Xanax Anyone?

[Broken_Shell]

Hi All,

I have been trying small doses of clonazepam when I get big adrenergic symptom surges. It helps some, but makes me ache all over like someone beat me up. The doctor is going to call in a prescription for Xanax to try instead. I know there have been posts about benzos in the past, but if anyone has any good or bad experiences with Xanax that they would please share I would really appreciate it. I am SO sensitive to meds - I have been literally taking 1/8 pill of the lowest dose of clonazepam. I want to try something else that might help without causing the aching so bad, but I am always concerned about taking something new because I have had SO many bad, scary, and inappropriate reactions to medications... you know the story!

~ Broken_Shell

[sue1234]

I take a full 1 mg. at bedtime and it sits fine with me. I am usually very sensitive to meds, too, but I guess this is ok with my system.

[Broken_Shell]

Also, what symptoms does it help, what side effects do you have, and what time of day do you take Xanax? Thank you so much.

[Mrs. Burschman]

Didn't do a darn thing for me. None of the benzodiazepines did. Sleeping pills don't, either. My old doc and I think that I might lack the receptors that they work on. Or something.

Amy

[Brye]

I take xanax every night at bedtime. I feel like when I lay down to go to sleep my adrenaline doesn't shut off. I have horrible tremors and can't get to sleep. I don't think it helps control my tremors but it does make me sleepy so I don't have to endure that awful feeling as long! Hope it helps you!!

Brye

[iheartcats]

I had Xanax for use for a stressful family situation I had to deal with - it didn't help much. I took 1/2 the lowest dose at first, then a full lowest dose. Just not a lot of help. Other people I talked to love Xanax.

It didn't really do anything too negative. I was a bit more tachy during that time, but it was probably due to the added stress I was under.

I'm sensitive to some meds, too, so the low dose is the way to goo. You can always add.

I only took mine as needed, and not very often at that. If you take them daily for a while (and for most people that's probably a longer time than POTS people...we should be careful!) you have to taper off.

From what I understand (from when I took them) the smaller the dose, the better regarding side effects.

[Dawg Tired]

I take it as needed. I have the .25 tablets, sometimes I take 1/2 tablet and sometimes I need 2 tablets.

My main need is this: When my heart starts going "THRUUMMMPPP THRRRUUUMMP thump thump thump THRRRRRUUUMMMPPPP" I just can't relax, then anxiety starts to add to the arrhythmia. Xanax is a central nervous system depressant. It allows me to relax and I can then go to sleep.

Also - for some reason, now that I don't drive, riding in a car is excruciating. The anxiety is terrible and once it starts building, it just keeps getting worse, but if I take one before time to go, I am okay.

Bad side effects? None I am aware of. It does make me WAY easier to live with.

[MelissaCrystal]

You can get badly addicted to Xanax, and withdrawing can send you the hospital so just be careful! Either use it sparingly, or be sure to be prepared for tapering slowly when you decide you don't want to be on it anymore.

It didn't do much for me, but it makes me sleepy so I took it at night when I had nightly anxiety. I didn't really like it though.. I don't like meds that make my chest feel heavy..kind of scary.

[EarthMother]

There are so many different experiences that people have with various benzos, that you would think each of us are taking a completely different drug. And we may be! My own belief is that this drug class (as well as others) reacts differently in different people.

• Some of us may not completely metabolize the drug, which means that each time we take another dose we are ADDING upon the last pill.
  
• Some of us get rebound anxiety with benzos, which means we are in FAR WORSE SHAPE than before we started taking it.
  
• Some people can take a benzo for years upon years with no apparent tolerance build up (which is the only concern when we talk about "addiction" -- who cares if you have to take a pill every day of your life, it only matters if it STOPS working)
  
• and some people have a really bad "trip" when they try and come off the drug.
  

It may well be that Xanax is one of those things you have to just take the plunge and try for yourself, with your Doctor's help and guidance to know which of the categories you fall into. Keeping my fingers crossed for you its one of the YAY! I FEEL BETTER options.

For me, I had had a prescription for Xanax for YEARS before I ever took one. It was something I would keep on hand "just in case." And as long as I had it as an illusion of security, it worked just fine for me. The problem was that I TOOK IT once during a "bad spell". I can pretty much watch the ball run down hill from there. Who knows if I was already headed for the bottom of the gravel pit or if the benzos helped me to sink to all new levels of disorder. Within 3 or 4 months I tried everything the Doctor's "ordered", Xanax, Valium, Ativan and yet my surges persisted day after day. I would feel "drugged" for certain while the tranquilizer was on board, but I was still crawling out of my skin. On more recommendations by more specialists, I began taking Xanax daily ... I think I was up to four a day, but I can't recall the dose off hand. The more I took, the more off-center I felt. Within three weeks I realized that the benzos were making me more sick than before I started taking them. So I began the LONG and VERY GRADUAL tapering off process.

Its a pity they didn't work better. I know they work very well for many people here. What I lost in that whole ordeal was the ability to keep something on hand just in case. Which seemed to work better as a placebo than as an actual medication before in my case.

So if anyone has a new placebo to recommend ... I'd love to keep something else around that I think will help me, only to NEVER use it again. ;-)

[erikainorlando]

Many years ago...when I was young, I took Xanax for anxiety. It helped with that but it was so hard to get off I neverr took it again.

I do sometimes take pain meds for the achey..horrlbe stuff. Or lay down and drink lots or both...

Good luck and I am so glad to see you posting more. I am thinking you are feeling a little better??

I hope so!

Erika

[delphicdragon]

So if anyone has a new placebo to recommend ... I'd love to keep something else around that I think will help me, only to NEVER use it again. ;-)

My favorite "placebo" is Rescue Remedy. http://www.rescueremedy.com/ I don't know if it does anything, but for me, taking it immediately stops the panic attack. Too much will put me to sleep though.

Sara

[Tammy]

For me, I wish my doctors would have discovered xanax as an option for me to use as needed 7 years earlier than they did. I think it would have prevented many ER visits for me. It only works for physical symptoms for me, so adrenaline surges it works perfectly for. If I'm worried about something or stressing about something, that it doesn't do anything for. I can't use it for sleep, it actually makes me have fragmented sleep, so if it's too close to bed time, I don't like to take it. I can tell you that start out at a really low dose, less than the amount a doctor may recommend. Cut it in 1/4 so if you are sensative to the amount, you don't rule it out because of getting too much in your system that for the normal person is the right amount.

[Mrs. Burschman]

There are so many different experiences that people have with various benzos, that you would think each of us are taking a completely different drug. And we may be! My own belief is that this drug class (as well as others) reacts differently in different people.

• Some of us may not completely metabolize the drug, which means that each time we take another dose we are ADDING upon the last pill.
  
• Some of us get rebound anxiety with benzos, which means we are in FAR WORSE SHAPE than before we started taking it.
  
• Some people can take a benzo for years upon years with no apparent tolerance build up (which is the only concern when we talk about "addiction" -- who cares if you have to take a pill every day of your life, it only matters if it STOPS working)
  
• and some people have a really bad "trip" when they try and come off the drug.
  

You forgot "didn't do a darn thing" on your list!

[pat57]

xanax works great for me, I use it very sparingly HA!~ I average not even one a year. My Dr. gave me about 8 when I went through a divorce, I was allowed to take them for court dates- custody battle.

I recently had a really bad family situation and he gave me about 9. And that only because I said I was suicidal and just needed something till I saw a psychiatrist. I had to have my therapist request them. You would think it was TNT or something.

The reason? Because 33 yrs ago I had a drug and alcohol problem.

WILD. But I can't get mad because I would not go to a therapist if I had xanax. Either one can help a person cope.

[bkweavers]

My daughter has been on Xanax for over a year and a half. It was given to her because of her headaches. For more than 10 months, my poor daughter went day after day with headaches and since she was only 11 at the time, the only thing I could give her was ibuprofen, which only dulled the pain. She went on .5mg of Xanax and her headaches began to go away! Now, I can't remember the last time she had a headache, even with menstrual cycles. I asked Dr. Grubb recently about the idea of Xanax being addictive. He said that taking it responsibly under a doctor's supervision is fine. He likened it to drinking wine. Have a glass or two with dinner each night is fine. Have a bottle of wine or two every night and you're in trouble! There are people that have been on these drugs for years and come off of them fine. What is the alternative for my daughter? She is already dealing with plenty of other symptoms and it's nice that we have found a drug that has helped to at least take away one of her symptoms.

Brenda

[maggie]

I too am glad there is such a med as xanax. I have a liver enzyme problem and can't take many meds, but Xanax is one I can. It helps me sleep and cuts the edge off life when I need it. As long as you are being monitored by a doctor I vote if it works take it. As you can see the differences of opinions on this chat each person has to decide what is good for them.

Maggie

[potsgirl]

I absolutely love my Xanax. It takes the edge off and lets me fall asleep at night. I take it every night, about 1/2 hour before I want to get to sleep. I take .5 mg, and that's after I've been taking it for the past 10 years. I would start off small, of course, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 a .25 mg pill when you and your doctor decide is the best time(s) to take it. Some people take one before bed, some take small doses throughout the day, depending on your anxiety level. It makes me feel calm and more secure.

I'd give it a try and see how it works for you. Small doses under a doctor's care should be safe for you.

Cheers,

Jana

[potsgirl]

Sorry, forgot - Klonopin was much, much harder for me to get off of than Xanax. But it's different for everybody.