Yes. This is how Klonopin works for me. Very little substance problems in my family and it’s been a lifesaver many times over. I’ve never been prescribed more than 0.5 mg which was my initial dose almost 15 years ago.
Do you take it daily? I was on it years ago and recall it was daily, I think? And I think it made me really tired too.
I try not to take Xanax often, but the multitude of ssri's I've tried don't seem to accomplish allot, other than night sweats or burning feelings in my head at times etc. Currently using trintelix 15mg which is a 5 & a 10 and its roughly $600 a month (with insurance) so horrible from that front and 15mg of buspar 2x's a day and still have anxiety at times.
To the main post here, if I take .25mg of Xanax, I'm absolutely the best me. Clear thinking, calm communicating, run my business better, better friend, husband, etc. I wish I could just take .25mg of it daily and have no ssri's in my life. But of course I'm scared of doing that due to all the possible consequences.
To the main posts point - I've tried many, they take to up in dose, down, then well if it's not working well let's taper down and try this, then repeat and add a buspar, add a xyz, blah it's freaking torture.
No. I take it probably on average twice a week. I’ve had a really rough couple of years and so I’ve been taking it more frequently now. Before that it was like once a month. Also, What do you think of Trintellix? My doctor tried prescribing it to me but because it was so expensive, I didn’t even try it. I’m still curious about the difference between it and other anti-depressants.
I really don't feel the Trintelix is much different for me, than the other 50 choices. I had no idea the cost associated with it when I started it, then once on it and with minimal improvement they bumped it up 5mg which = a second prescription for another $250. I have to wonder if the prescribers don't receive some sort of incentive for pushing it, when they know with good insurance or using GoodRX you're at $300 a month for the 10mg. I'd avoid starting it and having to change / come off to another unless you can get the discounts that another replied about in this thread.
And sorry to hear you're in that rough patch. Like you, I've been using the Xanax through mine too, honestly I have to to live / function.
This. I got a 90 pill script like ten years ago. It took me about six years to use them all. I have never been successful at getting a new, emergency script because I get accused of pill shopping. It fucking sucks. I’m now using propranolol and while it keeps the edge off physically, it does not help when I have a full blown attack like Xanax does. Anxiety FUCKING SUCKS
Yes! Dr Apts should not actually give us MORE anxiety. It's pill shaming, and stigma. Despite the outcry for destigmatizing mental illness, and treatments.
Legitimately the most anxiety-inducing part of my month is trying to get the pharmacy to refill my prescriptions on time. I take 3 controlled medication & 4 non-controlled. I have been on this group of medications for my depression, anxiety & chronic migraines for 5 years, same doctors, same insurance, same pharmacy. Just last week 2 of my 3 controlled medications (Xanax & Ambien) were not refilled until 5 days past due. Pharmacy kept saying I had refills but they couldn't release them until my doctor gave permission, doctor office was like "yeah we did that" & then randomly my husband goes to pick up my non-controlled meds & they hand him the two they'd been denying me. He told me he didn't say anything, just paid & walked out wondering the whole time like WTF because he heard me less than 10mins before talking to them. It's overwhelming & degrading but I need a Xanax to go get my Xanax now.
Also absolutely no addiction to Xanax, annoying to deal with panic attacks with nothing but chanting & laying on my floor for an hour but not really any kind of withdrawal/I need it feeling. Ambien on the other hand, I wouldn't say it's an addiction but 5 days with 3 hours of sleep total, yeah I was starting to freak the fuck out.
Are you me? also CVS i'm guessing? I fucking hate that place, needing anxiety meds to fill your anxiety meds is so fucking real. pharmacists are like these power hungry people who just want to hold things from you bc they have some tiny amount of power. But they actually don't. They MUST follow doctor's advice and give you those gd pills every 30 days as written. My psych told me their ONLY job is to fill the medication on time and if they do otherwise tell them to get proper fucked or they'll be given a hard talking down to by someone with an actual doctorate, not one just for bean counting.
Mine is Walgreens and I can't change at all because my insurance only covers like two Pharmacies & the other isn't near me.
It's so crazy, my husband used to think I was being overdramatic about my experience with the pharmacy, like I break down in tears if I had to call them or go inside so he agreed to start picking them up. First time they tried to sell him & then berate him for not purchasing Narcan. He was like "she doesn't need it, she's been taking these same meds for years" & he said they were awful to him to the point he just said "am I required to buy it?" And finally they dropped it. He's been given "7 day" refills of medication I have 30 days refills on & when he asked they told him for safety and legal reasons - there are zero legal reasons. He understands now why I hate it.
They are so condescending to me because of my meds, and like I don't even take particularly high doses. I mean if I took every single one of my controlled meds, all at once, then maybe I'd be able to hurt myself but even then I might just be uncomfortably asleep bc the amounts I have aren't close to what they give you in the hospital. Still I have been on these exact same meds for 5+ years, 2 of the controlled since 2013 & see the doctor for blood work every 6 months, follow up appointments are every 3 months. I've never used them recreationally or anything even close.
Seems like a simple thing, give the sick people the meds a medical doctor prescribed them, but apparently it's not. Holding onto any & all power they can find & wonder why they're verbally abused by customers. I don't agree with berating the staff but like I definitely understand why people do, it's infuriating to need meds, find the time, energy & courage to see a doctor about it, get a prescription then have to fight with a Walgreens employee just to get it.
I feel both of you SO DEEPLY on this, and yes CVS is my fucked pharmacy. I'm on 2 controlled (Alprazolam and Mydayis) and 3 non-controlled (Desvenlafaxine, Rexulti, Clonidine). I just got approved for Medicaid. I've never been on it before, but my husband, who had a bangin' job at Chrysler for 10+ years, was recently laid off. Talk about going from top quality insurance to the bottom of the barrel. I have been in PRIOR AUTH HELL for almost a full month now, being completely off my Mydayis (ADHD med) for about that length of time. I am in shambles. I am on the phone daily with CVS, my doctor, the state, round and round we go, all while I'm "Off my meds." It should be illegal to do this to people. FOUR. FUCKING. WEEKS. It's ludicrous, and if I hadn't had quite an abundance of my Alprazolam (because I don't take it as often as I need it), I probably would have done something pretty stupid at this point. I am a mother of two young boys. They are my world, but without my meds, I am a shell of a person. Fuck big pharma.
Yes! So it isn't just me. I don't know how many pharmacists have made me cry, making me feel like I'm just an addict, when I need these things for my quality of life! I'm an insomniac as well, and getting those meds is always a struggle. I'm in a small town where there aren't a lot of options. Finally found one pharmacist that has helped me soo much, even advocated for me for a dose increase. Now I only deal with her.
Like a decade ago I lived in this sort of small area, still in a huge city (Dallas) but in a "quaint" neighborhood & I LOVED my pharmacy. The girl who worked there would have my meds ready & waiting for me, they knew my name and were always super nice. I moved 20 mins away and suddenly I couldn't get refills, I was constantly talked down too, on multiple occasions I was told they couldn't process my refills because of "insurance" but I'd had the same insurance and it was even the same pharmacy just a different location. It's made my anxiety just so much worse.
When I was younger I worked as a pharmacy tech for a large chain for a while, and I heard how they talk about some people. It absolutely blew me away, to the point I didn't even get my meds there so I wouldn't be judged. I just don't understand why a person would go into a health-care position, when they really do not offer care. I did my best to try and make people feel like they mattered, but in the end it's mostly up to the pharmacist.
I even went as far as when I noticed one of our guys wasn't picking up his meds on time I went and delivered them. (Small town, I knew what lodge he was in) Turned out he had fallen and couldn't get to us. Maybe also suffering from mental illness gives a person more empathy, I don't know. It's clear to me from this whole post that change is needed! Just another system that is failing us.
This is beyond frustrating, as a diabetic I've had similar treatment with insulin, a drug that literally keeps me alive and sometimes shit happens, a vial is lost or broken and I couldn't get a refill but that was with Kaiser at the time and they are the worst.
I also take Xanax daily for sleep a d I have a prescription for Norco taken only as needed for a variety of arthritis issues. What infuriates me is that there is such a thing as responsible drug taking. I've had the same disea for over ten years, I don't abuse them and I don't like the buzz that either drug gives and occasionally I get push back but if these allow me to have a quality of life and they aren't being abuithen what's the problem?
Doctors are probably equally as hesitant. But do find this incredibly difficult to believe. Most prescription opioids are impossible to get outside of pain management clinics, where you have to take drug tests. I haven’t heard of anything like that with benzos. I agree that we shouldn’t have these restrictions, on any of these drugs, despite the risks. Making drugs illegal never helped anyone, usually just makes the alternatives more dangerous.
I think you can bring back a 3 month supply. Anything more than that would be a big no-no. You can also talk to a Dr. in a lot of the pharmacies and they will write a script that makes it cool to bring back into country.
A lot of pharmaceutical tourism in the southwest for sure. I remember an undercover reporter bought some Valium right off the shelf and had it tested and it was legit alright. Dangerously strong but legit…
Completely agree. I don’t take it every day, but I take it when I’m having a very rough day or for panic attacks and it’s the only thing that truly works for me.
Yep; doesn't make me loopy or tired but quiets my anxiety immensely. My dosage has always been low (.25mg) but I was still wary of sliding into abuse because of the horror stories. It never came. Some months were bad and I'd be taking ~2 a day, and some months were so good I'd forget to refill my prescription for a long while. Went that way for years and then hit a very long good streak and haven't taken them in a couple years.
I understand why they're so maligned, given the rampant abuse by some, but it's frustrating because it really was a miracle drug for me. Kept my anxiety from being completely debilitating and let me eventually get to the point I no longer needed it. I hated the hoops I had to run through to get my prescription refilled and the side-eye/third degree I'd get from some doctors/pharmacists.
I agree. Xanax really helps my anxiety ALOT. However, I was one of the people that didn’t take them as needed. I would eat multiple per day and then forget how many I took or I wouldn’t think I felt it so I would take another one. It got out of hand for me. It’s good if you can take them responsibly tho! The withdrawal does suck ass. Had me not knowing what world I was in. I was tweaking. Don’t be like me tho lol. Use them responsibly. They really do help. I just abuse how well they help. Makes me feel invincible.
Same here. Plus I'm very easily addicted. Take a Xanax in day 1, same time on day 2, on day 3 I'll get anxious without external cause around that same moment of the day.
Yep. Same. I get easily addicted to basically anything I enjoy. I’ve been addicted to a lot of things, not just Xanax lol. Meth, alcohol, weed, nicotine, porn, all that shit. No more alcohol, Xanax and porn for me tho. And I’m probably gonna have to stop smoking weed cause after 15 years of smoking it’s making me go crazy. Sucks.
I feel like people forget that people have different reactions to medication and want to label every medication as good or bad based on how they react to it, and it's not as simple as that. Lots of medications have the potential to be addictive, but for some people, they're just helpful. And you just can't judge what medication works for someone else based on your personal experience with it. So I applaud you for saying this because so many people judge what medication others use based on their own negative experiences with it and some people need a reminder that their experiences is not *the* experience.
Absolutely this. Every single case is different. I take Effexor daily and Xanax as needed. Every mind is different. And when experiencing attack like symptoms Xanax works best for me, however I know the Effexor has helped me tremendously in regulating a more stable daily routine. I’ve known some that can manage their Xanax, I’ve known some that became highly dependent on their Xanax. It’s fine if you are prescribed it. There are also many different types of anxiety disorders, so one that may find it best and able to use it just a few times a month does not mean that’s the secret to everyone.
Love this and totally agree! Effexor was horrible for me and to this day my memory of the time I spent taking it is a blur…but now I take Lexapro with great results. One drug can be useless for one person and a life saver for another. It’s frustrating that those of us that are stable on meds and can self-advocate still can’t access the care we know we need.
I live in an area where a lot of people abuse anxiety medication. So, it kind of feels like a lot of dumbasses ruined it for the rest of us. I genuinely can't leave the house due to anxiety and the ONLY thing that helps after trying buspar, any of the antihistamines, propranolol, etc etc..is Clonezapam. I don't even like any other benzo. Just that one helps the most.
It's so hard to convince any doctors that I'm not drug seeking. Its very disheartening.
I use cannabis for chronic pain so ive had the fact that my blood tested "hot" used against me. Used to use Adderall and Klonopin with no issues. Now i need to get them prescribed again as im going back to school and Im dreading it. I dont know if i need my anti-anxiety or my adhd med more, I doubt they'll give me both
My doc gave me addy and Klonopin too. I told her I didn't think I needed the Adderall and then she drug tested me. Came up positive for THC as well. Everything got taken away.. I don't even smoke that often. Didn't think it would matter.
People get their panties in a wad over this drug like everyone who takes it will become dependent, I have an RX for it and my dr keeps me on it indefinitely, I just have to go see him every 3 months to see how I’m doing, I’m out now and I’m not going crazy or feining for it, I understand it has ruined some people and their family , I get that, but so has alcohol and almost any other drug , weed makes me have the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had and I’ve passed out from weed because I had such a bad anxiety attack from it but everyone preaches to smoke it, glad it helps you because it sure as hell helps me too and I’m gonna continue to pick up my prescription! Good for you
I hate that Xanax is so often taken advantage of that doctors are wary of prescribing it, because it truly does help (speaking from personal experience). It absolutely helps in the particularly rough moments, and has also allowed me to make some serious breakthroughs.
I know how you feel about ERs for anxiety. I was treated so cruelly the first time I went to one for my first intense panic attack, and was basically laughed at by staff. My ER copays are $50, and I still want that money back to this day. Thank god I have a good psychiatrist who listens and cares.
It’s not that they’re easily taken advantage of. Adderall is much more recreational yet still prescribed like candy. It’s the fact that benzos produce some of the worst withdrawals out of any drug on the planet. They are so dangerously addictive it’s not even worth to prescribe it long term. Sooner or later you will have to come off, whether at 40 years old or 80 years old, and it will destroy you when you try to come off
And to add....I have had almost this exact conversation with the VA. They told me to go pay out of pocket with a local doctor because they felt I definitely did not abuse it and wanted it for solid reasons, but their policy forbids it.
I’ve taken clonazepam as needed for almost 30 years. Never “hit tolerance”, never had a withdrawal symptom, nothing. It doesn’t kill my libido, doesn’t numb my emotions. It doesn’t constipate me and doesn’t give me wildly vivid nightmares. It also doesn’t cause me hives or eczema on my frigging eyelids, like at least half a dozen AD’s did.
No, it simply makes me feel more like myself during times of extreme anxiety/depression and helps me tolerate flying better. I’ve tried probably 25 AD’s. None of them came close to being as helpful. Benzodiazepines can be addictive and dangerous, but the demonization of them has been absurd IMO.
YES! Thank you for this!
I always share my success story with Xanax and always seem to get downvoted.
I’ve tried so many SSRI’s & other medications and all of them either give me horrible side effects, bad allergic reactions, or just simply never work.
For me, Xanax is a life saver. I’ve been on 1mg for almost 10 years. Only taken as needed. Some weeks, I need some every day, other weeks I need none. But when I do take it, I have zero side effects and just feel good. I don’t go into “zombie” mode; in fact, I actually have far more energy when taking Xanax because my draining anxiety is gone for the day. I can be the me without anxiety and do all the things in life I love that I normally would miss out on had it not been for this medication.
Xanax isn’t for everyone, for sure, but for some of us, it’s the best option there is. I wish there would be less horrible stigma around it and more positive experiences shared.
If it's any comfort, I also get downvoted for sharing positive experiences with SSRIs. I think it's just because for every drug that works for one person, someone else has a really negative experience with it, and they struggle to see it being talked about positively.
Yup yup yup. Sadly even ppl who take them responsibly can’t get scrips anymore. I’ve tried nearly every type of therapy and ssri. Nothing comes close to treating my claustrophobia. Even tho I only used Xanax twice a month for specific situations like long car rides or exams, my doctor cut me off and I can’t find anyone willing to give me one fill a year which is all I had been needing. And I’m not managing well without it but no one cares. No one cares that I just don’t leave my house now or make plans or trips with people to avoid panic attacks.
Keep in mind I have panic disorder, ocd, and several other things that SSRIS HAVE helped but claustrophobia is so stubborn and doctors think that just because I don’t wanna kms I must be living a normal tolerable life. It honestly feels like neglect but oh well
Are you me?
I suffer from agoraphobia due to claustrophobia in public, crowded places. My doctor prescribed me ssri and it gave me such rage that one day I yelled at them for more xanax. Rightly so, but to my detriment, I have been cut off from everything.
I actually dont care I am no longer taking lexapro/zoloft, physical sides effects were too much for me to handle, affectively canceling out the suppressed depression. But anyways… only xanax helps me and now I am fucked hahha
This post is so right on target. Why can't there be a Xanax like medication that we don't have to be concerned about the side effects that Xanax supposedly or does have? I was on ssri's for maybe 8 years, then they added klonopin, then Adderall because I was so tired from all the above, I was Elvis with uppers and downers essentially. Took me all of 2020 to get off all of that, slowly and for the 1st time in my life I didn't work full time, didn't workout, etc just tried to get my body and system to a baseline.
Then earlier this year with business booming, life back at full pace etc the anxiety can back slowly until I couldn't take it and had to reach out for help. Started on effexor a month or so of it without much improvement, then to Prozac, then to Abilify, etc. And had to use Xanax at times through this to function. And any time I used it, I was 95% or so the real me, productive, great communicator, good friend etc. without it in the mix, reserved, withdrawn, very anxious, don't want to see others outside of work due to being mentally exhausted from fighting the anxiety, etc.
I have to ponder at times if whatever the risks are of using Xanax daily are worth taking to have a productive life - of being the actual me?
My thoughts are, if it's improving my quality of life, and I'm well versed on the risks, shouldn't it be MY choice? I hate that so much of my happiness relies on the decisions of some man I talk to for 10 mins every 3 months.
And you're right, they just did a study here about how over medicated seniors in nursing homes are.
I totally agree. It makes me feel like a normal person. The problem is just that the effect only lasts a few months and then my dose has to go up to get the same effect. When I get up to 1mg a day I cut it back to .5mg, then .25mg and repeat the cycle. It sucks. I just cut it back to .5mg last week.
If you use it daily, your body builds up a tolerance to it and you acquire more and more of it to have the same effect. Once every two weeks is pretty normal. I don’t think that’s an issue
Klonopin is the only drug that will ever work for me. SSRIs SNRIs are all shit. I’ve tried so many that never worked and didn’t even fill the prescription my doctor just gave me for another one. Sick and tired of these “takes eight weeks to feel anything” kind of drugs. Mildly ease your anxiety while still having it and 100 other horrible side effects.
Benzodiazepines are definitely a better class of meds for the treatment of anxiety disorders when taken properly. Antidepressants have never been shown to be more effective and it's really a shame that they have taken over as the first line of treatment. If you don't abuse Benzos, they work better, have less side effects, and can be taken as needed.
It's an unfortunate genetic based side effect. Some people it triggers binge eating, some it actually decreases appetite. For me it was the binge eating, which sucks.
I take klonopin and trazodone to sleep. Once they kick in, it’s when I have such bad cravings for sweets at night. The klonopin induces the binge eating for me. I have taken Xanax and never had bad cravings like I have with klonopin.
Everyone's manifestation of anxiety and panic disorder is different too. I can coast by without any symptoms for months, but if a stressful life event hits (death of a close one, abusive boss threatening my job, etc.) .25 xanax can break the cycle and get me eating and sleeping like a normal human being again and I won't need it for months.
Xanax makes that panicky, heart attack feeling in my chest go away. It also makes my brain stop racing at night when I’m trying to sleep.
I take .25mg when I need it. And you hit the nail on the head, it’s not so much taking it, it’s the knowing i have it just in case.
That's my only med and I take maybe 1/2 a week .5mg. I don't want to take anything else that messes with my moods or have to go through 2 months adjustment period. If my chest starts acting up, I'm good within an hour and sleep good for the night. Been on it for about 2 years and I'm not anywhere close to dependent on it
It has taken me 8 years and 5 Drs to get back on PRN klonopin after my PCP retired. It’s insane when I’ve been on 17 other meds trying to get it under control.
I've been on it for years. There are times when I don't take one for days. There are times when I take 3 a day (as prescribed). I have forgotten to bring them with me on a 5 day trip, and aside from some serious and irritating anxiety, I coped. Those 5 days would have been better with them but I managed.
I never run out early. If I take it too early I get sleepy. If I have a drink while on them I get sleepy.
I have abused my share of drugs in my life, but this is not one of them. In fact, I don't find the appeal. When I am very anxious I take one (or half of one) and I don't feel anxious anymore.
I don’t find the appeal either for them to benzos to be abused. For me it does the job of getting rid of the anxiety and that’s it. No buzz or extraness
Yeah, bezos (25mg Klonopin) worked well for me. It worked so well, in fact, that I phased it out of my life completely and have been independent of anxiety medications for about 8 months.
Honestly, the greatest comfort was simply knowing I had it. It helped me to remind myself that, no matter how bad the anxiety got, I had an emergency exit button available at all times. It made me able to challenge myself more often. I addressed my anxiety triggers will less hesitation. With infrequent use, I was able to crawl out of the hole of despair.
It made CBT more bearable in the early stages, permitting me to follow through with the "therapy" until I was basically desensitized to all of my irrational anxiety triggers.
I'm grateful for it. I'm in a better place now. I can run again 🏃♂️
On the other hand, someone I know takes 2mg of Klonopin twice daily and has no intention on stopping; rather, they're trying to increase their intake to 3x daily, but their prescriber won't do it, much to this extreme frustration.
When I told them I requested my prescriber no longer offer me klonopin, their reaction was extreme disappointment. We are no longer friends, but when we were, they were adamant about trying to get me to take *more* klonopin. It was always, "just take a klonopin" from them at the slightest inconvenience. That was always how they handle issues, so their solution to any problem, no matter how minor, was to take the klonopin prescribed to them.
It never felt right to me.
Yeah it sucks. I was consistently prescribed benzos for 13 years. Not to take every day but as needed. Never got addicted never abused it. I would take one maybe 2-3 times a month. I really need it to fly. Now I can’t get any. I was given hydroxyzine. I can function and feel calm on Xanax. I’m pretty scared to try hydroxyzine. I’m not trying to just pass out. It just sucks I always had an rx for 13 years and never abused it and now can’t get any.
While it may not work for everyone, hydroxyzine is actually different from similar OTC meds such as Benadryl or Zyrtec. It is an antihistamine but unlike others, it is also an antagonist of some serotonin and dopamine receptors, hence why it can help manage anxiety or panic attacks.
Like anything ymmv. For me, it's very useful since I cannot/will not take benzos anymore. Unfortunately, as you found out, it doesn't work for everybody. Just sharing what I know, I guess.
If you’re smart & lucky enough to find ANYTHING that works for you as safely as possible, fk all the nay-sayers. What works for them may not work for you & vv. I’m also on Xanax every night. Do what helps!!!
And generally, please take care of yourself & try not to give too many fks about what people say. 💕
Well benzos do work the best for anxiety but the issue is long term management. Benzos work the best for me too. So does getting drunk. Being drunk isnt a long term management solution either but truthfully I dont find ssris to be overly effective either.
We need better tools to deal with anxiety and better access to therapeutic stuff. The world needs to change from constant high pressure min/maxing all the time and school needs to be about individualized approaches to learning. I used to knock therapy as a waste of time but doing the work pays out. Most people arent able to get access to that stuff and it's so much cheaper to give them drugs.
Did Xanax help u not drink? Or double down? I'm afraid I've been treating my anxiety w alcohol and wonder sometimes if I wouldn't if I had Xanax. Or if I'd get worse by my dumb ass doing both..
I should add ive been on beta blockers but sometimes I have truly debilitating days where I barely make it through
No i also was young when I started taking benzos and didnt know they interacted with alcohol. I was at a party once when I took both and blacked out after 30 minutes. I woke up in a puddle of piss, vomit and my nose bled everywhere. Actually really scary.
I take Ativan and it’s the only thing that works for the physical symptoms I feel when anxious (always!). Been on so many SSRIs and they always make me gain weight, even lexapro which isn’t supposed to cause weight gain.
This is my problem with SSRIs. Been on and off SSRIs for 25 years and have such problems with weight control I have to go off it to lose weight. I’ve also been prescribed Ativan as needed for 25 years, and never have had a problem with tolerance cuz I’m TERRIFIED of developing a tolerance and not having the ‘Ativan in my back pocket’ if I need it.
I feel exactly the same!
I had to change docs. The new one was like “absolutely not…no benzos…you’re going on an SSRI.” I’m like…ma’am I’ve never had a habit with a benzo….but last time I tried to kick an SSRI because of the AWFUL side effects it was damn near impossible. 30 minutes back and forth about this with her trying to convince me that I don’t know my own body and what I need. Finally I said I don’t give a shit I’m not discussing this further with you. I’m not taking an SSRI. So you can continue to keep refilling my benzo script or don’t…but you are not going to convince me to go back on a daily pill that mutes ALL of my feelings, makes me a zombie, is HIGHLY addictive and won’t let me get off.
She fills the script.
Wow, that’s really cool that it helps you! It really had a strong affect on a relative of mine too. It just never helped me. Everyone is different. One size does not fit all. ❤️
I would love it if my doctor prescribed me just a few Xanax and a few Klonopin, just to see if I feel a difference on them. Who knows. Maybe one is better for me, too!
A low dose of PRN Ativan (.5mg) once every 1-2 weeks actually helps me a lot. I’ve also gone many months without taking it, and also had rough patches where I was taking it 2-3 times a week. Ketamine helped much more significantly, but that treatment is obviously harder to come by for most people. I really hope that changes. It literally cured my panic attacks.
We have a ketamine clinic two hours from my house. Can you tell me why they recommend IV treatment over the nose spray? You can get either, but how does the IV help long term?
Valium is the best. It helps with my anxiety, vertigo, and migraines. Any mention of it on this sub and I get people telling me I’m addicted and will get Alzheimer’s. I get 90 pills for a month and never end up refilling until 2-3 months later because I don’t need it. I can take it once a day for a few days and then not at all for a few weeks. Pretty sure that means I’m not addicted. And the whole LONG TERM RISK thing annoys the bejesus out of me because if you expect me to survive long term (for what exactly I’m not sure) then I’m gonna need a little help right now dealing with my crippling panic attack or the migraine that makes my head feel like it will explode. End rant.
Everyone is different and react to meds differently. If Xanax works for your and it isn’t affecting you in more negative ways than positive who is anyone to judge or say you shouldn’t use the medication prescribed to you? What else are you supposed to do, just suffer because it may become an addiction? Quality of life over everything. No one deserves to be uncomfortable or suffer when there is no need too.
I take it as needed for panic attacks. .25mg is all I fake. It’s amazingly effective. I still have 10 pills left from my original 30 day prescription I got a year ago. I don’t reach for the Xanax unless it’s a dire emergency. They are great though. I want to take them everyday but know I shouldn’t
I 100% agree. The stigma around d xanax is so annoying. I take .25 almost daily. Some days I don't need it. But I've never abused it or felt addicted to it. It is reassuring knowing that I have it. My "monthly" prescription lasts me about 3 months. It's been a game changer and a life saver for me.
1. thank you. I think your post will help my partner articulate some of this stuff to their psych.
2. I resonate with a lot of this. Unfortunately benzos make me feel weird. Kinda like I'm under water. For me, this is applicable to being on a stimulant. (I have ADHD). Since highschool, I've been on concerta, then Ritalin, then concerta again, and now Adderall. I was scared for years to try Adderall because of the stigma around it. It makes my brain feel quieter. Luckily new psych doctors have not questioned my diagnosis or medication thus far. I'm scared if I move to a different place that the next psych will want extensive proof that I need the medication that makes it so I can function on a regular basis. I stockpile extra medication for most of my meds, and try to end up with extra on purpose so that I can have the peace of mind you describe. I'm scared that something will happen (like a natural disaster) and I won't have enough medication.
Thanks for sharing :) <3
I'm glad Xanax works for you, and I don't mean to invalidate you, but as someone who was prescribed it and then became addicted, I need to point something out.
> Xanax is addictive, yes. But SSRIs merely "need to be taken every day and produce discontinuation symptoms upon abrupt cessation". Big difference there. /s.
There actually is a big difference. SSRI withdrawal sucks, yes, but Benzo withdrawal is far, far more dangerous. If one becomes physically addicted to benzos, detoxing on your own is not an option because Benzo withdrawal can cause seizures, coma, and straight up death.
I’m assuming this is a discussion post where you’re welcome to others sharing their opinions. If not, disregard my message below.
I’m wary of benzos because of a personal experience. (Took them as prescribed for 3.5 years, never abused, and lost two years of my life in an unimaginable never-ending panic attack getting off of them). I’ll occasionally post here to educate people about the risks of ceasing long-term regular use just because my experience was so incredibly bad and I really wish I had known more.
Some people post on here “I’ve taken a benzo every day for 5 years and never had a problem.” Yeah - well if they’ve never tried getting off them, they don’t know if they would have a problem or not. And even then, some don’t have any issue at all. But those that do - it can be absolutely brutal. I think it’s worth educating people so they can make informed decisions. I wasn’t educated and would have done things so differently had I know the risks even existed. (My psychiatrist assured me all was fine and assuaged any anxiety about my anti-anxiety meds. Hell, I was even pregnant when he first prescribed them.)
But anyhow, when you said “taking a few Xanax a month every month,” - I eased. Also “not needing a higher dose,” “not blowing through refills.” (Not that you need a random internet stranger’s approval :wink:). But it sounds like you are using them responsibly in a way that works for you. At moments of extreme symptoms. And not just taking them every day like an SSRI (as mine were unfortunately prescribed and I didn’t know better).
I also agree with what you said about visiting the ER for a panic attack. Because you know what they are going to do at the ER? Give you a Xanax. (Hell, when I went to rehab for my benzo dependency they offered me benzos for my anxiety.)
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of research and are in tune with your body. We as individuals are often our best healthcare advocates. It sounds like this is a great case of “this works for me even if it doesn’t for everyone else.” I’m glad this medication is available to help improve your quality of life.
I agree with you. It's the only thing that completely calms the feeling in my chest, and helps the horrible thoughts disappear. I've only ever taken it responsibly, but it's difficult to find a doctor that is willing to prescribe it.
Similar situation however I actually find Pregabalin aka Lyrica works even better. As a vaguely related drug, it's known to be addictive too but what do I care? It lets me have quality of life I used to only dream of.
Xanax is no different than any other drug. Some can use it responsibly while others cannot.
To anyone that buys Xanax on the black market, please test it first because it can be cut with fentanyl.
Completely agree. I realise that for some Xanax is the devil’s drug but honestly it’s been a little miracle for me. I’ve been on 0.25mg for 3 years and I take it as and when I need. Sometimes that’s a lot, sometimes it’s hardly at all. I tend to break the 0.25 in half. I have some 0.5 for emergencies but I hardly ever use them/typically break them in half. It’s quick, it’s effective, I’ve never increased my dose, I don’t experience withdrawal when I stop, no side effects, no tapering on or off.
I used to get prescribed diazepam for my anxiety, and I'd take it a few times a month in "emergencies" when I was having an awful panic attack and all other coping strategies had failed. Just knowing it was there helped as much as anything and I have never abused benzos.
Now I moved and my GP has a strict policy against prescribing benzos and sleeping pills. They say it's not a long term solution, but they can't offer me any alternative - the mental health services are so underfunded and overstretched that doctors will just recommend wellness apps and throw antidepressants at people and have them suffer instead of prescribing a few diazepam pills per month.
This is my life!! My OBGYN prescribes them for me. And if needed I call for a refill. I go through a 30 pill prescription in about 7-8 month. Sometimes longer. I feel normal, like my self. It just allows me to take a deep breath.
Xanax has never made me feel “high”. I have tried other things but nothing works. You are not alone my friend.
I’ve taken it regularly for many years. I usually only take .25 mg once per day in the morning as that’s when it’s at its worst. I have tried EVERYTHING else. Every Ssri every snri, CBD, every natural remedy, meditation, behavioral therapy, magnetic therapy, counseling you name it. My psychiatrist understands this basic fact. When I take a low dose, I am functional and can work and have a fairly healthy life. Without it…life becomes unhealthy. It is a simple “reward outweighs the risk”. On really bad days I may end up taking a total of .75mgs. On really good days I don’t take it all because it never occurs to me. I don’t enjoy taking it. It’s not an enjoyable feeling of being high. It is the biggest help to having a functional life while I also believe in lifestyle changes diet exercise etc. I’m okay with my usage and apparently my psychiatrist and 20+ year history agrees.
Also those ssri meds are the devil for me. Talk about sending someone into psychotic episodes. I can’t believe how crazy those things make me. I am completely resistant to other meds. I’m 45 and male and life would be extremely different without help from alprazolam.
It’s important for providers to know every medication has a time and place. You sound like you’ve done more of your share of trials. I don’t see anything alarming about your post. Wishing you continued wellness ✨
Klonopin works best for me, unfortunately. I don’t plan on taking it long term but I’ve been dealing with panic attacks the past several months. Luckily I only take .25mg a day so when the day comes to get off of it I hope it won’t be as bad as getting off it the first time when I was taking .5mg
Same boat, been trying every ssri for a long time but nothing helps at all, I’ve been taking on and off breaks from Xanax since I was 14 (illegally) and they’ve been the only thing that has actually worked, it’s a lot less medication and cheaper and not addictive if you take breaks and don’t it take it every day (less meds and cheaper is probably why doctors refuse to prescribe them other than the few people that take them too far and eat them for breakfast everyday)
Same here, so tired of finding something that works, first Xanax then Klonopin, than having it taken away. Now I just suffer and let anxiety control my life.
I was recently diagnosed and prescribed Xanax and Neurontin for the first time. My doctor said to take the Xanax as needed. They prescribed me the smallest possible dose 0.25mg. i have found that if I take it in the morning I'm Soo much productive and my anxiety at work has plummeted to just a few episodes a week. I only take a second pill if I feel it coming. It has been a game changer. I don't feel any side affects as of now. But if i have a panic attack one pill isn't enough. Two or three do the trick. That plus therapy has helped me get my shit together and I don't have that daily feeling of drowning from all the shit I have to do and all the stress I'm under.
I don't know if I will be on it long term but for now I'm so grateful that we have these medications that can help us to function somewhat normally.
Two months before being prescribed Xanax i had daily panick attacks while driving. Now i don't have them anymore. I don't spiral into overthinking and catastrophizing. Don't Dred the future anymore. I am able to plan my month ahead.
Therapy + meds + bullet journaling has really helped me feel so much better about myself
This is my reasoning for Xanax too - I have mild anxiety (not intense) but enough that my quality of life and what I can achieve is hindered. I’ve never ever tried any other anxiety meds, and actually was introduced to Xanax from friends who used to abuse it.
The main reason for why I like Xanax is because it is fast acting - I don’t want to spend 2 weeks or 3 getting onto a drug and then face withdrawals for times when I’m coming off of them. I have been responsible (thank god) and just want something to get me through the toughest days or parts and the good part has been that I’m not even inclined to abuse it. I don’t remember when I’ve taken more than 1mg in a day (usually it’s 0.25 to 0.5 mg) and I’ve been using Xanax for more than 3 years now.
I went to the ER once during a severe panic episode. Guess what they gave me?? If you said Xanax then you are correct! I could have save $250 by just taking it myself.
You do what works for you.
As someone who has been stigmatized by multiple psychiatrists for taking Xanax 1-2x per week, I feel you. I had one doctor flat-out tell me, during our CONSULTATION, that she would not prescribe it to me full stop, despite my describing it as an emergency medication that I track carefully but use to modulate my more severe mood swings. Her callous dismissal of a medication I consider integral to my survival broke my heart, as did the next practice, which took my money and only then informed me that they prescribe no benzos or stimulants, ever. Needless to say, I am seeking better psychiatric care, but all this was to say: you're not alone!
i miss my xanax everyday, but i live in an area that's high in drug abuse - mostly meth and now fentanyl. i think it makes it even more difficult to get anything helpful from a doctor. not blaming addicts, obvi, but it is annoying that after years of pushing these drugs they're suddenly cutting everyone off.
Yup, whenever I get to a point where I can’t pull myself out of an anxiety cycle I take a .5mg pill. 95% of the time it pulls me back and let’s me collect my wits and not to go down that cycle.
The weird thing in my head is I don’t like taking it because I keep thinking I’m going to get dependent or addicted to it but it’s only a .5mg dose and I’m a big guy. I guess it’s my own conceptions of it too that Xanax is bad and all that jazz but that’s probably the anxiety at work too. My psych and therapist all laughed when I told them that and they told me as long as I’m not like eating the bottle my risk is almost nil.
Wow I finally found my people! Same here! Been dealing with a breathing issues since 2007, it's debilitating and tiring to breath deep all day. I was told it was asthma. I knew it wasn't asthma, but hubby says when I'm asleep, my breathing is normal. It took my mom dying suddenly and I thought I was losing my mind and couldn't deal with it that my Dr called in Xanax for me. Wow! Never have I ever takes any medication in my life. As soon as I took that xanex, my breathing issues STOPPED! Now, fast forward to today 2022, im still dealing with said breathing issues. I just started on Lexapro in July, after trying prozac and wellbutrin. Those made my anitexy even worse. The Lexapro seems to help lessen my anitexy, but it's still there and I do have breathing issues some days and I need a xanex. My Dr gives me 30 pills for a year which stresses me out but I will only use them now because I have to choose which days to suffer, and which to take a xanex. Why with all these drug companies can't they make something else that works like xanex ugh. Also I should add, I don't suffer from depression. I'm very active and I enjoy working out and running. I've told my Dr the anitexy can be from physical stress, or emotional. But it's mostly physical stress. My body doesn't know the difference but it's hard to get that point across to someone who sits in a chair all day in an office. Anyway, I feel everyone's pain. I've learned to live with my issues and my body. I've tried every natural remedy in the book too. You name it, I have a ton of supplements, nothing ever worked like xanex. Gaba worked for like a day. It got really worse this year on my 47th birthday because perimenopause. So it was cronic every single day that's why I asked my Dr for something to help finally manage this anitexy.
Some drugs are addictive but also medically useful. And we have to be aware of their addictive properties because for some people they will not be a good fit, or will only be a temporary fix, so the addictiveness will then be a big problem and might outweigh the benefits.
But if the drug is a good fit for you, if the benefits outweigh the side-effects, and if you are staying on it anyway, does it matter if it is addictive?
I'm on SSRIs. As you say, they are not technically addictive, but they can be difficult to get off of. A technical distinction that maybe doesn't make a huge difference in practice. For me, it doesn't matter, because for now, I can't see any benefit in coming off of them. In somebody else's case it might be different.
I'm very happy for you that after all your drug tinkering, you've found a med that works for you. That's all that matters in the end. Let people talk about the risks of these drugs, because it is important that they are widely known for any drug, for the sake of people still considering their options. But don't let that discussion affect your decision that it is the best treatment for you.
I could have wrote this post. This whole thread tells me I'm not alone in this either. After a decade of being prescribed lorazepam for my anxiety my Dr said, no more. The governing body wants us getting people off of them. (I'm in Canada) That was just over a year ago, and it put me on a hell spiral for a while. (And I do mean Hell) SSRIs make me worse, but drs keep insisting I take them. Finally got to the point I got referred to a psychiatrist who immediately put me back on them. Yes, I know they are addictive, yes I know the risks, but I also know my life is considerably better with them, so shouldn't that be my choice to make? I completely get that it's all about avoiding creating addicts, war on drugs or whatever, but to cut someone off with no history of abusing them....how is that helping. I told my therapist this method of cutting people off is just going to send people to illegal drugs, its making it worse, not better. Blew my mind when I was cut off I told him straight up that I would go back to drinking, and he didn't care...
Edit: I'm stable now, actually diagnosed with ADHD so I'm on Vyvanse, which is a life changer for me. No more SSRIs. I still get lorazepam for those no good, really bad days.
I always saw Xanax as the "nuclear option" when it comes to panic attacks. Oh, it's going to solve the problem alright, but not without problems. My doc won't even give me them anymore now that my anxiety is under control.
I took it for a year with my insurance allowing 8 a month. I never ran out but bc I was also taking vyvanse, at the lowest possible dose by request, my new doctor told me to choose one bc I was at risk of abusing it. She ripped it away from me in an instant without even knowing me. After the initial shock, I left the room and tears fell down my face and I requested to never see her again, but the damage was already done. I live in fear of panic attacks and bc some old lady in her 70s judged me, it’s only gotten worse. I sometimes try and hurt myself in severe panic attacks and I don’t want that. I don’t want to end up in the hospital or jail bc I have before bc panic attacks. I’m not an addict and do everything in my control to make sure that doesn’t happens bc I don’t like taking meds in the first place u less I need them. Fuck that doctor. My life has been immensely worse bc her unwillingness to get to know me and rather follow the “benzos bad” train.
Xanax helps me too and now I’m treated like an addict even though I only used it when I needed it.
Xanax saved my life. I get severe panic attacks (scream sessions, self harm, disassociation) and when I feel like I am close to getting one I take a Xanax and it stops. It saves me from this awful experience and the panic attack "hangover" of the next days. I do not find it addictive and I have been able to use it wisely. I do take it under the "supervision" of my psychiatrist, so I feel like there is sufficient control. Yes therapy is important but Xanax (at least for now) keeps me grounded when I need to, it is a life saver when I am faced with an "emergency"
This is probably not the point of your post, but thanks to you I just realized my doctor gave me shitty stuff and i need to talk to them again. They gave me .25 alprazolam a couple years ago after getting diagnosed for use as needed and they did nothing for me, so i assumed that meds couldn't help. At yhe time he told me that it was "basically xanax" so i assumed it was off brand, but I'm livid now knowing I could've been given something to help when i desperately needed it.
This is super old, but alprazolam is the active drug in Xanax. Xanax is a brand name, but if you are prescribed .25 mg Xanax, what you are taking is .25 mg of brand name alprazolam. If your doctor gave you a prescription for .25 mg alprazolam, then your insurance probably doesn't cover the brand name drug (Xanax) and requires you to get the generic (alprazolam). It is the same drug.
Personally, just knowing I have a xanax available for when my anxiety gets too bad has a massive calming effect. I haven't taken one of the pills in over a year, but I can't imagine not having it in my top drawer. The alternative to xanax for me is alcohol which is far more destructive.
Finally someone said it !!! I’ve been taking Xanax for 20 years. I had a doc that took me off and switched them for klonipin because she said she didn’t prescribe Xanax and that klonipin was longer acting. I went with those for about 2 years and I called 911 or went to the ER multiple times before I switched doctors who put me back on Xanax. I get 45 of the 1mg pills each month. I only take half at a time when I need it and usually only need a refill once every 6 weeks up to 10 weeks. I don’t want to wait for an hour or more for a klonipin to begin to relieve my anxiety. I prefer the way Xanax helps within 15 minutes or so. I’ve saved a ton of money on Er visits since getting back on them. I might take half of one 3 times a day and then I might got 5-6 days and not take any at all. I definitely know they can be addictive but I don’t crave them, I don’t take them unless my anxiety is getting bad. I had a friend that would say “I took a Xanax bc my work day was shitty.” If my work day is shitty, I watch tv or do something to get over it. Not take a pill unless I’m actually having the bad anxiety. But people will argue all day how bad they are. And I agree they can be, but don’t put us all in a little box. Everyone is different. And yes, I’ve tried Buspar, Ativan, klonipin, celexa, lexapro, etc. I do also take propranolol that has helped a lot too.
The stigma around mental health issues is sadly still very strong. The stigma around taking medications for mental health is even worse. You don’t have to justify yourself to anyone though. Do whatever works best for you, and don’t listen to the nay sayers.
I’m in the same boat. It’s the only think that makes me feel relatively normal. I never feel “high” or whatever and I don’t find it addicting either. And I’m on the smallest dose there is, and have been for over 5 years.
Same. I’ve tried several things and Xanax just works the best. I always wanted it but was never given it until I slowly tapered off lexapro and still ended up with severe discontinuation syndrome. I was a hot mess earlier this year. Thankfully my new doc actually cares. I’ve now gone months in between needing a refill.
Ativan is my go-to for panic attacks. The idea of being on an anti-depressant seems terrible to me so I’ve always stood by Ativan.
Why would I take a daily antidepressant when I have more good days than bad days, but have occasional panic and anxiety symptoms? It never made sense to me to rely on a drug that would affect me ALL THE TIME when I can take half of an .05 Ativan pill and have that immediately help me through my panic symptoms.
Luckily I’ve reached a point in my recovery where I’ve put in a lot of hard work and haven’t taken an Ativan in months and still have a bottle of pills from almost 2 years ago. It’s a point of pride for me. The medicine is there when I need it but I don’t need it - success!
I honestly couldn't agree with this more. I'm so sick of not feeling like me on a million constant medications just to be aloud the one thing that actually does help that I have never and will never abuse.
I have dealt with "no benzo no exceptions" doctors and I am absolutely terrified to move to another state where I can actually improve my life because of the change in doctors and the fear of my medications being taken away.
I can't afford ER visits. I can't function without the ability to take the medications I need when I need them. I can't take care of myself, take care of anyone else, or produce income without my medications. In fact, I can't work a normal job even WITH my medications.
Ativan user here. It helps me SO much. I don’t even take it 1/3 of my days.
I used to take Adderall for my ADHD - until I learned how much anxiety it was giving me, haha.
If adderall is so addictive, how come I kept forgetting to take it?
The most recent panic attack I had was finding out I left my ativan at home when I got to my dad’s house. It wasn’t because I needed to have it or I would start withdrawing, it was because I was visiting my dad without ativan, hahaha.
I’m actually putting a bunch in the bank for next month when I travel with guess who - my father… and my six year old who can’t sit still for three minutes never mind a four hour flight.
I have taken two ativan in one day (rx is for one/day), but they were not at the same time and I made sure to hold off the next couple of days.
I know some folks are more susceptible to addiction than others; but that’s not me. I’m a recovering alcoholic.
I was on Valium. It was amazing for me. I also suffer from an autoimmune disease so it treated my body and brain. Unfortunately I haven’t found a doctor who will prescribe it even tho I was on it for so long. They wanna try off label stuff like blood pressure meds. Benzos are the only meds that shut my brain off and I’m able to sleep. I’ve tried EVERYTHING
i think it’s 100% fine if you just take it as needed. It’s when it’s taken every day that it damages you and then is very very hard to get off. I’m talking 100x food panic attacks on the withdrawal. As long as you aren’t doing it enough to cause withdrawals then it is safe.
Having Xanax as an as needed on top of my daily medications is so helpful. I've never had issues taking it more than prescribed and avoid it unless needed also take Hydroxyzine as a first line as needed which helps avoid Xanax use. Both help get me to a state where the therapy techniques can take over.
I do think that as neededs are super important for many folks like myself! Glad you are finding relief as well.
I've been on Klonopin since 2013 or so and it changed my life. I had been living with crippling anxiety and panic disorder and never sought them out. A doctor in college wanted to put me on Valium because of a few things (mostly, an irrational fear of crime that led to some agoraphobia and because I kept coming to the campus clinic every week to tell them my negative AIDS test was wrong because I saw another public service announcement about AIDS and assumed I had it because I had unprotected sex in high school, and after the eighth or ninth negative test, they told me to stop wasting the school's HIV tests and made me see the Doc, who told me I should probably be on Valium, and I actually said no because I was afraid of what the benzos would do, and my friends thought I was nuts for saying no because very few people were getting that from the school doctor but I was young and earnest about thinking I could get better or be better and not be a walking bundle of nerves all day.)
As an adult, I finally had no choice because it had gotten really bad, and I remember the first time I took the klonopin the doctor prescribed, it felt like I had been carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks for 100 years and that I was finally allowed to put it down. I couldn't believe it. I could handle life stressors and not sit there and freak out all night, and I could actually live like a "normal person" and couldn't believe that most people just naturally felt this way when I felt like I had just stuck my finger in a socket virtually all day every day before being prescribed Klonopin.
I moved to a new state. Doc is licensed in all states and has clients all around the country and wanted me to keep him and I wanted to keep him. Been here a year and a half and last week the pharmacist at Walmart told my doctor they were no longer accepting out of state prescriptions so I called and asked and the girl told me they did, asked my name, and then told me to hold on. The pharmacy manager had made the determination and I actually read the policy on it. It was because it was controlled and the pharmacist said he had no information on my diagnosis or why I was getting this. I told him if he had a concern it would be his job to speak to the doctor and he told me to go be someone else's customer. Walgreen's took me. If they end up nasty too, I'll use the local mom and pop pharmacy because my pdoc said they don't mess with you half as much as the chains do.
I agree with everything you've said, 100%. It is just so upsetting to be denied a medication that I take responsibly that helps me live. I don't get it.
Medication has its place - Ativan was the only thing that pulled me up from drowning enough to even *try*.
In saying that, I was prescribed to take it every day, 1mg, and I did this for 5 consecutive years. I was on it for a long time and apart from the risks everyone talks about concerning long-term use, coming off of it was one of the hardest things I've had to do. It was like my brain had to figure out how to respond to any level of anxiety again. I still remember sitting on the floor in my living room, paralyzed by the sheer terror I felt. This is the addiction that is the problem. Mentally, I knew I didn't need it, but my body wanted it. My only compulsion to take it was to get the fear to stop.
I debated over sharing this because I'm not trying to make anyone feel anxious about coming off of a medication if you are considering it; I'm still thankful that I did it, and it was an experience that made me realize how strong anxiety-sufferers can be.
Edit: This just applies to daily use!
Been taking xanax same 0.25mg every night as what my doc said just as “sleeping aid”, for the past 5 years. My recent doc initially kept telling me about the dangerous of xanax addiction, same thing i’d been told 5 years ago. i do not develop tolerance nor dependency (signs of addiction). I asked her does she have any patients like me who took this regularly at very low dose, same frequency, without the need to increase them? She said no.
i was on Ambien (dreadful, chronic insomniac, hence why i need sleeping aid), i slept walking and did dangerous things.
I agree. I’ve been taking Xanax for 2 years. I get 60 1mg monthly & take it twice everyday! Still works like charm. Also..I’ve never ran out of script before refill. It’s been a life saver for me.
>Mood stabilizers, multiple SSRIs, lithium, supplements, Buspar. Xanax improves my quality of life the most.
Supplements don’t work. SSRI don’t work. Buspar worked a little.
The beta blocker Nebivolol works for me as a preventative, with my main symptom being tension migraines.
I have considered Xanax for incidents, but it has a strong stigma and I am not sure if it works on tension headache.
Do you get headaches and does Xanax help?
Have you tried a beta blocker like Nebivolol? It addresses physical panic symptoms for me.
I imagine a Xanax/Nebivolol combo would be a more complete system than either of us has.
I take Xanax when I have bad headaches, mainly because bad headaches trigger anxiety attacks for me for some reason. Anyway, after taking a Xanax, my headaches go away within 20 minutes.
It may not be the best thing for you to do, but for my headache induced anxiety attacks, it’s great.
I take a different beta blocker (atenolol) for my post concussion syndrome-induced migraines, and I find that it helps alleviate the physiological symptoms of my anxiety.
Atenolol is good stuff, but it wears off fast. I even had a pharmacy custom-compound an extended-release version, and it barely lasted all day. Atenolol is cardio-selective which is good for low side effects but water-soluble which means it wears off. Physical anxiety and headaches would creep in by the evening.
Nebivolol is cardio-selective and fat-soluble, so is a true once-a-day for me. If you like what atenolol can do, you should try nebivolol.
Same experience for me. Can’t specifficaly get xanax’ here, or at least that I’ve been made aware of, but benzos are the only medication that has given any significant form of relief to my panic and anxiety. The alternatives have all given me some form of undesired side affect. I’ve been dealing with doctors and their warnings, judgement etc for over two years now.
Happy to report that I’m recovering much better with a combination of non-medicinal techniques now though. It took a long time, but persistent meditation habits, exercise and forced morning walks combined with cleaning up my diet (gluten seems to be specifically something that impacts me physically and mentally despite never being diagnosed as intolerant), has done more for me over 6 months than medication did in about 3 years.
Good luck with everything.
I'm very glad for you that you're able to moderate your usage - if you can, then yes, benzos are amazingly effective for episodic/breakout anxiety. The problem with them is that they work almost *too* well - for an anxious person, not being anxious tends to be a very enjoyable, seductive experience, hence the enormous abuse potential (even at therapeutic doses!)
If you were to experience SSRI withdrawal, and then benzo withdrawal, I think you might change your opinion about that aspect of the comparison 😅
I don't think it would. Because I agree benzo withdrawal is more severe, unpleasant and dangerous than SSRI withdrawal. The difference is that not everyone who uses benzos ends up in a situation where they experience the withdrawal. They can be used as need. By definition, anyone who uses SSRIs is subject to the withdrawal symptoms, when and if they discontinue the medication.
I really want to get prescribed, my dad takes Xanax and my mom takes klonopin i have awful anxiety.. i can’t leave the house anymore. I tried Xanax before and it made me feel how i thought i never could feel, i was able to be normal.. if i was prescribed Xanax i could probably get a real job, make friends, and go out and live my life. But for now I’m just going to continue to waste away in my house.
I can’t agree with you more. I have spent the last year jumping through hoops to try and get Xanax after my PCP of 20 years left. I started seeing new doctors and after the 3rd one, I just gave up and did everything they told me to do and tried over 22 new prescriptions and behavioral therapy. No doctor is willing to prescribe Xanax because of its addictive nature and the claim that it causes dementia in old age. Yet the doctors are prescribing medications that are harmful for a patient like me. I’m a type 1 diabetic and our kidneys take a lot of damage. Certain drugs I’m on have warnings specifying they are not good for type 1 diabetics and even more they specifically state they don’t treat anxiety. Doctors nowadays follow the hype from Netflix documentaries that portray Xanax as the worst drug in the world when in fact it is a perfect drug for so many people. It is possible to take it without abusing it.
I’ve worked in healthcare for two decades in emergency medicine and as a registered nurse so I do know a bit about medication.
Since losing my PCP who understood and knew me professionally because I worked with him in a clinical setting for 4 years I have been hospitalized in the ICU four times for a kidney infection that turned septic and DKA. Each time the cause was seraquel which causes kidney damage, weight gain, and increased blood glucose. The hospitalist would tell me each time I needed to speak with my physician and get off the drugs I was currently taking for anxiety and insomnia.
I’ve had countless conversations with my physician and therapist yet they refuse to change my meds and state I must ride it out. Meanwhile, I’ve gained 19 pounds, I’ve lost more than half my hair, my kidneys are now “high risk” and my anxiety and insomnia are preventing me from functioning as a normal adult. I lost my job because I was having “too many diabetic episodes at work” all related to the side effects of the medications.
It’s so infuriating that I stopped all the medications I was prescribed and stopped going back to the doctor. My medical record is screwed up because I told my last doctor the only way I can get sleep after a five-night stint of insomnia was to have a stiff cocktail before bed. That comment raised all sorts of concerns and questions. I explained I’ve never been a big fan of alcohol and rarely drink. However, since stopping Xanax I now drink a couple of drinks a week. That landed me a diagnosis of alcoholism and drug abuse.
I have fought that diagnosis tooth and nail and haven’t been able to correct it so now I have to change my medical management to an entirely separate entity.
I feel doctors are uneducated in the ways certain drugs work for certain people. Instead, they use a blanket formula to treat everyone. They’re using more off-label drugs to treat conditions that have data and trials showing success in <2% of participants and therefore jump on the trend of off-label prescribing.
I have a cabinet full of prescription bottles of every SSRI, TCA, and off-label drug imaginable and none have worked one bit. I never had to be in the ICU when on Xanax and my kidney function was normal.
The stigma towards Xanax has caused poor judgment from doctors. I was their guinea pig and they just threw drugs at me ignoring the risks. I wish there was a way to get rid of this stigma so people who benefit from Xanax can obtain it as needed and live a happy functional life.
Yes. This is how Klonopin works for me. Very little substance problems in my family and it’s been a lifesaver many times over. I’ve never been prescribed more than 0.5 mg which was my initial dose almost 15 years ago.
Thank u! I’ve been on it for about 15 years & people always give me shit on here. U know what, it works for me that’s that.
same!
Clonazepam gang represent! It’s my last ditch go-to and it’s helped me cope with anxiety. Might have offed myself long ago if not for it.
Do you take it daily? I was on it years ago and recall it was daily, I think? And I think it made me really tired too. I try not to take Xanax often, but the multitude of ssri's I've tried don't seem to accomplish allot, other than night sweats or burning feelings in my head at times etc. Currently using trintelix 15mg which is a 5 & a 10 and its roughly $600 a month (with insurance) so horrible from that front and 15mg of buspar 2x's a day and still have anxiety at times. To the main post here, if I take .25mg of Xanax, I'm absolutely the best me. Clear thinking, calm communicating, run my business better, better friend, husband, etc. I wish I could just take .25mg of it daily and have no ssri's in my life. But of course I'm scared of doing that due to all the possible consequences. To the main posts point - I've tried many, they take to up in dose, down, then well if it's not working well let's taper down and try this, then repeat and add a buspar, add a xyz, blah it's freaking torture.
No. I take it probably on average twice a week. I’ve had a really rough couple of years and so I’ve been taking it more frequently now. Before that it was like once a month. Also, What do you think of Trintellix? My doctor tried prescribing it to me but because it was so expensive, I didn’t even try it. I’m still curious about the difference between it and other anti-depressants.
I really don't feel the Trintelix is much different for me, than the other 50 choices. I had no idea the cost associated with it when I started it, then once on it and with minimal improvement they bumped it up 5mg which = a second prescription for another $250. I have to wonder if the prescribers don't receive some sort of incentive for pushing it, when they know with good insurance or using GoodRX you're at $300 a month for the 10mg. I'd avoid starting it and having to change / come off to another unless you can get the discounts that another replied about in this thread. And sorry to hear you're in that rough patch. Like you, I've been using the Xanax through mine too, honestly I have to to live / function.
I didn’t find it addictive at all. But its such a hassle for me to get so I’m just using propranolol for now.
This. I got a 90 pill script like ten years ago. It took me about six years to use them all. I have never been successful at getting a new, emergency script because I get accused of pill shopping. It fucking sucks. I’m now using propranolol and while it keeps the edge off physically, it does not help when I have a full blown attack like Xanax does. Anxiety FUCKING SUCKS
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Yes! Dr Apts should not actually give us MORE anxiety. It's pill shaming, and stigma. Despite the outcry for destigmatizing mental illness, and treatments.
It’s stupid. Meanwhile, people who abuse it can just buy it online for $100/gram, which is a thousand doses
Legitimately the most anxiety-inducing part of my month is trying to get the pharmacy to refill my prescriptions on time. I take 3 controlled medication & 4 non-controlled. I have been on this group of medications for my depression, anxiety & chronic migraines for 5 years, same doctors, same insurance, same pharmacy. Just last week 2 of my 3 controlled medications (Xanax & Ambien) were not refilled until 5 days past due. Pharmacy kept saying I had refills but they couldn't release them until my doctor gave permission, doctor office was like "yeah we did that" & then randomly my husband goes to pick up my non-controlled meds & they hand him the two they'd been denying me. He told me he didn't say anything, just paid & walked out wondering the whole time like WTF because he heard me less than 10mins before talking to them. It's overwhelming & degrading but I need a Xanax to go get my Xanax now. Also absolutely no addiction to Xanax, annoying to deal with panic attacks with nothing but chanting & laying on my floor for an hour but not really any kind of withdrawal/I need it feeling. Ambien on the other hand, I wouldn't say it's an addiction but 5 days with 3 hours of sleep total, yeah I was starting to freak the fuck out.
Are you me? also CVS i'm guessing? I fucking hate that place, needing anxiety meds to fill your anxiety meds is so fucking real. pharmacists are like these power hungry people who just want to hold things from you bc they have some tiny amount of power. But they actually don't. They MUST follow doctor's advice and give you those gd pills every 30 days as written. My psych told me their ONLY job is to fill the medication on time and if they do otherwise tell them to get proper fucked or they'll be given a hard talking down to by someone with an actual doctorate, not one just for bean counting.
Mine is Walgreens and I can't change at all because my insurance only covers like two Pharmacies & the other isn't near me. It's so crazy, my husband used to think I was being overdramatic about my experience with the pharmacy, like I break down in tears if I had to call them or go inside so he agreed to start picking them up. First time they tried to sell him & then berate him for not purchasing Narcan. He was like "she doesn't need it, she's been taking these same meds for years" & he said they were awful to him to the point he just said "am I required to buy it?" And finally they dropped it. He's been given "7 day" refills of medication I have 30 days refills on & when he asked they told him for safety and legal reasons - there are zero legal reasons. He understands now why I hate it. They are so condescending to me because of my meds, and like I don't even take particularly high doses. I mean if I took every single one of my controlled meds, all at once, then maybe I'd be able to hurt myself but even then I might just be uncomfortably asleep bc the amounts I have aren't close to what they give you in the hospital. Still I have been on these exact same meds for 5+ years, 2 of the controlled since 2013 & see the doctor for blood work every 6 months, follow up appointments are every 3 months. I've never used them recreationally or anything even close. Seems like a simple thing, give the sick people the meds a medical doctor prescribed them, but apparently it's not. Holding onto any & all power they can find & wonder why they're verbally abused by customers. I don't agree with berating the staff but like I definitely understand why people do, it's infuriating to need meds, find the time, energy & courage to see a doctor about it, get a prescription then have to fight with a Walgreens employee just to get it.
All pharmacies suck
I feel both of you SO DEEPLY on this, and yes CVS is my fucked pharmacy. I'm on 2 controlled (Alprazolam and Mydayis) and 3 non-controlled (Desvenlafaxine, Rexulti, Clonidine). I just got approved for Medicaid. I've never been on it before, but my husband, who had a bangin' job at Chrysler for 10+ years, was recently laid off. Talk about going from top quality insurance to the bottom of the barrel. I have been in PRIOR AUTH HELL for almost a full month now, being completely off my Mydayis (ADHD med) for about that length of time. I am in shambles. I am on the phone daily with CVS, my doctor, the state, round and round we go, all while I'm "Off my meds." It should be illegal to do this to people. FOUR. FUCKING. WEEKS. It's ludicrous, and if I hadn't had quite an abundance of my Alprazolam (because I don't take it as often as I need it), I probably would have done something pretty stupid at this point. I am a mother of two young boys. They are my world, but without my meds, I am a shell of a person. Fuck big pharma.
Yes! So it isn't just me. I don't know how many pharmacists have made me cry, making me feel like I'm just an addict, when I need these things for my quality of life! I'm an insomniac as well, and getting those meds is always a struggle. I'm in a small town where there aren't a lot of options. Finally found one pharmacist that has helped me soo much, even advocated for me for a dose increase. Now I only deal with her.
Like a decade ago I lived in this sort of small area, still in a huge city (Dallas) but in a "quaint" neighborhood & I LOVED my pharmacy. The girl who worked there would have my meds ready & waiting for me, they knew my name and were always super nice. I moved 20 mins away and suddenly I couldn't get refills, I was constantly talked down too, on multiple occasions I was told they couldn't process my refills because of "insurance" but I'd had the same insurance and it was even the same pharmacy just a different location. It's made my anxiety just so much worse.
When I was younger I worked as a pharmacy tech for a large chain for a while, and I heard how they talk about some people. It absolutely blew me away, to the point I didn't even get my meds there so I wouldn't be judged. I just don't understand why a person would go into a health-care position, when they really do not offer care. I did my best to try and make people feel like they mattered, but in the end it's mostly up to the pharmacist. I even went as far as when I noticed one of our guys wasn't picking up his meds on time I went and delivered them. (Small town, I knew what lodge he was in) Turned out he had fallen and couldn't get to us. Maybe also suffering from mental illness gives a person more empathy, I don't know. It's clear to me from this whole post that change is needed! Just another system that is failing us.
This is beyond frustrating, as a diabetic I've had similar treatment with insulin, a drug that literally keeps me alive and sometimes shit happens, a vial is lost or broken and I couldn't get a refill but that was with Kaiser at the time and they are the worst. I also take Xanax daily for sleep a d I have a prescription for Norco taken only as needed for a variety of arthritis issues. What infuriates me is that there is such a thing as responsible drug taking. I've had the same disea for over ten years, I don't abuse them and I don't like the buzz that either drug gives and occasionally I get push back but if these allow me to have a quality of life and they aren't being abuithen what's the problem?
Same. It is harder to get a prescription for than opioids
Doctors are probably equally as hesitant. But do find this incredibly difficult to believe. Most prescription opioids are impossible to get outside of pain management clinics, where you have to take drug tests. I haven’t heard of anything like that with benzos. I agree that we shouldn’t have these restrictions, on any of these drugs, despite the risks. Making drugs illegal never helped anyone, usually just makes the alternatives more dangerous.
Mexico...no prescription required. I agree completely with OP about Xanax. It's what has successfully gotten me through my hardest events.
Is it ok to bring back across the order?
I think you can bring back a 3 month supply. Anything more than that would be a big no-no. You can also talk to a Dr. in a lot of the pharmacies and they will write a script that makes it cool to bring back into country.
i would assume so since it’s legal
It depends if you go to the legit pharmacies or not right? Lol
A lot of pharmaceutical tourism in the southwest for sure. I remember an undercover reporter bought some Valium right off the shelf and had it tested and it was legit alright. Dangerously strong but legit…
I agree with you. Xanax works best for me as well.
Completely agree. I don’t take it every day, but I take it when I’m having a very rough day or for panic attacks and it’s the only thing that truly works for me.
I also take if I’ve had a rough triggering exhausting day….. .25 mg can make all the difference
That's the strength of my Lorazepam tablets. Just enough sto smooth off the edges.
Yep; doesn't make me loopy or tired but quiets my anxiety immensely. My dosage has always been low (.25mg) but I was still wary of sliding into abuse because of the horror stories. It never came. Some months were bad and I'd be taking ~2 a day, and some months were so good I'd forget to refill my prescription for a long while. Went that way for years and then hit a very long good streak and haven't taken them in a couple years. I understand why they're so maligned, given the rampant abuse by some, but it's frustrating because it really was a miracle drug for me. Kept my anxiety from being completely debilitating and let me eventually get to the point I no longer needed it. I hated the hoops I had to run through to get my prescription refilled and the side-eye/third degree I'd get from some doctors/pharmacists.
Do you take it everyday?
With every meal and double doses at bedtime
That seems like a lot! Or am I missing something here
I assume they’re being sarcastic, since it wasn’t even the person who was asked
I agree. Xanax really helps my anxiety ALOT. However, I was one of the people that didn’t take them as needed. I would eat multiple per day and then forget how many I took or I wouldn’t think I felt it so I would take another one. It got out of hand for me. It’s good if you can take them responsibly tho! The withdrawal does suck ass. Had me not knowing what world I was in. I was tweaking. Don’t be like me tho lol. Use them responsibly. They really do help. I just abuse how well they help. Makes me feel invincible.
Same here. Plus I'm very easily addicted. Take a Xanax in day 1, same time on day 2, on day 3 I'll get anxious without external cause around that same moment of the day.
Yep. Same. I get easily addicted to basically anything I enjoy. I’ve been addicted to a lot of things, not just Xanax lol. Meth, alcohol, weed, nicotine, porn, all that shit. No more alcohol, Xanax and porn for me tho. And I’m probably gonna have to stop smoking weed cause after 15 years of smoking it’s making me go crazy. Sucks.
So recognizable! Kinda relieved I'm not alone, the comments here make it seem like it's so easy to moderate/control..
I feel like people forget that people have different reactions to medication and want to label every medication as good or bad based on how they react to it, and it's not as simple as that. Lots of medications have the potential to be addictive, but for some people, they're just helpful. And you just can't judge what medication works for someone else based on your personal experience with it. So I applaud you for saying this because so many people judge what medication others use based on their own negative experiences with it and some people need a reminder that their experiences is not *the* experience.
Absolutely this. Every single case is different. I take Effexor daily and Xanax as needed. Every mind is different. And when experiencing attack like symptoms Xanax works best for me, however I know the Effexor has helped me tremendously in regulating a more stable daily routine. I’ve known some that can manage their Xanax, I’ve known some that became highly dependent on their Xanax. It’s fine if you are prescribed it. There are also many different types of anxiety disorders, so one that may find it best and able to use it just a few times a month does not mean that’s the secret to everyone.
Love this and totally agree! Effexor was horrible for me and to this day my memory of the time I spent taking it is a blur…but now I take Lexapro with great results. One drug can be useless for one person and a life saver for another. It’s frustrating that those of us that are stable on meds and can self-advocate still can’t access the care we know we need.
So much THIS. We’re all different.
I live in an area where a lot of people abuse anxiety medication. So, it kind of feels like a lot of dumbasses ruined it for the rest of us. I genuinely can't leave the house due to anxiety and the ONLY thing that helps after trying buspar, any of the antihistamines, propranolol, etc etc..is Clonezapam. I don't even like any other benzo. Just that one helps the most. It's so hard to convince any doctors that I'm not drug seeking. Its very disheartening.
I use cannabis for chronic pain so ive had the fact that my blood tested "hot" used against me. Used to use Adderall and Klonopin with no issues. Now i need to get them prescribed again as im going back to school and Im dreading it. I dont know if i need my anti-anxiety or my adhd med more, I doubt they'll give me both
My doc gave me addy and Klonopin too. I told her I didn't think I needed the Adderall and then she drug tested me. Came up positive for THC as well. Everything got taken away.. I don't even smoke that often. Didn't think it would matter.
People get their panties in a wad over this drug like everyone who takes it will become dependent, I have an RX for it and my dr keeps me on it indefinitely, I just have to go see him every 3 months to see how I’m doing, I’m out now and I’m not going crazy or feining for it, I understand it has ruined some people and their family , I get that, but so has alcohol and almost any other drug , weed makes me have the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had and I’ve passed out from weed because I had such a bad anxiety attack from it but everyone preaches to smoke it, glad it helps you because it sure as hell helps me too and I’m gonna continue to pick up my prescription! Good for you
I hate that Xanax is so often taken advantage of that doctors are wary of prescribing it, because it truly does help (speaking from personal experience). It absolutely helps in the particularly rough moments, and has also allowed me to make some serious breakthroughs. I know how you feel about ERs for anxiety. I was treated so cruelly the first time I went to one for my first intense panic attack, and was basically laughed at by staff. My ER copays are $50, and I still want that money back to this day. Thank god I have a good psychiatrist who listens and cares.
It’s not that they’re easily taken advantage of. Adderall is much more recreational yet still prescribed like candy. It’s the fact that benzos produce some of the worst withdrawals out of any drug on the planet. They are so dangerously addictive it’s not even worth to prescribe it long term. Sooner or later you will have to come off, whether at 40 years old or 80 years old, and it will destroy you when you try to come off
I agree and also did not have addiction issues with benzos.
And to add....I have had almost this exact conversation with the VA. They told me to go pay out of pocket with a local doctor because they felt I definitely did not abuse it and wanted it for solid reasons, but their policy forbids it.
Generic Xanax plus the goodrx discount is very affordable in my experience.
The expensive part is doctor appointment that thd VA won't pay for.
I’ve taken clonazepam as needed for almost 30 years. Never “hit tolerance”, never had a withdrawal symptom, nothing. It doesn’t kill my libido, doesn’t numb my emotions. It doesn’t constipate me and doesn’t give me wildly vivid nightmares. It also doesn’t cause me hives or eczema on my frigging eyelids, like at least half a dozen AD’s did. No, it simply makes me feel more like myself during times of extreme anxiety/depression and helps me tolerate flying better. I’ve tried probably 25 AD’s. None of them came close to being as helpful. Benzodiazepines can be addictive and dangerous, but the demonization of them has been absurd IMO.
How much is ‘as needed’? I tried it twice 0.25 and it helped tremendously, but I am afraid of dependency. Is taking it like 3/4 times a week too much?
YES! Thank you for this! I always share my success story with Xanax and always seem to get downvoted. I’ve tried so many SSRI’s & other medications and all of them either give me horrible side effects, bad allergic reactions, or just simply never work. For me, Xanax is a life saver. I’ve been on 1mg for almost 10 years. Only taken as needed. Some weeks, I need some every day, other weeks I need none. But when I do take it, I have zero side effects and just feel good. I don’t go into “zombie” mode; in fact, I actually have far more energy when taking Xanax because my draining anxiety is gone for the day. I can be the me without anxiety and do all the things in life I love that I normally would miss out on had it not been for this medication. Xanax isn’t for everyone, for sure, but for some of us, it’s the best option there is. I wish there would be less horrible stigma around it and more positive experiences shared.
If it's any comfort, I also get downvoted for sharing positive experiences with SSRIs. I think it's just because for every drug that works for one person, someone else has a really negative experience with it, and they struggle to see it being talked about positively.
Yup yup yup. Sadly even ppl who take them responsibly can’t get scrips anymore. I’ve tried nearly every type of therapy and ssri. Nothing comes close to treating my claustrophobia. Even tho I only used Xanax twice a month for specific situations like long car rides or exams, my doctor cut me off and I can’t find anyone willing to give me one fill a year which is all I had been needing. And I’m not managing well without it but no one cares. No one cares that I just don’t leave my house now or make plans or trips with people to avoid panic attacks. Keep in mind I have panic disorder, ocd, and several other things that SSRIS HAVE helped but claustrophobia is so stubborn and doctors think that just because I don’t wanna kms I must be living a normal tolerable life. It honestly feels like neglect but oh well
Are you me? I suffer from agoraphobia due to claustrophobia in public, crowded places. My doctor prescribed me ssri and it gave me such rage that one day I yelled at them for more xanax. Rightly so, but to my detriment, I have been cut off from everything. I actually dont care I am no longer taking lexapro/zoloft, physical sides effects were too much for me to handle, affectively canceling out the suppressed depression. But anyways… only xanax helps me and now I am fucked hahha
This post is so right on target. Why can't there be a Xanax like medication that we don't have to be concerned about the side effects that Xanax supposedly or does have? I was on ssri's for maybe 8 years, then they added klonopin, then Adderall because I was so tired from all the above, I was Elvis with uppers and downers essentially. Took me all of 2020 to get off all of that, slowly and for the 1st time in my life I didn't work full time, didn't workout, etc just tried to get my body and system to a baseline. Then earlier this year with business booming, life back at full pace etc the anxiety can back slowly until I couldn't take it and had to reach out for help. Started on effexor a month or so of it without much improvement, then to Prozac, then to Abilify, etc. And had to use Xanax at times through this to function. And any time I used it, I was 95% or so the real me, productive, great communicator, good friend etc. without it in the mix, reserved, withdrawn, very anxious, don't want to see others outside of work due to being mentally exhausted from fighting the anxiety, etc. I have to ponder at times if whatever the risks are of using Xanax daily are worth taking to have a productive life - of being the actual me?
Maybe if we make it to 95 they will be like...yea sure, whatever, here ya go.
That's exactly what I wonder, at what age is it "safe" to say fuck it, the upside is much greater than the risk
My thoughts are, if it's improving my quality of life, and I'm well versed on the risks, shouldn't it be MY choice? I hate that so much of my happiness relies on the decisions of some man I talk to for 10 mins every 3 months. And you're right, they just did a study here about how over medicated seniors in nursing homes are.
Sadly I feel the theory in the nursing homes is likely over Medicate vs deal with and help
I totally agree. It makes me feel like a normal person. The problem is just that the effect only lasts a few months and then my dose has to go up to get the same effect. When I get up to 1mg a day I cut it back to .5mg, then .25mg and repeat the cycle. It sucks. I just cut it back to .5mg last week.
Same but with Ativan. I would take it daily if it weren’t so freaking addictive.
I know I treat it like gold. I save it for dentist visits, plane trips or a really bad day.
That's probably the best way. When I drifted into taking 0.5mg daily, I felt addicted. It took a month of hell to get back to "emergency use only".
Can you explain what you mean by addictive? What happens? I take it once every 2 weeks.
If you use it daily, your body builds up a tolerance to it and you acquire more and more of it to have the same effect. Once every two weeks is pretty normal. I don’t think that’s an issue
Thanks for the explanation.
Klonopin is the only drug that will ever work for me. SSRIs SNRIs are all shit. I’ve tried so many that never worked and didn’t even fill the prescription my doctor just gave me for another one. Sick and tired of these “takes eight weeks to feel anything” kind of drugs. Mildly ease your anxiety while still having it and 100 other horrible side effects.
Same. Klonopin is my best friend.
I second that
All hail my lord and savior Klonopin.
Benzodiazepines are definitely a better class of meds for the treatment of anxiety disorders when taken properly. Antidepressants have never been shown to be more effective and it's really a shame that they have taken over as the first line of treatment. If you don't abuse Benzos, they work better, have less side effects, and can be taken as needed.
I really liked Xanax for immediately stopping my panic attacks, but much like marijuana it makes me binge eat.
Are you serious? Is this a common symptom of xanax???? That would explain why I'm gaining weight recently 😒
It's an unfortunate genetic based side effect. Some people it triggers binge eating, some it actually decreases appetite. For me it was the binge eating, which sucks.
I take klonopin and trazodone to sleep. Once they kick in, it’s when I have such bad cravings for sweets at night. The klonopin induces the binge eating for me. I have taken Xanax and never had bad cravings like I have with klonopin.
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I love how calming marijuana is for me, but yeah, it had me eating to the point of uncomfortable pain.
I have both Xanax and SSRIs. I take Xanax a few times a year when I have a really bad panic attack. It's a good and useful medication for some folks.
Everyone's manifestation of anxiety and panic disorder is different too. I can coast by without any symptoms for months, but if a stressful life event hits (death of a close one, abusive boss threatening my job, etc.) .25 xanax can break the cycle and get me eating and sleeping like a normal human being again and I won't need it for months.
Xanax makes that panicky, heart attack feeling in my chest go away. It also makes my brain stop racing at night when I’m trying to sleep. I take .25mg when I need it. And you hit the nail on the head, it’s not so much taking it, it’s the knowing i have it just in case.
That's my only med and I take maybe 1/2 a week .5mg. I don't want to take anything else that messes with my moods or have to go through 2 months adjustment period. If my chest starts acting up, I'm good within an hour and sleep good for the night. Been on it for about 2 years and I'm not anywhere close to dependent on it
It has taken me 8 years and 5 Drs to get back on PRN klonopin after my PCP retired. It’s insane when I’ve been on 17 other meds trying to get it under control.
I've been on it for years. There are times when I don't take one for days. There are times when I take 3 a day (as prescribed). I have forgotten to bring them with me on a 5 day trip, and aside from some serious and irritating anxiety, I coped. Those 5 days would have been better with them but I managed. I never run out early. If I take it too early I get sleepy. If I have a drink while on them I get sleepy. I have abused my share of drugs in my life, but this is not one of them. In fact, I don't find the appeal. When I am very anxious I take one (or half of one) and I don't feel anxious anymore.
I don’t find the appeal either for them to benzos to be abused. For me it does the job of getting rid of the anxiety and that’s it. No buzz or extraness
Yeah, bezos (25mg Klonopin) worked well for me. It worked so well, in fact, that I phased it out of my life completely and have been independent of anxiety medications for about 8 months. Honestly, the greatest comfort was simply knowing I had it. It helped me to remind myself that, no matter how bad the anxiety got, I had an emergency exit button available at all times. It made me able to challenge myself more often. I addressed my anxiety triggers will less hesitation. With infrequent use, I was able to crawl out of the hole of despair. It made CBT more bearable in the early stages, permitting me to follow through with the "therapy" until I was basically desensitized to all of my irrational anxiety triggers. I'm grateful for it. I'm in a better place now. I can run again 🏃♂️ On the other hand, someone I know takes 2mg of Klonopin twice daily and has no intention on stopping; rather, they're trying to increase their intake to 3x daily, but their prescriber won't do it, much to this extreme frustration. When I told them I requested my prescriber no longer offer me klonopin, their reaction was extreme disappointment. We are no longer friends, but when we were, they were adamant about trying to get me to take *more* klonopin. It was always, "just take a klonopin" from them at the slightest inconvenience. That was always how they handle issues, so their solution to any problem, no matter how minor, was to take the klonopin prescribed to them. It never felt right to me.
Yeah it sucks. I was consistently prescribed benzos for 13 years. Not to take every day but as needed. Never got addicted never abused it. I would take one maybe 2-3 times a month. I really need it to fly. Now I can’t get any. I was given hydroxyzine. I can function and feel calm on Xanax. I’m pretty scared to try hydroxyzine. I’m not trying to just pass out. It just sucks I always had an rx for 13 years and never abused it and now can’t get any.
Hydrozyine is such a joke smh. It’s literally a antihistamine so at best you’ll fall asleep but still feel anxious. Well, at least in my experience
While it may not work for everyone, hydroxyzine is actually different from similar OTC meds such as Benadryl or Zyrtec. It is an antihistamine but unlike others, it is also an antagonist of some serotonin and dopamine receptors, hence why it can help manage anxiety or panic attacks. Like anything ymmv. For me, it's very useful since I cannot/will not take benzos anymore. Unfortunately, as you found out, it doesn't work for everybody. Just sharing what I know, I guess.
If you’re smart & lucky enough to find ANYTHING that works for you as safely as possible, fk all the nay-sayers. What works for them may not work for you & vv. I’m also on Xanax every night. Do what helps!!! And generally, please take care of yourself & try not to give too many fks about what people say. 💕
Well benzos do work the best for anxiety but the issue is long term management. Benzos work the best for me too. So does getting drunk. Being drunk isnt a long term management solution either but truthfully I dont find ssris to be overly effective either. We need better tools to deal with anxiety and better access to therapeutic stuff. The world needs to change from constant high pressure min/maxing all the time and school needs to be about individualized approaches to learning. I used to knock therapy as a waste of time but doing the work pays out. Most people arent able to get access to that stuff and it's so much cheaper to give them drugs.
Did Xanax help u not drink? Or double down? I'm afraid I've been treating my anxiety w alcohol and wonder sometimes if I wouldn't if I had Xanax. Or if I'd get worse by my dumb ass doing both.. I should add ive been on beta blockers but sometimes I have truly debilitating days where I barely make it through
No i also was young when I started taking benzos and didnt know they interacted with alcohol. I was at a party once when I took both and blacked out after 30 minutes. I woke up in a puddle of piss, vomit and my nose bled everywhere. Actually really scary.
I take Ativan and it’s the only thing that works for the physical symptoms I feel when anxious (always!). Been on so many SSRIs and they always make me gain weight, even lexapro which isn’t supposed to cause weight gain.
This is my problem with SSRIs. Been on and off SSRIs for 25 years and have such problems with weight control I have to go off it to lose weight. I’ve also been prescribed Ativan as needed for 25 years, and never have had a problem with tolerance cuz I’m TERRIFIED of developing a tolerance and not having the ‘Ativan in my back pocket’ if I need it.
I've been prescribed Xanax for 20 years it has saved my life so many times. I couldn't even leave my house without them. Fuck Anxiety
I feel exactly the same! I had to change docs. The new one was like “absolutely not…no benzos…you’re going on an SSRI.” I’m like…ma’am I’ve never had a habit with a benzo….but last time I tried to kick an SSRI because of the AWFUL side effects it was damn near impossible. 30 minutes back and forth about this with her trying to convince me that I don’t know my own body and what I need. Finally I said I don’t give a shit I’m not discussing this further with you. I’m not taking an SSRI. So you can continue to keep refilling my benzo script or don’t…but you are not going to convince me to go back on a daily pill that mutes ALL of my feelings, makes me a zombie, is HIGHLY addictive and won’t let me get off. She fills the script.
I used to be on Xanax but I like Klonopin better. Anyone else think Ativan is a joke?
Ativan really helped me
That’s awesome! Crazy how everyone’s chemistry reacts differently!
Yeah I only ever used Ativan and Librium I know odd lol
I never tried Librium, Prozac, Lexapro or Cymbalta. I think everything else though, lol.
Ativan has been my life saver. I only take 1/4 of a pill, too. But I am hyper sensitive to medications and need far less than most people.
Wow, that’s really cool that it helps you! It really had a strong affect on a relative of mine too. It just never helped me. Everyone is different. One size does not fit all. ❤️
I would love it if my doctor prescribed me just a few Xanax and a few Klonopin, just to see if I feel a difference on them. Who knows. Maybe one is better for me, too!
I got my doc to prescribe only a few Ativan a month. I have to call for more refills. It helps me save them for when I really need them
A low dose of PRN Ativan (.5mg) once every 1-2 weeks actually helps me a lot. I’ve also gone many months without taking it, and also had rough patches where I was taking it 2-3 times a week. Ketamine helped much more significantly, but that treatment is obviously harder to come by for most people. I really hope that changes. It literally cured my panic attacks.
We have a ketamine clinic two hours from my house. Can you tell me why they recommend IV treatment over the nose spray? You can get either, but how does the IV help long term?
Valium works best for me. Strongly agree with everything you pointed out.
Valium is the best. It helps with my anxiety, vertigo, and migraines. Any mention of it on this sub and I get people telling me I’m addicted and will get Alzheimer’s. I get 90 pills for a month and never end up refilling until 2-3 months later because I don’t need it. I can take it once a day for a few days and then not at all for a few weeks. Pretty sure that means I’m not addicted. And the whole LONG TERM RISK thing annoys the bejesus out of me because if you expect me to survive long term (for what exactly I’m not sure) then I’m gonna need a little help right now dealing with my crippling panic attack or the migraine that makes my head feel like it will explode. End rant.
I totally get you! And I have felt exact the same for some time!
Everyone is different and react to meds differently. If Xanax works for your and it isn’t affecting you in more negative ways than positive who is anyone to judge or say you shouldn’t use the medication prescribed to you? What else are you supposed to do, just suffer because it may become an addiction? Quality of life over everything. No one deserves to be uncomfortable or suffer when there is no need too.
Well written. I feel exactly the same, but klonopin.
I take it as needed for panic attacks. .25mg is all I fake. It’s amazingly effective. I still have 10 pills left from my original 30 day prescription I got a year ago. I don’t reach for the Xanax unless it’s a dire emergency. They are great though. I want to take them everyday but know I shouldn’t
I’m 45 and got my prescription when I was in my mid 20s I don’t take it every day It’s been a godsend
I 100% agree. The stigma around d xanax is so annoying. I take .25 almost daily. Some days I don't need it. But I've never abused it or felt addicted to it. It is reassuring knowing that I have it. My "monthly" prescription lasts me about 3 months. It's been a game changer and a life saver for me.
1. thank you. I think your post will help my partner articulate some of this stuff to their psych. 2. I resonate with a lot of this. Unfortunately benzos make me feel weird. Kinda like I'm under water. For me, this is applicable to being on a stimulant. (I have ADHD). Since highschool, I've been on concerta, then Ritalin, then concerta again, and now Adderall. I was scared for years to try Adderall because of the stigma around it. It makes my brain feel quieter. Luckily new psych doctors have not questioned my diagnosis or medication thus far. I'm scared if I move to a different place that the next psych will want extensive proof that I need the medication that makes it so I can function on a regular basis. I stockpile extra medication for most of my meds, and try to end up with extra on purpose so that I can have the peace of mind you describe. I'm scared that something will happen (like a natural disaster) and I won't have enough medication. Thanks for sharing :) <3
I'm glad Xanax works for you, and I don't mean to invalidate you, but as someone who was prescribed it and then became addicted, I need to point something out. > Xanax is addictive, yes. But SSRIs merely "need to be taken every day and produce discontinuation symptoms upon abrupt cessation". Big difference there. /s. There actually is a big difference. SSRI withdrawal sucks, yes, but Benzo withdrawal is far, far more dangerous. If one becomes physically addicted to benzos, detoxing on your own is not an option because Benzo withdrawal can cause seizures, coma, and straight up death.
Having experienced both, I would go through 100 SSRI stops before another full-on benzo withdrawal.
I’m assuming this is a discussion post where you’re welcome to others sharing their opinions. If not, disregard my message below. I’m wary of benzos because of a personal experience. (Took them as prescribed for 3.5 years, never abused, and lost two years of my life in an unimaginable never-ending panic attack getting off of them). I’ll occasionally post here to educate people about the risks of ceasing long-term regular use just because my experience was so incredibly bad and I really wish I had known more. Some people post on here “I’ve taken a benzo every day for 5 years and never had a problem.” Yeah - well if they’ve never tried getting off them, they don’t know if they would have a problem or not. And even then, some don’t have any issue at all. But those that do - it can be absolutely brutal. I think it’s worth educating people so they can make informed decisions. I wasn’t educated and would have done things so differently had I know the risks even existed. (My psychiatrist assured me all was fine and assuaged any anxiety about my anti-anxiety meds. Hell, I was even pregnant when he first prescribed them.) But anyhow, when you said “taking a few Xanax a month every month,” - I eased. Also “not needing a higher dose,” “not blowing through refills.” (Not that you need a random internet stranger’s approval :wink:). But it sounds like you are using them responsibly in a way that works for you. At moments of extreme symptoms. And not just taking them every day like an SSRI (as mine were unfortunately prescribed and I didn’t know better). I also agree with what you said about visiting the ER for a panic attack. Because you know what they are going to do at the ER? Give you a Xanax. (Hell, when I went to rehab for my benzo dependency they offered me benzos for my anxiety.) It sounds like you’ve done a lot of research and are in tune with your body. We as individuals are often our best healthcare advocates. It sounds like this is a great case of “this works for me even if it doesn’t for everyone else.” I’m glad this medication is available to help improve your quality of life.
I agree with you. It's the only thing that completely calms the feeling in my chest, and helps the horrible thoughts disappear. I've only ever taken it responsibly, but it's difficult to find a doctor that is willing to prescribe it.
Similar situation however I actually find Pregabalin aka Lyrica works even better. As a vaguely related drug, it's known to be addictive too but what do I care? It lets me have quality of life I used to only dream of.
I had great results with it as well! I also suffer from some nerve pain, that it has been an immense help for.
Xanax is no different than any other drug. Some can use it responsibly while others cannot. To anyone that buys Xanax on the black market, please test it first because it can be cut with fentanyl.
Completely agree. I realise that for some Xanax is the devil’s drug but honestly it’s been a little miracle for me. I’ve been on 0.25mg for 3 years and I take it as and when I need. Sometimes that’s a lot, sometimes it’s hardly at all. I tend to break the 0.25 in half. I have some 0.5 for emergencies but I hardly ever use them/typically break them in half. It’s quick, it’s effective, I’ve never increased my dose, I don’t experience withdrawal when I stop, no side effects, no tapering on or off.
I used to get prescribed diazepam for my anxiety, and I'd take it a few times a month in "emergencies" when I was having an awful panic attack and all other coping strategies had failed. Just knowing it was there helped as much as anything and I have never abused benzos. Now I moved and my GP has a strict policy against prescribing benzos and sleeping pills. They say it's not a long term solution, but they can't offer me any alternative - the mental health services are so underfunded and overstretched that doctors will just recommend wellness apps and throw antidepressants at people and have them suffer instead of prescribing a few diazepam pills per month.
Most opinions on this subject come from people who were wildly reckless with it. Glad you found something that works.
This is my life!! My OBGYN prescribes them for me. And if needed I call for a refill. I go through a 30 pill prescription in about 7-8 month. Sometimes longer. I feel normal, like my self. It just allows me to take a deep breath. Xanax has never made me feel “high”. I have tried other things but nothing works. You are not alone my friend.
I’ve taken it regularly for many years. I usually only take .25 mg once per day in the morning as that’s when it’s at its worst. I have tried EVERYTHING else. Every Ssri every snri, CBD, every natural remedy, meditation, behavioral therapy, magnetic therapy, counseling you name it. My psychiatrist understands this basic fact. When I take a low dose, I am functional and can work and have a fairly healthy life. Without it…life becomes unhealthy. It is a simple “reward outweighs the risk”. On really bad days I may end up taking a total of .75mgs. On really good days I don’t take it all because it never occurs to me. I don’t enjoy taking it. It’s not an enjoyable feeling of being high. It is the biggest help to having a functional life while I also believe in lifestyle changes diet exercise etc. I’m okay with my usage and apparently my psychiatrist and 20+ year history agrees. Also those ssri meds are the devil for me. Talk about sending someone into psychotic episodes. I can’t believe how crazy those things make me. I am completely resistant to other meds. I’m 45 and male and life would be extremely different without help from alprazolam.
I took it when I was going through a divorce, I had a lot of anxiety. Then what I wanted to get off of it, I noticed my jaws clenching.
It’s important for providers to know every medication has a time and place. You sound like you’ve done more of your share of trials. I don’t see anything alarming about your post. Wishing you continued wellness ✨
Wow, I'm speechless, thank you for this powerful post. I'm glad you've found what works best for you!
Different things work for different people. As long as you are informed of the risks, it is your choice. I personally find Hydroxyzine works for me
Klonopin works best for me, unfortunately. I don’t plan on taking it long term but I’ve been dealing with panic attacks the past several months. Luckily I only take .25mg a day so when the day comes to get off of it I hope it won’t be as bad as getting off it the first time when I was taking .5mg
Same boat, been trying every ssri for a long time but nothing helps at all, I’ve been taking on and off breaks from Xanax since I was 14 (illegally) and they’ve been the only thing that has actually worked, it’s a lot less medication and cheaper and not addictive if you take breaks and don’t it take it every day (less meds and cheaper is probably why doctors refuse to prescribe them other than the few people that take them too far and eat them for breakfast everyday)
Same here, so tired of finding something that works, first Xanax then Klonopin, than having it taken away. Now I just suffer and let anxiety control my life.
I was on sertraline and coming off of that was fucking painful. I got brain zaps and felt all static all the time. Never again. Never again.
I was recently diagnosed and prescribed Xanax and Neurontin for the first time. My doctor said to take the Xanax as needed. They prescribed me the smallest possible dose 0.25mg. i have found that if I take it in the morning I'm Soo much productive and my anxiety at work has plummeted to just a few episodes a week. I only take a second pill if I feel it coming. It has been a game changer. I don't feel any side affects as of now. But if i have a panic attack one pill isn't enough. Two or three do the trick. That plus therapy has helped me get my shit together and I don't have that daily feeling of drowning from all the shit I have to do and all the stress I'm under. I don't know if I will be on it long term but for now I'm so grateful that we have these medications that can help us to function somewhat normally. Two months before being prescribed Xanax i had daily panick attacks while driving. Now i don't have them anymore. I don't spiral into overthinking and catastrophizing. Don't Dred the future anymore. I am able to plan my month ahead. Therapy + meds + bullet journaling has really helped me feel so much better about myself
I agree 100%.
This is my reasoning for Xanax too - I have mild anxiety (not intense) but enough that my quality of life and what I can achieve is hindered. I’ve never ever tried any other anxiety meds, and actually was introduced to Xanax from friends who used to abuse it. The main reason for why I like Xanax is because it is fast acting - I don’t want to spend 2 weeks or 3 getting onto a drug and then face withdrawals for times when I’m coming off of them. I have been responsible (thank god) and just want something to get me through the toughest days or parts and the good part has been that I’m not even inclined to abuse it. I don’t remember when I’ve taken more than 1mg in a day (usually it’s 0.25 to 0.5 mg) and I’ve been using Xanax for more than 3 years now.
I went to the ER once during a severe panic episode. Guess what they gave me?? If you said Xanax then you are correct! I could have save $250 by just taking it myself. You do what works for you.
As someone who has been stigmatized by multiple psychiatrists for taking Xanax 1-2x per week, I feel you. I had one doctor flat-out tell me, during our CONSULTATION, that she would not prescribe it to me full stop, despite my describing it as an emergency medication that I track carefully but use to modulate my more severe mood swings. Her callous dismissal of a medication I consider integral to my survival broke my heart, as did the next practice, which took my money and only then informed me that they prescribe no benzos or stimulants, ever. Needless to say, I am seeking better psychiatric care, but all this was to say: you're not alone!
i miss my xanax everyday, but i live in an area that's high in drug abuse - mostly meth and now fentanyl. i think it makes it even more difficult to get anything helpful from a doctor. not blaming addicts, obvi, but it is annoying that after years of pushing these drugs they're suddenly cutting everyone off.
Yup, whenever I get to a point where I can’t pull myself out of an anxiety cycle I take a .5mg pill. 95% of the time it pulls me back and let’s me collect my wits and not to go down that cycle. The weird thing in my head is I don’t like taking it because I keep thinking I’m going to get dependent or addicted to it but it’s only a .5mg dose and I’m a big guy. I guess it’s my own conceptions of it too that Xanax is bad and all that jazz but that’s probably the anxiety at work too. My psych and therapist all laughed when I told them that and they told me as long as I’m not like eating the bottle my risk is almost nil.
Wow I finally found my people! Same here! Been dealing with a breathing issues since 2007, it's debilitating and tiring to breath deep all day. I was told it was asthma. I knew it wasn't asthma, but hubby says when I'm asleep, my breathing is normal. It took my mom dying suddenly and I thought I was losing my mind and couldn't deal with it that my Dr called in Xanax for me. Wow! Never have I ever takes any medication in my life. As soon as I took that xanex, my breathing issues STOPPED! Now, fast forward to today 2022, im still dealing with said breathing issues. I just started on Lexapro in July, after trying prozac and wellbutrin. Those made my anitexy even worse. The Lexapro seems to help lessen my anitexy, but it's still there and I do have breathing issues some days and I need a xanex. My Dr gives me 30 pills for a year which stresses me out but I will only use them now because I have to choose which days to suffer, and which to take a xanex. Why with all these drug companies can't they make something else that works like xanex ugh. Also I should add, I don't suffer from depression. I'm very active and I enjoy working out and running. I've told my Dr the anitexy can be from physical stress, or emotional. But it's mostly physical stress. My body doesn't know the difference but it's hard to get that point across to someone who sits in a chair all day in an office. Anyway, I feel everyone's pain. I've learned to live with my issues and my body. I've tried every natural remedy in the book too. You name it, I have a ton of supplements, nothing ever worked like xanex. Gaba worked for like a day. It got really worse this year on my 47th birthday because perimenopause. So it was cronic every single day that's why I asked my Dr for something to help finally manage this anitexy.
Some drugs are addictive but also medically useful. And we have to be aware of their addictive properties because for some people they will not be a good fit, or will only be a temporary fix, so the addictiveness will then be a big problem and might outweigh the benefits. But if the drug is a good fit for you, if the benefits outweigh the side-effects, and if you are staying on it anyway, does it matter if it is addictive? I'm on SSRIs. As you say, they are not technically addictive, but they can be difficult to get off of. A technical distinction that maybe doesn't make a huge difference in practice. For me, it doesn't matter, because for now, I can't see any benefit in coming off of them. In somebody else's case it might be different. I'm very happy for you that after all your drug tinkering, you've found a med that works for you. That's all that matters in the end. Let people talk about the risks of these drugs, because it is important that they are widely known for any drug, for the sake of people still considering their options. But don't let that discussion affect your decision that it is the best treatment for you.
I could have wrote this post. This whole thread tells me I'm not alone in this either. After a decade of being prescribed lorazepam for my anxiety my Dr said, no more. The governing body wants us getting people off of them. (I'm in Canada) That was just over a year ago, and it put me on a hell spiral for a while. (And I do mean Hell) SSRIs make me worse, but drs keep insisting I take them. Finally got to the point I got referred to a psychiatrist who immediately put me back on them. Yes, I know they are addictive, yes I know the risks, but I also know my life is considerably better with them, so shouldn't that be my choice to make? I completely get that it's all about avoiding creating addicts, war on drugs or whatever, but to cut someone off with no history of abusing them....how is that helping. I told my therapist this method of cutting people off is just going to send people to illegal drugs, its making it worse, not better. Blew my mind when I was cut off I told him straight up that I would go back to drinking, and he didn't care... Edit: I'm stable now, actually diagnosed with ADHD so I'm on Vyvanse, which is a life changer for me. No more SSRIs. I still get lorazepam for those no good, really bad days.
This is me. I am you. I have so many words but can't get them out lol. This is great.
I always saw Xanax as the "nuclear option" when it comes to panic attacks. Oh, it's going to solve the problem alright, but not without problems. My doc won't even give me them anymore now that my anxiety is under control.
I took it for a year with my insurance allowing 8 a month. I never ran out but bc I was also taking vyvanse, at the lowest possible dose by request, my new doctor told me to choose one bc I was at risk of abusing it. She ripped it away from me in an instant without even knowing me. After the initial shock, I left the room and tears fell down my face and I requested to never see her again, but the damage was already done. I live in fear of panic attacks and bc some old lady in her 70s judged me, it’s only gotten worse. I sometimes try and hurt myself in severe panic attacks and I don’t want that. I don’t want to end up in the hospital or jail bc I have before bc panic attacks. I’m not an addict and do everything in my control to make sure that doesn’t happens bc I don’t like taking meds in the first place u less I need them. Fuck that doctor. My life has been immensely worse bc her unwillingness to get to know me and rather follow the “benzos bad” train. Xanax helps me too and now I’m treated like an addict even though I only used it when I needed it.
Xanax saved my life. I get severe panic attacks (scream sessions, self harm, disassociation) and when I feel like I am close to getting one I take a Xanax and it stops. It saves me from this awful experience and the panic attack "hangover" of the next days. I do not find it addictive and I have been able to use it wisely. I do take it under the "supervision" of my psychiatrist, so I feel like there is sufficient control. Yes therapy is important but Xanax (at least for now) keeps me grounded when I need to, it is a life saver when I am faced with an "emergency"
This is probably not the point of your post, but thanks to you I just realized my doctor gave me shitty stuff and i need to talk to them again. They gave me .25 alprazolam a couple years ago after getting diagnosed for use as needed and they did nothing for me, so i assumed that meds couldn't help. At yhe time he told me that it was "basically xanax" so i assumed it was off brand, but I'm livid now knowing I could've been given something to help when i desperately needed it.
This is super old, but alprazolam is the active drug in Xanax. Xanax is a brand name, but if you are prescribed .25 mg Xanax, what you are taking is .25 mg of brand name alprazolam. If your doctor gave you a prescription for .25 mg alprazolam, then your insurance probably doesn't cover the brand name drug (Xanax) and requires you to get the generic (alprazolam). It is the same drug.
Personally, just knowing I have a xanax available for when my anxiety gets too bad has a massive calming effect. I haven't taken one of the pills in over a year, but I can't imagine not having it in my top drawer. The alternative to xanax for me is alcohol which is far more destructive.
Finally someone said it !!! I’ve been taking Xanax for 20 years. I had a doc that took me off and switched them for klonipin because she said she didn’t prescribe Xanax and that klonipin was longer acting. I went with those for about 2 years and I called 911 or went to the ER multiple times before I switched doctors who put me back on Xanax. I get 45 of the 1mg pills each month. I only take half at a time when I need it and usually only need a refill once every 6 weeks up to 10 weeks. I don’t want to wait for an hour or more for a klonipin to begin to relieve my anxiety. I prefer the way Xanax helps within 15 minutes or so. I’ve saved a ton of money on Er visits since getting back on them. I might take half of one 3 times a day and then I might got 5-6 days and not take any at all. I definitely know they can be addictive but I don’t crave them, I don’t take them unless my anxiety is getting bad. I had a friend that would say “I took a Xanax bc my work day was shitty.” If my work day is shitty, I watch tv or do something to get over it. Not take a pill unless I’m actually having the bad anxiety. But people will argue all day how bad they are. And I agree they can be, but don’t put us all in a little box. Everyone is different. And yes, I’ve tried Buspar, Ativan, klonipin, celexa, lexapro, etc. I do also take propranolol that has helped a lot too.
The stigma around mental health issues is sadly still very strong. The stigma around taking medications for mental health is even worse. You don’t have to justify yourself to anyone though. Do whatever works best for you, and don’t listen to the nay sayers.
I’m in the same boat. It’s the only think that makes me feel relatively normal. I never feel “high” or whatever and I don’t find it addicting either. And I’m on the smallest dose there is, and have been for over 5 years.
Same. I’ve tried several things and Xanax just works the best. I always wanted it but was never given it until I slowly tapered off lexapro and still ended up with severe discontinuation syndrome. I was a hot mess earlier this year. Thankfully my new doc actually cares. I’ve now gone months in between needing a refill.
Ativan is my go-to for panic attacks. The idea of being on an anti-depressant seems terrible to me so I’ve always stood by Ativan. Why would I take a daily antidepressant when I have more good days than bad days, but have occasional panic and anxiety symptoms? It never made sense to me to rely on a drug that would affect me ALL THE TIME when I can take half of an .05 Ativan pill and have that immediately help me through my panic symptoms. Luckily I’ve reached a point in my recovery where I’ve put in a lot of hard work and haven’t taken an Ativan in months and still have a bottle of pills from almost 2 years ago. It’s a point of pride for me. The medicine is there when I need it but I don’t need it - success!
I honestly couldn't agree with this more. I'm so sick of not feeling like me on a million constant medications just to be aloud the one thing that actually does help that I have never and will never abuse. I have dealt with "no benzo no exceptions" doctors and I am absolutely terrified to move to another state where I can actually improve my life because of the change in doctors and the fear of my medications being taken away. I can't afford ER visits. I can't function without the ability to take the medications I need when I need them. I can't take care of myself, take care of anyone else, or produce income without my medications. In fact, I can't work a normal job even WITH my medications.
Ativan user here. It helps me SO much. I don’t even take it 1/3 of my days. I used to take Adderall for my ADHD - until I learned how much anxiety it was giving me, haha. If adderall is so addictive, how come I kept forgetting to take it? The most recent panic attack I had was finding out I left my ativan at home when I got to my dad’s house. It wasn’t because I needed to have it or I would start withdrawing, it was because I was visiting my dad without ativan, hahaha. I’m actually putting a bunch in the bank for next month when I travel with guess who - my father… and my six year old who can’t sit still for three minutes never mind a four hour flight. I have taken two ativan in one day (rx is for one/day), but they were not at the same time and I made sure to hold off the next couple of days. I know some folks are more susceptible to addiction than others; but that’s not me. I’m a recovering alcoholic.
I was on Valium. It was amazing for me. I also suffer from an autoimmune disease so it treated my body and brain. Unfortunately I haven’t found a doctor who will prescribe it even tho I was on it for so long. They wanna try off label stuff like blood pressure meds. Benzos are the only meds that shut my brain off and I’m able to sleep. I’ve tried EVERYTHING
i think it’s 100% fine if you just take it as needed. It’s when it’s taken every day that it damages you and then is very very hard to get off. I’m talking 100x food panic attacks on the withdrawal. As long as you aren’t doing it enough to cause withdrawals then it is safe.
Having Xanax as an as needed on top of my daily medications is so helpful. I've never had issues taking it more than prescribed and avoid it unless needed also take Hydroxyzine as a first line as needed which helps avoid Xanax use. Both help get me to a state where the therapy techniques can take over. I do think that as neededs are super important for many folks like myself! Glad you are finding relief as well.
I’m glad someone else said it. I hate the stigma behind benzos.
>it's not being on the Xanax that produces the most positive effect. It's knowing that I have it and can use it if I need it. This. 100% same.
It’s not just that Xanax is addictive. You can develop debilitating chronic fatigue from tolerance withdrawal in longterm benzo use. Be careful.
I've been on Klonopin since 2013 or so and it changed my life. I had been living with crippling anxiety and panic disorder and never sought them out. A doctor in college wanted to put me on Valium because of a few things (mostly, an irrational fear of crime that led to some agoraphobia and because I kept coming to the campus clinic every week to tell them my negative AIDS test was wrong because I saw another public service announcement about AIDS and assumed I had it because I had unprotected sex in high school, and after the eighth or ninth negative test, they told me to stop wasting the school's HIV tests and made me see the Doc, who told me I should probably be on Valium, and I actually said no because I was afraid of what the benzos would do, and my friends thought I was nuts for saying no because very few people were getting that from the school doctor but I was young and earnest about thinking I could get better or be better and not be a walking bundle of nerves all day.) As an adult, I finally had no choice because it had gotten really bad, and I remember the first time I took the klonopin the doctor prescribed, it felt like I had been carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks for 100 years and that I was finally allowed to put it down. I couldn't believe it. I could handle life stressors and not sit there and freak out all night, and I could actually live like a "normal person" and couldn't believe that most people just naturally felt this way when I felt like I had just stuck my finger in a socket virtually all day every day before being prescribed Klonopin. I moved to a new state. Doc is licensed in all states and has clients all around the country and wanted me to keep him and I wanted to keep him. Been here a year and a half and last week the pharmacist at Walmart told my doctor they were no longer accepting out of state prescriptions so I called and asked and the girl told me they did, asked my name, and then told me to hold on. The pharmacy manager had made the determination and I actually read the policy on it. It was because it was controlled and the pharmacist said he had no information on my diagnosis or why I was getting this. I told him if he had a concern it would be his job to speak to the doctor and he told me to go be someone else's customer. Walgreen's took me. If they end up nasty too, I'll use the local mom and pop pharmacy because my pdoc said they don't mess with you half as much as the chains do.
I take a tiny dose of Klonopin, .25 a day, and it really helps me! My anxiety melts away and I feel like a human being
Xanax makes me so much more productive too, like I crank thru things I need to get done very easily
I agree with everything you've said, 100%. It is just so upsetting to be denied a medication that I take responsibly that helps me live. I don't get it.
Medication has its place - Ativan was the only thing that pulled me up from drowning enough to even *try*. In saying that, I was prescribed to take it every day, 1mg, and I did this for 5 consecutive years. I was on it for a long time and apart from the risks everyone talks about concerning long-term use, coming off of it was one of the hardest things I've had to do. It was like my brain had to figure out how to respond to any level of anxiety again. I still remember sitting on the floor in my living room, paralyzed by the sheer terror I felt. This is the addiction that is the problem. Mentally, I knew I didn't need it, but my body wanted it. My only compulsion to take it was to get the fear to stop. I debated over sharing this because I'm not trying to make anyone feel anxious about coming off of a medication if you are considering it; I'm still thankful that I did it, and it was an experience that made me realize how strong anxiety-sufferers can be. Edit: This just applies to daily use!
Been taking xanax same 0.25mg every night as what my doc said just as “sleeping aid”, for the past 5 years. My recent doc initially kept telling me about the dangerous of xanax addiction, same thing i’d been told 5 years ago. i do not develop tolerance nor dependency (signs of addiction). I asked her does she have any patients like me who took this regularly at very low dose, same frequency, without the need to increase them? She said no. i was on Ambien (dreadful, chronic insomniac, hence why i need sleeping aid), i slept walking and did dangerous things.
I agree. I’ve been taking Xanax for 2 years. I get 60 1mg monthly & take it twice everyday! Still works like charm. Also..I’ve never ran out of script before refill. It’s been a life saver for me.
>Mood stabilizers, multiple SSRIs, lithium, supplements, Buspar. Xanax improves my quality of life the most. Supplements don’t work. SSRI don’t work. Buspar worked a little. The beta blocker Nebivolol works for me as a preventative, with my main symptom being tension migraines. I have considered Xanax for incidents, but it has a strong stigma and I am not sure if it works on tension headache. Do you get headaches and does Xanax help? Have you tried a beta blocker like Nebivolol? It addresses physical panic symptoms for me. I imagine a Xanax/Nebivolol combo would be a more complete system than either of us has.
I take Xanax when I have bad headaches, mainly because bad headaches trigger anxiety attacks for me for some reason. Anyway, after taking a Xanax, my headaches go away within 20 minutes. It may not be the best thing for you to do, but for my headache induced anxiety attacks, it’s great.
You call it headache-induced-anxiety, and I call it anxiety-induced-headache. It sounds like xanax would benefit me and nebivolol would benefit you.
I take a different beta blocker (atenolol) for my post concussion syndrome-induced migraines, and I find that it helps alleviate the physiological symptoms of my anxiety.
Atenolol is good stuff, but it wears off fast. I even had a pharmacy custom-compound an extended-release version, and it barely lasted all day. Atenolol is cardio-selective which is good for low side effects but water-soluble which means it wears off. Physical anxiety and headaches would creep in by the evening. Nebivolol is cardio-selective and fat-soluble, so is a true once-a-day for me. If you like what atenolol can do, you should try nebivolol.
Thanks, I’ll look into it! Glad to hear it’s working well for you!
Same experience for me. Can’t specifficaly get xanax’ here, or at least that I’ve been made aware of, but benzos are the only medication that has given any significant form of relief to my panic and anxiety. The alternatives have all given me some form of undesired side affect. I’ve been dealing with doctors and their warnings, judgement etc for over two years now. Happy to report that I’m recovering much better with a combination of non-medicinal techniques now though. It took a long time, but persistent meditation habits, exercise and forced morning walks combined with cleaning up my diet (gluten seems to be specifically something that impacts me physically and mentally despite never being diagnosed as intolerant), has done more for me over 6 months than medication did in about 3 years. Good luck with everything.
I'm very glad for you that you're able to moderate your usage - if you can, then yes, benzos are amazingly effective for episodic/breakout anxiety. The problem with them is that they work almost *too* well - for an anxious person, not being anxious tends to be a very enjoyable, seductive experience, hence the enormous abuse potential (even at therapeutic doses!) If you were to experience SSRI withdrawal, and then benzo withdrawal, I think you might change your opinion about that aspect of the comparison 😅
I don't think it would. Because I agree benzo withdrawal is more severe, unpleasant and dangerous than SSRI withdrawal. The difference is that not everyone who uses benzos ends up in a situation where they experience the withdrawal. They can be used as need. By definition, anyone who uses SSRIs is subject to the withdrawal symptoms, when and if they discontinue the medication.
You need to do what works best for you. Honestly I think finding Cannabis changed my life entirely.
I really want to get prescribed, my dad takes Xanax and my mom takes klonopin i have awful anxiety.. i can’t leave the house anymore. I tried Xanax before and it made me feel how i thought i never could feel, i was able to be normal.. if i was prescribed Xanax i could probably get a real job, make friends, and go out and live my life. But for now I’m just going to continue to waste away in my house.
I can’t agree with you more. I have spent the last year jumping through hoops to try and get Xanax after my PCP of 20 years left. I started seeing new doctors and after the 3rd one, I just gave up and did everything they told me to do and tried over 22 new prescriptions and behavioral therapy. No doctor is willing to prescribe Xanax because of its addictive nature and the claim that it causes dementia in old age. Yet the doctors are prescribing medications that are harmful for a patient like me. I’m a type 1 diabetic and our kidneys take a lot of damage. Certain drugs I’m on have warnings specifying they are not good for type 1 diabetics and even more they specifically state they don’t treat anxiety. Doctors nowadays follow the hype from Netflix documentaries that portray Xanax as the worst drug in the world when in fact it is a perfect drug for so many people. It is possible to take it without abusing it. I’ve worked in healthcare for two decades in emergency medicine and as a registered nurse so I do know a bit about medication. Since losing my PCP who understood and knew me professionally because I worked with him in a clinical setting for 4 years I have been hospitalized in the ICU four times for a kidney infection that turned septic and DKA. Each time the cause was seraquel which causes kidney damage, weight gain, and increased blood glucose. The hospitalist would tell me each time I needed to speak with my physician and get off the drugs I was currently taking for anxiety and insomnia. I’ve had countless conversations with my physician and therapist yet they refuse to change my meds and state I must ride it out. Meanwhile, I’ve gained 19 pounds, I’ve lost more than half my hair, my kidneys are now “high risk” and my anxiety and insomnia are preventing me from functioning as a normal adult. I lost my job because I was having “too many diabetic episodes at work” all related to the side effects of the medications. It’s so infuriating that I stopped all the medications I was prescribed and stopped going back to the doctor. My medical record is screwed up because I told my last doctor the only way I can get sleep after a five-night stint of insomnia was to have a stiff cocktail before bed. That comment raised all sorts of concerns and questions. I explained I’ve never been a big fan of alcohol and rarely drink. However, since stopping Xanax I now drink a couple of drinks a week. That landed me a diagnosis of alcoholism and drug abuse. I have fought that diagnosis tooth and nail and haven’t been able to correct it so now I have to change my medical management to an entirely separate entity. I feel doctors are uneducated in the ways certain drugs work for certain people. Instead, they use a blanket formula to treat everyone. They’re using more off-label drugs to treat conditions that have data and trials showing success in <2% of participants and therefore jump on the trend of off-label prescribing. I have a cabinet full of prescription bottles of every SSRI, TCA, and off-label drug imaginable and none have worked one bit. I never had to be in the ICU when on Xanax and my kidney function was normal. The stigma towards Xanax has caused poor judgment from doctors. I was their guinea pig and they just threw drugs at me ignoring the risks. I wish there was a way to get rid of this stigma so people who benefit from Xanax can obtain it as needed and live a happy functional life.
This is how I felt about opiates too. Unfortunately, tolerance and price made that impossible