Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 661702

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share you benzo experience

Posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

I take Xanax 4mg for anxiety. Alot of times well it depends, on the time i take it and when i take, is when i get depressed.

When i go to sleep on it, it does make me depressed. I dont know Xanax someitmes is euphoric. Not really. Mild Euphoria. Like everything is ok, or even better when you are SUPER stressed out, it causes so much relief.

Anyways can you share you benzo experience

 

Re: share you benzo experience » rjlockhart

Posted by Phillipa on June 26, 2006, at 21:41:20

In reply to share you benzo experience, posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

Used them all. The only meds that have no bad side effects. I'm on valium now Love Phillipa

 

Re: share you benzo experience

Posted by honeybee on June 27, 2006, at 10:36:02

In reply to Re: share you benzo experience » rjlockhart, posted by Phillipa on June 26, 2006, at 21:41:20

I've just started taking Klonopin (.25 mg 2/x day) and am surprised to notice nothing! But it has helped my heart rate go down on Cymbalta. Other than that, I notice no change in mood. Surprising. But true.

 

Re: share you benzo experience

Posted by valene on June 27, 2006, at 18:42:24

In reply to share you benzo experience, posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

I take xanax 1.75mg. per day. It helps keep my anxiety down and also I feel it is a mild mood enhancer at a lower dose. I take .75 mg. in the morning and 1mg in the evening.
Val

 

Re: share you benzo experience

Posted by Bonnie_CA on June 28, 2006, at 16:25:19

In reply to share you benzo experience, posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

I take the tiniest dose possible of xanax (.25 mg) as needed for anxiety, probably taking a max of .75 mg on a really bad day. All that dose does is make me feel not bad. That's all I want it to do. I'm extremely irritated that I was expressing concern over taking it too much (since my AD isn't working, but they won't listen), and it was suggested that I go to a substance use class. I express concern over it, so now I'm a junkie? Thanks a lot. *fumes*

That's my benzo experience. I try to use it sparingly and responsibly, and I get labeled as a drug abuser.

-Bonnie

 

Re: share you benzo experience » Bonnie_CA

Posted by valene on June 29, 2006, at 11:37:41

In reply to Re: share you benzo experience, posted by Bonnie_CA on June 28, 2006, at 16:25:19

Your doctor then is part of the ignorant mindset of so many physicians who think benzos are "evil", all going back to the 70's when they were prescribed like candy to anyone for any reason. Now I went to a famous psychopharmacologist who did a study on benzos for the American Psychiatric Association and he has so many credentials you could not believe, and Harvard professor, he recommends them in moderation to people with severe anxiety who are responsible and not drug seeking, or alcohol abusing. Your doctor is in the dark ages. Sorry.


> I take the tiniest dose possible of xanax (.25 mg) as needed for anxiety, probably taking a max of .75 mg on a really bad day. All that dose does is make me feel not bad. That's all I want it to do. I'm extremely irritated that I was expressing concern over taking it too much (since my AD isn't working, but they won't listen), and it was suggested that I go to a substance use class. I express concern over it, so now I'm a junkie? Thanks a lot. *fumes*
>
> That's my benzo experience. I try to use it sparingly and responsibly, and I get labeled as a drug abuser.
>
> -Bonnie

 

Re: I am NOT ashamed to say... » rjlockhart

Posted by JerseyGirl on June 30, 2006, at 3:02:33

In reply to share you benzo experience, posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

...That Xanax along with Effexor gave my my life back. I suffer from Panic Attacks , brought on by a series of very stressful and horrible events that I was surrounded by in a short period of time. (Cancer, Deaths etc.etc.)
...Two years ago, at the age of 35...I slipped into a severe depression, and simultaneously began having panic attacks. I had the first one, while driving...It was horrible. They got worse and frequent after that first one...I was in a VERY bad place.
My dosage of Xanax..just to stop the panic attacks...was 8 mg per day. Yep..8 mg. The lower doses were like candy,and did nothing. 8 mg. would put most people to sleep for a week...For me, it just stopped the attacks, thank God. *By the way, Klonopin did not work for me*
I still take Xanax...some days less and some days more. On a good day...it may be 4 mg. A bad day...would be 8mg. My script is still written for "Up to 8 mg. per day..as needed"... My Psych.is fully aware of my situation.
I look at it like this...I can't change the events in my life that triggered all of this. However, I can do what I need to be a functional person and "live".
The bottom line is...Xanax helped me tremendously, and still does!
Best wishes, Faith~

 

Re: share you benzo experience » rjlockhart

Posted by Donna Louise on July 3, 2006, at 7:16:56

In reply to share you benzo experience, posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

> I take Xanax 4mg for anxiety. Alot of times well it depends, on the time i take it and when i take, is when i get depressed.
>
> When i go to sleep on it, it does make me depressed. I dont know Xanax someitmes is euphoric. Not really. Mild Euphoria. Like everything is ok, or even better when you are SUPER stressed out, it causes so much relief.
>
> Anyways can you share you benzo experience

It is really weird how a drug can effect people differently. I was taking a tiny dose of zanax (.25) at bedtime when I first started trying a benzo for my bad anxiety that AD's alone were not effective enough. I would be tired and depressed all the next day. I talked to the pharmacyst about it and he thought that weird, he said zanax was one of the few that had no metabolites and should completely clear the system quickly. All I know is what it is supposed to and what it actually did to me were not the same thing.
So, I tried klonopin, what one my gyno, not my pdoc, called zanax on steroids, laugh, and that has worked great for me. No depression and no tiredness. I have had to increase the dose with the patch and still no depression or tiredness. So individually speaking, klonopin is superior over zanax FOR ME.

 

Re: share you benzo experience » Donna Louise

Posted by Donna Louise on July 3, 2006, at 7:19:57

In reply to Re: share you benzo experience » rjlockhart, posted by Donna Louise on July 3, 2006, at 7:16:56

oh, I should say, zanax is supposed to be great for panic attacks, which I rarely have. I 'just' have free floating extreme anxiety all the time. So the type of anxiety one has I am sure would determine which benzo would be most beneficial.

donna

 

Re: share you benzo experience » rjlockhart

Posted by yxibow on July 3, 2006, at 12:28:35

In reply to share you benzo experience, posted by rjlockhart on June 26, 2006, at 20:29:19

Well, hi all, I'm on vacation, you could say "Lost in Translation" in my favourite city after driving over 1300 miles. The current benzodiazepine and neuroleptic regime clouds my experience to surreality though I'm perfectly sane, the disorder and the medicines make a city I love and want to return gives me panic-ridden feelings both for my own personal safety (i.e. driving) and getting out and just doing something in what I just love but it is so surreal nearly 9 years after graduation that I remember my old self and the city has changed even since my previous visit (less medicine then and a bit more problems, yet ironically I was somewhat better off doing things.)


On to the benzodiazepines


I first took Xanax, if I can recall, earlier in life, for anxiety on plane flights. I don't fly any more since.. well anyhow. I may get my strength back but there's a massive disorder in my life and its due a lot to trapped anxiety from the prior.

I took Tranxene in college 3x a day something like 7.5 to 15mg at a time. Eventually the university wanted to move both my doctor and psychologist to the same place. I had disthymia and was under Zoloft or one of the available SSRIs at the time I believe -- went through various things. Loved the state I was in but wanted to return home -- returned home, wanted to go back. Being a gay male I liked the psychologist as he was such and I could identify; the doctor was a, pardon the expression as I am not a mysogynist, feminist *** who I could tell did not like either my input from the PDR or my maleness. It was not a good situation and the previous doctor probably would have been better.

Anyhow -- enough on the social aspects of college, which was the best independence I have yet shared in my life -- I didnt know about benzodiazepines like I do now, the best I recall is that my friends, my partner/date, I believe could tell that I was on a bit too much of the Tranxene. I eventually decided to quit it cold turkey.

Bad idea -- within a day the muscles on my scalp twisted and moved around (my friend/partner, others could tell this was a fact by touching my head). This phenomenon continued -- the emergency clinic at the college which mostly focused on sports medicine I believe kinda poo-pood this phenomenon.

I wanted back on it, but the ** doctor only gave me half back. She wanted to put me on Zyprexa or Seroquel, none of which I needed at the time. In this particular state, there was a sub-doctor (psychiatric nurse) that I saw that was allowed to prescribe non-scheduled substances. All else had to be channeled through said doctor who was the psychiatrist at the clinic.

Nearly 10 years later, when anxiety happens, I still have scalp movement. The only thing that helped was (expired) Soma. My current doctor won't prescribe Soma because I'm (on) and on a lot of Valium. It does make sense though because Soma can make Valium dangerously powerful, theoretically. So I take its weaker chemically related cousin Robaxin.


On to the next benzodiazepine.


During my treatment for this disorder (visual related somatiform conditions), I have taken Klonopin up to levels beyond what is normally prescribed (nearly 8mg). The higher doses had profound effects but they do cloud my reaction time. Anyhow I felt that I wanted to change to something different that might help my anxiety more, possibly. So we had crosstapered to an equivalent ratio of Valium.


I now take between 160 and 170mg of Valium, probably among the highest benzodiazepine loads that I've seen here although I have seen posts of 10mg of Klonopin before.

That one will be a sticky wicket to reduce, although I have not really habituated that much -- its possible to an extent I might have.

I and mostly my doctor view the Valium as a "necessary evil" and although are now chipping pieces off of it, it will take time to see if any paring will make any difference. There's only time and there is no hurry on it as long as I pay attention to the world. No cold turkeys, no fast tapers. I don't want some other thing to snap.


I'm not mad that Tranxene caused the scalp/back problems (well maybe I am inside) -- I am more mad that the doctors didnt tell me to immediately return to the dose and pare down properly. Because its still here. Sometimes. When I drive down the road and my Valium level isnt high and visual things are coming into my face and making me anxious -- the scalp movement is still there.

I'm mad at the psychiatrist there that I am glad I do not have any more.


I just wish my current problem would snap itself back as it snapped on Nov 17, 2001 literally overnight, causing me to be out of the workforce for years, and I am trying to return to it with baby steps.


So, long story short -- I believe in the safety of benzodiazepines. They have been around in the laboratory since 1958 and there are so many of them, with the same properties, nearly all 1,4 benzodiazepines. There are some really obscure benzodiazepines that have never been marketed in the US or Canada or most places that may not be 1,4 -- if I remember my chemistry correct, but that is the general formula.

Benzodiazepines can be habituating, when not prescribed right, when not taken in a proper manner, and for a certain part of the population. This is quite different from addiction, which is, and I will use it only in context for benzodiazepines, the use of them for non-medical purposes such as street recreational use of Xanax.
A small segment of people could theoretically also be habituated and addicted at the same time, due to perhaps genetic disposition to things like alcoholism and the like.

So, there, in a very long read is my experience, and opinion of benzodiazepines mixed with my lifestory I guess.

(disclaimer) -- this is only an opinion, and if there are any non-I statements, they are an error.

Tidings

-- yxibow

 

Re: I am NOT ashamed to say...

Posted by nolegirl323 on July 5, 2006, at 20:19:08

In reply to Re: I am NOT ashamed to say... » rjlockhart, posted by JerseyGirl on June 30, 2006, at 3:02:33

I feel the same way. I take 4 mg's of xanax XR per day, and it really helps. Lately I have been experiencing more anxiety, obsessive/compulsive thinking, more purging and restricting (i have an eating disorder) and brought this up with my pdoc. I was thinking (kind of hoping I guess) that he would bump up my xanax to maybe 6 mg's as I have been on 4 mg's for 3 months....
Instead he increased me from 20 mg's of lexapro to 40 mg's of lexapro. Hopefully he doesn't think i was 'drug seeking.' I am a law enforcement officer, so that would be really bad. I honest felt like the xanax saved my life, and lately it feels like it is losing it's effect.
Well, we'll see next month.

 

Re: I am NOT ashamed to say... » nolegirl323

Posted by Jerseygirl on July 6, 2006, at 2:21:15

In reply to Re: I am NOT ashamed to say..., posted by nolegirl323 on July 5, 2006, at 20:19:08

Hi..I really hope that the increase in Lexapro helps you...You're suffering way too much, unnecessarily...I am so sorry.
I know that my Psych. wasn't initially thrilled with my starting dosage of Xanax...but I was in SUCH a bad place with panic attacks...and depression, that like I said..it took a dosage of 4 mg. just to calm them. Believe me..I'm not a drug seeker either...Prior to this, in my 30-something years, I hardly even took a Tylenol!! However, when sh*t happens, and your brain chemistry can't handle it all...It's scary what can happen. I had no idea.
It was the most bizarre thing for me..because I had my first attack while driving...So, after that, ANY motion would trigger one, even just sitting in a bathtub with water moving a little bit. I would try and get back into my car, and have an attack before I made it out of the driveway..IT WAS AWFUL!!!
I can honestly say...Xanax, combined with Effexor XR...saved me. I tell my Psych. all the time, I sound like a commercial or a poster child for these meds., but it is the absoloute truth! I NEVER want to go back to where I was.
Alot of people apparantly do well with Klonopin..a longer acting Benzo. For me..it just didn't work..but maybe this is something that your Psych. would consider?
I wish you all the best...My husband is also in Law Enforcement, and it's not an easy job!!
Hugs, Faith~


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