Comments on: Xanax: Side Effects, Withdrawal

By: madougl

madougl — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:37:55 +0000

Lisa, I was taking xanax since 1998, when my husband died….alot of time has passed since your mom died…so now its just a crutch to help you go to sleep…I tapered off at first one every other day…for acouple weeks, then every two days…etc…your body with eventually sleep without it…but at first you may not sleep good since you have been on it so long…but you body will eventually adjust.. You may want to get some suggestions from your doctor also. I was not only on Xnax but on Prozac also….I’m not taking anything now…and you can do it!

By: Eli

Eli — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:24:21 +0000

Going thru withdrawl symtoms as I type at 7 AM. Quitted Xanax cold turkey 2 wks ago and have been going thru hell. Slept 2 interval hours last night, but it’s more than I did during the last 13 days. Experimented by taking Benadryl one night and slept 4 hours. Took xanax for 6 years. I quit after forgetting my pills home on a trip. Went to the drugs store and they called the drug store in my home state where I had a refill. The preps was filled. Took the bus home and left the pills in the bus. Knowing that if I went back to the store they would likely not believe me, decided try to do without it. Although I went thru hell the first couple of nights, decided to stick with my abstention. Went to my doctor when I returned home concerned that I may have had a cerebal stroke on my first night without the pill because it was my worst night ever. Dr. order an IKG. IKG done in 5 minutes. Result negative. Dr. suggested I was an alcoholic(am a drinker). I told doctor ” I am a retired now but used to be a sustance abuse counselor at one point in my career. I founded an alcoholism rehab in my old state. I know about withdrawl symtoms of alcohol. I have done detox on both alcoholics and drug addicts. I attended extensive courses at the Rudgers Center of Alcohol Studies. Am an alumni of the Rutgers Summer School of Alcohol Studies attended by more than 400 participants from around the world every summer. I may have a drinking problem, but abstain from drinking for 5 days while taking antibiotics and never had alcohol withdrawl symtoms. I Experimented using the process of elimination by having five drinks on my 7th day of abstention from Xanax and the withdrawl symtoms have not gone away. The doctor properly referred my to mental healh to make the proper diagnostic. Made the appointment, but they can’t see me until 5 weeks from today. Will keep the appointment, but I believe that two weeks already in abtenstion from Xanax and 5 weeks before they see me mental healths can see me wil cleanse my body from that evil pill that I worshipped for 6 years. Will know shortly if my depedence is abated. In reading this aricle I the comments I realized that Xanax fried my brain. I hope I can get my memory back. I pray that will be tha case. PS I have to check Microsoft spelling over 20 times while writing this. You see I even forgot my spelling. I see that some of the people commenting here are on denial. I was. Yet I know that that some medication can have possitive effects on people, until they loose the effect and then it might be to late to recover some of the faculties you have lost for ever. I hope I can get my memory back among others that will go without mention.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:15:31 +0000

I have been taking Xanax since 1997 when my mom died. I take .50 Mg. every night and the main reason is to sleep. However I noticed now I am having a hard time remembering things which I know is a side affect. I do want to quit but I hate not being able to sleep!! What is the best way to taper off? Any ideas would be helpful. I’m definitely addicted and my husband is now worried about me. Especially since I mix these with wine sometimes. Help!!!

By: Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:53:14 +0000

I was on Xanax for about fifteen years along with Darvocet. I had become very addicted to both and was taking 12 mg. of Xanax a day as well as 600 mg of Darvocet….and yes this was all prescribed by a physician. I was very high functioning and had a good career up until the last couple years. But finally it all caught up with me and I knew I had to get off all the pills. I unwisely went off everything cold turkey which was very dangerous. I was totally out of it for a little over ten days. My family didn’t think I would ever get my mind back because I definitely lost it! By the grace of God, I survived it all and now am working in a rehab facility. I been younger and better than I did in my twenties and I will be 50 soon. Please know that Xanax is so very addictive and debilitating…it is definitely not worth it. Just don’t start taking it and if you take it already, YOU NEED TO QUIT.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Sun, 06 May 2012 03:01:53 +0000

Hello everyone. I’m sitting here reading all your posts after helping my daughter who is
24 just enter into a treatment center for alcohol and Xanax and pot
First off we went there and they explained that She needed to enter into a detox
Program first not for alcohol but for Xanax. She was on a low dose of 1.5 mg a day.
She was drinking and taking the meds that she got from her Dr. Because they thought she need something to help her sleep. omg we were shocked of the side affects of this medication. I called
Her medical dr that gave her the medication and was shocked that she would not
Take responsibily for getting her started on such a dangerous drug that she had to be
Tappered off slowly or she could have bad side affects or even
Die! I don’t understand how MD dr. Can do this to our young children !
My daughter asked for help with her drinking but was never told about Xanax side affects
Of coming off the medication! Thank God she never die from this drug. Please if you have a young person you know that is taking this medication please get them help to get
Off it safely! My daughter trusted her doctor so shame on any Dr that would put them on some thing they have to go to a detox center to get off of it! It’s bad enough try to get help for drinking! I’m so proud she asked for help!

By: Teresa

Teresa — Sun, 06 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:12:19 +0000

All I know is that Xanax has recently helped me a lot. I suddenly for the first time ever (I’m in my 30′s) started having anxiety attacks. It was like an asthma attack (I suffer from mild chronic asthma also) but like the worst asthma attack I had ever had, and I was struggling to breath. This happened several more times. It was the second ER visit when they decided to try Xanax. Now whenever I get this severe shortness of breath/chest tightness attacks I take a small-to-med dose of Xanax and it goes away. I can breath! I will likely have to go onto another drug since Xanax is habit forming (been taking Xanax for about 2 weeks), unless things improve and my anxiety goes away. Not sure what med that would be – does anyone out there know?

By: Paul Meyer

Paul Meyer — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:01:26 +0000

Approximately 9 years ago I had an acute depressive episode along with a mild anxiety disorder which I have had for the better part of my life. I was treated by a psychiatrist with Xanax (.25 mg three times a day) along with 50 mg of Luvox. For the past 7 years I have been on Xanax (.125 mg twice a day) along with 50 mg of Luvox daily. My psychiatric health has been stable for the past 9 years and my intellectual skills don’t seem to have slipped. I am 66 years old. I have had no problems with either medication and have never craved an increase in either drug. As a matter of fact on a recent cruise I forgot to take enough meds to cover me for the entire cruise and went without the Xanax and Luvox for 5 days without a major problem. I had a mild headache on the 5th day. As of now I intend to keep using these drugs as they seem to give me a good life without any obvious side affects.

By: Maureen

Maureen — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:22:16 +0000

Wendy: While I believe that Xanax, alcohol and a lot of other things probably contributed to her death, I do not think for a minute that Whitney Houston drowned herself. She more than likely took the drugs, had a drink or two, got into the tub to relax, fell asleep, possibly had a heart attack and accidentally drowned. As for the reviews of Xanax, every drug on the market today has side effects of some type that will make it impossible for some people to take them. Fortunately, this is the 21st century, not the 14th or 15th, so doctors have an entire arsenal of medications they can prescribe for just about any malady. If one doesn’t work for you, then you can probably try another. That’s what doctors are for; that’s what they are paid for, their knowledge. If you have a bad reaction to any medication, call your doctor and discuss it. Xanax works for a lot of people, and for some others, it doesn’t. That is true of all drugs.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:01:16 +0000

This is what Whitnet Houston took–hours after drinking excessively. This led to drowning herself in that tub.