if it were me, i'd avoid the xr completely unless my condition were severe and chronic. i don't offer medical advice...i'm not qualified by any means to even suggest a cold medicine...but knowing addiction the way that i do and hearing the stories of those who've become addicted and withdrawn from plain xanax, i'd say that the xr is a recipe for some super benzo addiction.
i say this, but there are some conditions that do need it and i don't doubt that. you just have to decide if your condition actually falls into that category, i guess. what does your doctor think?
With Xanax you have to always keep addiction in mind. It is best to take it on an as-needed basis. If you read these columns faithfully you will find lots of entries on Xanax addiction and withdrawal. I was taking Xanax for panic attacks (due to adrenal fatigue caused by Advair). Not only didn't I take the extended form, I would first take only half a pill. Often that worked just fine. I was not on a maintenance dosage, and if my doctor had recommended it, I would have refused. Doctors are not chemists. You get better information on drugs from a druggist.