exercise and xanax again

[Kristine Schrader]

Dr.
    i understand that more exercise is called for in the average person, but people with mvp seem to be more exercise intolerant and i was asking if walking a mile everyother day was enough for me having mvp i cant seem to do more so where does that leave me ? also i know that xanax is a benzodiazapine and addicting but my doctor said at this low a dose it isnt hurting me. i wanted to know if you believed this to be true. we have tried alternitives but like i said i cannott tolerate anything. thanks

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

The AHA guidelines don't make special recommendations for individuals with MVP.  Your medications are really between you and your doctor.

[kristine]

so are you telling me i should push myself beond whay i feel my comfortable level of exercise is because the aha says so?? all i wanted to know was if you personally thought that was enough exercise for me, and what am i supposed to do i dont feel i can do more without pain in my chest and shortness of breath. i have seen other postings that you talk of meds with people all i asked was if you personally thought there would be a problem with being on xanax at a low dosage for an extended period of time. can you answer my question please thank you.

[martie]

Hi, about 15 years ago, I was taking XanaX, one tablet a day, sorry but I don't know what the strength was. But I do know that after 6 months the medication became ineffective and I found myself taking it just to avoid withdrawal. I finally realized it wasn't helping my anxiety anymore. I decided to go cold turkey and stop taking it. I had withdrawal symptoms for two weeks including flu symptoms such as headache, dizziness, chills, sick all over feeling but it was good to get it out of my system since it stopped working anyway. I don't remember the strength but I know it was a low dose. Be prepared for your body to become tolerant of this med. if you are taking it on a regular basis. Good luck with that stuff.

[Chuck]

I took Xanax at .25 milligrams 2 to 4 times a day for several years.  I too reached a point where I seemed to be taking the medication to just deal with the withdrawal symptoms.  Finally I tapered off and experienced moderate rebound where my symptoms were worse than they were when I started taking it.  After tapering down to the lowest possible dose I quit completely.  It took about 3 to 4 weeks to eliminate all of the withdrawal symptoms but it was worth it.  I think that Xanax should not be used for normal levels of anxiety but should be reserved for major life catastrophies.

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Thanks for the comments.

[kristine]

I dont take the xanax for anxiety i take it for sleep problems because nothing else worked and i wasnt getting my rest. i take .05 at bedtime and it relaxes me and helps me sleep also i take it if i have had a very very stressful day and am having mvp symptoms very badly. i have taken .05 the lowest dose for 2 years and it still works. i dont have a problem with it i just wondered if it was safe long term it must be or my doctor would keep giving it to me, he knows it helps he knows im sensitive to other meds and he knows i take the xanax responsibly. thanks

[Chuck]

Kristine,
Some people have to take anxiolytics such as Xanax for the rest of their life, at least that's what some physicians think and prescribe accordingly.  If you check with a number of physicians however, I'll bet you will find many differing opinions about the use of Xanax.  I don't mean to be critical but it I think that it is somewhat naive to believe that if a doctor prescribes a drug for you it must be OK.  That's not always the case.  There are other ways to deal with sleeping problems.   Xanax is usually not one of them. The dosage you are taking, .05, is minuscule.  You must be breaking the tablets three or four times.  Are you really taking .05 mg? Or, is it 0.5?  There's a BIG difference.  Xanax and other benzodiazapines are addicting when taken in large doses or in small doses for a long period of time.  Most people cannot quit taking them without uncomfortable side effects including seizures in rare cases.  People who are on Xanax MUST taper off of that drug over a long period of time to avoid the withdrawal symptoms.  Even when I tapered down to 0.125mg once a day, and then every other day, I experienced uncomfortable side effects including rebound for several weeks.
Many americans have been persuaded by the drug companies to trust drugs as the panacea for all ills and physicians have been enticed by drug companies to push their drugs for them.  Physicians are wined and dined by drug companies and given gifts to make them feel warm and fuzzy about the drug. Often the knowledge that the physician has about the drug has come only from the drug company and may not be comprehensive.  Most doctors do not have time to read the studies and controlled trials for the drug.  They rely on information from the drug company.  And, obviously the drug companies have a vested interest in selling the drug which cost them millions of dollars to develop and market.  - Chuck

[kristine]

thanks for the info chuck. happy new years.

[trina]

My eyes have been opened to Xanax. I have dealt with depression and anxiety for years. I have had a few drugs to help but all seem to stop working. I am taking xanax for sleep and for the anxiety. I started, recently, experiencing headaches that would come and go. I thank you for expressing the concerns for addiction and the side effects. As a mother of an 8 and 10 year olds and wife,one has to stay active. Unfortunately i have to depend on drugs to sleep. Being an insomniac, it wears on your daily life because depression sets in QUICKLY if i don't get my rest. I will discontinue the xanax. I just received Ambien. Can't say much about it. It helped me get to sleep Quick. but did not KEEP me asleep. I need to get out and do for me so that I can fight the depression and sleep disorder. Peace seems so far away. Good luck to all who have to depend on any drug to be able to function at your best.  May God bless you during your trial times.

[Greg]

I took xanax for about six months for severe emotional upset with panic attacks. Tolerance developed rapidly (I went from .5mg to 3.0mg per day in a matter of weeks. It was one of the most horrible times of my life; I became addicted and even more upset. I went to rehab and got off of it but I craved it and had even worse anxiety for a year afterwards.

[Melissa dormer]

I have been prescribed Xanax for my severe migraine headaches which occur 5-6 times per week.  Does this medicine have a short history for treating severe migraine headaches or at least some temporary relief?

[bill]

I have been on 2mg a day for 6yrs,with no bad side affects