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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by valene on November 4, 2006, at 9:59:44
I have been on xanax for over 25 years, was on 3mg. per day now down to 1.75. I recently switched to name brand xanax due to feeling the generic was not working. There is a real difference btw, in the generic and name brand xanax. the real thing seems to work better.
Now I wonder if it is me and I am in tolerance w/d. I get a weird head pressure/anxiety in between doses which scares me as I never had tolerance withdrawal in the past 25 years! Should I go back up to 3mg.? That's a lot of xanax and I am scared. Or maybe augment the current dose with Neurontin? I see my pdoc next week. My goal (failed) was to go completely off the xanax but this miserable anxiety is no way to live.
Posted by Phillipa on November 4, 2006, at 10:04:04
In reply to Please need advice re:xanax tolerance, posted by valene on November 4, 2006, at 9:59:44
Valene at one point in my life I was down to .125mg of xanax. Life was stable and I was happy. And my pdoc just told me my tolerance also had built up on my valium. And I think this just makes us more anxious. Love Phillipa
Posted by bassman on November 4, 2006, at 10:20:29
In reply to Please need advice re:xanax tolerance, posted by valene on November 4, 2006, at 9:59:44
There 's a joke that if you want to know what time it is, ask someone who is taking Xanax. The body "reminding" you that it is time to take the next dose is really common. I used to feel dizzy if I forgot a dose.
I'd suggest staying where you are with the Xanax and seeing if your body adjusts. What works for me is to take 0.5 mg Klonopin a day with the Xanax and that seems to get rid of the between-dose anxiety. But I've experienced exactly what you described when I was taking more than 1 mg Xanax/day. I also saw a big difference between generic (alprazolam) and Xanax.
Posted by valene on November 4, 2006, at 10:51:06
In reply to Re: Please need advice re:xanax tolerance, posted by bassman on November 4, 2006, at 10:20:29
> There 's a joke that if you want to know what time it is, ask someone who is taking Xanax. The body "reminding" you that it is time to take the next dose is really common. I used to feel dizzy if I forgot a dose.
>
> I'd suggest staying where you are with the Xanax and seeing if your body adjusts. What works for me is to take 0.5 mg Klonopin a day with the Xanax and that seems to get rid of the between-dose anxiety. But I've experienced exactly what you described when I was taking more than 1 mg Xanax/day. I also saw a big difference between generic (alprazolam) and Xanax.Thanks Bassman. I will ask my pdoc about the klonopin, since it is a longer acting benzo. I would like to cut my xanax and eventually wean off but I need to stabilize first. I hate being at the mercy of a little pill. Can't believe I never knew the power of benzos until last year when I started to wean down by crossing to valium. That attempt failed badly due to valium depressing me or perhaps due to the withdrawal, who knows. I am pretty discouraged as I never experienced tolerance in all 25+ years of being on xanax.
Val
Posted by bassman on November 4, 2006, at 11:15:36
In reply to Re: Please need advice re:xanax tolerance » bassman, posted by valene on November 4, 2006, at 10:51:06
I went from 4 mg/day to zero over the period of a year, so I know the feeling. I used to think "what if I go on a trip and forget the Xanax! Will I die? Oh my God!" You get that feeling times 100 when you withdraw and find out you're dependent on the med. That can be scary. While Klonopin doesn't work well for me, it also makes no Xanax-like demand on me, either. I can miss a dose, forget to take it, be 10 hours off, etc. and everything is O.K. When I was just taking Xanax, I swear my body knew the next dose time withing 15 minutes. I do think the Fear of Xanax increases with the dose. I take 0.75 mg Xanax + 0.5 mg Klonpin and don't concerne myself at all aobut the aforementioned issues.
I can see how you'd be discouraged...going up in Xanax dosage means that one day you have to come down again, and that's ugly. Sort of like having made progress, you've lost it again. I know that feeling. :>} Best of luck!
Posted by valene on November 8, 2006, at 9:49:35
In reply to Re: Please need advice re:xanax tolerance, posted by bassman on November 4, 2006, at 11:15:36
Thanks all for the advice. I have opted to stay on the 1.75mg xanax per day for now. I do suffer some tolerance w/d anxiety but as Bassman said am afraid of going higher in dose and then the withdrawals.
I start CBT in two weeks for social anxiety, GAD, self-esteem related stuff so hopefully that will help.
Val
Posted by bassman on November 8, 2006, at 10:01:57
In reply to Re: Please need advice re:xanax tolerance, posted by valene on November 8, 2006, at 9:49:35
The very best of luck...I hope you get where you want to be.
bassman
Posted by jealibeanz on November 9, 2006, at 5:14:21
In reply to Please need advice re:xanax tolerance, posted by valene on November 4, 2006, at 9:59:44
I just switched to brandname too (that was a wildgoose chase... most pharmacies don't carry it). There's significant differences between various generics and brand.
Maybe you could try dividing your pills into smaller doses and take it more frequently. If there's a fairly even level in your body during the day, you may feel better, reguardless of the concentration. The ups and downs aren't fun.
Just a thought. It's worth a try. I'm not an expert. I'm just mildly fascinated by drugs and the human body:)
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