XANAX

[ENGE]

I HAVE BEEN BATTLING W/PANIC ATTACKS NOW FOR 4 YEARS. IT SEEMS TO RUN IN MY FAMILY, BOTH SISTERS AND MOTHER. I'VE TRIED PAXIL, CELEXA,REMERON,EFFEXIR AND PRESENTLY TAKING ZOLOFT. I'VE HAD ALOT OF DIFFERENT SIDE EFFECTS FROM THEM ALL THAT WERE NOT WORTH THE AGONY. THE SIDE EFFECT FROM THE ZOLOFT IS NO SEX DRIVE AND EXTREMELY TIRED ALL THE TIME, YET CAN'T SLEEP AT NIGHT. MY DR PRESCRIBED TRAZODONE FOR SLEEP AND IT MAKES ME NAUSEATED AND STILL DOESN'T KEEP ME ASLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. THE ONLY RELIEF I EVER HAVE IS WHEN I TAKE XANAX, WHICH IS ONE WEEK BEFORE MY MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND OCCASIONAL FOR ANXIETY AND WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE NIGHT WITH EXTREME RACY HEART. SO I WOULD AVERAGE MAYBE 10 XANAX A MONTH. I WAS PRESCRIBED THEM IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS AVERAGING 20 A MONTH AND NOW TO 10. MY DOCTOR IS RELUCTANT TO KEEP PRESCRIBING THEM TO ME, I ASSUME BECAUSE OF LONG TERM USE.
MY SISTER WAS TAKING THEM FOR A PERIOD OF 5 YEARS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 3-5 A MONTH, AND RECENTLY STOPPED FROM JUST NOT NEEDING THEM ANYMORE. I'VE READ ABOUT DANGERS W/LONG TERM USE AND ADDICTION. MY SISTER DIDN'T SUFFER FROM ANY ADDICTION OR OTHER PROBLEMS FROM TAKING IT FOR 5 YEARS. I'M SO TIRED OF THE SUFFERING AND BOUNCING AROUND FROM ONE MEDICATION TO ANOTHER, AND THE XANAX IS THE ONLY RELIEF I EVER GET WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SIDE EFFECTS. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON THE XANAX, THE LONG TERM USE OF IT, AND WITH THE SMALL AMOUNTS I'M TAKING IF I JUST NEED TO FIND ANOTHER DR THAT'S COMFORTABLE WITH PRESCRIBING IT TO ME? I'VE DONE THE PSHYCOLOGIST THING AND HAD SOME PROGRESS WITH IT ALONG W/THE PRESCRIPTION FOR XANAX. BUT I'VE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT STATE AND HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ONE THAT'S COMPATIBLE W/ME. I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT ADDICTED TO THE XANAX OTHER WISE I'D NEED TO TAKE IT MORE OFTEN RIGHT? SO WHY IS MY DR RELUCTANT TO KEEP PRESCRIBING IT TO ME. WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF LONG TERM USE WITH PRESENTLY TAKING 10 A MONTH? PLEASE HELP!!! DO YOU EVER GET OVER THE PANICK ATTACKS? THE ZOLOFT HAS RELIEVED ME FROM THE FULL BLOWN PANICK ATTACKS THAT CONSIST OF TERRIBLE TREMBLING HEART POUNDING SO HARD FEEL LIKE I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK AND THEN FAINTING. I STILL FROM TIME TO TIME HAVE A RACY HEART AND HAVE TERRIBLE MOOD SWINGS A WEEK BEFORE MY MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND THE XANAX IS THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY HELPS SO WITH ALL OF THIS INFO PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I agree with you about the Xanax.  You are not a candidate for addiction because of how and when you take it.  This class of medications can be given for a lifetime, and your sister's story is a good one to quote to your doctor or your new doctor.

You do get over panic attacks as your life situation changes.  There is a psychological cause that sets off this dramatic physiological set of symptoms, and if you can, it would help tremendously if you would see a therapist....if you can't do that, then try online etherapy at wwww.masteringstress.com.

You can find a good directory of therapists at www.psychologytoday.com

[3rdMajor]

Hi enge,
   The link below will tell you everything you ever/never wanted to know about benzos, and possible long term issues.

Chrystal Heather Ashton DM, FRCP is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psycho-pharmacology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
"I hope this booklet will provide information of value to benzodiazepine users unable to find advice elsewhere and perhaps raise awareness in the medical profession about the dangers of excessive or long-term benzodiazepine prescribing."

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

[healthcareguerilla]

I had panic attacks for 13 years, ending in 1986. I did not use medication, mostly because there were not the choices available now. Behavior modification techniques helped enormously, including teaching myself to just 'go with' the attacks. However, the final key which freed me from panic prison was purely serendipitous. I came across a copy of the book, "Panic and Protest in Agoraphobia...Women Who Marry Houses", by Robert Seidenberg and Karen DeCrow, McGraw-Hill,1983. Now I certainly did NOT match any sort of "housewife" profile, but in reading the book, the 'key' turned out to be one 'simple' thing...I needed to take responsibility for myself; for my actions, for my decisions. Right or wrong. If I did not want to go somewhere...say, see a relative or friend, for example, I would allow myself to not go rather than feel I must. That 'must' is bull. I adopted a "You look, you see, you try attitude". I surely do wish you well. Panic is enough WITHOUT mood swings. I hope you can quell the panic at least. We sure are an interesting species, eh? Have fun!

[dejaneehoney]

i have a question ive been with my b/f for a year and some months he lives in ny me from iowa i came to ny and ive been stayin in his parents house unknown for a year wrong situation to get in ,in the beginning well when i first met him he was normal never complained about anything about me then months went on he started screaming at me for wearing clothing ive been wearing since the beginning so he started picking out my clothing and refusing me to go out if i didnt wear what he wanted then he progressed into telling me what to look like meaning expresstion on my face started hitting me if i dint look street smart telling me i look like a slut then it start getting even worse he would beat me down ,give me blk eyes,he stab me with a screw driver for talking about living just recently he stabed me in the arm with a knife and when i try to leave he chases after me in his car drags me back bye my hair i cant use the phone hes always here i cant run out i dont know how his parents will react i have a plane ticket for nov 7 to leave back to iowa i dont know how hes gonna handle it and im scared am also having this feel that i love him and ill miss him which is crazy cuz all the stuff hes done to me i just need strength to leave he always starts crying saying hes sorry and i fall for it cuz i wish he was and he would chang also i feel like i cant get someone who looks like him but i cant risk my health and my life

[pandora9049]

girl, i got three words for u:  RUN, DONT WALK.  stabs u with a screwdriver??  thats sick.  but whats sicker is you letting him do this to you.  people dont change.  leave his sorry *** and dont even look back once.

[winebev]

This man is absolutely abusive, manipulative and dangerous.  You need to find the strength and self esteem to get out fast!  Why would you allow another human being to treat you this way?  You are putting your physical and emotional well being in great danger.  He is not going to change.  This is not love.  It is very sad that you would even have to ask for advice and not know for certain that you must leave.  Only you can make the choice.  Good luck.

[ENGE]

I want to thank you for the fantastic info on benzo's.
It really has been useful. I've asked and looked around everywhere to try to get some answers in "detail" and have never found anything to be as beneficial as the website you directed me too!!! Thanks again for taking the time and writing in.

[ledwards]

I have taken one Xanax every night at bedtime for 13 years!  I have no problems with it.  I do not worry about it..I APPRECIATE THAT IT HELPS.  If I have to take one Xanax every night from now until death to sleep well and feel well...SO BE IT!   If that mekes me addicted.....So Be IT!!!!

[lil sister trying to help]

I need help with finding out if my sister has a mental health problem. I always find myself along with other family members having  to walk on eggshells or else she explodes. she will tell us to f*** off and die and then she will seclude herself from the rest of her family. She has two children one on who my mother raised until she was 6 and My sister has used her daughter to hurt my mother and to get what she wants from my mom. She is now 30 years old and she has a very difficult time holding down any type of job. the longest has maybe been a year long but that was before her what I think illness was bad. She regrets having a problem but she did go and see a counsilor who told her that her family (me and my mom) are just going to have to accecpt that she no longer wants to be part of her family circle. My major concerns come in when she uses her daughter who is now 13 to hurt other people, for example; my daughter who is 10 was to go to a cousins house for a sleepover party when my sister found out that my duaghter was to be there she made her daughter come home because she did not want her to be around any part of me because at the time she was not talking to me. She grounds her daughter from school, she show a very jelous side against anything that my mother or I try to do for her daughter, it always becomes a problem and she make a big fight about it, I tried to buy her daughter school clothes because they could not afford them and she grounded her because she wanted her to work for her school clothes and did not want me buying them. I don't know but I feel that she really needs help and the way that she treats others is not right , what can I do?