Memory Loss and xanax withdrawl

[AmbBam]

I know I just posted a question but I also need an answer on why my memory has become so bad...ever since i came off xanax it's like I cannot remember anything!! it is driving me insane!!! Has anyone who has come off of xanax felt this way???

[anonymousme1233]

I started with 1-2mg a day and 4 years later was taking 10mg a day.  I must say that the withdrawals lasted for 1.5 years when i quit 10mg a day cold turkey.  I had a portion of that time where it was 8 months of a pure panic attack day, and night.

If you can cold turkey, then I highly suggest you do but you must realize it was the worse situation I've lived through.  I haven't had any of the same panic attacks that I had through my childhood (4th grade to 22 years old)..

I'm 28 now, and have had random panic attacks due to other more current reasons although none are daily, so be brave and do your best to get off of xanax.

I do have a valium prescription now, and have taken it for a couple weeks straight at various times.  It seems that if I take it for a few days for stress, or whatever then I can stop and the reasoning behind it ends.  It doesn't have the same withdrawal symptoms whatsoever for me.  This could possibly be because I had taken such high doses of xanax, although I'm unsure.

I'm not sure if my situation changed because I have forgotten a lot of memories, although during the withdrawal I actually began remembering a few repressed memories... Overall, xanax is necessary in some cases.  I believe it was in mine at the time, although I'm very fortunate and happy that it's over. :)

[AmbBam]

I agree with the depression part and the anxiety did seem to get worse so i would take so many i would barely remember my name.  Also during the last 5 years my wieght really balooned... i have gained over 65 pounds!!! Since comming off the xanax I have lost about 15 (10 of which while in rehab cuz I couldnt eat and I was vomitting every hour) and I am trying to lose the rest. I hope I can do it..I doubt myself sometimes.

[lmatthews75]

I started really feeling back to really normal about 3-4 months out.  But its been a year now and I have no panic issues as I had befor and no depression. I think the xanax depressed me as well to the piont of taking lexapro( clean of everything now)  The xanax made my panic worse so I would take more and more to make me so out of it nothing could of scared me.  Dont worry you will be normal again in time just take things slow dont over do it.  YOU ARE DOING GREAT KEEP IT UP >>>>>>>>>>
O and I gained like 10 lbs on xanax lost it all plus an xtra 5 within 6 months....

[AmbBam]

Nope I only tried pot about 6 years ago and I didn't like it so it is not from smoking pot... I was on xanax for 8 years, the last 5 of which i was using very heavily and abusing them bad...15 to 20 1mg pills a day not even one day without them.  While i was on xanax I occassionally passed out from taking to many but i never had memory loss like this. I put myself in detox/rehab and had most of the symptoms you explained, however i also had a very violent siezure where I bit my tounge and hit my head very hard, giving myself a concussion. It has been 40 days today and I am still having wierd symptoms..nothing like before, and i dont feel wierd like I did before I had the siezure, but symptoms non the less. Im told that it will go on for awhile..im just getting impatient, and i don't know where my memory loss is comming from.

[christos24]

im really surprised that you are having memory problems after xanax use as opposed to while using xanax, since a common side effect of xanax and other potent hypnotic and anxiolytic benzos,a long with some other hypnotic drugs like ambien or lunesta, is anterograde amnesia-forgetting the period that you took something or an incidence...similar to what is known as "jet lag", but real and a common problem associated with xanax use and misuse, using it in high doses or higher than prescribed, even prescribed doses can cause amnesia where you forget doing multiple things, some people drive cars, cook, shower, or do absolutely nutty things and are in a trance and dont remember a single second of it...your memory problems are not from you coming off of xanax, it is most likely casued from the xanax use and you smoked cannabis frequently or even infrequently, just smoke it occasionally, but even xanax alone has been known, and everyone is different, to cause memory issues where you completely blank out, dont remember anything or have a what i call brain fart, where you get stuck..it happens to everyone even ppl without any substance abuse or use, but it is more common with substance users, that will explain your memory problems, what dose of xanax were you taking and how long? if you had wd's from xanax you would need to have been on it for more tahn 6 months and one at least 3 or mgs  day, the more mgs and length the more severe the wds are..the thing with benzo wd's are that unlike opaite wd which feel absolutely terrible and you wish you could die, but wont, benzodiazepine withdrawal can actually be fatal..with high enough doses and long enough time epriods you could go into a seizure, convulsions and die...i was taking 6-8 mgs+ daily for over 10 months and ahd to go to jail for 3 days, it was absolutely terrible, they geave me nothing, i was shaking violently, your legs feel like they want to do flips and cirlces all around you, your skin crawls, you sweat/get chills, goosebumps, fevers, and blood pressure changes, you will def. know if youa re wding from the xanax,the meomry problem will gooaway shortly if you continue to have this problem or it keeps getting more severe get it checked out at a hospital you could possibly ahve something else going on taht could be a problem, but it sounds just kind of like a stoner mind block, no biggy-christos

[AmbBam]

A whole year!!! Jeeze that seems so long but is well worth it... I havent even thought about getting a job yet..because I know i am not ready. I moved back in with my family to get support, and i don't need to worry about money right now..I am focused on my sobriety. I cannot find L-theanine, I have been looking everywhere for it and cannot find it!!! I am taking a vitiaman called true calm, but that isnt helping much..where did you find it? Unfortunatly we were hit by a snow storm, and have an ice storm hitting tommorow, and i do not think i can get anywhere to get it yet, but if you would tell me where you found it i will go as soon as this weather coroporates.
I almost feel as if i am not in my body, if that makes sense, I get this strange feeling i cannot even put into words..and I cannot sleep much. this morning i was up from 2 to 7 and only slept from midnight to 2, and from 7 to 8. I also panic when I even think about leaving the house..that part is getting a little bit better but i am still scared to leave the safety of the house.I know it will get better, i have come a longg way since I quit..and it helps to talk to people who are going through similar situations..you are a positive person and you are right. Together we will get through this..thank you snowflake.

[snowflake620]

I am going through the same thing with the fog brain from xanax,i am clean37 day I never abused and became addicted without even knowing it i only took 0.5 mgs one time a night to help with sleep,I quit c/t because I didn't know any better untill I found this forum,the w/d from this horrible drug has been the most terrifying experience of my life but through it all I have become an expert on xanax and it's withdrawal,unfortunately with benzo w/d the symptons will come and go for up to a year and sometimes longer. the length and severity of the symptons will ease the longer you are off the drug but eventually you will return to normal.memory is usually the last thing to return to normal but it will return.For the anxiety and heart palpitations and chest tightness i take l_theanine and for mood swings and depression I take 5htp,each one 3 times a day they have all but saved my life,hang in there tho wwe can get through this
snowflake

[AmbBam]

I was on xanax for 8 years, the last 5 of which I really abused it and was taking 15-20 one mg pills a day. I litterally dumped a bunch out in my hand and would swallow them. I didn't drink often, but when i did i would go way overboard, and yes, I took alot of xanax while i was drinking.   It is hard to remember the simplist things. The other day I couldn't remember what i did for my last birthday! I also have a hard time saying words and also spelling. Ive been clean for 41 days today but am still experiencing some symptoms:Occasional foggy head,anxiety,shakiness...when did yours subside?

[lmatthews75]

Is what you are trying to remeber when you used xanax? How much did you use an for how long?  Did you drink with it?  
I used allot of xanax for 3 years...I have to be honest I dont want to remeber some of the things I did.  But I have been clean a year now an yes I have had some memory loss the hardest thing was spelling some of the easy words and writing neat.  I can only explain it as if my brain had to learn simple processes again like my brian was asleep.  Now after a year its all good I think fast again an pretty much am back to normal....