Does Xanax Help With Symptoms?

[giftcreations123]

I know Xanax is a benzodiazepine for anxiety which I have but does it help with symptoms?

[Kellysavedbygrace]

I have used it only a handful of times for plane rides and trips to lab/IV therapy. It does not help my symptoms but calms my nerves and works more like a sedative for me.

[giftcreations123]

Thank you

Do you take it with BB too?

[NMPotsie]

I take xanax and beta blockers. Mostly I take xanax for flares. My doc recommended .5 2xday on top of the beta blocker, but I can't do it I'm like a zombie. It does help control catecholamines so if I have a flare I chew one and take an extra bb and it seems to work better than just the bb.

[Batik]

Just in case anyone isn't aware, please remember that xanax is a benzodiazepine. As such, there is a very high risk of both addiction and tolerance. Benzos are better for occasional or short-term use, and should be carefully monitored. If you find that you're taking it a lot, and particularly that you need to keep raising the dosage, check in with a doctor.

I've never used xanax, I don't think it's as popular in the UK, but I do use 2mg valium/diazepam sometimes as a muscle relaxant, and less often for anxiety. I've heard some people in the ME community reporting that a very small dose of diazepam (1mg, which means half of the lowest dose tablet) can help with sensory overload during shopping trips and the like, so that the overall experience is less exhausting. No idea how that intersects with POTS, but since there's huge overlap between ME and POTS both in terms of symptoms and actually being diagnosed with the conditions, it sounds vaguely promising.

[brethor9]

I have used lorazepam for well over 2 years....1mg at bedtime no increase in dosage.....it has helped my symptoms ie nausea,headaches, sleep, stomach distress, allergic reactions....but I have suspected mast cell issues and they can help with that (that's another story .....I was also worried about tolerance and addiction but my dr said if it helps that's what is important. There is a difference between being addicted and dependant.....addiction is more used for recreation high, drug seeking, etc...many people are dependant on drugs to help them function ie; insulin, beta blockers; epilepsy drugs; anti-depressants which can also be horrible to get off of and "addictive" ....not pretty when you watch someone who has been on them for ten years try to get off.....anyway that's my opinion.... I say whatever helps you to feel even a little bit better is worth it

[jackiemxoxo]

I think xanax can effect everyone differently. When I took it, it made me more tachy and did not help. The doctor at the hospital kept pushing it on me though because he thought i had anxiety. I would be cautious with benzos but I think they can help some people when used right.

[NMPotsie]

I discussed this concern with my doc (addiction). He said at this dosage it shouldn't be a big problem (like you said, if you up it all the time it's a bigger deal). I was on xanax for 2 years prior to my diagnosis and when I stopped it to go to Mayo I did notice that I was grouchy and more irritable, but it was not super-bad and lasted only a week. My dr. is like yours, brethor; he says people can be dependent on beta blockers, too, but if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and it helps me cope I should take it. The only reason I don't is because I am so out of it if I take it in the a.m.

It really helps me sleep, especially because I get very jerky, twitchy legs at night. I took Ambien and ate ice-cream and pretzel sandwiches and walked around the street in my sleep, and Lunesta broke me out in hives and ramble nonsensically. Xanax helps me get calm at night and doesn't make me do weird noctural things.

[futurehope]

My mast cell doctor and I are beginning an experiment with benzos with me. I had told him that in the past that a benzo had helped my POTS symptoms, but that after a few weeks, I would notice a "wearing off" when it came time for a new dose. This made me nervous about developing a dependence, so I stopped taking it.

I am very willing to try different benzos, and will be starting with Ativan 2X/day at a very low dose. I will do this because I have been suffering with my medical complaints for years and it was only recently that I was diagnosed with MCAS and I now have a knowledgable doctor. With an obvious worsening over time, I am willing and able to experiment again. Apparently, mast cells have benzo receptors, and some MCAS patients respond well to them. Different people respond to different benzos, he told me. I hope I can return to the good response I had to them before, without developing a tolerance. I'll let you all know how it goes.

[Topsail]

I don't know much about medications and how they work so I'll just tell you about my experience with Xanax 13 days ago. My doctor would not prescribe the sleep medication I so desperately needed so I went to the ER. The ER doctor felt better prescribing Xanax for some reason, maybe I was showing signs of anxiety as well, can't say really why, he just did. The next morning I woke-up feeling better than I have felt for a very long time. I went 11 days without any POTS symptoms, although I was tired I have to consider all the activities I did doing those 11 days. I have not had 11 days in a row of feeling good in 13-15 years. I am starting to think that my POTS symptoms are activated by not getting proper sleep. I was diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic in 2001 but know I have had it since my early teens, I'm now 50-years old. When I went to 3rd shift my life went down hill and I have never until my resent visit to the ER gotten decent sleep for years. Everyone is different what kicks your symptoms in are probably different from mine. At the moment I'm fighting with my psychiatrist over this because he has diagnosed me with Bipolar. He has told me that Bipolar is common and that POTS is rare, I felt he was indicating that I couldn't have POTS because of how rare it is. My psychiatrist would not give me a prescription for Xanax, he gave me one for Clonazepan instead. I didn't get much sleep at all last night so we'll see what happens.

[abbyw]

I took a benzo when I was starting meds for the first few weeks until the meds built up in my system. It helped calm things down enough that I could sleep. I was also concerned about dependence/addiction, but my doctor said that she has patients taking the same dose successfully for years before bedtime. She was of the philosophy to get me to a stable place first, and then we'll deal with an issue if it happens. Anyway, I was still scared of it, so I would take a half a pill and only if I really needed it. I would say I took it 10 times or so, and then I didn't need it anymore. I did take it with me when I took a 12 hour flight, just in case. It comforts me knowing that I have the option available if things get bad.

[Leigh8]

I think it depends on the person. I don't have a POTS diagnosis, and xanax can lower heart rate and blood pressure, so I think some people need to be careful. For me, it made me feel even more lightheaded.