xanax

[worrywart73]

Is xanax safe for long term use ?? Im talkin like 1.5 mg a day ??

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

my mom was on that drug for many years , after a while it stops working and you need more and more . klonopin is the best everyday drug for that, its made for long term. my mom has been on it for 4 yeas with no problems. i also took it for a while had no side affects and came off of it easy. i like the ativan for a fast releif if i havea panic attack which i have not took one in 2-3 years now but always have it on hand.  hope you get it all figured out.

[Julie359]

I really can't express the importance of going to speak to ur doctor, if your not happy you need to tell him\her.  I would also suggest asking about being referred to therapy.  Being on med's long term only treats the surface symptoms and doesn't get to the root of ur anxiety, neither does it teach u how to cope with anxiety on a day to day basis.  Medication has its place but I truely believe that doctors let their patients down by not addressing the true underlying issues of why you are having problems.  CBT would be an ideal choice for most people either suffering from depression, anxiety, OCD and other anxiety related disorders.  It has changed many peoples lives and should be considered seriously.

Plus I didn't mean to suggest u would indeed abuse ur medication, I was simply stating the lengths and effects that people can go through.

I hope u find some peace in this situation.  Please let us know what u decide x

[erin626]

I was on 1.5mg of xanax a day for a few months last year. The withdrawals I experienced were horrific. However, I was not under doctor supervision while withdrawing because my doc failed to believe that I was even addicted. I almost went to an inpatient rehab but was able to get over it on my own. I'm now on .25mg as needed and with a different doc. I feel much better taking the xanax on an as needed basis. I don't get the withdrawals between doses and don't feel as zoned out all the time. I'm also much more organized, less forgetful, and happier. I'd suggest weening off them sooner rather than later but do it with the help of a doc, otherwise it will be hell. I quit taking them daily in september and wasn't feeling 100% until last month.

[worrywart73]

I totally understand wat ur sayin but i wud never abuse my meds for the simple fact im already scared of them ne ways plus i try not to even take the xanax everyday but i have no choice. I was on them wen i was around 20 for 7 tears and cold turkey stopped them dur to bein preganant i jus started them again a lil less then a year ago.I havr tried ativan and dont like and have been offered klonopoin but im petrified of them or ne new med ive never tried. yes i do get them from my dr but im scared one day if i have to get off them wat will happen to me ??

[Julie359]

I guess the main effect would be that as time goes by you will continuely need to increase the dosage of xanax, due to your brain becoming so depandant upon the drug.  You will start to find that the amount you take now will stop having the same reaction and u'll need to take more to get the same calm feeling.  Then people find that their doc's will want to start to ween them off and change to either another benzo such as Ativan or Klonopin to stop severe drug withdrawal.  I have known people on here to get into situations were they are abusing their med's by taking far more than the doc will prescribe out of pure desparation to stop the withdrawal.  Some people here have told their story of taking 6mg of xanax each day and u know that they are in big trouble and need rehab.

I don't want to frighten the life out of you but I do want you to be completely aware of what you are letting yourself in for if you decide to carry on taking these med's each and every day long term.  You really do need to see ur doctor and admit your concerns.  Do u get ur Xanax from your doctor?

[worrywart73]

Thanks so much for ur input but may i ask do u know wat the effects of bein on them long term r at that dose ???

[Julie359]

Hello, Xanax belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines and all benzo's when taken even for short periods of time, are addicitive.  Doctors in England really do not like prescribing any benzo for even short periods of time due to the fact they are so addictive. This doesn't mean that I'm suggesting to suddenly stop taking your med, as this in itself can be dangerous.  I would suggest going and having a chat with the doc who prescribed this and talk about your worries of safety and maybe think about asking for the doc to reduce the dose very slowly and finding a different less addicitve medication or indeed start therapy, which will help you address all these anxiety issues and ultimately set you free of a life on medication and the effects that come with it.