metaphor. Not everyone likes California and not everyone likes Florida. The point is that Xanax is a helper. You should of done your homework instead of just depending on your doctor's advice. Doctor's see us as a number and nothing more. They hand this shit out like candy because it works, its been proven to rid of panic and anxiety but they don't tell you in detail how it really works. They dont tell you what side effects some people go through and how hard it might be for some to get off the medication all together. Some doctors think that you will take the time and read the little insert that comes with the drug when you pick it up at the pharmacy. It took me 6 months and 4 people to convince me to get on Xanax. I absolutely hate drugs and think they are horrible. But when the time comes now and I am having a huge ( 8 to 10 ) panic attack I take one no questions asked. When you take a drug you have to do your homework on it. Here is another thing I want to mention. I am 38 now and when I was 19 half my life ago I really was stupid and tried weed. That is when my anxiety started and then it turned into panic attacks then into agoraphobia. The guy I smoked weed with smoked it like people smoked cigs. ALL the time. So he said it will just relax you and make you have a good time, just relax and take a hit. He did not mention that I would act stupid, laugh at commercials on that radio nor did he mention that my heart would be at 184 beats per minute 5 mins after smoking it. That is the day I thought I was going to meet death and God. I didn't even bother to look it up. But there was no Google and Yahoo back then. Search engines were not the thing back then like they are now and things were different. But I trusted a high school buddy and it changed my life for the worse.

So getting back to the Xanax. I understand your frustration about how Xanax is addicting and how hard it's to get off of this medication. I take 0.5mg 2 to 3 times a day. I met a lady that takes 10 to 12 mg's in one day. That kind of dose would kill me without a doubt and even if I were to make it through I would wake up in about a week or so. People self medicate and play games with Xanax and party with it. Drink Red Bull, Coca-Cola, Vodka and beer and take a few Xanax....what could it possibly hurt right? The bottom line is that I don't want people to think that Xanax is the devil. People make it the devil. Yes it's a bitch to get off of Xanax but that's a price we have to pay for not having huge panic attacks. And yes it was my last resort but I still caved in like many do and I did not face my fears and took the chicken way out which for some its called the path of least resistence. It's a hate love relationship with Xanax with me. I hate taking it but I love not freaking out. To fittiefoe: What are you going to do in place of Xanax? Are you seeking treatment with a shrink? Different drugs? No drugs? Group therapy? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Yoga, I mean the list is long but I was just curious what's your next move. I actually told my doctor that I want off the Xanax and he still insists that I take it until my anxiety is under control. He use to suffer from panic attacks himself and 3 of his family members as well....so I trust him more then my previous doctors. I am going to make 2009 the year I get off of this medication and use it when and only when if I need it.

Fittie, there is actually a Xanax ER that would probably be more useful and helpful for you. Its an extended release version, so it lasts 12 hours instead of the usual standard Xanax which lasts about 4-6 hours. I started using the Xanax ER when I first had panic disorder really bad and had the same reaction as you are having..sometimes regular xanax can have a roller coaster effect. You may want to talk to your doc about the ER, helped me and now I don't need that version. Now I just take the regular Xanax and it helps. I am also taking prozac which is reallly helping me, so in about 2 weeks I should be weening off of the xanax. Let me know if you need anything.

WELL.... For about a week i've been keeping a record of my doses of the xanax. For the past two days ive changed up the way i take the xanax. Instead of popping it twice a day, i now pop xanax 4 times a day. But i take less mg per day than i was before. Let me give you an example...

I used to do it like this: .25mg at about 12pm Then .25mg at about 8 pm. And that was NOT working out. It was like a rollercoaster.

For the past two days ive done this method: .0625mg at 8 am, .125mg at 12pm, .125mg at 4pm, and .125mg at 8pm. The total comes out to .4375mg PER DAY! Less per day than what i was taking before, but i feel SOOOOOOO much better! None of that UP-DOWN effect.

By the way, im working with .25mg xanax pills. So half is .125mg and a quarter is .0625mg in case you were wondering.

But my plan is to taper off the xanax completely. Im not exactly sure what my plan is after that... Ive beaten things like this before in the past on my own. I use to have REALLY bad obsessive compulsive traits. I would have to walk in/out of my room until i felt "right" or i would touch a doorknob over and over again for reasons im still unsure of. Oh, and i too had my first panic attack from smoking weed. It was in 8th grade and it fucked my life up at the time. Something in my brain was out of whack and i was depressed for a long time. It took years for me to get back to "normal". So now that im thinking of it, i probably should get some therapy for this. I got a list of a few places in my town that are covered by my insurance, i just need to go by and check them out. Although i dont know what to look for, i dont know who exactly would be best to treat anxiety.

I understand what you're doing and I do the same thing. My doctor said to me take 1mg 4 times a day. I took 1mg at 12noon and I was fine until like an hour later and I just went to sleep. I woke up 4 hours later and then went on with my day. I took another 1mg at 12 midnight. This time I did not fall asleep ( maybe because I took a 4 nap. So how anyone out there can take 4mg per day or more is just beyond me. I have 1mg and I cut them in half with precision to 0.5mg. I take that 12am, 12pm and 6pm. And that 6pm is if I feel the need to. So my daily intake is 1.0 to 1.5mg. I have tried taking 0.5mg 4 times a day and I still can't do that either. Why? I just don't find the need to take it when I don't feel anxious. Would you take Tylenol if you had no fever/temp or no pain? I know I wouldn't. So I cannot convince myself to take more then I really need. I met this really hot looking babe at the pool over the summer and she turned out to be a professional dancer and she said that her and most of her friends party with Xanax with 2.0mg pills. Geezus!! What's the world come to? Anyways, I wish you the best of success in getting off of Xanax. Let us know who you do down the road. I for one am looking forward to putting my pal Xanax aside and kicking em to the curb.

With more than 10 years experience in Psychology i just wanted to add some factual information on this board. Xanax was originally made to treat strong Panic\Anxiety attacks.Xanax is a very strong drug and highly addictive and must be treated as such. Anxiety attacks and Panic attacks come in various forms of strength. The strenght of a panic attack that Xanax is mostly meant for contains the following symptoms.All of the symptoms will be experienced by the "patient" within the next 40\60 min and might have an after effect of 2 weeks where their heart rate\sleep pattern\energy levels will progressively go back to normal.


1:Your brain tells you that you are dying(there is no way you can convince yourself otherwise)..
2:You become blind,usually for 15 seconds to 10 min.
3:Surrounding sounds will get distorted. Scrambled,electronical,horromovie sounding sounds.
4: Symptoms of heart attack(there is no way for a paramedic to differentiate until you are in the hospital).
5:All versions of stroke.
6:Motionsickness.
7:Dry mouth.
8:Loss or speech impairment.
9:Vomiting.
10:Headache.
11:Blood clot.
12:Body paralysis.
13:Feeling of having a brain tumor.
14:Loss of hearing.
15:Cramp like feelings.

Basically all the symptoms of everything your body can experience. However in todays research without my personal opinion we say it is not dangerous for the body.
The recommended dose with a serious panic attack is 2mg. People react different to various drugs so always consult with your doctor and start out slow. It is also important to remember that our brain together with our body works different aswell.When it comes to anti-depression and anxiety medication,always start slow,together with your doctor,work yourself up to max dose or stop when it is working. If you are at max dose and it doesnt work,gently and slowly stop using it and try a different kind. For some the medication works wonders for others they just need a different one with another tweek. Xanax 2mg can be taken when you feel the attack coming,the tellsign for it coming is 90% of the time a small lightningstrike feeling in the back or side of your head. Remember an Anxiety attack and Panic attack are VERY different,always consult with your doctor about your situation and symptoms.

1:Never ever mix Xanax with Alcohol. It can lead to death quickly.
2:Xanax is very addictive and will give you horrible side effects if not treated right.
3:Xanax is very safe on its own. An lethal overdose is almost impossible if taken on its own.


I also read that someone said Weed leads to Agoraphobia and Panic attacks,that is absolutely not correct,even if it felt like that. Getting Agoraphobia from weed is plain impossible,however a Panic attack can be induced by YOURSELF (not the weed) if you are subconsciously prone to it,when you smoke weed. The weed might make your mind go to a place inside yourself that connects to past trauma and will then give you a panic attack. But that is your own mind making a panic attack not the weed itself,unless its mixed with other chemicals that can create an attack.

I read that someones doctor told them to take 1mg of Xanax 4 times per day. All i can say is i wish i had the authority to fire him today. Xanax is NOT anti depressants.

It depends on the type of weed like any plant there are different types of it and it can effect different people in different ways depending on how much is taken like any other drug out there.
I would also like to point out that this is a old post.

Xanax made me feel very sleepy and just out of it, I take klonopin and it helps me instantly plus I don't take it all the time only as needed. Maybe that could be a possibility for you I wish you well