I'm in panic mode as soon as I get up til I go to bed... what's happening?

[lostagain123]

I was diagnosed with OCD when I was 9.  I have been on Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro and now Citalopram for 16 years.  At this point the citalopram doesn't seem to be working anymore.  I have increased my dosage to 80mg a day and have added xanax about .5 mg 2 to 3 times a day about 1 month ago.  I am very depressed and I'm worried about forgetting things.  I'm worried about getting alheizmers disease.  I need to go to see a neurologist and have some tests done.  Could the large dosage of citalopram for so many years make my memory worse?  I also drink a few beers during the week and may have 6 to 8 on Saturday.  Right now I'm living in some sort of panic mode.  I'm scared to do anything because I might forget something in the process...

Has anyone experieced this?  Can just .5mg 2 to 3 times a day of xanax effect the memory too?  I know I need to quit the drinking with xanax.  Does that really cause problems?

[Paxiled]

That's a lot of drinking for someone with anxiety.  And especially for someone on Xanax.  And yes, all of these meds can cause memory problems, both while taking them and when going through withdrawing while quitting them.  The Xanax is more likely to blame if any med is to blame, though it's hard to tell if it's the med or something else.  There's probably nothing a neurologist can find, but it's always good to rule out physiological causes.  Depression itself can cause memory problems, as can anxiety, but you're not wrong to suspect the meds.  All these meds, particularly when used long-term, have been implicated in cognitive difficulties, though the evidence is mixed and funding for good studies virtually impossible to find.

[hmf099]

in my expirience, drinking makes my anxiety/ocd worse for a few days after. I haven't drank in a year, but when i did, the next few days i was so nervous and anxious i couldn't function. and yes, xanax and drinking can cause liver and kidney problems over time, and in excess can cause overdose.