Well Trintellix was a big fail, so Xanax questions
Posted , 4 users are following.
My psychiatrist wanted me to try Trintellix for my GAD/panic disorder. In my last post I asked if it had helped anyone here and said it was still early and would continue to give it a chance despite the fact that it was giving me more anxiety. Bad idea. The anxiety increased daily, had panic attacks, and found myself ruminating which I had never done before. It was awful and scared me and Doc said to stop taking it. I saw him last night and he started talking about a different antidepressant I could try which I pretty much flat out refused. I told him I'm way too anxious to try another one right now because of fear of side effects, I'm so hypersensitive, school starts again in a few days, and I just can't.
Been taking Alprazolam three times a day since late June, usually .5mg, 1mg, and .5mg again, though sometimes it's .5, .5, then 1, but the doses always add up to 2mg/day. Last night the psychiatrist wrote me a prescription for 2mg Xanax XR he thinks will be better. So questions for anyone here: have you gone from the generic IR Alprazolam to a Xanax XR? Did it work better for you? How long does it take for the XR to kick in? And will that not be too big a dose for me? When I take the full 1mg of the Alprazolam I'm pretty drowsy for a while, but I find I can still get very anxious on the half pill. Thanks in advance for any input.
0 likes, 6 replies
samuels nellie1990
Posted
Hi nellie,
I had been on 1Mg of Alparazolam for 20 + years, it is a wonder drug when it comes to treating severe panic attacks, however, it comes with an unwanted price, it's addictive and the withdrawal symptoms are horrible, People that have been on them for years must be weaned / tapered off them slowly. Now I'm not sure what you mean XR , I'm assuming extended release ? Also Xanax are exactly the same as Alprazolam, which you have stated, Xanax did nothing for me and my GP couldn't really understand why, he eventually put it down to possibly having a different ingredient as according to his medication book they both have the same amount of active ingredient, I was put back onto alprazolam, that drug got me out of the house, got me travelling places again although not by myself, but I was able to at least travel with friends or family and it settled the panic attacks down until one day they just didn't exist.
This is arguable between doctors but alprazolam is actually the drug of choice for panic attacks, it works on the muscles and nervous system, I was like you, anti depressants made things worse and they would prescribe one after the other if one didn't work, we even started off on low doses and they still had severe effects on me, My then GP had then decided to put me on the alprazolam and with in a month or even less I could feel and see changes. with doctors alprazolam is only used where other treatments have failed, some pyschologists and pyschiatrists swear by them but should be monitered very closely due to their addictiveness.
This is only my experiences with xanax and alprazolam.
nellie1990 samuels
Posted
Yes, XR is for eXtended Relase. The idea behind it is instead of taking multiple doses throughout the day you just take one. Apparently because of the coating or something the medicine is is absorbed more slowly and for a longer period of time. I know that Alprazolam is just generic Xanax but I have heard people say Xanax is more effective? I don't know as I've only taken the IR (immediate release) Alprazolam. Interesting to hear the Xanax doesn't work for you but Alprazolam does so that leads me to believe there is some difference between them? I know how my body tolerates the Alprazolam so because of that am comfortable with it, though my psychiatrist said the Xanax XR should be just fine. I always want to hear opinions from people who actually used/don't make a living off prescribing medications. I'm afraid I'm just like you, after that experience with my first antidepressant I don't see myself willing/likely to give another one a shot. Have enough to be anxious about already and don't need the stress of possible side effects looming over me on top of it. And it was prescribed in a very small dose after genetics testing which was supposed to show what would work best for me
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All the negative stigma surrounding Xanax scares me too but no one can argue that it's the best doctors have come up with so far when it comes to anxiety/panic. My psychiatrist doesn't seem conserned at all with it being taken long term as long as it's not in the hands of an alcoholic or drug addict. I wish I didn't need it at all but the anxiety/panic is debilitating without it, I'm sure I don't need to explain that to you though. Thanks for replying. I hope more people will have some more insight too.
shannonlea123 nellie1990
Posted
I actually just took my first alprazolam about a hour or so ago,I have been dealing with anxiety and panic for years and years and was always terrified of medicines like Xanax but this was a bad episode that has lasted for a month so far and it got to the point where I am afraid to leave the house so I finally broke down and took a half of a .25,I know that's like nothing but I was too nervous to take the whole thing,anyways it def did calm me a little,I'm still anxious but not as bad,thinking I should try the whole pull next time,just nervous about it since there are so many horror stories out there
nellie1990 shannonlea123
Posted
Believe me, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I went for like five years refusing to even take Tylenol because I'm so afraid of medications, but more so than medications, of not feeling "normal." It took a month of daily anxiety, three days of panic attacks and a trip to the emergency room to finally get me to start taking the Alprazolam. And like you said, you took a really tiny amount, but it still may work well for you, as long as you're not taking more than what is prescribed you should be just fine. My psychologist said something that stuck with me and reassured me a bit, people like you and me are very unlikely to become addicts solely because of our fear. Hope we both find relief soon <3
shannonlea123 nellie1990
Posted
Yes I'm not afraid of becoming addicted,I'm too afraid of drugs to get there,I'm just afraid they will make me feel drugged out or have some kind of reverse effect that will lead me to the er,but if it can help me I don't want to miss out on that opportunity,I just need it to get me through this hard time so hopefully I can build up the courage to take the whole pill and it will work for me
samuels shannonlea123
Posted
Hi shannonlea,
Unless you have an allergic reaction, and you follow your doctors /councillors directions this medication will help you in leaps and bounds, for the first couple of days to a week you are naturally going to feel a tad light headed, maybe dizzy and of course sleepy, these will all pass. As I said I was on 1 Mg three times a day, the only thing I experienced when I first took it was , it's hard to explain, not a high feeling but a happy feeling, and sleepy, that's all I experienced with alprazolam.
I've just been thinking that people on the .25 Mg, does it come in that strength where you are, I don't believe it does here where I am, I could be wrong, it comes in 1 Mg, 2Mg and I think but don't hold me to it 5 Mg. If a person suffers severe panic attacks I wouldn't of though .25 was enough, but it must be if you can feel a difference. I was only reading the other day, xanax is no longer made here where I am, which is Australia, I can't remember now but I think they stopped producing xanax back in 2014. I'll have to see if I can find the notification to doctors again and find out.