I need advice from someone that knows about Xanax?

Question

My Dr had me on .50 mg of xanax to help me sleep. Today,at my appointment, I told him that I was edgy and not sleeping well. When I got my prescription filled, I discovered that he had put me on 2mg three times a day!! I'm no stranger to xanax and I am afraid of becoming dependent again. I can't bring myself to dispose of them. Can someone please tell me what doseage I should start on. Please don't yell at me,I know that xanax is dangerous. I need advice and my Dr.doesn't see what my problem with this drug is. He says that I am a level headed woman and that I worry too much. help?

I called my pharamist and she said that was what Dr had written. I called Dr and he said for me not to worry he knew what he was doing. I'm not a basket case,so,I am very confused.

I don't see a phychatrist. i go to my Md. The same Dr for 15 yrs

Answer 1

Oh my gosh!!!! I hear your concern LOUD and Clear!! About the only thing your Dr. is right about is that you seem to be a VERY level headed woman.....LOL!!!! Seriously, in all my years of practice as a Psychiatric Nurse, I have NEVER come across such a thing as jumping from 0.5 mg. of Xanax to 2mg TID.....that kind of jump is not only extremely unusual, but VERY unprofessional!!!! You are right to be concerned.....until you can find a new Dr., you might want to split a 2mg. tab and take 1mg. at night instead of the half mg. you were taking.....this would be more along the lines of what most physicians would do. Are you already taking an SSRI anti-depressant? I ask this because many times this classification of drugs alone can decrease the anxiety associated with sleeplessness. If you already are taking one, and still experiencing anxiety, talk to your Dr. about prescribing Klonopin(which is a benzodiazapine like Xanax) except that of the drugs in this group, Klonopin has the longest "half life," meaning that it stays in your body the longest(about 12 hours vs. 3-4 with Xanax) and provides a smooth anxiety reduction. Xanax works quickly and wears off quickly....Klonopin is introduced into the system slowly and is eliminated slowly, doing away with the hills and valleys of the shorter acting drugs. I thank God that HE blessed you with the gift of discernment.....that gift may have saved you from a life of addiction. I'm proud of you!!

Answer 2

2mg three times a day is too big a jump unless you were using the 0.5 mg tabs more often than just at night. I would advise you to call your doctor's office and speak with him about your concerns or at least relay your concerns to his office nurse. If you feel uneasy about calling him then your next safe bet is to ask the pharmacist. Fill this prescription at the same pharmacy you did with your last Rx. They will advise you or they may even call your doctor for you...

IF you don't want to do either, then try the new med at a lower dose by breaking the tablet in half. Most tablets are "scored" or have a indenting line on them for this very purpose. See if 1mg will suffice.

Make sure to let your family or housemates know that you are on a medication that can cause sedation and that you are concerned about a recent increase in the dose....

The 1mg dose should not be so large an increase that you have to worry about Anna Nicole syndrome...

Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

It looks like almost everything has been covered by those above me, and most of the advice is excellent (for once). Additional thoughts I had were:
* Medication: You're already aware that the benzodiazepines are fairly addictive and may have longer term, dangerous side effects. At this dosage, it is possible that you may develop a paradoxical reaction (occurs with <1% of those taking benzodiazepines) wherein you would actually become more talkative, restless, emotionally excited and agitated. Also, because of their sedative (central nervous system depressant) effects, benzo's may actually induce a depressive state thru time. If you think you'll need these meds for >2 weeks or a month, do consider an SSRI (Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft), Effexor or Buspar (none of which cause sedation or lead to dependency). The SSRI's occasionally have sexual side effects (decreased libido and loss of sensation at times), but most people overcome or adjust to this thru time. If you opt for an SSRI, it may take 2-3 weeks to reach therapeutic level, so give it some time.
* Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy: People suffering from anxiety often participate in this type of therapy, in which you learn to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to stressful feelings, anxiety, agitation and restlessness.
* Consider seeing someone who does progressive muscle relaxation, bio-feedback or other work (Yoga, meditation) that relaxes the body and mind.
* Finally, clinicians rarely want to second guess what another medical professional has prescribed or done... not a good policy; however, this dose does seem a bit high, unless you are severely obese or large, at which point it makes slight sense (but not too much). The one piece of advice I have is that if you decide to take the medicine, consider cutting the dose yourself by 50-75% and see if this helps. Avoid taking this type of med for >30 days!

And by the way, with respect to his comment that you're "level headed"- I concur. The answers you've given others here have been extremely wise, thoughtful, sensitive and intelligent!!!

I hope this helps out. Buene exito (good luck)

Answer 4

Hello friend;

You already know the effects apparently, so here is the information I have found.

Dosage should be individualized for maximum beneficial effect. While the usual daily dosages given below will meet the needs of most patients, there will be some who require doses greater than 4 mg/day. In such cases, dosage should be increased cautiously to avoid adverse effects.

Anxiety Disorders and Transient Symptoms of Anxiety

Treatment for patients with anxiety should be initiated with a dose of 0.25 to 0.5 mg given 3 times daily. The dose may be increased to achieve a maximum therapeutic effect, at intervals of 3 to 4 days, to a maximum daily dose of 4 mg, given in divided doses. The lowest possible effective dose should be employed and the need for continued treatment reassessed frequently. The risk of dependence may increase with dose and duration of treatment.

I was on this med for 15 years and fortunately, with regular Liver Function Tests, there is no damage, which can occur in some people.

Take the advice of you Doctor. However, I wonder if you are going from .50 mg directly to 2mg 3xdaily? You should either be closely watched by a professional or go very slowly. If, in fact, you are going from one to the other, check again with you physician re:the safety issues here.

Best of luck to you and remember this, many have travel the road you are one AND SURVIVED and you will as well. When we need help, isn't it wonderful to have it available?

God's blessings to you

Answer 5

Personally, I would ask the Dr. for a non-benzodiazapine medication such as Lexapro. If you like, the 2mg Xanax are scored 3 times to make it easy to break into 4 pieces. Take as much as you feel "comfortable" with and slowly ween yourself off of it. Not sleeping is a sign of dependency and you need to get off of it - SLOWLY. Withdrawals from benzodiazapines are lethal and you must be very careful. Ask your Dr for an alternative - or find a new dr - yours sounds like a bit of a quack.

Answer 6

As a nurse, 2 mg is an unusual dose. You should be totally zonked out at 2 mg, let alone 3 times a day. You should check with your pharmacist about whether this was what the dr actually wrote and if so, get the pharmacists opinion. They are trained well about meds and dosages. If you do take this dosage, don't drive!!

Answer 7

Xanax is a very dependence producing drug. that's why your doses have gone up over time. it's possible to wean you off this medicine. sometimes it can be done at home if caregivers keep in touch with the psychiatrist regularly, otherwise a short hospital stay may be required. it's better to gradually replace it with a longer acting drug like chlordiazepoxide and then taper it off. but it has to be done by a psychiatrist.
so far as your primary anxiety problem is concerned, your psychiatrist should decide which medicine from SSRI group should be started.
Dr. Dhingra
Apollo Clinic, F-4, East of Kailash, New Delhi
[e-mail]

Answer 8

You need to tell your doctor and get a different medication to help you. Something that is not addictive and will help your symptoms w/o causing you to become dependent.

Xanax is highly addictive and it is hard to control your tendency to overtake it. I also suggest telling your doctor you have an issue with anti-anxiety meds.

Answer 9

Hello, just wanted to let you know of a miracle pill that puts you to sleep, available over the counter, is actually very very beneficial for your health, and is only 3 bucks!! I had trouble falling asleep for years. I would lay in bed, and think and think and think for hours before I could fall asleep. It was literally driving me crazy!! I had tried every over the counter sleeping pill on the market and nothing helped. I turned to Nyquil and that did the trick. I had been drinking Nyquil almost every night to go to sleep until I stumbled upon this miracle sanity saving nutritional supplement named MELATONIN. And you can buy it at any GNC health food store. I advocate GNC because the melatonin they use goes through 85 different quality checks before its bottled. Buy the sublingual melatonin. The kind that dissolves underneath your tongue tastes like cherries and it’s good for you!! I was shocked at the effectiveness in putting me to sleep. If you have any questions before you buy it the sales associate at GNC should be able to answer any questions you have. It comes in 1 mg, I take 2 right before bed. The only side effects are weird dreams for the first two nights if any at all. I have been taking it for years and it’s truly been a blessing. And it has more antioxidant effects than Vitamin C and Vitamin E combined. You must take the sublingual kind from GNC otherwise it might not work because of quality and potency, should be taken at regular bedtimes in the evening. Must try the GNC brand at your local mall.
God Bless
P.S. after you try it and it works don’t forget to tell others about it. You could be saving someone else’s Sanity

Answer 10

Never mix the 2 ever heard of heath ledger or other celebrities it can kill you yes