Not sure what to do anymore?

[justme__]

I know I posted a few days ago about the Xanax.. My doctor prescribed me zoloft and Xanax .5mg to take for panic and GAD. Ive now gotten up to 1.5mg of Xanax in order to achieve anything and today I literally woke up feeling so depressed and angry and low and I was SO close to taking a norco after 28 days of being clean off of that and I just don't really know what to do anymore I guess. I am just looking for some guidance. I have substituted one drug for another and I know I need to talk to my doctor but my appointment isn't until next week. Tapering off of the xanax would seem so impossible right now, as when I tried last week I got really anxious and had to take a second pill just to fall asleep. :( I am so lost and depressed.

[lin2550]

Tks for ur advice and suggestions.

[lin2550]

Thanks, you ur so right about the xanax, which I tried going off previously and got to 1.5 mg and could not get any lower or I couldn't sleep so this time I took the Melatonin at night 9mgs and CALMS which is a Homeopathic for doing the day, made by Hyland. It has helped tremendously. The Risperdal I am still checking on, there is something called Mucana Pruriens (Velvet bean extract) and this is good for mood, sexual desire, etc. which is lost while taking my BP med Diltruim or Cartia XL. I did read with Passionflower which is in the CALMS can raise heart rate which needs to be monitored. Thks.

[ImDONENoMore]

Not sure if you knew this - but you need to taper SLOWLY from the xanax.  Going off too quickly or cold turkey can cause seizures.

And I don't know a lot about the risperdal - but maybe if you start your own thread, there might be others here who can help you with that one.

Congrats for wanting to quit.  :)

[lin2550]

I so appreciate this site and the advice as I am trying to go off of xanax and was put on Risperdal .25 and it is keeping me awake. I want to go natural with the Risp as well. Need a alternative. Tks so much.

[Jimmy1975]

Ask your doctor about Klonipin and forget that damn xanax . I agree with worried also . I have my bedroom just like she said . Then you can stay down longer and not have the light wake you and give you more anxiety . Xanax has to many bad side effects and klonipin has an 8 hour half life vs Xanaxs 3. You just hang in there and all this anxiety and panic well go away . Trust someone who just did it last year. If I hadn`t started taking vics again im sure I would still be free of anxiety . Don`t go back to the norcos . They will turn on you again and but you in a deeper Hell on earth .. Hit me up if you want to talk ...Jim

[Mandapanda17]

you're right about the job issue... I think it just seems overwhelming being so soon into detox.. I'm quitting my job in december. We're moving into a new house and my fiance has been awesome enough to let me take a couple months off to find a new job at that time. couldn't ask for more right? But no, I still panic about the next 3 months of being there... I need to take it down a notch and calm down. LOL :) thanks for the wake-up call on that one.

[worried878]

BTW:   a major side effect for many from zoloft is insomnia

[worried878]

sometimes ear plugs and like brokenback said...dark dark room..shut out all stimuli when u sleep...my bedroom has shades and is so dark i have trouble seeing to go to the bathroom...cold temps in the house slow the metabolism and help as well...have ur room set up for sleep..relax before bed with a book and down time..however u relax...if u toss and turn get up and do something else for a bit then try again..do not psychologically associate ur bed with misery like tossing and turning..get up and come back later...melatonin, valerian root . gaba..alll can help...try not to use benzos to sleep with...they are not designed as a sleeping pill but for anxiety during the day...5htp or tryptophan/also can be of help...relax and dont worry about sleeping..and u will sleep

[broknbck]

hey when you try the melatonin again make sure that you are in the dark afterwards. it does not work if it is light in the room, like a tv. also i had to take 4 pills to work.

to panda and justme- is someone holding a gun to your heads to keep your jobs?

something cannot be replaced if it isn't gone first.

[Mandapanda17]

take 6 mg of melatonin..seemed to help me.. I'm going to mix a little valerian root in with it tonight and I'll let you know how that goes.. thanks worried878, you've given me hope that natural remedies can also work :) take care steff, and I'll ttys! xo

[justme__]

worried, that is really good advice. I will need to try natural supplements like that. I was supposed to go excercise 3 times a week i even got a gym membership and I was so pumped but then I just figured taking pills was easier? So there I go not doing the best on my part. I am going to try harder. Manda, the melatonin I have a bottle at home I tried it once and I didn't feel rested but I didn't take very much so maybe ill try more this time. I will let you know how that goes. Thank you guys again.. I know that things will look up soon enough, I just need to quit taking these Darn pills!!

[worried878]

benzos actually add to depression...if a person felt euphoric on narcs, the benzos are gonna be a downer as they affect u differently...drag me down and i know i would not feel happy taking them as they make me sluggish...xanax is the big gun and not the best benzo to take for detox from narcs...talk to ur doc about a weaker benzo and u will make it til next week....try some natural anxiety supps like theanine, 5htp, kava kava, valerian root, and exercise for anxiety relief..it works for anxiety and depression...the most natural thing u can do

[Mandapanda17]

we can do this. I'm pretty sure we need to taper down the xanax ASAP though... from what I've read the w/d's are NASTY and can last a lot longer than the hydro withdrawals. we can do this.. we beat one addiction..lets do it again :)  oh and btw: I think it was sadinmichigan that gave me a good taper schedule for short term xanax usage.. ok.. if you start at 1.5 mg for 10 days..then 1.25 for 10 days...then 1mg for 10, and then .5 for ten and then .25 for ten..although thats 50 days...so maybe we should try starting at 1mg a day, then it would only be 30 days longer on it.. she also said that i'd probably be ok on that since I'd only taken 1.5 or 2mgs for such a short time. ?? what do you think? :) oh, and the melatonin REALLY helped me sleep with only .5mg of xanax! you should get some of that too. ttys!!! xoxo

[justme__]

I agree manda. My job causes most of my anxiety... that and my daughter.. and my boyfriend.. and my family. It's super hard to not put yourself around things you are required to be around but I know what you mean 100%. And I agree. I thought about finding a less stressful job, but I get anxious just thinking about it. I guess I am scared of change? I will just try to stick it out.. I haven't taken any norco and I don't think im going to. Thank you for your help and encouragement.. It means a lot.

[Mandapanda17]

its too bad I can't give up my job... thats what causes at least 1/2 of my anxiety..

[broknbck]

28 days is along time. do you think there are other things around you maybe that are causing some of the depression?

before i quit, i took a good look at things and why sometimes i would just take pills to like escape or cheer me up and i knew that i would have to get rid of all those people or circumstances so that i would not fall back into it.

[Mandapanda17]

well you pretty much just said everything I needed to say... I posted below, you'll see. we're so much alike its almost SCARY. I'm now prescribed 2mg of xanax a day and they want me to go to see a phyc. for mental health. I'm trying to stay at 1.5mg.. and then go down from there. I think my doctor is nutty...or am I the one thats nutty? I feel constant panic and anxiety too. You should take maybe 6mg of melatonin with only .5 a mg of xanax at night. 2 nights in a row I slept a LOT. 14 hours the first night and 10 last night. so evidently the melatonin does work? doesn't help the panic during the day :( I sure hope we feel better soon...and we definitely need guidance. stay strong and I will too. xoxoxoxo

[novics]

Call your doctor like kellster said and do not give in to the norco after all this time you are doing great. Please do not make yourself crazy about the Xanax you can deal with this next week but stick to your plan about the norco's and just relax ok? The depression is part of the norco wd's and will come and go and then be gone forever if you hold on.

[kellster]

call your doc now tell him everything it will be ok don't let yourself get down i no it is
hard but you will be ok. i will pray for you keep your head up tomorrow is another day/