Xanax (alprazolam) information

[beatle]

I found this article (link below), which both explains how xanax works, and addresses the fears surrounding xanax

It is by a psychiatrist from the National Anxiety Foundation (U.S.). He writes in layman?s terms, so it is entirely understandable, with no extraordinary effort required by the little grey cells.

National Anxiety Foundation, Helping Sufferers of Panic, Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

[Doggygirl]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Hi Beatle! Good to see you. Thanks for the article link. I love things that are explained in a way that a non-medical person like me can understand it!

He mentions that in his opinion the risk of abuse is low. Do you agree with that, especially among the alcohol dependent population?

DG

[Greg]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

I can give my own personal experience with Xanax, although keep in mind it is just one person's story.

I have had an alcohol problem for about 23 years, and drank up to 21 standard drinks per night every night for several years. I also took 1 mg Xanax during my few hours of being sober each day (to ward off withdrawals), then took it each night for sleep after I became alcohol-free. I took Xanax daily for at least 7-8 years.

I have never experienced any psychological cravings for Xanax, nor any desire to increase my dose. It does not give me the same "moorish" type of high that alcohol does, nor any dizzy intoxicant effect like alcohol, presumably because it only affects GABA-A receptors whereas alcohol also affects endorphins, dopamine, glutamate, and others. I have never found myself thinking or obsessing about Xanax, which is completely unlike the way I have always thought about alcohol.

The only issue I had with it, after 7-8 years daily use, was tolerance. This was not unexpected after such a long time. Rather than increase my dose, I decided to try going without it. I tapered off it in 17 days with the help of Valium, which I also did not find addictive in any way. My only serious problem has been an inability to sleep properly without any benzodiazepines in my system, and these days I do use a small dose if needed (0.25 mg Xanax or 5 mg Valium), but I try to use other sleep medication instead.

Keep in mind that some authorities still warn about benzo use in alcoholics and other addicts, so my experience would not apply to everyone.

P.S. Also keep in mind that I have always been prescribed 2-3 mg per day, but elected myself to only take 1 mg. I tried the higher doses but found them too sedating, rather than getting any sort of wonderful "high" that would make me want to stay on these doses. The one thing I did notice however with higher amounts was a complete removal of any desire to drink, or smoke pot for that matter!

Edit (again) : I now realise this post will sound pro-benzo to many people. I only wrote it to give a different experience, as a contrast to all the usual statements about benzos being "highly addictive" and always contra-indicated in alcoholics (beyond detox). Many drugs besides benzos (SSRI antidepressants come to mind) can have serious withdrawal symptoms upon sudden discontinuation, and it seems to me that the old distinction between "dangerous" benzos and "safe" antidepressants is not quite as clear-cut as used to be assumed back in the 1990's, when SSRI's were king and benzos were by then out of favour. Of course many people report finding benzos emotionally satisfying and some report emotional dependence, which is not the case with antidepressants. This aspect makes benzos hazardous for alcohol or drug dependent people, and I do not want to sound like I am recommending long-term benzodiazepine use to alcoholics (unless their doctor judges this to be ok under close supervision).

[RedThread12]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

OK, I confess, I haven't read the article. I have read articles where physicians say Xanax is under-used, etc.

I have no personal experience with Xanax, but I fell in love with a man whom I later found out was addicted and (with his doctor's support) was taking 4-5 mg/day. What I went through and learned will keep me always and forever away from Xanax. Now, 4-5 mg of Xanax = 80-100 mg of valium. Valium I have had a little experience with, but apparently they work somewhat differently.

The power of this addiction over this man was (and is still, I think, but my efforts to get him help put me on the "no communication" list) the most intense I have ever seen. And I know a lot of alcoholics and drug-abusers.

All I can say is that what I saw, and the ways I was called upon to help this man will keep me far, far, far away from Xanax in this lifetime. I had no idea how sick he was . . . that he had no recollection of several conversations . . . that even those amounts of Xanax did not prevent serious panic attacks . . . and that after 5 weeks of in-patient therapy at on of the country's leading treatment centers he would still be unable to live without taking a benzo of some kind every day. Xanax scares the shit out of me, and I'm a pretty reckless self-medicator.

As we've seen so clearly here on MWO, everyone is different and we all need to find what works for us. I would NEVER suggest that anyone should not take Xanax. It does have that unfortunate benzo-action that requires more and more to achieve the same results, but perhaps some people can work with it in a balanced way. Just tread carefully, would be my only suggestion. I saw some crazy stuff from a highly intelligent man whose body/mind made up a lot of stories to keep the addiction growingl

[Doggygirl]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Thanks Greg and Red for your comments. I'm really trying to learn more about all this and I know so little to begin with. Greg - all I have seen have been the pretty stern warnings (as applies to substance abusers and Xanax - have no idea what is said outside of that).

Greg, it is good to know that you find Xanax a help, and not an addictive hinderance.

Red, I'm really sorry to hear about your friend. Addiction really sucks. I guess this discussion just highlights one of the huge challanges in addiction treatment - everyone is affected differently by everything it seems.

Thanks to you both, and any additional comments to come from others and hopefully, Beatle too!

I will forever be a student....

DG

[Greg]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

That's an extremely sobering story Red, sorry you went through such a thing. This has made me think more carefully about these drugs. I guess I have always been wary of them to a fair extent, because I rigorously made sure I didn't increase my dose. When tolerance set in for me with Xanax, I had the choice of increasing my dose or tapering off it, and I chose to taper. I was too worried about ending up on doses like the guy you mentioned, although 4 mg/day is the maximum allowed here in Australia.

[beatle]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Thank you all for our input.

RT, your story is riveting and sobering. Thank you for sharing it; I?m sure it wasn?t easy, and I know you had no ulterior motives. And it?s definitely enough to make one think twice, or a hundred times, about even starting with xanax.

However, as you said, and everyone knows (and says), people react individually and differently to all medications, variations, and combinations thereof.

Heather Ashton (google her, please, if you want more information), the world-renowned expert (I think) on benzos and benzo cessation/withdrawal, explains that avoiding withdrawal problems should be done under the care of a physician, and it will then be manageable ? at least that?s what I recall her saying. Everything else I have read about this says the same thing?

?except for people's personal stories all over the web, which, more times than not, express extremely painful, often horrifying, experiences getting off benzo addiction -- whether or not they are addicted to other substances (like drugs or alcohol).

However, I can?t remember if xanax in particular has been one of the benzos singled out. In much of the medical literature, xanax is reported to be one of the benzos with the least addiction potential.

As an aside: it is also important to realize that people rarely go out of their way to report positive consequences of anything. If they feel better from whatever they are taking/doing, they often go on their merry way. (This is fortunately not the case here on MWO.)

It is those with negative consequences that tend to get their stories out there as a warning to others -- which is very understandable and admirable, and any and all information, and the relation of experiences, does a great service to others who are contemplating taking the drug, or those who are already taking it.

But, in some cases, it may also be a disservice for the people who could possibly be helped immensely by the medication, whichever one it might be. I know that you, RT, made it very clear that people react differently to different medications, and you emphasized that you were not discouraging people from using it, you just wanted to share your experience.

And btw, I started a thread regarding xanax a while ago, in which I express my fears about xanax. If you visit this thread, please notice that the fears I expressed in that thread starter have been more or less allayed by the response I got, and then the article I quoted in my original thread starter here, which explains that tolerance does increase at first because of body reacting/adjusting to the effects of xanax, and the body balances itself at some point. I?m still skeptical about this, but it is an explanation from a doctor with experience, at least.

My earlier thread:
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ety-51202.html

But the main thing I would urge everyone reading the article I posted at the top of this thread to keep in mind, is that everything in that article is based on treating patients with panic disorders ? NO mention of substance abuse is mentioned, either if it is appropriate to use concomitantly, or if people with prior or current substance abuse problems will be equally resistant to building tolerance and becoming addicted as people with only panic disorder (and no addiction past or present).

It also doesn?t mention taking it regularly as opposed to prn. I wonder if the way you take it might have some influence on how likely you are to get addicted and to have your tolerance build.

[Cinders]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

My psychiatrist once prescribed me klonipen for anxiety attacks. She told me that I needed to ensure I did not start "seeking" reasons for using it, that would indicate a propensity for addiction.

She also said that most (not all) alcoholics tend to be very faithful to their drug of choice.

I ended up throwing the mostly full bottle out after its expiration date.

Unfortunately, klonipen did not seem to help with the panic attacks at all.

I do think, in my case, an anti-anxiety medication would be a great help in helping me avoid relapses due to anxiety. Alchohol was such a good tool for many years in treating it. Today, it adds to it.

Cindi

ps Beatle. Thank you for this post. The read was very helpful.

[_serenity_]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

I've been borderline-addicted to Xanax in the past. I say "borderline" because alcohol was my primary drug of choice, but Xanax was a close second.

I started taking it when I was actively drinking, and after going through Rehab #1, I used it to stave off the anxiety and alcohol cravings. I had a prescription for 1.5 mgs/day.

Anyway, if I would run out, I would stop sleeping, often for 3 days. I'd also experience the worst anxiety I've EVER known. It literally felt like my nerves were on the outside of my skin--completely exposed--and I would become paralyzed by the panic that would set in. I couldn't leave my house, couldn't talk on the phone, couldn't face anything. Sometimes, even after I would get a new prescription called in, the stress of driving to the pharmacy and paying for it, etc. would be utterly overwhelming and I'd sit at home and cry.

I've taken other benzos in the past--Lorazepam (Ativan) especially. But Xanax was the worst. It caused the most euphoric high and subsequently the most hellish crash.

Dr. L talked to me about Xanax for sleeping post-switch (I have trouble falling asleep) but man, I need to stay far, far away from that stuff. I can see how it would be helpful for people who take it prn or to stave off the occasional panic attack, etc. But, in my experience, taking it daily is a recipe for disaster.

[Doggygirl]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Hi serenity. Wow - after the bad experiences you had, I can see why you want to stay far far away.

A question for you - when you talk about the things you experienced after running out of Xanax - did you stop taking xanax abruptly, or did you taper off? If tapering, how much time did you take with that at what sorts of dose reductions? (just a general idea - you might not recall full details!)

Thanks - this is all very instructive.

DG

[_serenity_]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Hi Doggygirl! Most of those severe reactions happened when my supply was cut off suddenly--a bad idea, I know! Once I went on a trip to visit a friend in NYC and accidentally left my xanax at home. It was so awful. I didn't sleep for days, and isolated myself a lot. Other times I took a little more than my prescription allowed and then would suffer badly when I had to wait a few days to refill the prescription. Obviously not a model xanax patient. However, when I was "properly" tapered off during rehab, I still suffered from that terrible nerves-on-skin benzo withdrawal anxiety afterwards. I can't remember the exact dose reductions, but it was something like .25 mg/day? Man, did I still feel withdrawals after that.

[Doggygirl]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Wow - the thought of forgetting an important med when traveling - especially if withdrawal will be involved - gives me the heebie jeebies! That must have been horrible.

It really is something how so many people are affected differently by these meds. Your experience in particular makes it understandable why you steer clear of this one.

Thanks for taking time to elaborate!

DG

[redhead77]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Thanks beatle!

The article you posted was very informative. I've taken Xanax on and off for years. Well, it was alprazolam, but same difference. The dose I took was .5mg. I was prescribed it TID, for severe anxiety, but I only took it when I really needed it. This wasn't often for a long time. I eventually started to take it more often, sometimes more than TID, as I would need it after a night of heavy drinking. I used it to help combat the shakes, and the even worse anxiety I would get the day after drinking. This is so I could show up to work and appear normal. Since I've started bac, I've only taken it a handful of times (entirely due to insomnia). I recognize many here, have needed to start taking Xanax due to HDB. I guess my point is, as has been stated above, everyone is an individual.

The one thing that shocked me from the article, is how long the doctor thought one should taper to avoid withdrawal, and possible rebound anxiety. He suggests people taper by .25mg every 2 weeks. So, by my calculations, a person on 4mg a day would need 8 months to successfully taper off, without risking withdrawal. A person on 1.5 mg would need 12 weeks. It doesn't sound like this is what's happening in rehabs. When people come in on Xanax, and they've been diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder concurrent with an anxiety disorder, maybe it should be handled differently. I'm wondering if the method of tapering should be examined. It's thought, oh, we have to get this person off all addictive substances as quickly as possible. From reading the stories here, this may not be in the best interest of the addicted individual. Maybe it's necessary to go much slower for many people.

[Greg]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

People on benzodiazepine recovery forums do indeed state that detox/rehab clinics taper patients off these drugs too quickly, way too quickly in some cases. Patients who have trouble discontinuing quickly can come out of these clinics still experiencing various withdrawal symptoms, and unable to sleep properly for weeks or even months. Professor Heather Ashton's slow reduction method is far better than conventional withdrawal, from what I have read anyway. Personally I had little trouble with rapid withdrawal, but then again I was only taking 1 mg of Xanax, not the much higher doses often used.

[Doggygirl]

Xanax (alprazolam) information

Wow - that is a really sad point about rehab for people on Xanax. I'm guessing limitations to insurance coverage may be driving the (too) short time frames? Is there something else that would be driving it?

DG