Zoloft Xanax users

[Paddy]

G'day you all,

I'm on 75 mg Zoloft and 75 mg Xanax a day to treat panic attacks. Due to additional alcohol intake, the medication does not seem to be working as it should.

Has anyone of you got any experience regarding these medications? Or any experiences to share?

Thanks for being there,
:thanks:

[surfer2]

Zoloft Xanax users

xanax users

hi paddy
both RJ and xtexan replied to a thread about tranquilizer usage.they really are supposed to be prescribed for no more than a maximum of 7-14 days
and you definitely shouldn't mix them with alcohol,that can be a deadly combo.what can eventually happen is that you can develop tolerance and also tolerance withdrawal which means you will be getting withdrawal symptoms even while the drug is still in your system.
i developed severe vertigo in May of this year and it's taken me 6 months to taper off tranquilizers.....and believe me it has been an ugly experience.my main problem now is insomnia but it seems to come and go.of course if you drink and then feel anxious you would be inclined to reach for a pill but please quit while you are ahead.even once a week usage of pills can influence your central nervous system....have a look at this site i think it will help
benzo.org.uk
they are very helpful people and will help you decide which to quit first the booze or the pills,that is if you decide to do so.....i hope i have been of some help.

[surfer2]

Zoloft Xanax users

xanax users

oh i forgot to mention if you have been using xanax on a regular basis for more than a month please do not stop cold turkey..... the best way is to do a cross over to valium and then taper from there,if you cant get valium then the people at the benzo island forum can help out or see your doc.

[Paddy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Thanks surfer.

I was pretty reluctant anyway, when the doctor started prescibing me those medications. Particularly, because I had been working with the subject matter due to my job, which involved treating drug addicts (I never was addicted to any drugs, that's why taking psychotropics worried me).

Thanks for your advice. I guess I need to learn to deal with panic attacks without taking medication. As for cold turkey, you're right again. I will see a doctor tomorrow and discuss on what to reduce first - as I'm on two types - Zoloft and Xanax.

Catch ya

[lushy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Hi Paddy, bottom line really is that unless you give up drinking or drastically cut back the drinking the antidepressants are not going to work. I have been down that path and realized I was getting nowhere unless I gave up the drinking because the drinking, at least for me, is the reason I have the anxiety and depression. As my doctor said, "If you keep drinking, it is like putting a bandaid on a cut but then continuing to hammer on it." So, in my humble opinion maybe you should stick around here and work on the drinking aspect and in turn maybe the anxiety and depression will subside. I notice a HUGE difference in how I feel when I go a few days without a drink. It is not easy at first but it is worth it. Good luck.

[Paddy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Lush, I couldn't agree more with you on that one. The stupid thing is that we all KNOW what to do, but the doing is so hard. I could really feel that my nerves where reaching their limit the last few days. You know, like hands trembling, etc. And that wasn't because of the alcohol intake, but really the mixture of anti-depressants.

Anyway, went to the doctor today, and asked him that I wanted to cut back on Xanax. I guess, I have to take Zoloft for a month or two, but I'm on the way out of these magic candies.

Thanks for your sympathy,

Paddy

[YoungAtHeart]

Zoloft Xanax users

Just FYI, Paddy, 75mg of Zoloft is just a beginning dosage. It likely wouldn't do much for your panic attacks, anyway, and especially not combined with the alcohol. A therapeutic dosage of Zoloft is from about 150-300 mg day, either in split doses or of the extended release tabs. This may be a non issue for you if you are planning to stop anyway, but, as I said, alcohol would diminish it's effectiveness anyway.

Xanax, as noted above, is a definite no-no, but the advice to wean off of it is good!

Take care Paddy!

Kathy

[Ivygoodluck]

Zoloft Xanax users

Paddy,

Xanax, or any benzo, is a deadly combo with alchohol. You may recall the case of Karen Ann Quinlin who fell in a permanent coma for years then died. That's what did it to her. So it is wise to avoid xanax if you are drinking.

Take care and good luck!

Ivy

[Paddy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Yup, you're right. Anna Nicole Smith's son was also on some kind of combo drugs, I think it might have been even Zoloft. In any case, I've been cutting back on Xanax already.

Does anyone have any info on how to cut back? I'm actually on 0.50 mg a day down from 0.75. My plan is sort of to cut down 0.125 per week (half a tablet).

Any suggestions?

Cheers

[surfer2]

Zoloft Xanax users

cutting down

paddy i hope everything is getting sorted out,you are doing the right thing by tapering off.it depends on how long you were on .75mg a day.if it was only for a short time then you may be able to taper off relatively easy,but xanax is notoriously difficult to taper directly from because of its short half life in your system.
for example lets say you take your first dose in the a.m. --normally it would last until your next dose but if you have tolerance and dependance to the drug then your body will want another dose faster than normal and you start getting interdose withdrawal symptoms.
so depending on your situation id say let your body tell you.if you do a cut and you feel ok for a week then do another cut.if not then go back to the dose you feel good at and do a smaller cut.there's a saying----the lower the slower.i was taking 2mg at bedtime to get to sleep and i had no idea how dangerous xanax could be.i had to replace xanax with valium in a slow crossover,valium has a much longer half life and is way easier to taper from and then taper off the valium.i am benzo free right now but i still have withdrawal symptoms.oh yeah and then during this time i was cutting down on my drinking,im a binge drinker so i can go a couple weeks without but i have to be real careful about triggers and cravings.
sorry for the long post but if it helps you and others then it's for a good reason.

[Guest]

Zoloft Xanax users

Thanks surfer,

that really helps. I also thought it'd be better get off it little by little. Fortunately, I have only been taking 0.75 mg per day since March, or so. So I believe I might get off it easier. Let's see...

cheers

[Paddy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Thanks surfer,

that really helps. I also thought it'd be better get off it little by little. Fortunately, I have only been taking 0.75 mg per day since March, or so. So I believe I might get off it easier. Let's see...

cheers

[Paddy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Thanks for the advice

You're right, it's not going to be easy. I must say, though, while Valium is often used as a 'bridge' in the tappering off business, I prefer not to go from one evil to the other. I'm currently on some sort of tappering off 1/4 of my Xanax dose. I'll take the same dose over 3 weeks, and then start tappering off 1/4 again. That'll hopefully give my system some time to adapt. After I'm off the Xanax, I'll tackle Zoloft. Fortunately, I'm on relatively low doses, but I can still feel the effets ...

It's truly as some of the forum users have pointed out, it's really a crime that doctors don't fully brief us on the side effects of these drugs. Have I had the choice in February, when all of this started, I would probably have opted for a longer therapy in breathing exercises or Tai Chi and coped with anxiety that way, instead of adding a drug addiction to the alcohol addiction.

Anyway, live and learn, as they say.

:thanks:

[surfer2]

Zoloft Xanax users

tapering

you are absolutely correct in that you would be changing one poison for another.1mg of xanax is equal to 20mg of valium in terms of the effect on the cns.if the way you are doing your taper works then fine,that's the point.
if your taper schedule works then of course keep it simple.you will still possibly experience w/d symptoms even weeks after you have totally stopped benzos and they are out of your system.this can be a danger time.
after some weeks of being benzo free do not be surprised if you have anxiety or mild panic attacks.after all you damped down your responses to life with this substance and now life is going to still be there.
yes i think that it is a crime that the patients of so many doctors are not told about the long term effects of benzo usage.these drugs definately have their place in treatment of disorders but in britain now for example they have finally realized that these drugs are not good long term.
each doctor in the U.K. must now go by the formulary and it says no benzos for more than 14 days.however in the U.S. these are still treated like candy.i could go on and on but i'll stop now.hey keep up the good work and pm me if you get into trouble.

[Paddy]

Zoloft Xanax users

Too right. Doctors and practicians should all sit through the movie 'The constant gardener', which (unlike the title suggests) deals with pharmaceutical companies' testing medicine on poor Africans, and getting away with it.

I guess (without wanting to accuse any doctors individually) people do get commissions from pharma companies to prescribe certain drugs. So, I always appreciate doctors (rare they are) that talk you through alternatives to drugs.

Anyway, have yourselves a good Saturday. For me it's relax Max.

Catch yah