My Doc Will Not Refill My Xanax Im Feeling Sick (Page 29)

I was prescribed Prozac & Xanax 10 years ago by my psychiatrist for depression & severe panic attacks. He started me on 1mg 3 times a day. Around Dec 2005 he increased my daily dose to 1 mg - 4 times a day. I have been a patient of his now for 10 years where I see him every 3 months. Through the years, there has been a few times were I had to call to reschedule my appointment and a couple of times he had to do the same. He would call in my meds for the amount I would need to get me through to my next appointment. This month I had an appointment for May 27th I called to reschedule due to transportation. I do not drive now and my ride canceled on me. so, I rescheduled my app. for June 17th I then requested my meds be called in until my appointment, a 3 week supply. She said she would call me back when it was called in later that day. Not hearing anything I called back the next day to find out what was going on. I was told my doctor feels uncomfortable due to liability reasons to re-fill my medication, until I see him again in June. I asked her what about the liability to take me off medication I have been taking for 10 years? She told me to go to my primary physician to get my meds. I told her my primary care doctor will not prescribe me those medications without my medical records from this office and I just signed a medical release form a few days ago at my first appointment with this new primary doctor, so she told me to go to an urgent care if my symptoms became to uncomfortable for me to deal with!! I had enough xanax to last me until today. I took my last xanax this morning and I am already starting to feel sick, my head feels cloudy, I feel like I'm getting the flu. My heart is racing, I'm feel really anxious & closed in. Has anyone out there gone off xanax cold turkey what more should I expect? I don't understand how a doctor can prescribe medication like this for 10 years and just make you stop so suddenly it doesn't seem fair. I have lost trust in my doctor now and I don't think I can continue to be his patient anymore. I am scared and I don't know who to turn too.

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Re: Brady (# 560)

Been there no longer take them same reason u r going threw I was on them for 30 years had sesures be careful it's dangerous that med Xanax will run u crazy

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Get to the ER as soon as possible. Withdrawl from benzodiazapines can be very serious. Your psychiatrist is either very ignorant or very stupid. If you very to start convulsing, have a seizure, signs of a stroke or heart attack, he would be a prime target for a huge malpractice suit.
Once more, get to the ER NOW!

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The hospital neglected to give my Xanax and I had a seizure,you may not die from withdraw, but you don't even realize or remember what happens if you do have on, so to me that is very dangerous for the patient and all others if you drive, stand,walking ect. Can't go more than 3 days without or I will have seizure.

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Reply to Mike84 (# 556) --

Everyone is different. It all depends on metabolismm, MGs taken daily, and how long the patient has been on the drug, the health of the heart, does the patient have DVT? An enlarged heart? There’s so many factors to consider. It’s been my experience that Xanax is one of the worst and I won’t prescribe it. I tell them to never mix a benzo with alcohol; it’s deadly. Both are CNS depressants, so taken together, you could simply stop breathing. I’ve known of two people that passed from that combo; not my patients!

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Re: GatorGetter (# 564)

So just to be clear you're a Physician? Psychiatrist? Internal Medicine?

What risk does xanax pose to deep vein thrombosis or an enlarged heart? That makes no sense! Xanax is indicated for short term management of acute anxiety or in rare cases (like mine) long term use for Panic Disorder.

Xanax is the #1 drug for Panic Attacks. Its fast onset, high bio-availability, and short half-life make it a perfect fit for people with Panic Disorder. What would you have them do take Diazepam, Clonozapem, Lorazepam or Chlordiazepoxide which have much longer half lives? A prophylactic, if you will?

All benzodiazepines pose a risk when it comes to dependence and withdrawal. I don't understand how you can have the irrevocable mindset that xanax is so bad. It's one of the most widely prescribed medications in the world and has shown no (cardiovascular, renal, hepatic... etc) serious health risks with the exception of acute/post-acute withdrawal of the drug itself.

What if someone with a bad ticker or dvt were to have a panic attack? Their bp skyrockets causing heart failure. Their bpm goes off the charts causing the bloodclot to move to the lungs, brain, or heart. The role xanax would play in this situation could ONLY be beneficial!

I'm of the "empirical" opinion that, in many cases, xanax is a life saver (literally and figuratively speaking)! Have you ever had repeated massive panic attacks, Doctor!?

Do you find that people dependent on Xanax are "feening" for a high, or are they attempting to escape withdrawal? What clinical or empirical experience do you have with xanax, or it's legitimate users, to have such a jaded opinion of the medication?

Taking Xanax prn is a way better alternative than numbing someone out on longer acting benzos. Again, just a humble yet empirical opinion from a former USAF officer, combat veteran and current PTSD/Panic patient and government sector Lawyer/Investigator.

P.S. No one EVER dies from taking alprazolam as prescribed. It's people who abuse it by mixing it with other CNS depressants i.e. opiates, ethanol, barbituates..etc. The LD-50 for Xanax alone would require a human being to eat so much of it they'd literally be so full that they couldn't even eat enough of it to overdose and die.

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Re: Kat (# 559)

I'm in CA and I get Xanax from my GP and 5mg Methadone from a Pain Specialist. I could get my Methadone from my GP of 20 yrs but I prefer to keep them separate. And I told Pain Doc, I don't care if I have more pain, and beg you for an increase NEVER increase my Methadone. I'm not gonna be the one who gets Cancer and can't find relief bc I've been on so much Methadone. Something to think about.

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Re: Mason (# 565)

You need to watch what you say and be fully informed before you start a tangent. Xanax can cause tachycardia (fast heart rate), palpitations, edema (retention of fluids), swelling in hands and feet and jaundice. So they can have an effect on people with heart failure or DVT's. The blood flow to the kidneys is decreased so there can be more fluid in the body which can directly affect both conditions. People may decide to believe what you're saying and disregard real medical information. Instead of jumping on anyone that says something you Don't like take the time to research it to see if there's any truth to it.

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Re: Anne (# 567)

Post one legitimate source that states alprazolam (alone) can cause edema, swelling in the hands and feet or jaundice. JAUNDICE!? I have never in my life heard of alprazolam causing hepatotoxicity. That is truly absurd.

Perhaps in EXTREMELY rare cases where a paradoxical reaction may occur there "might" be tachycardia or palpitations. I wouldn't consider that to be a rational hypothetical.

Let's be real though, Anne, you didn't address anything I said. You just came back with your typical ad hominem. I have just as much of a right to speak my opinion on here as anyone. Especially you. The difference with me is that I don't "claim" to be a medical professional nor do I offer anything under the tutelage of "medical advice". I don't need to "watch what I say". I can say whatever I want as long as it's not obscene or inflammatory.

Alas I wasn't speaking to you. I was speaking to another "self proclaimed" medical professional who seems to be in the minority regarding his opinion of xanax. Him against the world. In that scenario; i'm part of the world. I take it nearly everyday and have been for years and my health is tip top!

By the logic bestowed in "gatorgetters'" post he shouldn't prescribe any CNS depressants because mixing alcohol or any other CNS depressant would be no different than mixing xanax with any of the above. So his logic in singling out xanax is quite subjective and creates a very crystal clear double standard.

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Re: Mason (# 568)

Ask your pharmacist for a copy of the brochure for Xanax. Maybe that will be legit enough for you. That has all the side effects. One of the contraindictions is for people with hepatic disease. Just because you want to believe it doesn't carry these side effects doesn't make it so. All medications carry the risk of side effects. It's weighing the risk to the benefit.

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Re: Mason (# 568)

Why do you feel you have to attack anyone you disagree with? Does it threaten you somehow? He was a professional giving his opinion. He has that right. I've never seen a place where people get attacked so harshly. If you Don't agree, fine, then Don't, but stop with the attacks. All I did was verify that what he stated was medically correct. The side effects are there. They may not be the most common but for people that have pre-existing conditions they need to be considered.

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Re: Mason (# 565)

Agree with MASON.....I've been on Xanax(generic) for years. I have the worst anxiety and panic attacks of anyone I know. I take it w/ 5mg Methadone and a muscle relaxant at night (my choice as opposed to say Ambien). Xanax is not harmless as it is addictive but I'm 65 and have taken it for many years as my Psyche told me to NEVER be off of something for my anxiety and I wake up every morning, no swelling, no edema, no problem. Sometimes even folks w/o degrees know more since the 'degreed folks' have never taken the medicine themselves. Mason is most Correct.

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Re: Angry 65 year old (# 571)

Then ur among the lucky ones that don't suffer with those side effects. That still doesn't mean that it's not true. They wouldn't list it if it weren't a possibility. Evidently during trials when the drug was being studied for safeness some of the people had those side effects. If it affects one person they put it in the warnings. Thankfully it isn't you but believing someone that hasn't researched it isn't the way to go. At least if you're going to disagree site me somewhere that states we're wrong. Don't just agree because it doesn't affect you.

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Re: Anne (# 572)

I don't need to research things that i've experienced. Book smarts cannot compare to experiential knowledge. Scientia Potentia Est. You ask for others to "site" something but you can't even spell the word "cite" let alone cite any sources yourself. (or "ur" self as YOU would say).

Alprazolam does not cause Edema, Jaundice, or Fluid retention. Period. The initial studies on the safety and efficacy were done in the late '70s and early '80s. I see no such report of any ailment that you mention and you have yet to cite a source for those claims. Even if there were a handful of reports back then they very well could have, and likely would have, been related to other medical conditions.

Please though, show me in this excerpt where it mentions any ailment that your vast knowledge has identified; ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8262888. Really though, enough with the absurd hypotheticals from someone sitting on the sidelines with an instruction manual on "how to play" the game.

I'm growing tired of responding to your sophomoric responses. It is my opinion that you are not a Nurse. Based upon your writing I would guess that your highest level of education would be High School. Until you can back up your claims or, at least, provide a compelling and reasonable dialogue I am done responding to you.

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Re: Mike84 (# 556)

12 to 24 hour half-life, don't estimate or assume important info

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Re: SusanS (# 553)

Trumps war? Lmfao...Its been a lot longer than he's been in office pcp's have not scribed opiates

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I've been on xanax for 5 yrs. As of today, tbd dr took my refills away. Someone tell me what to do? No one cares... The flippin drug laws in fl are horrid and no I do NOT get any from any other dr. I did go to er, was admitted for mastoid infection that has my whole system in a whirl. I was told it could go to my brain n spinal cord. With this being done I hated that florida red flagged me...so the dr refused my xanax? I'm nearly 60 and this is going to kill me. Can I get something otc? Thanks.

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Re: Miss B (# 576)

Try Benadryl. It helped me when my doctor stopped my Xanax. It is the closest thing OTC you will find honey. Please talk to someone. Please do not hurt yourself lovie... Trust me it is NOT WORTH IT...

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Re: Mason (# 573)

Search 'alprazolam' on Rxlist. Highlight- Consumer: Source Rxlist Medscape. Go to the bottom and hit next to page 2. "What are side effects of alprazolam?" READ. Enough said! Just because you didn't have those particular side effects doesn't mean someone else won't. Nobody suffers from every side effect. If you were half as smart as you claim you'd know that but then again you know more then the doctors.

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I had been taking Xanax for a year-and-a-half and right after Thanksgiving I went to pick up my refill and the pharmacy told me I had no more refills. I called my doctor and he said he doesn't write scripts for it after a year usually. Long story short, I fell over in the grocery store and had a seizure. My doctor then gave me FIVE Klonopin (one per day) to help. He now has me taking 300mg of dilantin (which I'm pretty sure is Latin for "doesn't do crap." I went to another doctor and he wrote me a Rx for 90 xanax right there on the spot. He said said is pretty much the worst pill you can quit cold turkey. He also told me to report that doctor for not tapering me off of the xanax.

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Re: Steven (# 579)

When was the last time you had visited this Doc? I ask because he could have only provided a 6 month prescription without a new one being written. Good thing you found a new Doc too! Be careful on Xanax, and if you might want to get a full check up as the result of the last seizure

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