Doctors don't like to prescribe xanax to me because of how addictive it is but........?

Question

they have no problem prescribing ssris. I've been on Paxil before and getting off it felt like I was getting off crack or heroine. I haven't been addicted to crack or heroine but I couldn't get out of bed, my joints hurt, nightmares, constant suicidal thoughts were only a few of the withdrawal symptoms. When I get pushed a drug like Lexapro by my doctor, I tell them, "no, thank you" The thought of going through what I went through with Paxil plus the massive weight gain that I have now just recently lost is enough to say, "There's no way in hell, I'm taking that crap again". But now I'm faced with the xanax situation. I take xanax every night to help me fall asleep and have been doing so for the past six years. Doctors don't want to prescribe it to me because of it's "addictive". Well, so are all those other meds they're pushing on me. I know because of the withdrawal I went through. Does anyone here agree with me? I feel the pharmaceutical companies are making doctors push these drugs

Answer 1

Personally I feel that if Xanax helps and SSRIs either don't work or cause intolerable side effects they should just give you the Xanax, but I do understand where the doctors are coming from on the addiction issue. SSRIs produce significant physical dependence that results in withdrawal symptoms. But their potential for abuse is very low, whereas medications like Xanax have a much higher potential for abuse. "Addiction" is not a very technical term, and means different things to different people. What your doctors mean when they say addiction isn't just physical dependence (i.e. withdrawal symptoms), but rather a combination of physical and psychological dependence.

Substances abuse and dependence are very specific things that are defined by the DSM-IV as requiring the patient meet certain criteria. You can find the DSM criteria for substance abuse here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_abuse#History
And for substance dependence: http://www.dva.gov.au/health/younger/mhealth/alcohol/training/appendm.htm
You can see that withdrawal symptoms are neither necessary nor sufficient to diagnosis substance abuse or dependence. It's more about impairment of function rather than physical dependence.

Although SSRIs can produce physical withdrawal symtpoms, they're unlikely to produce a pattern of use consistent with substance abuse or dependence. Benzodiazepines like Xanax are associated with the patterns of substance abuse or dependence defined by the DSM. When your doctors are worried about the addictive potential of Xanax, they're talking about it's potential as a drug of abuse according to the DSM definitions of substance abuse/dependence, rather than its ability to cause physical withdrawal symptoms after regular therapeutic use.

I don't necessarily agree with their refusal to prescribe Xanax on these grounds, but I do agree with their assessment of its addictive potential given their definition of addiction. That's more of a communication issue that a medical one since your definition of addiction is just as legitimate as theirs, but that's where they're coming from anyway.

Answer 2

Yeah, I've been through some of the same things before. I know there are people out there that abuse drugs but I need xanax and my Doctor gives them to me. I personally take Lexapro but with my situation, I will be on it for a long time and am not currently worried about coming off it. I need something for the here and now. Some people take anti-depressants and don't need xanax, that would be recommended because of people abusing the xanax. But, we are all not abusers, we really need them. God Bless!

Answer 3

Pharmaceuticals keep coming up with more drugs because of the PATIENTS.....not the doctors.

People take way too many drugs. They think they are supposed to be happy all the time and don't learn how to deal with life without taking a drug. You don't need Xanax and you do need to get off of them. You will have to be medically detoxed, because stopping Xanax can cause seizures.

Medications are not going to fix your depression and that's what you have. You need counseling/therapy. That is the only thing that will work.

Answer 4

I have taken Xanax for years. My anxiety was getting so bad I was taking 5-6 of the 1mg a day that's alot. I wasn't getting high on them my body needed more. Now I am proud to say Between my Dr. and my husband we weined me down. I now take 1-2mg if that in a day. I take Effexor also. I started seeing a Therapist also. I have never had all these side effects I have read about when going off a anti-depressant, but boy I did on Xanax! You probably should try another anti-depressant but if you go off it go off slowly.