Ptsd, Anxiety, Alprazolam & Bupropion

[HappyJock]

I have PTSD (from child abuse), Insomnia and Anxiety and I've been prescribed Alprazolam and Bupropion. I'd like to know your experience with these medications while dealing with PTSD, Anxiety and Insomnia and Depression. How well does it work for you? Do the symptoms decrease? Increase? Any side effects you notice? Thanks in advance.

 

[joeylittle]

I'd like to know your experience with these medications while dealing with PTSD, Anxiety and Insomnia and depression.

Well, Buproprion has a noticable 'up' effect. Some people can get jittery on it quite easily. It does have a pretty good track record on depression management, but I'd encourage you to work with your doctor to titrate up slowly, and make sure that you are completely through dosing at least 9 hours before your normal bedtime. It can cause difficulty sleeping when taken too late or in too high a dose for an individual.

Alprazolam - are you being prescribed that on an as-needed basis for anxiety/panic attacks, or is your doc suggesting you take it daily? I am absolutely not a doctor - but having taken both these meds (and still do take buproprion), I would strongly suggest that you only introduce them one at a time, if the intention is for them to both be on-board as regular daily meds. Otherwise, you might end up counteracting the buproprion with the alprazolam, and that wouldn't really do you any good (if that makes sense).

Summing up: Buproprion can help lift your mood, but it can also keep you up at night and make you more anxious, hyper, jittery, like you are on speed. Alprazolam will take all the rough edges away and ease intense anxiety, can help with sleep, and if depression is really a by-product of anxiety, this can help for that as well. However, it's addictive, not a long-term med, and you can need more and more of it over time. But if it's as-needed, some of those effects are mitigated.

 

[HappyJock]

Well, Buproprion has a noticable 'up' effect. Some people can get jittery on it quite easily. It do...

Although I'm responding much later, thanks for your reply. I'm not sure whether you know about this part of Xanax. They are both dosage-set for me, which means I take them on a schedule, not just "when needed." I noticed really, though, that as my symptoms of PTSD,depression and anxiety are getting worse, my first thought is to take Xanax. I know that this medication could be addictive. There was a point last week where I felt so terrible (with regards to depression) where I took 3 tablets of Xanax. (One pill per day) and two extra a few minutes later. I felt better, but I felt foggy; ever since then, I've had these vivid dreams, nightmares and it's hard to tell the difference what the dreams are and what the reality is. Obviously, when I wake up, I can make the distinction. But it's like the dreams and nightmares are so real, I'm living it. Too vivid. Not sure if I want to tell my T. or what the outcome of over-using Xanax could be.

Does anyone have a similar experience? With the medications and vivid dreams/nightmares, not with over-using it. Also, I don't necessarily want to tell my T. that I've been over-using it. But at the same time, I don't want the addiction to grow. Just yesterday I started seeing my T three times a week. Scheduled, rather.

 

[BlueDream]

I was on Xanax for 13 years, for the last few, I was taking 3-1mg pills a day. There were too many days when I felt like shit and wanted to escape, having 90 pills on hand a month allowed me to do this all the time.
Another big side effect for me was not being able to work through my PTSD issues while on Xanax.
I was in the mind set of forget all my problems as quickly as possible.

I know they help, but be careful with them.