Long Term High Dose Xanax Effects (Page 2)
(Newest replies first)

I began taking Xanax in 1982. I have been abusing it more and more over the years. I can now take 14 mg and not even tell it. I can stop taking it with no withdrawals. It's like I am immune to it. For the past two years I have been experiencing a lack of cognition, forgetfullness, and general fatigue. It does not matter if I stop the Xanax for a couple of months, I feel like the deficit is permanent. Can Xanax lead to permanent brain damage?

REPLY

REPORT

i notice this is a very old post and i hope your ok i just noticed this post and its quite amazing as i have the exact same problem with diazepam I've been taking them first recreationally in 1988 ti 1990 im from Glasgow in Scotland but moved to London in 1992 to try get waY from our epidemic with temazepam and diazepam in Britain xanax are non existent im actually dying ti try them anyway i get all the same symptoms as you and i believe i have a bit of brain damage my speech memory and depression are all bad i could be taking 28 5 mg in one go and barely feel the difference i wouldn't take even 10 5mg as i know nothing would happen its also so hard to germ a script now Dr s won't prescribe 10 mg only 5s u start my 4 th dettox on wed 21St 4 days time so again its 20mg at a reduction of 2mg a month but as its a psych clinic Dr im going to ask for alprazalam or klonopin so maybe tbd let me know wots happening

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

yes my mother over takes her Xanax ands takes colonzopam to and her kidneys are failing could the benzos e the problem

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

That's your brain telling you that i take 20 valium 10 mg and i think am fine. You just try detox off them and you will be fine for 5-6 days. Then when they're completely out your system wait for the crash; not advised love. Please don't just take .25 a month. I take 2mg of diazepam a month and am on 15 now from 40. Doing well but i know the lower i get the worse i'll be, it's that bad. I could not do it last time. Benzos are worse than opiates and about the same as methamphetamine, as that's hell. Well I hope i've helped if you wanna stop.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

You can't take Suboxone to get off Xanax. It's for opiate withdrawal only.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

NO. You don't have to cancel your trip. Just take .5mg. one half hour before each flight. You won't become dependent on that very low dose occasionally, like when you're flying.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Wean yourself off as quickly as is reasonable. There's no fire, but make a point of not taking it for more than two months.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I doubt some of the people on the Xanax threads are "professionals" as some of the information they provide in utter nonsense. If you have to tell people you are a doctor or PA or NP, you probably aren't one. Those people generally are way too busy actually practicing medicine to be on boards like this. You get your best info from someone who has been using the meds you have questions about, and who isn't a nutjob or a braggart. I'm neither, and I would be the kind of doctor Rob Lowe plays in "I'll Melt With You" if I had the degree so it is better we speak honestly. Xanax DOES have long term effects. If you are taking several 2mg bars a day for longer than a couple of months you will want to ween yourself off. If you don't want to tell your doc (and I guess I should technically advise you to) then I would do a detox like this: For 2mg 4x day, take this dose for 10 days. Reduce it to 1.5mg 3-4x (try for 3) day for 10 days. Then 1mg 3xday with a .25 at bedtime. Then .5mg 3xday, then .5mg 2xday, then .25 3xday with .25 at bedtime if needed, then .25 2xday with .25 at bedtime if needed, then half of that in AM and .25 in evening, then half 2xday, etc. Go S-L-O-W. A doc can help because it is easier to get cooperation with the right dosages instead of using a pill splitter. Any psychiatrist or even a MHNP will be happy to help you do a slow taper because if you just stop taking the medication, the first day or two you may be okay, but on Day 3 hallucinations are common. I tried to stop without a taper when I was younger and quickly had to be put back on my regular dosage. I have begun a slow taper myself, after reading that benzo's have been linked to Alzheimer's. Since none of the so-called "profesionals" mentioned this very well-known study, I doubt they were anything other than a janitor at the local hospital...if that. Don't risk it: get off benzo's NOW.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I know how you feel, I started using after I was bully in school and my ec husband beat me for many years, I only been on the pill 3 months and it do calm my panic attacks, plus I found the love of my life who helps me when I'm having a attack, Deep breathing, prayer and Faith

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Version, if you were any kind of 'expert' you would know (as any pharmacist or psychiatrist will tell you) that cessation of alprazolam (Xanax) can be lethal, causing seizures and hallucinations. You should always warn someone of that. Just stopping especially at doses of 1.5mg/day or higher (if taken for, say, a year or more daily) is DANGEROUS. Plus, new studies link it to Alzheimer's. Any more questions?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I see you don't have withdrawal symptoms. . Good. Try spacing between the dosage. Unfortunately the high you've been looking for will be the first few pills you take. Adding more will not deliver that euphoric feeling. I'd suggest a long absence might do you some good. Memory loss is the major problem.. quit and you'll find that certain things come back to you. . It's amazing how you realize that you can live without the pills

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I thought it was 6 mg for anxiety and 4 mg for agoraphobia, you had spelled it wrong. 6 mg is a pretty large dose, not especially when it is taken but when discontinued. I feel for people who lose their connection, it will happen and I know you have been through a lot. You might look to cut down over time as between me and you Alprazolam is absolute poison.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I do not take 10 mg a day I take 2 mg 3 times a day unless I have to go out and in those cases I take 4 mg and only take another 2 mg for the rest of the day. I never take more than 6 mg daily

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Karen, if you are taking 10 mg a day total that is way too much. "They" are watching you, and I would expect a dosage change in the near future, perhaps being cut off. Just be prepared as I would look into another Doctor?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I have been taking Xanax 2 mg three times a day for anxiety and agoraphobia and for the agoriaphobia I take 4 mg and have been doing this for three years. In 1998 I had a gastric bypass to lose weight and a side effect of this is malabsorption I hane insomnia and have to take 20 mg of ambien just to sleep four hours and The meds work at these doses and I am not abusing them nor wanting to increase them but my doctor keeps referring to a "they" who seem to expect the doses to be decreased....I wanna know when "they" became more important than the patient..... Me... When I do leave my home even on 4 mg of Xanax my anxiety becomes so severe that if I am forced to interact I start to stutter and I am 52 and that stutter started with my stress turned into extreme anxiety. I have no foggy memory, no hazed days no forgetfulness, I am dealing with a great deal of issues, lost my home, my mother is terminally ill, my daughter is waiting to be shipped out in the military but I find it amazing that "they" who know nothing of my life want to decrease my meds that are for the most part helping me function.....ANY ADVICE

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I have been with my boyfriend with 19 years. He also has an addiction to Xanax. It wasn't like this in the beginning. Maybe a few on the weekend. In the past 10 years things have gotten really bad. Lies and deception have played a major role in our lives. I am to the point I don't know what to do anymore? It's not just about us we have a family.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I was taking 10 to 20 mg every day for years along with huge amounts of molly and coke when I detoxed from the xanax. I have had 3 seizures 1 grandmos seizer, my emotions are completely messed up. it is one of the hardest drugs to fully recover from. it is no joke and I hope your son is doing well. I just want you to know xanax can completely take away someone's care for anything. they are made to relieve anxiety and when you take enough to completely remove anxiety you lose care for everything around you, many times not realizing that you do. its a crazy drug to try to overcome. I hope all is well.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

STOP !! Taking this crap. It is deadly it is a money maker for the the coprp. Heads. Really do you think they care if you live or die? Im going in the 10th for biopsies my liver is huge painful and my spleen. Lets not for get passive aggresive. Driving someone could die. I abused this drug to the point I took a bottle of 1mg. Just to see if Id wake up. Yup I did...
Not to mention the fact I took my self off it. Awake 5 friggen days.. Bugs crawling on me it was the worst. GET HELP!!! NOW!! ADDICTED SINCE 2000 when my mom passed away. I miss her her everyday and yes lets not forget crying and anger jags. worse drug to be addicted to. Ill keep smoking. My liver will kill me first.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I stopped talking my 1 mg and I was right back to the disturbed cruel person I once was...I can't see why anyone would deliberately misuse their medication.. This doesn't help them it only makes things worse

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Thanks for the inspiration, Jay. I am hoping to lose weight as my doctor takes me off Benzos. I did poorly on memory tests and facing additional nueropsychological tests. The drugs are said to cause early onset Alzheimer's disease. I am a V.A. patient. Is anyone suing Pfizer yet?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I have been taking alprazolam for over 15yrs now. Recently my doctor told me it was too dangerous to be taking it with my pain meds so she took it from me, before I was doing fine, now im totally not! My pain seems to b worse(I have DDD, stenosis, sciatica, and everything connected ), my anxiety is out of control, I cant sleep, I feel totally out of sorts!!! Why would they make me stop and be ok with me feeling this way?!!! I DONT UNDERSTAND DOCTORS AND THEIR THINKING!!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Does Xanax make you not care about (or love) things and people in your life anymore when used over an extended period of...

2 REPLIES

About 2 years ago, my boyfriend had the brilliant idea of administering klonopin intravenously several times into his lo...

4 REPLIES

Hi, last year in December I overdosed on 100 50mg capsules of tramadol, this was intensional but I was found and I was r...

4 REPLIES

effects and side effects of meganeuron ## 1.side effect of meganeuron 2.Duration of meganeuron tab can take ## Wanted to...

3 REPLIES

I took Lexapro for 4 years and have been off it for 6 years. I was reading some of the symptoms and withdrawal symptoms ...

1 REPLY

Has this drug known to cause deffects to the kidneys or liver? ## I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT DININTEL I HAVE TAKEN T...

17 REPLIES

## I started taking 15 mg of Mirtazapine a month ago and for anxiety, feelings of fear and worry and depression. I’...

5 REPLIES

I have looked extensively for info with my situation but haven't found much. when I was 15 I started doing pills, an...

5 REPLIES

Has anyone heard of any studies that look at long term side effects of prozac on children whose mothers took prozac whil...

5 REPLIES

I as put on Co Diovan BP medication 15 months ago after being admitted to ICU with what the cardiologist seemed to think...

4 REPLIES