Switching From Xanax To Valium (Page 6)
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PLEASE HELP! For the past 7yrs I've been on 1mg Xanax (3x) per day for anxiety and panic attacks. I take my dosage of Xanax as prescribed by my Dr unless I have a severe panic attack, then I may take an additional (1-2) 1mg xanax when I'm actually having a severe full blown panic attack to stop it. I've been on other Benzos before but Xanax seems to be the only thing that stops the panic attacks when I'm having them.
Recently my Dr decided to switch me from 1mg Xanax (3x) per day to 10mg of Valium (2x) per day because he says Valium is "stronger" and has a longer half life than Xanax. He says the Xanax isn't working for my anxiety anymore. From what I've read on the Internet about Xanax vs Valium is that Xanax works better than Valium for panic attacks. I like to mention I have a phobia of taking new medications. I stressed my concerns to my Dr that my anxiety isn't as much of issue for me as my Panic Attacks. He said not to worry cause the Valium is stronger. Then I asked him what if while I'm taking the Valium I suffer a sever panic attack? What do I do to stop the panic attack? His responce was that I could take a 1/2 of a 10mg Valium tablet to stop the panic attack. I wanted to tell him that from what I knew, Valium is slower acting and that I didn't agree 1/2 of a 10mg is going to stop my panic attacks but I didn't want to question his professional expertise over my Internet findings. I know he's the Dr and the Dr knows best right? So I guess to finally get to my point is I'm terrified to start the Valium because im afraid that when I have a panic attack and I say WHEN and not IF cause it's only a matter of when I will have a full blown sever panic attack what would I do to stop it? From reading up on Valium I know it wont help stop my panic attack like the Xanax will. I asked my Dr before I left his office that while I'm on the Valium and I have an attack could I take a Xanax to stop the attack? He said absolutely not! He said if I have a panic attack while on valium I can take a 1/2 of my 10mg Valium. I didnt say this to my Dr but I know from what I read about Valium is that it won't stop an attack as fast as Xanax will. I dont know what to do? Im so scared and I feel helpless cause I feel like my Dr isn't getting what im saying. My panic attacks can last as long as 2 hours or more. I know because my longest panic attack was while I was driving through the desert and realized I forgot to pack my Xanax. 2 hours in to my attack after trying breathing techniques and what not I had to taken to a hospital by ambulance cause my heart rate went up way to high and so did my blood pressure. My panic attacks can lead to an ambulance ride to the hospital. I feel like my Dr is focusing on treating my anxiety more than my panic attacks which are of greater concern to me at this time. I read on line that other people have been prescribed both Xanax and Valium to be taken as needed. Valium for anxiety and Xanax for panic attacked. I spoken to 3 pharmacists who tell me that I can take the Valium and if I should have a major panic attack I could take a Xanax no problem because they're both Benzos but only on the occassions when I'm having a bad panic attack. Why couldn't my Dr just say that? I know some of you may read this and say that I just have an addiction to Xanax. Honestly that would be further from the truth. If I knew that Valium would stop my sever panic attacks I would switch in a heart beat but from what I'm reading I know Valium won't help with an attack as fast as Xanax will. I'm not looking for the Xanax "kick" some people love to feel or to have a feeling of Ephoria. I just want a reliable medication to treat my disorder. I want to trust that my Dr knows what's best for me but only I know what my body and mind is going through and I somehow can't get him to understand! If anyone has had the same problem as me or can offer any support or advise I'd love to hear what you have to say. Has anyone ever taken both medications in the same manner im suggesting or together at the Sametime? How did it make you feel? We're you able to cope and how? Please anything will help. I know there has to be other people out there experiencing or have experienced the same thing. Thanks.

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I can relate to your problem, fortunately I have an awesome doctor. I take 5mg if valium 3 times a day, Buspar 2 times a day and have 1 mg xanax for panic attacks. Some doctor are reluctant to give one benzo much less two. The drug seekers ruin it for all of us who have real anxiety and panic attack issues! I agree that valium is wonderful for anxiety, but I have found that only xanax works for real panic attacks. Good luck

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6 mg a day is considered a large dose Elizabeth. I was reading through some older posts in this thread assuring people they will not have withdrawal problems, absolute morons posting. Yes Xanax does not work as good after a period of time, but it is best not to compensate by taking more as Xanax is a nasty drug!

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I have been reading many of the posts about Xanax and I take 2mg 3x daily, but the main problem with this drug is that you have to continually go up on dosing. It loses it effect after a certain amount of time, that is the one bad thing about it. So you can't take 1mg for a year and expect it too keep working, because it won't. I am tired of moving up on Xanax but it works and I hate changing medications. I also have insomnia and nothing works for that, trust me I have tried them all including the drug that should be taken off the market ABIEN. It is so hard when those of us who struggle with mental illness fell like a guinea pig for our doctor and the pharmaceutical companies. I just want something to work along with my therapy for depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia(all due to being attacked by students in the inner city school I taught at). I didn't know them but it has ruined my life. I am a prisoner in my own home. I worked 15 years to get my degree while raising my girls, my husband is wonderful, thank the Lord. I really feel like mental illness is very taboo in our society and so many doctors are pill pushers and don't listen, when we should be the ones that get the 30 minute appointments, not the 15 min. Get one in and out so the next one can get in quickly. What an esembly line we are.

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Well ok I guess? I had the Ativan that took an hour to possibly work. They don't melt like Xanax. I have taken plenty of Valium in years past, and I found they now give me headaches and most certainly don't control anxiety in the same way. Since I don't get classic panic attacks, Xanax is for me. How fortunate I am to be associated with this poison

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Ativan is the drug of choice for panic attacks at onset because most ativan is made in sublingual tablets which can alleviate a panic attack in people not on medication in 30 seconds or so. Its what an ER doctor would likely order for a patient without insurance to make them aware that its only a panic attack. Xanax is so dangerous because the half life is so much shorter which causes most people to take more and more ever increasing the dosage. As per the equivalency of Valium and Xanax dosage. An internist would tell you that even though Valium 10mg is not as potent as Xanax 1mg the half life is nearly 10 times as long. So your blood levels of the Benzo is more stable and in longer durations of usage is the way to taper. The first day is tough. Ill concede that. Blurry vision etc can make one feel more anxious and even mini-attacks are likely. But after the first day these effects usually subside and the Valium actually feels like its working quicker because the blood level is actually increasing not just being replenished so the GABO levels will even out better. The theory by good doctors was to treat Panic with Xanax along with an SSRI. Unfortunately SSRIs dont really work with panic disorder so the patient eventually becomes dependant on the increased dosage of Xanax which they almost always increase use in frequency. Once youve made the switch to Valium or Clonzapam the dosage can be lowered without a dramatic change in the blood levels slowly and with less discomfort or regression. AGAIN THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION ALWAYS CONSULT AN ACTUAL MD PRACTICING INTERNAL MEDICINE.

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But what are you really saying? I mean after all this is the Internet. Valium is not my Benzo of choice. I agree with the O/P. I thought Ativan is the choice for panic attacks? I'll take Xanax any day for its quick action, but it might be the most dangerous of them all, at least on the way out

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WOW!! No one on here is a doctor? Really??? So much poor information here. I was on the maximum legal dosage of Xanax (2mg X4) for almost 20 years and used Valium 5mg to ween off. I suffer from the most extreme case of panic disorder within the age variant of the disorder. Now that I'm older my anxiety and panic attacks are manageable through self soothing and have been for over 10 years. I was chemically dependent to the Benzos. The calculations in this thread and the threats of heart attacks etc from withdrawal are completely bogus. Its all in your head. First you have to understand how the drugs work, why there are different forms and the real equivalency which is still being debated because the science is subjective. If you look at it from pure chemistry this is the table to follow.
Alprazolam .5 1 - 2 9 - 20
Bromazepam 3.0 .5 - 4 8 - 30
Chlordiazepoxide 25 1 - 4 24 - 100
Clonazepam .25 1 - 4 19 - 60
Clorazepate 10 variable 1.3 - 120 * (unreliable absorption)
Diazepam 5 1 - 2 30 - 200 *
Estazolam 1 .5 - .6 8 - 24
Flurazepam 15 .5 - 1 40 - 250 *
Halazepam 40 1 - 3 30 - 96 *
Ketazolam 7.5 3.2 30 - 200
Lorazepam 1 2 4 8 - 24
Nitrazepam 2.5 .5 - 7 15 - 48
Oxazepam 15 2 - 3 3 - 25
Prazepam 10 2.5 - 6 30 - 100
Quazepam 7.5 1.5 39 - 120 *
Temazepam 10 2.5 3 - 25
Triazolam .25 1 - 2 1.5 - 5

I wouldnt wish panic disorder on my worst enemy but those of you who are only using meds to treat it are probably full of s***. If youre talking to a shrink in med management, thats a mistake. Speak to an internist!! Someone who actually studied the chemistry not just a bunch of case studies. And Syrus.... I'm surprised your doctor is still practicing.... The pharmacy is filling two Benzos at once without a qty change???? Really???? What state do you live in?

So Here are the real facts so that people aren't so scared.

Valium is the benzo of choice for discontinuation therapy. Some people have a paradoxical effect due to the o ring structure of valium and in those cases Clonazepam usually works. Now... lets say you quit cold turkey.... this is bad... BUT lets define cold turkey. The effects of the withdrawal will not reach there severity for 24 hours. You may think its bad at 6 hours but thats not the worst of it. Phenolbarbatol can be used in cold turkey cases to keep you semi-sedated from the effects because the withdrawal effects of the Benzos are all psychotropic. SO you wont have a heart attack or stroke from this. Here are the most common and most common is a generous term because most of these do not happen to most people at high dosage total cessation. So if youve been reading about seizures, heart attacks etc... CALM DOWN! You can taper down with little chance of severe withdrawal effects.
There are all kinds of psychosomatic effects from cessation but they only share symptoms of a more serious disorder. The most likely worst case scenario you can expect is more panic attacks. Now of all the potential problems you may have the most dangerous of all of them is the potential for suicide. The tachycardia wont kill you even if it looks like a heart attack... the blurred vision wont kill you in and of itself even if it looks to an ER doctor like MS or something worse. ANYWAY.... I am here to tell suffers that want to get off the drugs because they feel they can manage their panic attacks with breathing techniques etc. that you can do it and you shouldnt be afraid. It only takes one pill at youre current dosage to come back from tapering if its too tough... but do not live in fear. The only fear you should have is the contituation of the Obama care that is already rolling out and the increased freedoms of Pharmacists that may cause you to be forced into tapering off despite the AMAs assertion that no patient should be taken off the drugs against his will. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!! BUT ABOVE ALL DO NOT LISTEN TO ME OR ANYONE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE EITHER NOT DOCTORS OR NOT THE RIGHT TYPE OF DOCTOR.

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@tnccriley:

I can appreciate the fact that you tell it like it is. I am not offended in anyway by your comments and ideas. Yes, I acknowledge that my (novels) as you said are very "detailed". That is because I am a very detailed type of person. You make some very good points and do raise questions that should be asked when someone is dealing with stress, anxiety and panic disorders.

I'd like to point out that your advice is great! I also agree that "practice does make perfect". I have studied many different types of coping skills other than resorting to taking prescription anti anxiety medications like identifying what my triggers are and how to cope with them using different cognitive and breathing techniques instead of just ignoring the root of my triggers.

As you noticed I am very detailed. It's a part of my personality. So with that being said I do pay very close attention to the way I feel when I practice the techniques you are referring to and willingly put myself in to trigger situations that cause me to go in panic. I do this so I can recognize each emotion I feel during that exercise so I can teach myself how cope with my emotions and reactions when and if I am ever put in to these situations again. It's like when a child falls of a bike and is afraid to get back on. The first thing you tell them is to get back on the bike and to not fear falling again. We encourage them to face their fears head on because eventually they will see there is nothing to be afraid of. If they keep on practicing and master the art of riding a bike they know how to just get back on the bike and keep going.

In my particular case there are conditions I have where using cognitive and breathing techniques will not help. I suffer from a heart condition that causes me to have increased palpitations and palpitations are one of my biggest triggers. I cannot control this on my own without taking medications and that includes my anti anxiety medications. This unfortunately is something that can happen at any time of day or night. I have to take my medications so when I do have these episodes of heart palpitations my body will not go into full panic mode because I already have anti anxiety medications in my system to combat my symptoms.

I know this may come across as me being defensive. I am giving you a little back ground history about my particular situation because I feel that your comment was aimed towards me. So if you see me posting again in the future you will understand that I'm not just someone who has not tried to use alternatives to medications because I have and in my case those "coping" skills are useless as tits on a boar. Not trying to be a smartass just being honest.

This is a thread that addresses concerns about dealing with fears of switching medications. Your advice about alternative to medications is great and insightful. Perhaps it will help some visitors that will read this thread and give them a different outlook on their own struggles. However, most if not all people who post on this thread are looking for advice, help, empathy etc to a specific concern and that is switching medications.

I want to thank you for your comment. I know it is truly coming from a place of genuine concern and thoughtfulness. It is a great addition to this thread. However, I think your advice may be better suited for a thread geared towards people who are looking for alternative to medications or people who are looking to for help in getting off medications and don't know how. People that read this thread and find it helpful are people who are facing the same struggles and that is the switching of medications. They are looking for advice now. They want to feel like they are not alone and they want to know if and how other people facing the same things as they are, are feeling. Unless they are trollers looking to talk smack. I’m not saying that’s what you are doing. So I hope that didn’t come across as an accusation against you because it’s not.

What you are talking about takes time and dedication and I'm not saying that your advice is not useful because it is and very much so. My personal opinion is that it would be better used in a thread that is geared towards alternatives to coping with stress, anxiety and panic without the need for medications. I hope you don’t take offense to what I have said because I know that the practices you are referring to does work. It does but I feel it’s for people who are at a different stage of their struggles with anxiety, stress and panic. Again I want to thank you for your genuine want to help people cope with their conditions without the need for medication. Thank you!

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First off I'm going to tell you, I'm someone who tells it like it is DO NOT BE OFFENDED! In reading your novel (just kidding, but you are very detailed), I thought of many things. For example, it would be VERY helpful fo identify the cause. What triggers the phsiological response ro a psychological event. Even more importantly, try to work on your coping skills (no I'm not being a smart ass). Many people do not realize that "practice makes perfect" is not just something we tell our children at homework time! Practice the scenarios that tend to cause you conflict,paying particular attention to how you feel and what your response normally is.work on your response, taking time to think before you speak, make a conscious effort to continue breathing normally etc. Ther is more but I have an appointment. Hope this is helpful. {edited for privacy}

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@ Barb

First things first I want to welcome you to this thread. I was the person who initially started this thread because at the time I felt scared, helpless and alone as you are feeling now. You will find all the people on this thread are here to offer support and advice to others. As always I stress the fact that we are not Doctors and can only share with you our own experiences and findings but you should always check with your Dr before making any changes to your medications or in this case your husbands medications.

When I initially started to look for information about making the switch I found that many if not all the threads about Xanax and Valium were people posting about using these drugs for recreational purposes which was upsetting to say the least. So I started this thread to try and reach out for other people who have a medical necessity that warrants taking these medications. I'm glad you found us.

In my initial post I talked about my fear of switching from Xanax to Valium. Since then my condition has improved and I'd like to share some advice that may help you.

I can only imagine the fear that you and your husband are facing at this point in time. Knowing that your husband has a brain tumor must be stressful enough and to top it off now you're having to face the stress of changing a medication that you know is working for your husband but your Drs are telling you otherwise.


My personal experience with the switch from Xanax to Valium was not good at all. When I first posted this thread I had not attempted the switch because I was afraid. Since then I had switched to Valium as my Dr recommended. It was a difficult decision to make but I did it.

My experience with Valium was horrible. While I was on Valium I felt like a walking zombie with panic attacks. The Valium did nothing to help me. I was still having severe panic attacks and since my dosage of Valium was high I couldn't take anything to stop my panic attacks when I had them. It was scary! So I discussed my symptoms with my Dr and he agreed the Valium was not helping me. His explanation for wanting me to switch to Xanax was because the Xanax was actually causing me to have my panic attacks because of it's half life.

Xanax for lack of better words is a "quick fix" medication. For the average person who doesn't take Xanax it works great because it takes effect right away and your body metabolizes it quickly so it's effects wears off faster. So although the Xanax was helping me with my severe panic attacks it was doing nothing to prevent me from having them. He suggested I switch to Valium because it has a longer half life. Valium takes longer to take effect for most people but the benefit of taking it is because it stays in your system longer and gradually wears off were Xanax leaves quickly and leaves you vulnerable to a roller coaster of sorts. So my Dr insisted that I try another benzo that had a longer half life. He suggested Klonopin as an alternative to Valium because of it's longer half life. I was very hesitant to take the Klonopin because I have a phobia of taking medications.

I was very reluctant to take it and insisted that Xanax was the only thing that worked for me. So my Dr basically told me that he could no longer prescribe Xanax to me if I didn't try a benzo with a longer half life. So I just decided to bite the bullet and take it. I felt I couldn't knock it until I tried it. Plus I wanted to try it just to prove to my Dr that Xanax was the only thing that helped me with my condition.

My Dr started me on 1mg Klonopin 3x per day. He kept me on the Xanax at the same time which is NOT usually recommended but with the level of anxiety and panic disorder it was warranted. His goal was to tapper me off the Xanax and replace it with the Klonopin.

The first few days I didn't feel anything different not better or worse so I carried on with his recommendation. After a few weeks I started to notice that I didn't need the Xanax because the Klonopin was doing it's job. I didn't feel the crash like I had felt with Xanax when I needed to take it every few hours. Pretty soon the Xanax became an after thought unless I had a sever panic attack and needed a quick relief but because the Klonopin was still working in my system the Xanax crash never happened.

I am currently taking 150mg of Lamictal as a mood stabilizer which is also prescribed to people as an anti seizure medication, 1mg of Klonopin 3x per day which is also prescribed as an anti seizure medication and 1mg of Xanax as a back up if I have a severe panic attack. I'm glad that I made the switch because I'm taking less of a benzo medication than I had been for the past seven years.

Believe me I completely understand where your husband is coming from. No one knows your body as well as you do. I know from personal experience. My opinion is that your husbands Drs are recommending he switch to a benzo with a longer half life because of their overall benefits. It's hard to trust that making a switch will help because your husband has been taking the Xanax for a while and is comfortable with it and if its not broke don't try and fix it right?

Before I give you my advice I'd like to ask you few questions. If that's ok. What condition does your husband suffer from that warrants him taking Xanax? Has he ever tried taking another benzo other than Valium and Xanax? Are you returning to work from FMLA because you have exhausted you time or is it because of financial reasons? I'm only asking you these questions to figure out the best advice I can give you based on my own experiences.

Being that I don't know the answer to those questions I will offer you this advice. Talk to your doctor about alternative medications (benzos) other than Valium. It would be best if he could try these medications while you still have time before you go back to work. That way you can be there to offer him moral support or to calm his fears or concerns about making the switch.

In regards to your concerns about your work schedule being at night and that seems to be the time that his seizures normally occur there may be something that can ease your mind.

This may sound silly but it worked for me and my husband. My husband also took FMLA time while I was struggling with my anxiety. It was comforting to me that he was there with me and it was comforting to him that I would not be alone or feel alone if I were to have a severe panic attack.

So one day while we were looking for a gift for a baby shower when we came across an at home monitoring system that allows you to monitor your child when you are away from home. This particular system allows you to monitor your camera from any computer with an internet connection or via an iphone with 3G or above or an iTouch that has wifi connection. It has night vision so you can monitor anytime day or night. Another good thing about this system is that along with being able to see the camera you can also hear any sound coming from the room it is in.

My husband also works late hours and wanted to be able to monitor me after he left home. It gave him peace of mind that he could check in on me without waking me up. If he noticed that I was out of bed or not breathing or moving, he could call me and see if I was ok. Since he could hear the sound coming from our room he could also hear my phone ringing. If I didn't answer he knew something could be wrong. So perhaps this idea could work for you to give you a little peace of mind. The monitoring system unfortunately works only in one room so we decided to put it in our bedroom.

There are other monitoring systems out there that can be quite costly however this system is fairy reasonable. It's called 'Summer Infant peek plus" and it's only only available at Baby's R Us. The system costs about $299.99 but it was worth it to us! Perhaps having something like this will help ease your mind knowing you can check up on your husband while you are working. I know it did for us.

So bottom line is talk to your Dr. Do your own research about other possible options or alternatives to Valium.. Unfortunately your husband may have to do what I did and try Valium just to appease your Dr.

Please keep us updated on your husbands journey through all of this as well as your own. Like I said in the beginning of this message we are here to offer you support so you don't feel alone. Even if it's just to vent your frustrations.

Good Luck to you and I hope to hear back from you!

Sincerely,
Syrus

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My husband has had a brain tumor, and has a seizure disorder. He decideded to lesson his medications to save money, which caused him to start having seizures again. The doctors decided to change his meds around, upped his keppra, and now wants him to take valium, he has tried this in the past, (did not work) New Neurologist wants him off of xanax which works for him! Wants to try valium again... He is on SSI, i am taking FMLA Dont need all the new changes!! Have explained to the doctor valium does not work for him! Extremly frustrated, and i have to go back to work.I work nights, seems most bad activity happens when i'm working. So Scared... Just wanted to say thank you! Sometimes we feel so alone, it's good to read other peoples advice!! Thanks again for knowing im not alone!

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I have been suffering with anxiety my whole life, it's genetic in at least the people of European decsent. You are not alone. Looking back, I'm 42 almost 43, once I was finally told what I was going through, I had been suffering with them from the age of 10 that I can remember. I used to suffer with panic attacks everyday, several times a day and now I've had one full blown panic attack in 5 years. My point is, I now take xanax and even though I'm prescribed 2mgs, 3x's a day, I've learned to only take it when I need it for these reasons. I just went through severe withdrawal from pain medication, I have a plate in my neck, severe degenerative disc disease, arthritis in my spine, spina bifida occulta, bursitis in my hips and I'm a holy mess. Dr's today are getting ridiculous with meds. Either they over medicate or under medicate. They are not held responsible for weaning you off of medicines despite ill affects that can occur, which happened with my pain meds and I now stock pile my meds and keep them in a safe. These Dr's can take their licenses and shove it. I'm suing my pain management group, because the idiots saw how sick had become and never diagnosed my problem, so I did the research online for rare side effects and immediately was forced to stop the pain meds due to severe pelvic ileus and severe up to my knees edema. I was in and out of the er 7 times in 10 days. The emt's new me by name. Don't trust everything a Dr says, sometimes it's better to trust your own instincts. If anyone has any questions please do ask. I want to help as many people as can in both anxiety and pain meds. By the way valium didn't and doesn't work for my anxiety, so I know damn well it won't help panic attacks.

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Exact Problem, I've been switched to Valium but they do not work, Xanax does, the Dr. will not listen to me. I could loose my job so I am going to have to find another Dr. Good Luck

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My friend, stop being so afraid and listen to you Doctor he is right.I went through the same thing.And when I finally did what he said it was wonderful it worked so much beter than Xanax.Trust me I have been their.JHall II

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Thank you very much, i dont know how to not think about it. I try so hard. I think i have to get it away from people who do drugs cuz my boyfriend does them still so maybe thats why i think about them, we are currently seperated though so maybe this will help.

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It will pass. It took me over 4 years when I had my last experience on LSD. When it does pass you will be a stronger person for it, trust me.

Email me if you have any questions. I have studies these drugs in school and in my free time, I find them fascinating. Although, I am more interested in how they affect us (the experience) opposed to the drugs themselves. You can actually create a psychedelic experience with no drugs.

Understanding what happened during the experience and why it caused the "afterglow" really helped me get through my tough time. At times I literally thought I was going insane on several occasions.

Feel free to email me I won't judge you. I could careless what you've done in your past only how to help you move forward.

Knowledge is power, and that remains very true for what you are experiencing. It happens to a good percentage of people who experiment in psychedelics. The experience is nothing short of a traumatic experience...to your brain there is none.

Just remember the more you obsess over it the longer you are going to be troubled by it.

xxxxx@xxx {edited for privacy}

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And people say that valum is better and last longer but I dont wanna feel f***ed up, I wanna feel normal and I wanna live a normal like even if I do need medication to help.

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Thank you so much for your responce, It makes me feel better that someone else is feeling the way I do even though I wouldnt wish such a thing apon anyone. I hate worrying about my anxiety everyday. I so wanna feel better and just not have to worry about it constantly, I have uped my dose to what my dr recomended but instead of taking .5 3 times a day I take .25 6 times a day. I feel very exausted when I take a full pill and I cant do that expecially when I have to take care of my daughter all day. I do wanna help myself. I really want to get to the point where I dont need the medication. Im going to start going to a thereapist next week because I feel like I need someone to talk to in person. Someone that will not judge me like this web page minus the fact its not in person. I dont know what brought on my anxiety other than like a teenager I was years before my daugter, I moved into a city and go into drugs. When I was about 15 I did a trippy drug and I seem to think about what that was like constantly. I regret completly doing it and I will never ever go down a path like that ever again. Im a better person than that, but its like I think about what happend while I was on the drug and than it kind of happens again, like when I was on it the distance of things were out of wack, if I sit and look at something and think about it than it almost like it happens. I know its all in my head and if i didnt think about it I would be okay. I dont wanna tell anyone like my dr about it because I am not a drug addict. I dont wanna go to a crazy hospital, and I would never do it again. I am not a bad person. It was once in my life and now ive grown up completly. I just dont know how to not think about it and I think thats what causes my panic attacks leading to anxiety and sometimes I get depressed.

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For people that have started Xanax recently (not long-term users), be careful with this drug. My own opinion is that it is potentially one of the worst of its class. Diazepam (Valium) with its longer half life is more conducive to a normal life. You don't feel the need need to constantly re-dose because it's in your system longer.

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Hello Tiffany,

First thing I want to say is welcome. I hope that you find this discussion board helpful. I encourage you to use this discussion board as an outlet of support. We are all here to help one another understand things that other people who don't suffer from anxiety, panic attacks or depression. Specifically when it comes to understanding medications that are prescribed to us to treat our conditions.

Please do keep in mind that we are not Dr.s and the information that we share on this board should never replace the recommendations of your doctor. We can only give you advice based on our own experiences. So if there is something that is really concerning to you please contact your doctor. We are here to support you and give you an outlet to vent or ask questions to other people who can empathize with you.

Just a little background on me. I am a mother of two and I have suffered from severe anxiety and panic attacks for the past 13 yrs. I have tried every medication under the sun to try and help me cope with my symptoms.

When I read your post my heart went out to you because I too have been in the same position in regards to your struggles with not wanting to tell anyone how I was feeling because I felt that they would look at me differently or that they would think I was crazy. I was so afraid of someone telling me they thought I was crazy because then it would confirm my fears that I really was going crazy. I kept my symptoms to myself. It got so bad that my family had an intervention with me and told me I needed to get help because they could see that I was in a very dark place in my life and they were afraid I would hurt myself.

The first time I took an anti anxiety medication it was a horrible experience. I felt really loopy and that only made my anxiety worse. So I soon developed a fear of medications. I've always feared taking potentially habit forming medications because my family has a history of prescription drug abuse and I didn't want to go down that path.

So there I was finally getting help and feeling worse than I did before I sought help. I felt so helpless. All I wanted to do was live a normal healthy life like everyone else and not feel like crap every moment of the day. So I stopped taking the medications all together for all of those reasons. It took me going through several psychiatrists before I found the Dr who changed my life forever for the better. I will share the with you what he shared with me that gave me a different perspective on my condition and my out look on habit forming prescription medications. Then I will address your concern regarding your medications and why they are making you feel the way you are feeling.

I think the answer here is that you don't completely understand how the medications work. I will explain this to you. Hopefully at the end you find some comfort and have a better understanding of the medication you have been prescribed.

My Dr explained my condition like this. He asked my if I knew why some people who have diabetes have to take insulin? I basically said because the part of their body that chemically controls their blood sugar level doesn't function properly so they take insulin to counter act it. He then asked me what I thought would happen if someone who was diabetic didn't take their insulin. I said that it would lead to complications. Lastly he asked me if someone wasn't a diabetic would I think they would take insulin just to take it? I said probably not. It was then he explained to me that people who suffer from anxiety, depression or panic disorders are just like diabetics in the sense that both people have parts of their body that don't chemically function properly so both need to take medication to control what their bodies are unable to control chemically. People who suffer from depression, anxiety and panic disorder have a chemical imbalance that needs to be controlled through medication because our bodies are unable to do so on their own. Another thing to understand is that all three conditions (anxiety,depression and panic disorder) contribute to one another. Anxiety leads to panic disorder and panic disorder can lead to depression. They don't have to be in that exact order but they basically go hand in hand. I argued his analogy by saying well insulin isn't a habit forming drug so how can the two be compared? My Dr explained that people who are conscious and hesitant of taking a habit forming drug acknowledge the potential of it becoming an issue. People who acknowledge the potential risks are more likely NOT to become addicted because they choose not to allow themselves to get to that point. If someone starts to take a habit forming medication with no concern they may become addicted and may not be aware that they are allowing themselves to become addicted. That made sense to me.

That analogy from my Dr really helped me understand why I needed to take the medication to help me control my condition and it's symptoms. Once I understood that it put most of my nerves at ease. So now that I understood why I had to take medication, I then had to tackle the task of me actually getting myself to take medications that were habit forming. In the end it was up to me. I had to want to help myself and always be aware of how much medication I was taking and be conscious of why I was taking the medication prescribed to me.

So Tiffany the question you need to ask yourself is do you want to get better? If you do than you have to put faith in your Dr and trust that he is prescribing you medication that is necessary to treat your condition. You also need to have faith in yourself and allow yourself to take the medication so you can at least give it a chance to work.

I completely understand your fears since I have been in your position before. Its normal for someone with anxiety to have some hesitations when taking a new medication. Every person is different and only your Dr knows what dosage is best for you. Most Dr.s will tell you to take half the dosage for the first couple of days so your body has time to adjust and get use to taking the new medication. After the first few days you should take the medication as the Dr prescribed.

If your Dr. prescribed you .5mg 3x per day than after a few days you should be taking as prescribed. Based on your explanation of your condition before you started taking the xanax it sounds like you had a pretty severe case. If you didn't then your Dr. would have prescribed you a lower dosage than .5 he would have started you at .25 however he didn't.

Based on my personal experience and what I know about xanax is that xanax is a fast acting medication. It's great to help you when your are having a panic attack but the down side is that since it is so fast acting it also leaves your system very quickly as well. It sounds like your body is building up a tolerance to the xanax and that is why you may be feeling a little strange. If you're not comfortable taking the .5mg yet my opinion is try taking .25 3x per day and see how that makes you feel. Let me express that there is a difference between building up a tolerance to a medications and becoming addicted.

All medications have something called a half life. The half life of a medication means the time that the medication is working at its optimum level and actively working in your system. Xanax can have a half life of 2-4 hours however it all depends on how fast your body metabolizes the medication. So for example if you take the .25mg in the morning and your body metabolizes the medication very quickly the medication may only treat your symptoms for 1-2 hours and then it starts to wear off. Once it starts to wear off it might cause something call rebound anxiety. Rebound anxiety is caused when you take an anti anxiety medication and when the medication starts to wear off the anxiety that you normally feel starts to come back and you're stuck in a sort of limbo effect. Where your body is recognizing that there is medication in your system but it's not enough to ward off the anxiety completely.

As far as you not being able to fall asleep at night leads me to believe that your body metabolizes the xanax very quickly so if you take the medication at 8:00 and your trying to get to bed at 10:00 and are unable to makes sense. I would try taking your .25 at 9:00 rather than 8:00 and see if that helps. If that doesn't try taking a full .5mg at 9:00. If that still is not working you may be suffering from insomnia. At that point I would discuss this with you Dr. perhaps he can give you something to help you sleep if its really bothering you.

In my opinion I believe that since you are so afraid of becoming addicted you will not allow yourself to. If you take it as prescribed and only taking it when you need it then you should be fine. Another piece of advice I have for you is don't just stop taking the xanax cold turkey. It could lead to problems. Even at a small dose you need to taper yourself off the medication slowly so your body doesn't go into shock. If you feel that you are ready to stop the xanax talk to your Dr. and he will instruct you from there.

If you feel like the xanax is not working for you, talk to your Dr about maybe switching you to a anti anxiety medication with a longer half life like ativan or klonopin. These medications have half lives of up to 6-8 hours again that is a general estimation it all depends on how fast your body metabolizes the medications. If your concern is not needing to take the medication as frequently, then good alternative may be klonopin, valium or ativan.

I hope this shed some light on your situation. My personal opinion is that you should try to take the half pill(.25mg) 3x per day and go from there. The main thing to understand is that it's not so much about you becoming addicted because you are taking the xanax more than 2x per day. Listen to your body. It seems to be telling you that you need to take more of it to help you not feel so anxious between the morning and night. I know your concern is that by taking more you may become addicted faster try and have a different outlook regarding your medications. Remember you are taking xanax to help you feel better not to get high. Xanax is a highly abused drug by people who want to take them just to get high and that's why it has gotten a bad reputation. It's unfortunate that people abuse this drug that is very helpful to people who really need to take it rather than just taking for recreational purposes. I don't see that being an issue in your case. Don't be afraid to take it as the Dr. prescribed it to you. If your Dr, prescribed you to take .5mg 3x per day I would follow his instructions. Your Dr knows best. I would try it and see if it helps. If it doesn't you can alway lower the dose again. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask we are here for you!

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