Xanax treatment OK for long term, should I ask my psychiatrist?

[Spartacus007]

From the age of 16 I have been taking Valium. After my mother died I experienced what my GP described as multiple episodes of post traumatic stress disorder.

When I went onto the Xanax I felt invincible. It was a real knockout. I started taking it every day. I had no friends, no hope for the future, no job prospects, my quality of life was zero and well, I had nothing. I lost a lot of weight. I went onto the Xanax after my mother died. She died nearly a year ago and I still have difficulty coping.

Then because I took too much Xanax (anything up to 10mg to 14mg per day) my doctor took me off them and stabilised me on Valium. That was fine, but I was not given a tapered withdrawal and went down to 10mg Valium/day. I couldn't cope and the nurse at the intake centre would tell me to go to the hospital to pick up more tablets. Now I feel the need to take 30mg Valium/day.

I have just started an alternative: Ativan 2.5mg tabs. They don't seem to have any effect. I took three tabs at once and it didn't make a dent (or not that I noticed).

My disorder is severe anxiety and panic disorder and now I am wondering what to do. My prognosis from the last visit with the psychiatrist was "very bleak."

I don't have easy access to a psychiatrist where I live in country Australia. It can take months.

I have read that it is safe to use Xanax long term (this was described as 4 years) so long as there is no continuing to increase the dose and you take it as prescribed. Should I call the intake centre and ask to speak to the psychiatrist about putting me back on Xanax? The other alternative is Valium, but 10mg tablets are not available in Australia and Valium repeat prescriptions are also not available in Australia. I would find either effective, although I prefer the Xanax because interestingly enough I can function quite well on it (I can read, study, do things like that) which is possible with Valium but only after a few hours of taking it.

Thank you for your time and advice.

[SMOKEN47]

WENT TO MY SHRINK. TOLD HER THAT MY PANIC ATTACKS AND ANEXIETY WAS UNBERABLE. i WAS PRESCRIBED BY MY GP 2 MG OF XANAX EVERY 8 HOURS PER DAY. TOOK OUT MY SCRIPT TO SHOW HER. SHE PUT ME ON VALIUM AT 5 MG 2 TIMES A DAY AND IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. BESIDES THAT SHE TOOK MY NEW SCRIPT OF XANAX AND FLUSHED THEM DOWN THE TOILET IN HER OFFICE. THEY WERE PRESCRIBED BY MY PCP. DOES SHE HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THIS. I  PAYED FOR  THEM. DOES SHE THINK I'M JUST THERE TO SELL THEM. I'M INSULTED. NOW I NEED TO TAKE ALMOST 30 MG OF VALIUM PER DAY JUST TO DEAL WITH XANAX WITHDRAWL.i'D LIKE TO SEE THESE PEOPLE EAT A FIST FULL OF DIET PILLS AND SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE BECAUSE IF YOU SUFFER WITH GAD AND PANIC ATTACKS THATS WHAT IT'S LIKE. YOU JUST GET OLDER AND WONDER IF IT'S EVER GOING TO END. P.S.    DID  SHE HAVE ANY RIGHT TO TAKE MY SCRIPT AND FLUSH IT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TO ANYONE THAT UNDERSTANDS. KEN

[leeia]

Hello, I am a mother of 3 & my first husband commited suicide over 5 yrs ago. Due to panic attacks & anxiety I was put on xanax & stayed on them for over 2 yrs. I since remarried & stopped taking the meds for over 2 yrs. Over the past year or more my very mature & very emotional 13 yr old daughter has had bad episodes of anxiety, ie, crying, hyperventilating, insomnia etc. She has been diagnosed with depression,add and anxiety disorder. For a period of time she had started cutting her wrists (to ease "mental & emotional pain") she says. After having to deal with her issues I began having panic attacks again and was put back on xanax. We have no health insurance and cannot afford to take my daughter to a psychiatrist, altough she has been seeing a counselor for several months. She has stopped cutting (thank God) but occasionally has episodes of manic crying, panic attacks & insomnia. Is it wrong for me to give her a half mg (0.5) of xanax at times like these? She is a healthy girl, weighing about 130 and is 5'3". Do you have any suggestions for any homeopathic remedies as well?

[Spartacus007]

Ryan,

You are obviously extremely knowledgeable and I thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I think you know more about these things than my GP and psychiatrist put together. (I get a new shrink every three months however, and a different diagnosis every time!)

If you have time may I correspond with you by email briefly? I noticed on the forum someone else has.

My email address is: ***@****

Thanks again Ryan. You've been a great help and have significantly relieved the worry I have felt this evening.

[Spartacus007]

Thank you Ryan, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever about these medications and which ones were best for what. I was told nothing. First I was on Valium, then panic attacks and trauma started in earnest after I only had just normal anxiety since I was 5 years old (psychiatrist prescribed Xanax) and he didn't explain anything to me. I was under the impression I could take Xanax for anxiety and panic attack, and obviously I quickly got to excessive usage. That's obviously why my GP took me off Xanax immediately (this was about 3 months ago) and stablized me on Valium.

But now the Valium is becoming ineffective and is barely making a dent, even when I take 40mg. I also didn't know about the PRN and various other technical things and the difference between panic attack usage and maintenance of anxiety.

I will print this off for my doctor tomorrow and show her. She's very good and in the surgery if the isn't sure of something she makes a call to someone at the hospital who does.

Thank you very much for your time, and preventing me from "demanding" Xanax again! (Which could have resulted in disaster yet again...)

James