xanax question?

Question

I take .25 mg of xanax every 2-3 night for the last 2 years
is that a lot. i never increased dosage but i feel like i need it every couple of days to deal with anxiety. should i taper off ?

Answer 1

Sorry but Rick the Pharmacist seems to be the only one who knows what he is talking about! That is the lowest dose and if you are telling the truth you are not addicted. The definition of addiction used by most people in treatment centers is 'continuous chronic use in spite of adverse consequences!' Where are your consequences? Is it causing you any problems in your life? Are you willing to engage in socially unacceptable behavior to get to the drug. If none of these have occurred yet, you would not be classified as an addict. Here is a test for you. Try to stop it on your own for a month! If you can you ain't one, If you can't you need to seek help. It is as simple as that if you are willing to be honest with yourself. I am a doctor who treats addicts all day long and I do not feel that what you have described is addiction, but if you advance your use or even if you are being dishonest about your use, then you probably have a problem, because normal people don't have to lie about how they use a medicine!

PS: If you are truly only on 0.25 mg every 3 days then you will not have a seizure stopping that dose. I am sure of that!

Answer 2

If you are accurate (and honest) about the amounts you have been taking - 0.25mg every 2 to 3 nights for a years - you'll be OK. You may have some rebound insomnia for a couple of nights, but once it passes, your sleep should return to normal. You can safely stop without tapering at such a low dose. Just don't give in and take any more to help sleep. Try some melatonin or an OTC sleep aid such as diphenhydramine (Sominex).

To address your anxiety concerns, Xanax is certainly effective as an anxiety reducer, but as you know tolerance develops and addiction is always a possibility. You'll be better off of Xanax, that's for sure. Xanax is ineffective beyond four weeks, frequently produces sedation and mental dysfunction, and often causes withdrawal problems.

There are less addicting alternatives, as well as non-drugs ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. There's a ton of info on the Internet.

Be well.

Rick the Pharmacist

Answer 3

you are doing fine with your xanax, it is rx'ed as needed to most ppl with a MAXIMUM dosage for you on the label- you are doing GREAT with just one dosage of 1/4 mg every 2 or 3 days...

i was on it with a dosage as high as 1 mg, 3 times a day at one point... THAT is the maximum for xanax- if you are still having anxiety issues after that high of a dosage, they change your med to valium, klonipin, or atavan- which are even MORE addictive than xanax

do adjust your dosage of xanax as needed, but stay within the limits on your rx bottle. if you feel you can get rid of it completely, DO. your doctor will definately agree with this statement... its ok to decrease xanax, just do not increase it beyond what is on your bottle.

being on xanax is ok- it is addictive, but at the dosages you are talking about, i would say you are definately NOT addicted!!

just for the record, i am down to 1/4 mg about once a week -- and my doctor is thrilled with that! but because i have a history of anxiety, my bottle still says 1/4 mg, 3 times a day. what that means is that a bottle that is supposed to last me a month lasts all year or more! (sometimes they expire before i can take them all!)

pat yourself on the back, you are doing great... keep up the good work!

Answer 4

I've taken Xanax but can't recall about the dosage so I don't know if what you're taking is "a lot". I do know that you must be very, very careful about tapering. You should do this only under the supervision of a doctor. If you don't, you can have seizures (I've seen it happen many times at psych hosp.s when even the docs didn't taper as they should've.) Please be very, very careful. Xanax is a very addictive drug. You may want to ask your doc about switching to Klonapin. It's still a benzo & still addictive but not usually as much. It has a longer "half life" so it stays in your system longer. Good luck. (Be careful!)

Answer 5

Never change your medication without talking to the prescribing doctor first. Also, think about getting some counselling to deal with anxiety instead of the meds - and lay off of all caffeine and cut way back on sugar. Diet can play a big part in anxiety symptoms. Even severe food allergies can cause anxiety symptoms, hard to believe. There are actually good, natural sources to help with anxiety, things that can help you relax and / or sleep, go to a health food store and look into them, they are non-addictive and much safer than drugs. Good luck.

Answer 6

Don't worry about it. I take Klonopin every night for years. It helps me sleep. I may be addicted to it, but it is serving a purpose and it was prescribed.

As long as your doctor knows and you are ok with it, then don't worry about it. It is not doing you any harm and perhaps is doing you better by decreasing your anxiety.

Answer 7

0.25 is the lowest dose made, but you may be dependent... Talk to the person who prescribed it, as none of us have enough info to make those decisions for you.

If you are abusing it (taking it without a prescription) then talk to your doctor about how to stop.

Answer 8

xanax is addictive. talk to your dr.