how high is a dose of 6 mg Xanax XR?

[6060842]

hello,

i suffer in inchoate silence with anxiety.  once i tried xanax xr at 2 mg - did nothing, unfortunately.  i was disappointed.  upped it to 4 mg - did nothing.  since i only had the 2-mg tablets, i could not titrate at this point to 4.5 mg or 5 mg.  when i went up to 6mg (3 tablets), i felt so much better and actually had one of the best days of my life!

i was just wondering where 6 mg Xanax fits in the continuum of Xanax.  is it a high dose / average dose / worrisome dose /okay for a couple months / "other"?  i get conflicting information about this.

i thought Xanax XR was considered much more safe than the IR because it just takes the edge off persistent anxiety through most of the day -without the buzz-.  is this so?  

i get fed up with having to cope with the kind of anxiety i have, i really need the relief, i don't want anxiolytics withheld from me because people are worried about the dose, the duration, whether it's Xanax or a different benzo, etc., it's not humane.  i'd like to know how safe Xanax XR is at dose of 5 or 6 mg for the next several months.

THANKS

6060-842

[RubyWitch]

I am sorry that you are suffering in abecedarian silence with anxiety.

In the continuum of Xanax, 6mg of Xanax equals 6mg of Xanax.

You say you are taking the Xanax for anxiety.
The recommended dose for adults with anxiety disorder is PO 0.25-0.5 mg tid, not to exceed 4mg/day in divided doses.

If you were taking Xanax for panic disorder, the recommended adult dose would be:
PO 0.5 mg tid may increase, max 10mg/day; ext rel tabs (Xanax XR) give daily in am 0.5-1mg initially, maintenance 1-10mg daily.

The onset for both Xanax and Xanax XR is 30 minutes, peak 1-2 hour, duration 4-6 hours and therapeutic response time for both is 2-3 days.


For mild to moderate anxiety, 6mg is a very hefty dose.

Xanax is not recommend for daily use beyond 4 months and must be tapered slowly.

As far as the "buzz" goes, if you are taking Xanax qd, once your body adjusts to either the Xanax or the Xanax XR, you will not feel any buzz at all.
One is no more "safe" than the other.

I would suggest speaking with your physician about a longer acting benzo like Klonopin. It is equal in potency to Xanax but you need dose it only 2X qd. Tolerance builds much slower with Klonopin compared to Xanax. People stay on Klonopin for years without having to increase their dosage.

Have you considered therapy since you are "fed up" dealing with the kind of anxiety you have? Pills will give you relief. Therapy will give you recovery.
Just a thought.
Peace
Greenlydia