Long Term High Dose Xanax Effects
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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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I get severe tingling in my legs, hands and lips if I don’t take my Xanax every 4 hours. Is this normal; indicative of an addiction? I have been on this med for years and see a psychiatrist for depression and anxiety regularly.

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Re: greeneyes (# 3)

I thought Clonopine was for 1 pill taken before bed. Had no idea it was a take all day drug. I too got immune to effects of Xanax and switched for 2 yrs to Ativan. Then back to Xanax and it worked better. I will have to be on them for life BUT my Dad had early onset ALZ and they make me think I'm getting it even thou my Hubby swears it's the Xanax. and WITHDrawal from BENZOS is worse than withdrawal from any Opiate. It lasted for 3 weeks...no sleep, loose stools, headaches and finally I gave up. But my Psyche said I Must be on something for anxiety or I would definitely 'spin out of control'...so I continue.

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Re: elsea (# 207)

Depending on the amount you took withdrawal symptoms can be with you for months if not years after the last dose

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Re: elsea (# 206)

My question in #205 refers to the long term effects (6 months to 1 year) after having withdrawn from xanax? I'm sorry I did not make myself clear. I want to know if someone's altered brain chemistry after withdrawing from Xanax can cause seizures long after the withdrawal (6 months to a year)?

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Re: Verwon (# 5)

Can it cause seizures for that entire time until one's brain chemistry has returned to normal? Can one test whether their brain chemistry is back to normal?

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I've spent 4 days on rexulti .05mg, trintellix 5mg and .025mg xanax. How long do I have to wait until my meds take effect? Why do I have thoughts of being useless prior to about an hour when I need to take another xanax? I'm a 72-year-old female and can't wait till the day is over hoping my meds will take effect. Thank you for listening.

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Well June hang in there. Be careful about Potassium pills like K Clor given to prisoners before an execution as it drops your blood pressure. I passed out twice and smashed my head and we found my potassium levels were way too high due to that giant pill

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Re: Alex (# 202)

That's the problem. Sure as the O/P said you can take 14 a day. What you can't do is stop or face the consequences. Anyone who says otherwise is just not knowledgeable about Alprazolam

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Re: matt (# 10)

I truly believe if you could avoid Xanax don't ever start I've been taking the drug for about 10 years I went on vacation one time lost my bottle never thought I would withdraw boy was I wrong almost killed me

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I LIVE IN A NURSING HOME, MY PILL INTAKE STARTS ABOUT 7.30 AM THEN MORE WITH BREAKFAST, MORE ABOUT 4 PM , THEN SLEEPING PILLS. i ESTIMATE i TAKE ABOUT 30 TABLETS A DAY, i NEED SOME FOR CROHNS, AND A LACK OF POTASSIUM i MENTIONED TO THE RN THE OTHER DAY ' I MUST BE REALLY ILL TO NEED ALL THESE PILLS, SHE ONLY LAUGHED

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Re: june (# 199)

The Moon June, interesting. Do you take Xanax as well, some Doctors prescribe it for pain

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i had an above knee amputation, 45 years ago within 2 weeks I was getting phantom pains and have continued to have them , the pain very severe, they last two days,I have been told it has something to do with the moon, many, many years later, my husband also became an amputee. He suffered NO phantom pains. I blame the way it was wrapped

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Re: barredfrombars (# 80)

It sounds exactly like me and my past Xanax abuse. I was taking 20 mg and more everyday for 15 years along with countless amounts of Oxycontin & 15 years of anabolic steroid abuse. I have now been off of everything for about 4 years and I can still feel the stupid in me LOL if that makes any sense. I haven't been able to keep a job for 4 years I can't remember s*** about anything I've done or anything that I do now. I'd like to speak to you personally since you're about 20 years older than me. I'm almost 40 and I still think like that 19 year old. It's been 4 years clean yet I still feel like I'm taking them daily. Is this normal? Also I quit cold turkey, it was hell. Like I said it's been 4 years and I still experience withdrawals. I know I was not supposed to stop abruptly like I did. I had to go to Medical detoxes and they couldn't even treat me. They sent me to the hospital and I came back home for 3 months disillusions and hallucinations talking to people that weren't there, not knowing what was real. It was scary as hell, not going to lie. I still get that way from time to time. I've lost everything. When I say everything, everything. I just need someone to maybe kind of guide me cuz I'm doing this alone now. It's just me. I have no kids no wife no life LOL. Do you think I've done permanent damage? From what all I've read and a couple of doctors I spoke with they said no doubt I have so that makes me feel really good you know. I mean damn that's a real encouraging thing to tell somebody who's already depressed thinking about killing themselves on a daily basis for the last 4 years.

I don't know. I just didn't picture my life like this at 38 years old. I had everything in the world my whole life. 21 playing professional baseball, doing everything right and then the steroids started to get bigger and stronger and I think that's what triggered a chemical imbalance in my brain to take my first blue football at the gym one day and I thought I had just found every answer to every question I've ever had and then came the Lortabs and everything just escalated from there to what is now turned into 20 years. The last 4 years sober but I don't feel sober. I still feel like I'm more f***ed up in the head than I was when I was on the stuff. Not going to lie, taking a Xanax here and there and if I take one bar it actually doesn't do anything for this. It's been 4 years without taking it. I recently about 5-6 months ago took about 10 mg of Xanax after not taking them for 4 years and I felt absolutely nothing and that to me seems like a big f***ing problem, like there's something bad/wrong upstairs. I know I've been rambling on. I can't sleep. I never sleep. I've lost 40 lbs over this last 4 years but a lot of that has to do with not taking steroids in 5 years or going to the gym in seven or eight years, but I used to be 205 lbs and now I'm lucky if I'm 170. I'm 5 foot 10. Any thoughts? I know this is an old post. If anyone has any advice please feel free to write back. I may be able to help you with something, who knows. Thanks.

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Five years ago I had a failed suicide attempt. One day I took approximately 100 mg of Xanax and when I woke up I took approximately 30 mg more. I remember nothing after taking the first bottle, just had the empty bottles & my roommate's description to fill in the blanks. About three days later I was awake & basically normal, though I did stay awake for over five days & may have had a very slight seizure. I have had a great deal of memory loss since then. Most of it is short term stuff, but I've also lost long term memories, actual content/knowledge pieces, and have very frequent word loss where I can't bring up the words for everyday tangible objects or ideas. I've given up on recalling names - it's just luck if I'm able to do it. Adding new info & making it stick is a real challenge. My question - do you think this is related to the overdose with Xanax? It was quite some time ago, but I fear I did permanent damage. I've got a neurologist appointment in a month - it's taken a long time to get a referral from my regular doctor who has insisted this is all normal. I'm 40, and I feel confident none of this is normal at all. I'm grateful for your input.

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A psychiatrist prescribed me Xanax or alprazolam about 13 yrs ago. When she left for an office of her own, they couldn't accept my ins there so a nurse practitioner continued them, even raising them 6 months after cirrhosis diagnosis, now give me 2 weeks to work down from 1mg three times a day to 0.25 three times a day! What's up? They realize they killed my liver, now hurry get me off? I am scared out of my mind, I've had 2 suicides in family! I cry all day!

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Need a phychatrist who will prescribe meds for Anxiety been on it 8 years my Dr moved I cannot go cold turkey need phychatrist soon anyone no a good time one plz

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Of course it can cause brain damage anything you abuse medically especially can .. I.have been taking diazepam for over 20 years

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Borzalmas nem értem miért írják fel leszokasásba meg nem segitenek

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hi jay, im jay too. you are totally right on what you are saying about the diazepam. are you British as i know nothing about xanax as i live in London and they are non existent here totally. anyway diazepam is a big enough problem on its own as you know. i too couldn't do my last detox. u done it but the difference between 2mg and zero was unbearable. i moved areas got a new Dr now who hates diazepam. He gave me 20mg a day for 2 weeks then decided to not see me and he left 1 months worth pre dated script weekly, but immediately cut me to 10 mg a day from 20. better than nothing but also left a note saying no more diazepam to be prescribed to this man so now this doctor wants me to use my methadone clinic where luckily they are willing to take me on, but detox only. so i meet this new Dr expert on wed. i had 6 yellows 5s on Friday, i got nothing but 40 ml of methadone daily until wed comes i will be ok, but i was wondering if this new dr would put me onto klonopin or ativan or xanax, as diazepam has such a bad name here? good luck with the remainder of your detox as you know it gets harder. it took me 8 months to get to zero, then it hit me. i was suicidal. this time i wont go to zero. i will again just tell them i'll kill myself, it's not my choice to detox but mate when you say you would rather die things change. try it as sad as it is you may have to try.

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Yes people are "dying" to try Xanax which is only available via a 'Private Precription' in the UK

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