Long Term High Dose Xanax Effects (Page 3)

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?

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bman, what I hear is you went from 1.5 mg a day to 12 mg a day with alprazolam. In my interpretation, this is tolerance. In my experience, with that benzo, they quit working their magic, after brief usage, thus, many increase the dose, as I did. IMHO, Pfizer/Upjohn Xanax will turn on you, sooner or later, of course dose dependant. Most individuals, I have formerly counseled, and myself, a recovering Xanax addict, of three 2 mg bars a day, 24/7, I ended up taking the tablets, only to fend off the withdrawal. hot and cold sweats, extreme mood swings, prounced tightness in the chest, tachacardia, cognitive distortions, cloudy thinking, and, situational depression, when my last dose wore off, I would wake up in the middle of the night, craving more alprazolam, thus, had two Psychiatrists, filling out 100 count scripts, or 50 1 mg scripts with 4 refills, and life was hell, why? FEAR of running out. The buzz for me escaped me in about 4 to 6 weeks of original usage, but, I had a history, as I stated earlier on this very forum,of C-II addiction to sedatives, decades earlier. What lesson did I learn? the brain does not forget. I craved stronger sedatives, in 1990 to 1996, but, my favorites, "Doriden 500mg", "Tuinal 200 mg", "Quaalude 300mg" "Mandrax 275mg" Soper 300mg, "Parest 400mg" (the latter 4 all removed off of the USA market, Schedule I, Methaqualone, and, I did not have the resources, "the money" to travel to Spain, to get, Pallidan (methaqualone) or Germany, Norm-Nox, (methaqualone) or the last country to manufacture that highly addictive hypnotic, Switzerland, "Toquilone compositum" by Medichemie Pharmaceuticals, removed it off of the Swiss marketplace
in late 2006. It has vanished from the world forever, as has, Glutethimide, as I was ignorant, that, after it was withdrawn, by Wm Rorer in 1992 (USA) but was available by prescription in Romania, until the year 2006, when Ranbaxy Pharma bought out Terapia Pharma, and withdrew the "controversial Doridan sedative". Again, I had the desire, but not the cash, the language skills, and fortitude, to travel to UK to, get the still produced Tuinal, Seconal, and, Nembutal, by Lilly and Abbott, as it was as rare as the Louisiana "Whooping Crane" by 1996, and, as recently as 2009, Seconal, is still available in the United Kingdom (manufactured in Ireland), and Seconal, is mfg in the USA, under a special license, by Marathon Labs, as Lilly stopped making the fast acting Seconal Pulvules many yrs, ago. "The domain of Psychiatrists & terminally ill patients, or, perhaps, the rich and famous"
Dcat, I realize many posts are 3 yrs old, I hope you are still alive, it took me 11 months to detox outpatient, off of only 6 mg of Xanax, and it was the worst withdrawal, I shall never forget. I am afraid of that benzo, IMHO.
Dcat, perhaps, the psychiatrist, meant when he said you will never "be happy again" is that, if you successfully withdraw off of Xanax, then substantial abstinence with a support group, and start back, IMHO, the "happy, warm fuzzy feeling, will only last 7 to 10 days, and, then, you will not be happy, as tolerance sets in, and, you will live to fight off the withdrawals, or in your special case, just get depressed, from massive doses, with or without alcohol. alcohol with alprazolam, only extends the euphoria, for a very brief time, and is dangerous, taking both in self medicating high doses.
Shawn, I am cautious to comment, due to my ignorance of the forum rules, but to go to sleep and not desire to wake up, I am familiar with, (in my case it was a Major Depressive Episode, caused by a Divorce, or Major Career loss, i.e getting fired) for two weeks in a row, of symptoms meeting all criteria in the DSM-IV.
I will only state that Abbie Hoffman, I quote from May1, 1989 PEOPLE magazine, pg 110, had a dx of Bipolar Disorder, "quote......had been taking Lithium, previously...the Bucks County Coroner, finding that Abbie had ingested a lethal mix of of alcohol and 150 phenobar bital pills, ruled the death a suicide. (Abbie Hoffman, was one of the Chicago Seven, and a former co-hort of Yippie Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, and Bobby Seal.
Promethazine, a anti-vomiting medication, aids in reducing the vomiting for individuals, such, as those with a dx of intractable vomiting, New Mexico and Deleware, under tight restrictions, authorize the use of medical cannabis, for those state citizens, with that horrible disorder, as well, as PTSD.
I hope this wall of text has been broken up enough to not give anyone a headache, if so, I have more of a learning curve ahead for me. I apoligize in advance.

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i really need help!
I had a panic attack 10 days before for the first time and the doctor gave me 0.25 mg xanax thrice a day and lexapro 20 mg once a day at bedtime.
i took xanax for three days, and lexapro for only first two.
Then i checked internet and saw so many scary topics about these drugs.
I quit them right away, but now i feel so many symptoms like, anixety all the time, sweating, heart beating, i have gone pale in a last few days, feeling unreal all the time etc etc.
Its my sixth day after quiting them completely, have i done something wrong?
i am a non smoker and non drinker, never into drugs before as well.
since i only had xanax 0.25 mg three times a day for three days and lexapro 20 mg for first two days, am i going to get any dangerous withdrawl syptoms, fatal ones???

PLease help me, god bless you!!!

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Yes it can definetly effect your brain the main thing it ruins is your memory, which l think is terrible once your memory is half gone like mine l now need to right everything l've got to do and buy ect, best of luck matey and keep positive.

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My 23 year old son passed away in his sleep because he mixed methadone pills and xanax. I have been on xanax for years. I'd like to get off of it but my panic attacks are too bad. Without the xanax I can't leave home. I don't abuse it and normally take less then the doctor prescribes.

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I am 36 years old. I began taking Xanax in 1998 for panic attacks. I was started on (3) .25mg per day. Over the next few years it gradually increased to about (3) 1mg per day, then as my tolerance increased so did the dosage, Anyways in June of 2011 I was taking approx 12mg per day every day. I know this was a lot. I quit pretty much cold turkey! Went through about 3 1/2 months of HARD withdrawels in a rehab facility. Now I know this is not recommened to the average person. Also this put a serious financial strain on my life near the end. Today I go to the gym every day, I feel very physically happy, not 100% emotionally, but im sure it might take some time. Anyways wanted to give some hope to anyone out there that might be stuck taking this medicine. I am now over 11 months off this!!! And moving forward and trying to rebuild my life...:)

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baby girl I suggest u speak with somebody ASAP don't ever think about hurting yourself it isn't worth it u have so much out there in this world looking up @ u just keep your head up and talk with someone if u need someone to talk to please dont hesitate to contact me and I will gladly give u my info so we can k.I.T even though I dont know u but we can chat ya woman to woman talk get some things off your chest I hate to see another woman loose her life we need to stick together well post back girl and we'll talk more chao take care and I will keep u in my prayers......

:>smile wink chao

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I just read that there is no evidence that Xanax can damage your live. However, someone with liver problems already may metabalize the drug differently, causing more of the theriputic level of the drug to be in your blood stream. Sorry for the misspellings.

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If you have no resistance built up to these medications, yes it could definatly kill you. You would go into resperitory arrest.

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I have taken xanax for over 20 years now. It started when I had ear surgery and they destroyed my balance center. This was the only thing that stops my head from spinning all day long. I carried on a normal life, working, having babies, marriage etc. I take .5mgs 4 times a day and I never take more..six doctors ahve told me to take 1 full mg 4 times a day but I refused. I know my body is used to the meds since I get jittery when they wear off but my worst thing is that I cannot walk straight and dizzy all the time without it. My condition is so much worse that I went on disabiltiy last year and when i ask if I can stop the xanax my doctors all yell at me that I am not an addict, I am not loopy or runnign to get more of them and not increasing my dose. I am not sure if going off them would help my life at all or they are necessary to maintain a normal balance as they tell me they do.

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I could use a friend. Would you be willing to talk to me? Email me. Thanks!

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Xanax is very, very addictive! You need to wean yourself of of it. Never go cold turkey, ask your doctor to help you to stop. He/she will tell you how much to take each day untill you won't go through any withdrawls, they can kill you, and have many people who just go off of it, without tapering off first. Best of luck to you, I know what it's like to get addicted to xanax, it was hard to wuit. But just listen to your doctor, and you will be just fine. I am at the point now when I can take it when I really need it.

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wow, sickening to read...i am a grown woman who has never had a benzo addiction problem, and a 20 year old junkie can get suboxone AND xanax from the same doctor, and enough to both abuse AND sell? is he dr. nick from the Simpsons?? what a joke. i guess if i was having anxiety issues as a 41 year old woman, i'd have to beg for xanax...God bless america!!

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Tootie? You have to let the person know who you are talking too, or you might end up with a million friends LOL
Janet

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Janet ty. I can't remember who I posted that too. On other sites if you click post a reply on a persons post, it usually directs right to them. Anyway, I suffer with horrible anxiety and panic attacks and have been on every med out there. Xanax has given me my life back. If there's anyone who needs friend I'm here to help anyone at anytime. I have a big heart.

Toots

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Same here tootizie.
Hae a great tomorrow

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Im 33 and have been on xanax for over ten years and have abused it the whole time. I drank almost every weekend in mt early 20s, did a lot of coke, and tried almost anything else. Opiate pain killers were next then sniffing heroin. All while on at least 6 to 8 mg of xanax a day. In the last year i realized i have to get this under control so i have suboxone i am self medicating with to get off any opiates. I am down to less than 1 mg of that a day and am tapering slowly but the xanax is still the problem. Im at 10mg a day now to get through and know i have to cut down slow but im determined. I am prescibed 6 mg of xanax a day but get extra. Once in a while i take extra hoping ill feel good but lateley all its does is put me to sleep. The only thing i worry about now is what i have been doing to my liver. I know i wouldnt get it checked until something went wrong with no insurance

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Jdog that is really smart. When I first started taking them, they had given me my old life back and I went overboard. Took 60 1mg x's in 15 days, when I realized what I had done, I got a hold of myself real fast. I will never do that again. I don't drink or use illicit drugs, so it just goes to show how easy it is to get out of hand.

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If I would have known how addicted I would have become to xanax I would have dealt with panic attacks once in a while and never gotten on the crap. I always messed around a little with drugs but thought "this is in pharmacys so it can't hurt you that much" when it came to xanax 15 years ago or so. I wish I could go back in time and smack that first pill out of my hand.

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Ughhhhh, I typed up this whole thing and somehow just wiped it all out, as i type on this dreadful cursed laptop keyboard which is a piece of crap compared to a regular keyboard....i was reading your posts, Joe, and i feel for your situation....i can relate to bits & pieces of it....i was never fully immersed in xanax addiction, but i had my bouts with it when using it to help me get off of opiates and cocaine a few years back....xanax was never my primary drug of choice, for just the reason u said is happening when u take more, they make u tired...xanax was always a "i want to pass out now and can't stand to be awake thinking anymore my brain is going to explode and i think i might want to blow my brains out"....i quit opiates after years of abuse, cold turkey, november 2005 and it was not pretty...however, my alcohol usage promptly skyrocketed, and i was in the worst downward spiral of my life....no longer drinking beer of course, just nasty whiskey and whatever cheap crap i could get my hands on since i was unemployed at the time, and then i really LOVED having xanax on hand....i'd had prescriptions for the little .25s here and there from my primary doc, but i was getting them from a friend by this time, the "bars" for $5 each which wow looking back, that was damn cheap....between the alcohol and the xanax, i went on a bad ride of blackout city for several weeks, it was bad. weeks of my life i do not remember, including a DUI i scored while driving and hitting a parked car. i was lucky to not have killed anyone, and 2 months later I was done drinking and that was over 6 years ago...xanax i have since had, but have only taken it as prescribed and only take it at bedtime...i cant imagine being able to be up and alert and awake and functioning after taking xanax, but i guess i never built up a tolerance in comparison with people like yourself who take it regularly....and u are taking suboxone to help with getting off opiates....how is that going??? i myself take suboxone and at this point in my life, i have zero clue when i will be off of it....i have every excuse in the book, won't lie...i have been on it since october 2010...started at 24 mg or so, and now am at 8 mg for quite a while now....i'd like to know more about your situation, email me privately if u would like...i don't know if i can help u or not, but i work for a pharmaceutical company and have access to all kinds of information and work with some amazing PharmDs who may know of good cocktail to help u iron some of this crap out....also, should be a way for u to get the right meds at little to no cost since u do not have insurance at the moment....good uck and be careful, xanax w/d, well, u know im sure, can be dangerous.....drop a line......danielle

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Joe and doolah, I don't drink or use illicit drugs, but I do realize how addictive they all are. Xanax has really changed my life. After suffering with panic attacks for 25yrs, I rather have the Xanax then panic attacks. Without it I had no life. I just have to make sure I don't over do it.

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