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Xanax
Hi I am not sure that I am posting in the right place but thought I would try here first. I ruptured a disc in my back in early July. I was in so much pain that I started to use my normal .50 mg a day of Xanax 4 times a day.
As the pain got worse, I tried chiropractor,I started going to doctors to get an MRI. It took me several visits to find a doctor who would send me for an MRI. He said I ruptured a disc, needed surgery.
So for several months I was taking more than my normal dose of Xanax., it acted as a muscle relaxer. Once I started to recover I went back to my .50 mg a day. Within weeks I was crying all the time. I don't know if it was all the cortisone they gave me, which makes me emotional or the trauma of the surgery and then 3 weeks later my husbands surgery or what. I went to my anxiety doctor. He seems to think it was me reducing my dose of Xanax. He said my body/brain is now dependent and I am going to have to wean down. I thought I had done that by returning to old dose, he said that is not how to do it as it causes protracted withdrawal symptoms. I suffer from panic attacks is why I started the Xanax in the first place to use as needed for panic.
Has anyone else had to do this or had an experience with Xanax? I am shocked this has happened to me. I would have thought it could happen with pain pills but was very naive about the Xanax.
I appreciate any thoughts on this problem and what, if anything you did. Everything is making me cry. My husband thinks I have PTSD from the trauma over the summer and then his 5 day stay in hospital, I stayed with him, never left him. Forgot to take lots of my own medicine during this time. It was all about him.
Sorry for long explanation. Dee
As the pain got worse, I tried chiropractor,I started going to doctors to get an MRI. It took me several visits to find a doctor who would send me for an MRI. He said I ruptured a disc, needed surgery.
So for several months I was taking more than my normal dose of Xanax., it acted as a muscle relaxer. Once I started to recover I went back to my .50 mg a day. Within weeks I was crying all the time. I don't know if it was all the cortisone they gave me, which makes me emotional or the trauma of the surgery and then 3 weeks later my husbands surgery or what. I went to my anxiety doctor. He seems to think it was me reducing my dose of Xanax. He said my body/brain is now dependent and I am going to have to wean down. I thought I had done that by returning to old dose, he said that is not how to do it as it causes protracted withdrawal symptoms. I suffer from panic attacks is why I started the Xanax in the first place to use as needed for panic.
Has anyone else had to do this or had an experience with Xanax? I am shocked this has happened to me. I would have thought it could happen with pain pills but was very naive about the Xanax.
I appreciate any thoughts on this problem and what, if anything you did. Everything is making me cry. My husband thinks I have PTSD from the trauma over the summer and then his 5 day stay in hospital, I stayed with him, never left him. Forgot to take lots of my own medicine during this time. It was all about him.
Sorry for long explanation. Dee
Best Answer
Hello all, every answer on here has helped me to understand that without my realizing it I became dependent on the Xanax.
I did not realize what I was doing until the doctor told me. I am doing much
better now, I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for helping me.
I still have a way to go but at least I now have a plan and with all of you have an understanding of what I was doing to myself. I hope at some point I will no longer need the xanax to sleep since that was not why I started on it in the first place.
Evil379, I am glad that my post may have possibly helped your Mom. I have learned that Xanax is very addictive. It works fast, leaves the body fast so after a while a person has to increase the dose for help.
I did not realize what I was doing until the doctor told me. I am doing much
better now, I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for helping me.
I still have a way to go but at least I now have a plan and with all of you have an understanding of what I was doing to myself. I hope at some point I will no longer need the xanax to sleep since that was not why I started on it in the first place.
Evil379, I am glad that my post may have possibly helped your Mom. I have learned that Xanax is very addictive. It works fast, leaves the body fast so after a while a person has to increase the dose for help.
Dear Dee, I'm so glad to hear you're doing a little better. Such a smart and giving person like yourself deserves so much better than living in the fog of Xanax. It is a med that can help suffering patients but it is not for long term IMO. Again, just taking as prescribe over any given time creates a monster living inside of you. You do not have to be an addict to fall victim.
Congratulations to you for taking such a big step. One and a half years later I still feel some small effects of abuse but I have survived and here to tell everyone that we all can do it to! Just like you are doing. Bless You Always and Take great Care...........ike
Congratulations to you for taking such a big step. One and a half years later I still feel some small effects of abuse but I have survived and here to tell everyone that we all can do it to! Just like you are doing. Bless You Always and Take great Care...........ike
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That makes perfect sense Dee. Our emotions are so numbed up while we are taking pills only we dont realize it. Many of us have gone thru the grieving process once we got off all the meds. Crying is normal so cry away!! As the great IBK said to me, Congrats on feeling again!! Taper down slowly so your body can get adjusted. You are doing great!!!!
Thanks so much for posting to me, I really appreciate. I am much better than I was. I still have my teary moments but at least I know what it is.
I had never heard of protracted withdrawals until I came here
When I went to my doctor and cried through entire appointment, the ugly cry if you know what I mean, I had no clue what was wrong with me.
It had been about a month since I had stopped taking the extra xanax, I was just on my .50
When he said he felt it was the xanax I asked how could that be? Shouldn't I be at the end of something like that? He did not exactly answer me so I came here and learned about PAWS.
While it did allow me to work for many many years, I can see that it is very insidious and you can get in trouble without realizing it. I probably would have become housebound with out with it. But....I can see that refill is right and I have decided that I am getting off of it completely. Not sure how long that will take but the crying is getting on everyone's nerves.
I guess that is why I am thinking of times past when I was happy and old memories are coming up. Deaths that happened 10 years ago, I am just now grieving.
Does this make sense? I sincerely appreciate any input
Dee
I had never heard of protracted withdrawals until I came here
When I went to my doctor and cried through entire appointment, the ugly cry if you know what I mean, I had no clue what was wrong with me.
It had been about a month since I had stopped taking the extra xanax, I was just on my .50
When he said he felt it was the xanax I asked how could that be? Shouldn't I be at the end of something like that? He did not exactly answer me so I came here and learned about PAWS.
While it did allow me to work for many many years, I can see that it is very insidious and you can get in trouble without realizing it. I probably would have become housebound with out with it. But....I can see that refill is right and I have decided that I am getting off of it completely. Not sure how long that will take but the crying is getting on everyone's nerves.
I guess that is why I am thinking of times past when I was happy and old memories are coming up. Deaths that happened 10 years ago, I am just now grieving.
Does this make sense? I sincerely appreciate any input
Dee
WOW! Thank you for letting me know. I was on it for a very long time until I got into trouble. It did help with those panic attacks while driving on the beltway but I can also see where I should have just kept going back to the doctor for my ruptured disc instead of trying to take care of it myself.
I am just now realizing that while Xanax is fast acting, it leaves your body fast. It is now just supposed to be used for short term. I have been on it for a very long time. I never had a problem with it or so I thought. It wasn't until September when I ran out days early that I realized there was a problem. Before that I always had plenty. Almost like a stockpile. I see I really got myself in to a mess. Thank you all for being so kind. As Vic said, I am an old timer, 8 years on here. I started looking for help then remained to try to help others. I think my doctor realized he was giving me too much a couple of years ago when he saw that I was breaking the .50 into.25's he switched me to .25's with the "premise" that I would not have to break in half. I think he actually realized he was prescribing too much.
A friend of mine went to see him for panic attacks and he gave him 10. Much different from my amount in the past
Thank you again, Dee
I am just now realizing that while Xanax is fast acting, it leaves your body fast. It is now just supposed to be used for short term. I have been on it for a very long time. I never had a problem with it or so I thought. It wasn't until September when I ran out days early that I realized there was a problem. Before that I always had plenty. Almost like a stockpile. I see I really got myself in to a mess. Thank you all for being so kind. As Vic said, I am an old timer, 8 years on here. I started looking for help then remained to try to help others. I think my doctor realized he was giving me too much a couple of years ago when he saw that I was breaking the .50 into.25's he switched me to .25's with the "premise" that I would not have to break in half. I think he actually realized he was prescribing too much.
A friend of mine went to see him for panic attacks and he gave him 10. Much different from my amount in the past
Thank you again, Dee
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You shouldn't feel embarrassed to ask us anything. We cover everything from A-Z!! There has been alot of progress with the meds that are out there. Knowledge is power and we always tell people you need to be your own advocate. Ask your doctor/pharmacist about everything they are giving you. Back in the day Xanax was just Xanax. Now we know differently. I am so glad your doctor is on board with you with this. Follow the taper plan he has you on. Crying is okay so let yourself just cry. It is actually healing. They tested happy tears and sad tears and found we release toxin type tears when we are sad so that is why we feel better once we do cry. Most of us have also found that once we are off some of these meds our pain gets better. We DO experience rebound pain for awhile as that is our brain playing tricks on us as the meds are reduced. I am not sure i answered one of your questions but wanted to add my support~