Does Xanax make you "hallucinate" or think weird things?

I got prescribed Xanax yesterday for my panic disorder, and being the dumbass with no self-control that I am, I'm already abusing it.

I took two last night, had a bit of a nice woozy chill-session, then fell asleep. This morning though, I woke up with the feeling that there were <i>mice</i> scurrying around in my bedsheets (no, we've never had mice in our house..). I was *so sure* they were there, but I was still only half-awake so I quit looking for them and fell back asleep. I woke up a while later, this time positive that one of my pet rats had somehow escaped and was running around on my bed... check at the rat cage and they're all in there. THEN, I don't know how long after this was, but I was sure that there was a CAT in my bed.

Then I really woke up and got out of bed.

WTF? was that the xanax? Of am I just a nutcase? It was really weird. Anyone have similar experiences?

how much did you take??

even with total abuse, the worst thing i've suffered the morning after is a doped out feeling.

No! I think your just a nutcase8( Sounds strange, I've used them regulary and haven't experienced anything like that.

yea your a nutcase

Just because you guys didn't get these symptoms doesn't mean they don't happen, or that he is a nutcase. Pfft.

The sensation of something (usually bugs ) crawling on the skin is called formication and is a known side effect of benzodiazepine's. Hallucinations can also occur. I would suggest if you are getting these effects already, then Xanax may not be the right drug for you (particularly not if you are just going to abuse it - your panic disorder will not improve and may get worse if you build a tolerance to benzo's). I suggest you go back to your Dr and discuss other treatment options. For the full list of side effects of benzodiazepine's see here. I bet you will be shocked by how many side effects they have. Don't get me wrong - benzo's can be great medications, but they aren't right for some people.

^^^The nut case comment was a bad joke in total sarcasm.

This exact thing happened to me twice when i abused xanax for 2 weeks straight then stopped suddenly. But it didn't happen the night after taking a dose, only if i skipped the whole day. So i think if u take your dose as recommended and spread out evenly it should be fine.

I have not had that happend to me with Xanax (normally all I do is passout....quickly)
But, I have had a similar situation happen to me with mersyndol of all things!
I was lying in bed in that lovely hazey dreamy state and I swear that my cat jumped on the bed and started telling me I was evil!
At the time I really didnt think that much of it either, which is even stranger than the fact that I thought my cat talked in the first place.

I love it when weird aural or visual hallucinations randomly occur, it makes the experience all that more interesting

I agree with superbabydoc's comments.

I'm also wondering whether you might have experienced a sleep disorder in the form of hypnapompic/hypnagogic hallucinations, which are often accompanied by sleep paralysis (try searching those terms). To oversimplify, this would be like having one part of your mind dreaming while another part is awake at the same time. Whether or not this would be related to the Xanax I couldn't say.

I also note that you took just two tablets on one occasion, so while this is a no-no it is not comparable to chronic abuse. My feeling is that it would be unusual (but by no means impossible) to get really weird side-effects with this scenario.

If you want your Xanax to really work when you have a panic attack, limit their use to the prescribed dose at those times. Benzodiazepines are definitely designed to work best on an occasional basis, and certainly not more than 14 days consecutively.

Consider the consequences... if you abuse them, they will not work when you have a panic attack and will almost certainly increase your overall anxiety levels. As fun as they might be, what it will it be like if you have a really bad panic attack and your medication doesn't help?

If you continue to find it really hard to use Xanax as prescribed, discuss with your doctor and ask about the possible use of a sedating antidepressant instead. This might work better for you in the long run.

Thank you guys for your replies!!

D&AWg: I think you have hit the nail *EXACTLY* on the head.

I've been experiencing sleep paralys episodes with hypnagogic hallucinations for a while now, and also a bit of lucid dreaming.... this recent episode with the mice/rats/cat in my bed had a different feel to it, but now that I think about it I'm pretty sure it was just another episode of SP. Maybe the benzos triggered them or something, I dunno... but at least they weren't *frightening* like previous SP episodes have been, so I'm not that worried at the moment.

Anyway thanks for all your advice, it's much appreciated. I haven't had any more of these episodes since so I'll see how I go with the benzos.

Thanks!

Glad to help

I've experienced occasional sleep paralysis, with and without hypnagogic hallucinations, since I was five. There is often a feeling of terror, although with experience I can sometimes get the "conscious" part of my mind to keep it all in perspective until I wake up.

I also use Xanax, as prescribed, but have never noticed the sleep disorder coinciding with Xanax use. I did have a nasty hypnagogic experience though a while ago after using Stilnox!

Bottom line is that I have a healthy respect for benzos and other types of sleeping tablets.

I found almost every time I abused Xanex (3 or more mg in one sitting), I would become very spaced out and feel things all over my room. It also erased my memory on more then one occasion, which is kind of why I stopped.... well, that, and I ran out.

I've had somewhat similar experiences when I've consumed chemicals which put me in a half awake / half asleep state (codiene, oxycontin, antihistamines). I feel like my brain is in a dream state, I come in and out of a light sleep, but continue to 'dream' the whole time.

So I may have been dreaming that there were people or animals in the room, but because I continued dreaming while I was half awake, I thought they were part of my waking reality.

When this is happening, I find it very dificult to fully wake up and get out of bed. I even have dreams that I've woken up properly, making it even more dificult to distinguish between reality and dreaming.

gleep

^^I get the same symptoms from insomnia