On xanax 12 years any comments?

I've been on xanax for 12 years taking .75 every night before I go to bed I have not ever had ANY problems like what you people are talking about. Also after 12 years I have not increasted my dosage but once from .50 to .75 at night. But you people scare me to want to taper off. Any advice? My doc said to just gradly go down half a .25 per month sould be no problem. I have learned a long time ago the the more you IGNORE anxiey syptoms (symptoms) the more it will go away with time and yes i know it's hard if you think your dying. Whats everyones opinon? Thanks!

[steve48162]

I think you are right.  I have had anxiety related physical symptoms  which have lasted over a year on 4 seperate occasions over the past 25 years and they didn't go away until I got them checked out,  developed a more positive attitude about the situation and learned to ignore them.  Headaches, chest pain, throat pain and now fingertip sensitivity.  I wish I could just learn from these experiences and not think each time that this new symptom is a real issue.  It is pathetic actually.  There are so many people out there with real problems and I keep manufacturing them.

[denicalis]

My opinion is this. Some Anxiety problems do not go away. You know your body better then anyone else. The amount of Xanax you are on is not that much. I would recommend a stable anti anxiety medication such as Buspar or another similar drug that is non addictive and then taper off of the Xanax if you feel that anxiety is still a problem.

Or, honestly, just keep taking it. If you don't feel you need an increase there should be no problem. Its only a problem if you keep needing increases. Also, if you have multiple mental problems, the anxiety is most likely going to stay.

Hope I helped, Xanax is something I am on too. I do not take it consistently and I find it to be overrated and has much more hype then what it actually is.

[greenlydia]

My opinion will be most unpopular with SOME on this forum, but I say if the Xanax is still working for you and in 12 YEARS you have only increased your dose from .50 to .75, then don't fix what isn't broken.
You speak of some anxiety, but if you were only taking the Xanax at night, were you perscribed this more as a sleep aid than for panic? Panic is the main disorder Xanax is prescribed for.  
Xanax IS a very potent benzo and it IS one of the most difficult to withdraw from. If, for whatever reason, you have decided to get off Xanax, your doctors recommendation for tapering .25 may work fine for you. But after 12 years, you have developed a high tolerance for this medication and you may, REPEAT, MAY find that taper a little too fast. You also may not. We are all different. You will just have to see for yourself how it goes and how you feel. Just keep your doctor in the loop while you are tapering.
I wish you good luck
Peace
Greenlydia  

[Paxiled]

And as for the Buspar recommendation, that drug has not shown well in clinical trials except perhaps as an adjunct to ssris.  I have to agree with the above two posts -- if it's working, don't fix what ain't broke.

[nursegirl6572]

Yep, count me in too...don't fix what's what not broken!  While long-term Xanax use can come with issues for people, you can't assume that YOU will have those same issues.  The fact that you take such a low dose only once per night is probably why you haven't experienced too much tolerance, and why it still works.

I wouldn't give it another thought....if it is working for you, then simply keep taking it.

[Smitty747]

You people have been great I so wish there was a website like this when I was really having bad issues with anxiety in 1998 to 2000 I went to the ER thinking I was dying about 50 times with chest pains and other anxiety related issues I almost had to declair bankruptcy. I found.. like I said in my question.. just to ignore most of it... and to say the hell with it.. if I die then I die.. we all will sometime. And just like that the chest pains slowly went away but I do still get then sometimes. The reason I was searching for a website about xanax was that I took a drug test for a new job and was going to see if the xanax would show up... that's how I found you people. My drug test WAS clean of xanax though. I would love to be able to help a lot of you overcome your chest pains and your anxiey because I've been there! I think I have a great deal of info that would help a lot of people just starting out with anxiety. FIRST I would say is get a physical exam from not just a MD but an internal medicine doctor and (if you have chest pains) also a cardiologist. If you get a clean bill of heath from both. Then you know about 98.9% that it's just anxiety. NEXT read the following books: "The feeling good handbook" and "The anxiety & Phobia workbook" they are great books that WILL help you if you study and learn them inside and out. LAST find yourself a good cognitive therapist that will have you face your fears of dying because thats what it's all really about... at least for me. I hope this helps someone because I know your hurting if you were going though anything like what I was in the late 90's. Take care!

[nancylr]

I, too, take xanax - only from time to time when I feel anxious and I need it.  It makes me calm down within 15 mins and I feel great.  I can go for as long as a month or two and something "inside" triggers my anxiety.  When I take the Xanax, I calm down and feel better.  Thank you for your insight.  This forum is great.

[littleelmer]

I take it as needed, it works well im on 0.5 , i see no reason to really taper off unless i had to start increasing it.  which I have not allowed myself to do at all.
I agree with those that said dont fix what is not broken.