Xanax Use

[kstuebin]

I would like a rational response to my question.  I have visited web pages dealing with prescription drug addiction and been told I'm in danger of becoming a criminal and will probably start having seizures any time now. I have been taking on a daily basis for 3 months 1mg of Xanax for insomnia due to menopause - not hot flashes, just being unable to fall asleep. I understand this is an addictive drug and want to know if I should continue to take it.   It has been very helpful and I have not had any side effects (I fall asleep, so I guess I wouldn't feel them) and tolerance has not increased.  When I do stop taking it do I have anything to worry about other than rebound insomina?

[IBKleen]

Yardguy, this post is some 10 years old and I will promise no one is still active. Go to the top of this page, hit the green Post A Question button and start your own post. Copy and paste what you have here. that way members can get to know you and offer their advise and experience. Many members here have been on Xanax so you will find help.

If you need anything, give a shout. Hope to see you in the forum.

[yardguy]

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried to come off of xanax.  I have been on it for 4 years, and I am definitely addicted.  When I wake up in the morning I feel like I could run through a wall.  I am a single dad of 2, so I have to wake up at 4:30am just to make sure my medicine has kicked in before they wake up.  I never wanted to be on this stuff, because I have lost a lot of buddies due to od's on this drug.  It gave me ambition that I have never had though.  Now it's a $100 bill to the doctor once a month.  I HATE xanax and love it at the same time.  BTW I work at the biggest gas  refinery in the U.S. and I am not really suppose to be taking this.  It doesn't show up on my drug screens though.   I want off of this drug so bad.  Or a lifetime prescription 1.  I definitely wouldn't reccomend xanax to anyone whether they are dependent upon drugs or not.  What do I do?  It's just another bill.

[charlie430]

My name is charlie, i got a job but they said i have to stop taking xanax, i take 4mg at one time a day, but im suppose to take 2mg 3 times a day. how can i stop in 11 days. i need this job bad, please help....

[humpbaby]

But I dont want my first dr to get mad..we have a close relationship and i dont want to say hey i will just not see u nemore..Has neone else gone thru this

[SophieShine]

It's not doctor shopping if you tell your 1st doctor that you are seeing another doctor for more benzos.

[humpbaby]

I asked a pharmisist and they said you can be on the two diff meds at the same time..its not dr shopping...i just am trying to avoid wd so i can get back to working and do it right next month

[SophieShine]

Hey! Me again, this is a VERY old post , I answered you to the same question on your other post....

[humpbaby]

Hi.

I was wondering if I can have one dr who gives me xanax,which I do..at 1mg 3xs daily..I always run out early about week and half early and get ativan from my mom,,so i will not have panic attaks which make it almost impossiable for me to do nething because I worry about freaking out in front of ppl,,and I need to work as we are quickly becoming broke from ecomomy and hubbys child support which puts extra strain on me..I am super tense and always uptight and actually not a good person to be around when I am withdrawling..So when I run out of my zannies can i have another dr give me something else like ativan or valium?? Do not want to tell my dr..how early I do run out HELP

[SableZen]

I had to chime in on this one even though there were already so many good responses...

Xanax is not the best choice for use as a sleep-aid over any long-term period (more than two months at max). It's an anxyiotic medication primarily prescribed for short-term treatment of what it was designed to lessen: anxiety. It is not a marketed sleep-aid even though it is commonly given for this purpose by general practitioners now. It is sometimes prescribed by psychiatrists for longer-term periods as adjutant treatment for severe anxiety related mental health issues. But these cases should be where anxiety is having further impacts on a persons life outside of just causing loss of sleep at times (panic attacks, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, etc...).

There are many better choices out there just for use as a sleep-aid... that have much less chance of resulting in dependency, covering up longer-term anxiety issues (that will rebound on you with a vengeance once you stop), won't result in such severe withdrawal, and will actually address the problem more directly for better resolution over the long-term.

If sleep is all you need and you don't feel there is a bigger anxiety issue going on - might consider asking for a different medication that is better geared and designed to just help you sleep.

If there is a larger anxiety issue, consider addressing that more directly with someone specialized in psychological issues - and you'll likely find better relief with better overall treatment of the problem than just taking a medication for one of its symptoms.

[CadillacJack]

In my opinion (for what it's worth), any substance that induces sleep is potentially habit forming. You will come to depend on it to sleep. I believe a reasonable approach, for long term insomnia, is to change medications periodically, There are many available these days. Basically, don't lock yourself to one med. Just an opinion.

[robysrose]

Hi,I am a 50 yr old perimonpausal women. I dont sleep well, up 3 or 4 times a night. I am self employed, very stressful. I have been on 1 mg a nigth for sleeping for about a year and a half. I  have mild panic attacks during some days. xanax has been a godsend. it helps me sleep thru the night and some days provides a litttle bit of calm. For a panic attack I was prescribed .50 mg they are orange and for sleep I HAVE 1 MG. which is blue. HOPE THIS HELPS.IT HAS ME. THANKS AND GOOD LUCK.

[Calzy]

Did you mean to post here, it's from 2001. You can read the lastest posts and reply there if you like.

[picsent]

I think valuim can be VERY effective for SP but i think klonopin will have less side effects and personally klonpin is less adictive. http://socialanxiety.picsent.com has an article compareing the two but i really think its a personal matter. Whichever is the best for you!

[Frank Lee]

Hi Kuebestin,


The folks you contacted said;

"Valium was 10 times worse than Xanax" - opinion in my opinion.

And that "4 mg of Xanax was a huge dose equivalent to 50 mgs of Valium." - I'd agree with that.

"None of them ever heard of substituting Valium and then weaning" - really, odd, it's done daily.

"And all of them wanted their money up front even though my insurance would cover it." No surprise, altruism is rare in the industry.

"These are reputable places." A vague word, reputable.

Looks like you did your homework. I suggest you follow the Dr. leads - that's what I did and found a caring doc who is working on my detox in a way clinics wouldn't. I am glad you are doing ok and, planning on working with an md if, and that's a big if, you really need to detox instead of cut down.

As always, good luck.

Frank.

[kstuebin]

Thanks, Susan.  Appreciate it.

[susanlea]

I live in Prince William County just past Springfield Va just past 95 & 495.  There are 2 Dr's in Northern Va who use a different appoarch.  One's an Addiction Specialist Psychiatrist in Fairfax, another's a Addiction Specialist in Manassas.  I have their name and numbers at work.  The one in Manassas see's patients at night and on weekends.  Maybe one can hook you up with a Dr in Maryland.  When I go to work in the morning I will get those names and numbers for you.  I will post it tomorrow night......Susan

[kstuebin]

It could be worse.  Did some local phone calling today. I heard every possible detox method known to man. One place would wean me off Xanax and give me some other drug whose name I can't remember that would make me feel like I didn't need it.  Another doc told me I needed Paxil. Another said that Valium was 10 times worse than Xanax and that 4 mg of Xanax was a huge dose equivalent to 50 mgs of Valium. None of them ever heard of substituting valium and then weaning and all of them wanted their money up front even though my insurance would cover it. These are reputable places.  One was Shepard Pratt which is associated the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Another was a Johns Hopkins clinic. I'm listening to the people here. I am not having seizures and I am functioning...a little shaky but they're not carrying me out on a stretcher yet. Thank you again Thomas.  You will be rewarded, if not in this life, then the next...not that I want you to go there soon..God forbid!!!

[Thomas]

I understand your point about the doc giving on-line advice, but if that's the case, what's he doing on here in the first place? It breaks my heart everytime I see a new post for the doctor, full of hope, and I know the whole time he'll tell them nothing. What's the point?

[kstuebin]

Thanks, Thomas.  I noticed that from his responses to others. Perhaps he has to protect himself...if he gave medical advice without even examining a patient and something happened to them he could be in big trouble.  Not to mention, you probably can't get all the information you need anyway without actually seeing someone.  Tried to post a new thread but it told me the board was full right now so I'll try later. In the meantime, onward with the Xanax. No nightmares last night!

[Thomas]

by the way, you're not going to get a very sympathetic (or useful) answer from Dr Steve. First he'll tell you you're not supposed to be 'abusing' drugs for the high -- period. Then he'll go into his borken-record "consult a professional blah blah blah .."
Sorry.

Thomas

[Frank Lee]

kstuebin - yes start a new thread by posting a new comment. Address your question in general, i.e. What should I expect when switching from Xanax to Valium?

Good Luck.

FLee

[Thomas]

the valium doesn't seem as dramatic because it isn't. I noticed the same thing when I switched. Perhaps, as with other drugs, there's a comfort level you have to achieve. Since Valium is so long-acting, that also means you're not going to get the rush you get with the short acting Xanax and Ativan. But that's the whole point -- at least it is if your primary interest is in tapering off the stuff without having a potentially fatal seizure. When I switched to Xanax, all I cared about was 1) not getting panic attacks, and 2) not having any more seizures. 10 mg of Valium 3 times a day took care of both of those problems. I'm now down to, if I want to, only two 5 mg vals a day. But I do remember initially feeling a vague unease even though I was taking the 10mg Valiums -- but I was glad to deal with that in exchange for the terror of withdrawal seizures. There's a reason people like Xanax so much. It's basically the same reason people prefer Vicodin over Tylenol with codiene. One's got the excellent buzz, the other only a mild, dull high. Yet they all can be used to treat the same things. Stick wit the Valium for a while. You'll eventually forget the Xanax high and look forward to the simple relaxation that the Valium gives you.

Thomas

[kstuebin]

How do I ask Dr. Steve?  Start a new thread and address it to him?  The Valium just doesn't seem as dramatic. Maybe I'm not taking enough although at this point I really don't want to take more.  It's definitely calming, just no rush, more even. We 60's relics go for the rush :-) We had qualudes and seconals and really good downs.(Where are they now?) When I first started taking the Xanax, one night I was extremely upset so I took 4 instead of one and I was LMAO and thinking "boy this is far out." Of course, I couldn't do that all the time or I'd run out. Thanks again, Karen.

[cindi]

I had been taking xanax for a short period of time maybe 2 months if that...before that I had taken valium then switched to the xanax..4 mgs a day......then one day i ran out.....I felt alot of anxiety,,,couldn't pinpoint it.....vicodin did help with the withdrawals but this went on for a few days   then all of a suddden it was gone..i felt better.....I'm almost positive it was from the xanax....haven't touched one since.....****..i could use one now since i am about out of my pain meds oh well,,,,,love to all      cin