Xanax Experiences

[Chaoticmind]

So I've been on Xanax for about 2 weeks now. Wasn't a huge fan at first but now I find it helps. I guess my issue is not knowing how much is enough. I got prescribed 1mg pills and it says take as needed. I try to take no more than .5 a day. I'm afraid of getting addicted. I only take it when I really feel myself starting to panic and start to feel faint coming on.

Was wondering if anyone can share their experiences on it? How it was getting off it, how it helped you, etc. thanks guys!

 

[EveHarrington]

It can cause dependency issues when taken every day. Can you try to only take it only every 2-3 days to avoid becoming dependent?

Are you tapering off the other stuff you've been taking?

 

[Silent one]

I take Xanax daily. It is prescribed for 1 to 1 1/2 pills in the morning and 2 at bedtime. It is also 1 mg. tablets.
I started out taking .5 mg. about 2 years ago. In the last 8 months or so I started exposure therapy. My anxiety went sky high. I couldn't sleep or shut my brain off. I was riding a toxic loop constantly. So yes, the Xanax was increased and yes it can be addicting. However it is the only way I can get through trauma therapy. I will worry about getting off it when I am better. Right now it is necessary.

 

[Chaoticmind]

It can cause dependency issues when taken every day. Can you try to only take it only every 2-3 d...

This is the only thing I am taking. I try to go with out taking it but by mid day I get very panicky and take half a pill

 

[joeylittle]

by mid day I get very panicky and take half a pill

Do you have any other tools for dealing with the panic - like, mindfulness stuff, or breathing stuff...?

 

[Crow]

Been four years since Pdoc pulled me off and I still think about Xanax every day. I had started stockpiling them as a suicide plan. Thinking about them now has me wishing I had a couple. My trauma specialist explained the benzos stop the trauma response circuitry from completing so kind of causes a lag in recovery if you're doing deep trauma work. All I know is for several years Xanax got me through daily life when I couldn't afford good therapy. The body builds up a tolerance though. I started on .25 a day. 2.5 towards the end barely made an impact.

 

[Chaoticmind]

Do you have any other tools for dealing with the panic - like, mindfulness stuff, or breathing stuff...

Yes. I try them. They work for the moment but once I stop doing them, I panic again

 

[joeylittle]

They work for the moment but once I stop doing them, I panic again

Sorry to be nudging you about this - do you think you are doing them long enough? Reason I ask is that I was surprised to learn for myself that I needed to keep going on a breathing pattern for a full 5 minutes in order for it to 'take'. So, I just got used to setting a timer on my phone and doing nothing but the breathing for at least 5 minutes; sometimes, I went ahead and reset and did for 10, just to be safe.

You are right to be concerned about managing the Xanax, because that particular addiction is a very rough road. If you can shoot for something structured - using it every other day mid-day, perhaps, then every three days, then come down to a quarter tablet and see if that can do the trick - you'd be better off.

Or, if you really need the daily help, you could talk with your prescriber about trying other things that aren't going to have the addiction problem.

 

[Sideways]

Eek, benzo addictions, v nasty...

Finding something else to bring down your suds in the morning so you're not panicking by midday - could you go for a jog in the morning (as an example) to stop the daily rise to panic levels at lunchtime?

How panicked would you feel if you ran out of xanax?
Has it always been your pattern to have a panic attack around midday, or is that a new thing?

V common with benzos that the absence of benzos will create a panic attack all by itself. It's important to know that you have other strategies that work in place, which means practicing your strategies regularly while you're well (so you're not pulling out the breathing exercises for the first time when your in the middle of a meltdown).

 

[EveHarrington]

Sorry the second part of my first reply I meant to put in another thread but for some reason I said it here. My apologies as I didn't mean to cause confusion.

 

[Chaoticmind]

Sorry to be nudging you about this - do you think you are doing them long enough? Reason I ask is t...

No it's fine lol. I do meditations that are 15-25 minutes long. They help in the moment and maybe a few minutes after but that's about it.

Good news though. Got through the day with out taking a pill. Felt a lot of anxiety and near panic attacks but just tried to ignore it

 

[Crow]

Can I suggest chelated magnesium? It helps the cells do what they do which ultimately reduces the body's stress response. If you try it, be sure to get chelated. It absorbs better. Magnesium has been a god send.