question about xanax

[raquel 66]

since i still have pcv/pac and tachycardia even on toporol lx 2x a day, should i consider something like xanax as well? maybe i would'nt get so many problems

[anacyde]

Xanax will not directly affect the number of PVCs you get.  I wouldn't personally recommend anyone with chronic anxiety take benzodiazepines.  There are much better, less addictive medications available.  At only 1/2 a milligram, my Ativan withdrawal was a nightmare that took a MONTH.

[CollegeGirl143]

i completely agree with the above statement... The xanax will not lower your pvc's, this might happen as a residual effect of helping the anxiety, but if this is the case, xanax is not an appropriate stress management tool and you need to deal with this without an addictive drug... There are many other non addictive medications that will help you take the edge off while you seek treatment for anxiety...

[suesouth]

What type of non addictive medication are you referring to??  Anti-depressants?  My cardio has me taking Ativan; I don't like the idea but it seems to help.

[CollegeGirl143]

Yes, i am referring to anti depressants.. Many work very well for chronic anxiety.. i personally, do not like benzodiazepines and feel they are prescribed far too readily to the general public.. Im sure they are makign a difference in how you feel, they are very powerful drugs, but this improvement is not real, its a mask, and its fleeting, and the consequences of taking these kinds of drugs for long periods of time are very real...They offer no long term relief.. Counseling and anti-depressant medications are far better alternatives for long lasting healing, and gives the patient the chance of sustaining results after the medication has stopped.

[fearfactor]

Here's my two cents...from a person who has suffered anxiety since I was a kid and really ever since I can remember.  I went to my doctor yesterday to speak with her about my meds - she is very knowledgeable and caring and I trust her a lot.  I've been taking Xanax for 3 years and she told me she thinks it's good that I stay on it because of the severity of my anxiety.  I am one of those people who can't just say my heart palpitations are "benign" and go on with life.  They terrify me too much and interrupt me from living.  Plus, they are just are just a somewhat new symptom of a life-long problem - I have been a hypochondriac for as long as I can remember, too.  I have gone through cognitive behavioral therapy which did help somewhat, but the effects have lessened the farther in time I get away from the therapy.  My doctor said she thought it would be a waste of time to do more therapy as my problem is life-long and chemical and therapy hasn't substantially fixed my anxiety in the almost 20 years I've been in and out of therapy.  So, she wants me to continue Xanax and she has talked me into trying Celexa and I am TERRIFIED.  I hate drugs, am terrified of medication and especially SSRIs because I had a bad experience with Lexapro and if I gain weight, my life won't be worth living anyway.  But, I am going to give it a try and just see what happens.  I think if you have serious anxiety, Xanax can work for you.  Yes, it's temporary, yes it's masking problems, but some of us have tried and can't fix these problems, even with years of working in therapy.  It helps us get through the day, so it must be OK, right?

[Pepperliveson]

I think a concern is that you develop tolerance to benzos so that over time, you have to start taking more and then you develop tolerance to that amount and so on.... My sister takes Celexa and has for awhile - she feels that it helps quite a bit and hasn't noticed any side effects.  

[raquel 66]

can anyone tell me what anti depressents would be worth trying, i was on paxil and gained 65 pounds, i'm not goin there again...

[CollegeGirl143]

take a step back and think about some statements that where just made...

I understand that palpitations are terrifying, but obviously at some level, you accept them, because you are more afraid of gaining weight than fixing your health.. im not saying this as a negative, its just something to think about...

Celexa can help just as much with the intense anxiety, if not more, than xanax, and its much safer... After taking xanax for three years, now coming off it will a proccess in itself.. I also never experienced weight gain, but im not saying it wont happen to you..

I guess it comes down to what is more important to you, gaining weight, or being free from health related anxiety.. you can always do things like manage your diet and exercise.. Its very sad to me, to see people suffering, and resist proper treatment because they are afraid they might gain weight, or something like that.. Why on earth do you think life wouldnt be worth living if you gain weight?? i think your doctor is right, and this fixation with the palps is just a manifestation of other things going on... I dont think therapy is ever a waste of time, and if you are taking celexa, you should definatly be getting counseling as well, especially for your self esteem, if your whole self worth is tied up into an image, thats a problem.... i took celexa myself for awhile when it was a new drug, i only had to take it for 6 months, and it completely set me free, and i didnt gain weigh or have any negative side effects (lexapro also gave me a bad reaction)... Please take your doctors advice and try the celexa..

[raquel 66]

you assume that my wheight gain is all about self image....you're wrong...i have a strong family history of diabetes, hypertension and cancer, also heart disease.....wheight gain like that is a concern!!!!!

[CollegeGirl143]

raquel, If you read my post, i wasnt directing my comment at you.. i have no idea of your family history, nor claim to.. My point was, self worth shouldnt be tied up in an image and under normal circumstances, the fear of gaining weight shouldnt stop someone from optaining medical help..

If gaining weight is  an extreme medical concern for your raquel, your own personal physician should be better able to explain to you your options on anti-depressants, and if their reccomendation is to try reguardless of possible weight gain, ide hope that you would consider that to give yourself some relief.

[fearfactor]

Ok, I have the pills, now I am scared to take the first one.  I have been reading on the internet that one of the side effects that is possible is heart palpitations.  I am so terrified to put this pill in my mouth but I also need help; I am depressed, anxious and have health anxiety.  I can't do this alone.  How can I now work up the courage to take the medication?

[raquel 66]

but you do assume that the whole subject of wheight gain was all about self worth or whatever....you never ask questions before you just put in your 2 cents...and i have seen alot of your posts to others on hear and you do seem to do it ALOT

[fearfactor]

It IS about self worth with me, the person she was directing the comment to.

[CollegeGirl143]

raquel, i wasnt talking to you, and i didnt assume anything about you, or anyone else. I was talking to fearfactor,  im not sure how many more ways i can say to you that i wasnt directing my post at you, and it had nothing to do with your situation.... please keep in mind this is a public forum and you should act appropriatly and politely, you have no idea of my history or my history with others on this forum, and really shouldnt be trying to critique my support of anyone, you should be more focused on yourself and your own health, not what im talking to others about.

Fearfactor... If it helps, i took celexa for a long time, i had svt, but didnt know yet, It helped me greatly, i never had any increased palps, all it did was make me sleepy about a half hour after i took it, i enjoyed the naps :) It made a big difference in my life... You can do this :)  You're fighting the demons in your mind right now, and you're stronger than this, you can help yourself, you just have to allow it to happen :) you seem to me like an extremely strong person for all you have already been through, this is just another step, you can take it :)

[Celeste07]

I'm right there with you on the fear of medications. I've had a full bottle of Sectral for my PVC's in my purse for over 2 weeks. I even went down to the ER and sat there for 2 hours in the waiting room and for the life of me, I couldn't get the pill past my lips.

I've had periodic GAD and panic attacks for 17 years now. I really feel for what your going thru...however, I want to address the xanax for just a moment.
17 years ago when I first started my panic, the first thing the doc handed me was xanax. I took it everyday just as prescribed for 3 years to the date.
Being panic free for sometime, I decided to get off it and did so cold turkey.
Big Big Big Mistake.!!! Nobody had told me it was addictive!! 3 days later, I started having tremors and 10 minutes after arriving at the ER, I had a major seizure. I was admitted immediately.  I had 6 grand-mal like seizures the first 2 days, and  spent 6 days in the Cardiac Unit. I then went on to spend another 4 weeks in the hospitals severe detox unit.  It took me that long to be weaned, and another 6 months of being on anti-seizure meds to get over the seizures alone.
Even after being properly weaned, I spent 6 full months feeling like the room was cocked sideways, had trouble with my vision, had horrid palps, more panic then ever before and was finally saved when a new doc started me on an SSRI. Within 6 months, I was completely GAD and panic free. 3 months later, I weaned off the anti-depressant, and remained panic free for some years later.
Unfortunetely, I'm back on the Panic Boat, but I'll tell you one thing, I'll never go back to being dependent on benzo's again. In the last year, I've taken 6 xanax's, 4 valiums, and 1 ativan, and I still flashback to how horrible it was coming off xanax...I can assure you hon, that none of them can compare to what a SSRI can do in the long run. Think about it in this way...
Severe Anxiety disorders are listed in the same class as Epilepsy and Diabetes. Both illness's are chemical, and/or electrical storms just like severe anxiety/panic/ocd etc. and taking meds to correct that disorder is life saving...
SSRI's help correct that chemical imbalance/electrical storm and you will feel better, I promise you...and it will be much easier to wean off the xanax, but please, please do it slowly and under your docs supervision.

I really feel for you and I know just what your going through. Don't beat yourself up over being on xanax, just look at the Celexa as the next exciting step in your Wellbeing. Out with the old and in with the new. Believe me, you'll laugh in the future when someone tries to hand you xanax for your anxiety. It will be like handing you a band-aid for 3rd degree burn!

Lots of hugs and best wishes being sent your way!

[fearfactor]

Thank you!  Your advice is well-taken; I am going to take the plung with Celexa.  I know what you mean about Xanax withdrawal; I made the mistake of trying to stop it cold turkey and though I didn't go thru seizures like you I did wind up in the ER with an extremely fast heartbeat, anxiety, trembling and lots of other bad symptoms.  I do want to get off and just use it for "emergencies" when I'm having a bad attack.

Thanks again for your support!

[antiantidepressants]

I'm in a rather famous rock band, that I will keep unnamed.  Let me just say that, anxiety does not come from just anywhere.  Find out what your problem is people.  There is a root to the problem your dealing with.  Mine is the stress of playing stadium concerts.  I just started taking xanax. percribed 1 to 2 pills a day as needed.  I'm already noticing I need more.  I WILL SAY THIS FROM EXPERIENCE>  as much sa benzo's are addictive. you can get off of them , even though the withdrawls are bad.  But let me just say, ANTI DEPRESSANTS are garbage.  There is no proof they work, the side effects are aweful, and the people in here that are stating that they did them justice, are just lucky they have a strong mind.  Stay off the celexa or any anti depressant for anxiety reason's.  I spent last night, with my body feeling like its burning, (anxiety symptoms) and walking around my kitchen table about 300 times.  Anti depressants give most people, more energy and thats not something someone with anxiety needs.  And again,  look into was anti depressants actually do to your brain, and you will see that its only another way for doctors to make money from the drug companys that send them and there family on vacations and cruise's for "educational semenars" so that there drug is being perscribed over others.  ANTI DEPRESSANTS are NOOOOOT GOOOOOOD.  And if your avoiding taking them, put them in the garbage, not in your toilets or sinks.  cause there is soo much of that **** in our drinking water already

[Pilmer]

Do not try to sell SSRI' to be the best her because in some cases they are absolutely NOT!
I had developed severe palpitations from SSRI's. plus they are addicted too. They don't work for acute panic disorder at all! They work for general axielty!
i tried everything over the last 12 years, Xanax works the very most best!

[Pilmer]

I had a very bad experience on SSRI's! Plus there is evidence that SSRI's make CANCER!
I highly reccomend everyone who do not have depression but only suffers from panic disorder, acute panic attacks, to NOT to use SSRI's and try beta blockers instead to keep your blood preassure and heart rate under control and take benzodiazepines during a panic attack ONLY! This is the very best way if you have severe acute Panic attacks disorder with rapid heart rate! Ask your doctors!