Posted , 7 users are following.
I'm currently taking .25 xanax for anxiety the doctors prescribed me xanax and citalopram but I'm not going to take them due to me not being depressed and the side effects so my question is has anyone here had anxiety and got rid of it meaning no longer taking meds and living a normal life without them I'm just wondering if it's a phase or something you have to deal with for life
0 likes, 9 replies
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SeaWhisper1 nelly18514
Posted
Hi Nelly,
?I went through absolute hell trying to get off of imovane (zopiclone) after 19 years of what the doctor's claimed was not addictive. I spent a week in the hospital as a result of this because my doctor cut me off and hung me out to dry and I decided that I did not want to live.
?What helped me to cope with the withdrawal was ingesting raw mariguana (does not give you a 'high'
. Raw MJ stops withdrawal and makes you sleepy about 2 hours of ingestion. After 6 weeks of this, and doctors scrambling to find better sleep aids (non addictive) I have been on 50 mg (very low dose) of trazodone for almost 2 years.
?Please do not reach for the pills.
?Look at your life and try to minimize stress and search your soul to find out the cause of your anxiety. I have taken many courses and weeklong workshops in Mindfulness. I constantly fall off the wagon with this and then get back up again. It is a constant struggle to keep aligned with life. I am living at the cottage in Ontario and walk barefoot to get grounded...lots of rock here. Perhaps you think I am whacko, but, Nelly, being simple and close to nature works for me.
?My husband has difficulties because he gets upset easily and very annoyed. His doctor put him on citopram and he has been taking this for several years. It helps him control his anger; however, he has developed a severe short term memory problem.
?His doctor was very quick to prescribe this mind altering medication without considering the root of the problem. I am now trying to convince him to try to get off of this drug, which is very difficult to do. I am hoping that his short term memory problem is not permanent.
?Hope this helps Holly and, I know your pain, all too well. I wish I was there with you to give you a hug and hold your hand because I know all to well your pain.
betty47942 SeaWhisper1
Posted
SeaWhisper, I just want to say THANK YOU for a most wonderful, helpful, and inspirational post... It helped me just to read this today. Hope you have a great upcoming week! (all of you!
)
BellaLuna nelly18514
Posted
Some people do overcome anxiety completely yes, I have always been a huge advocate of therapy, I even advise people who do need medication to combine it with therapy because it's very effective.
Medication does have a role in recovery for many people but plenty do get better without it, I would be especially concerned about the xanax, it's a benzodiazepine and not only are they highly addictive but you can become tolerant to them and they lose effect, using them occasionally and infrequently lowers the risk of that but once you take one and feel good it's hard not to want to feel that good again.
I have been on Valium for 18 years, that started with a short course to help me get through a tough time but it was so hard to get off them and now I have an addiction to something that doesn't even help anymore but I'm too scared to start tapering, keep in mind that I have never abused them either, only ever took them as directed by my doctor.
You honestly don't want to get addicted to these things.
I wouldn't ignore your anxiety and hope it goes away though, go for therapy, I certainly wish I had taken that route all of those years ago.
SeaWhisper1 BellaLuna
Posted
I have found that, in my life, most doctors do not understand the full impact of pharmaceutical drugs. This is just my experience and personal nightmare in Ontario Canada.
BellaLuna SeaWhisper1
Posted
I once remarked to my doctor that i should never have been left on Valium for so long by my old doctor and that i hoped things were different for other patients now, she assured me that things were very different but sadly that is not true, i know many people who are still being given benzos the moment they go in with anxiety and still being left on them indefinitely with the dose increased as soon as new tolerance sets in which of course it always does.
Anyway i am on my soapbox a bit now lol but there are many other ways to treat anxiety that are far more beneficial and have much longer lasting effects.
aja2278 nelly18514
Posted
Anxiety has been for me my hole life just didnt know that feeling was anxiety. I started off on .25 of xanax n was over time to a 2mg 3 times a day. Now nothing helps it i even get sezuires and panic attacks but im proud 2 say im prescribed 4 times a day just a 1mg of xanax & on my own dropped dwn 2 only 3 of them a day i still let them give me the 4 pills a day just bcuz i heard they are going to take that as well as opioids and opiates off the market so my mom hides the extra 30 pills a month till the have a desent replacement, unfortunately the xanax has been the most effective pill for me and seems 2 be the only 1 that works for me bcuz i was detoxed off it n they tried so many others but as i told my dr prescribe me a piece of gum it wouldnt cost much and would probably work better...i dnt like 2 recomed xanax 2 anyone it is the devil for most ppl...
betty47942 nelly18514
Posted
I was only on 10 mg of Xanax (also called Sertraline) for 2 weeks...they made me feel 'funny' so I stopped. OMG getting OFF of them even after that short a time was absolutely awful....5 days of horrid withdrawal.... People kept saying "Oh you've got to stick with it, eventually it will help you..." No thank you.... Its great if it DOES work well for some people...but we are all different in how we react... Good luck, Nelly!
Annaflare betty47942
Posted
I've got to query what you've just said, Sertraline (Zoloft) and Alprazolam (Xanax) are two very different drugs, they aren't even in the same class. One is an SSRI and the other a Benzodiazepine.
10mg of Xanax a day would be an insane dose, the biggest form they come in is the 2mg bar (3mg if you look at the extended release), no one would prescribe that.
10mg of Sertraline on the other hand is a very low dose, with a lot of room to move upwards if needed. You're right though, we all react differently to drugs. Try not to get the two drugs confused
. I had to respond because it could potentially caause other people confusion, if they find this post.
silviab3891 nelly18514
Posted
Therepy along with medication maybe needed. I suffer from severe anxiety that comes and goes. I have MS so everytime I have a relapse my anxiety takes over and makes thinks 10xmore. I am in no way recovered and dealing with anxiety now. My doc refused to prescibe me xanax becuase of the addiction and I am waitig weeks to see a phyciatrist. I take amatriptlyne to try to help me sleep but that does noting for me really. There are days that I dont think I will be able to function or live a normal life ever again but then I push myself to go to work and do small things. I know the struggle and know that it will take time. Even therepy seems like it's not helping sometimes. I have to remind myself that we all have bad days and leave the fear of that day in the past. Hang in there, know that you are not alone and dont be afraid to ask for help.