Benzos Benzo treatment plan for anxiety and panic disorder.

So I've been suffering from panic and anxiety disorder for going on two years now. It's virtually a 24 hour problem. I am always tense, always shaky, nervous, and suffer from almost constant depersonalization, which leads to depression.

I'm afraid to take Benzo's regularly as I don't want to become addicted. For now, I only take .5mg of my alprazolam whenever I am feeling absolutely terrible or about to panic. Other then that, I just deal with it.

But now I am sick and tired of this bullshit. It's genuinely ruining my life. My brain isn't sharp, my memory is horrible, my creativity is out the window, I cant make decisions to save my life.

Would it be beneficial to maybe start taking .5mg every day for maybe a few weeks, maybe to relief my brain of all the stress, and hopefully lead to a long term healing, or will this only mask the anxiety for the time being.

This depersonalization is haunting me, like a nightmare. I feel like I don't have a connection to this world and the people around me. I don't feel like I am a soul, I'm just an empty vessel. I just lost the girl of my dreams, a 2 year relationship, out the door.

Why didn't you take it when " My brain isn't sharp, my memory is horrible, my creativity is out the window, I cant make decisions to save my life."?
Maybe if you took one at that right time, those nasty symptoms could have been greatly reduced or nullified.
You did say that " I only take .5mg of my alprazolam whenever I am feeling absolutely terrible or about to panic. Other then that, I just deal with it.", so I wonder why you didn't take it when you seemed to be in a place that warrants a dose.
I'm pretty sure that if you take it only when needed, then you shouldn't get addicted, just keep an eye on the strength(.5mg).
The minute you start thinking that you need a stronger dose to get the same result that gave you relief at the start(.5mg), would be the "red flag"/warning to you that addiction is knocking on the door.
Respect alprazolam and you should be OK.
It's a good drug that works very well, but you have to stick to its instructions (All the info in the package insert IMO is very valid. If you stick to it word for word or take even less). Then addiction shouldn't be a problem.

Alprazolam on a daily basis WILL become a worse problem, and you will actually get WORSE rebound anxiety after your alprazolam wears off. Benzodiazepine addiction is very serious, I've been hospitalized with my legs jumping off the ER table, and benzo's are the hardest drug to withdraw from, hands down. Alprazolam is an okay medication. I feel you, I used to suffer extreme panic attacks and anxiety all the time, but once I jumped on the benzo train, now I look at my life and wish I never went down that fucking road, it is complete hell trying to detox from benzo's even on a diazepam taper.

Alprazolam also has an extremely short half life, and daily use will eventually cause worse rebound anxiety/insomnia. If I was you, I would try and take it only as needed. I don't know how strong the generics are for benzos in the US, but in Canada APOTEX blows any other generic out of the water and 0.5mg APO Alprazolam feels almost like 1.5mg of some U.S. generics I've tried.

Anyways, I'm not telling you how to live your life, I'm just saying be careful because benzo dependence is something you DON'T WANT.

thizzin' since 98 said:

For now, I only take .5mg of my alprazolam whenever I am feeling absolutely terrible or about to panic. Other then that, I just deal with it.

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Supeudol said:

If I was you, I would try and take it only as needed.

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This is why I gave my advice, as it seemed like he/she is only taking it when needed, but also might not be taking it when he/she should.

Supeudol said:

Alprazolam on a daily basis WILL become a worse problem, and you will actually get WORSE rebound anxiety after your alprazolam wears off. Benzodiazepine addiction is very serious, I've been hospitalized with my legs jumping off the ER table, and benzo's are the hardest drug to withdraw from, hands down. Alprazolam is an okay medication. I feel you, I used to suffer extreme panic attacks and anxiety all the time, but once I jumped on the benzo train, now I look at my life and wish I never went down that fucking road, it is complete hell trying to detox from benzo's even on a diazepam taper.

Alprazolam also has an extremely short half life, and daily use will eventually cause worse rebound anxiety/insomnia. If I was you, I would try and take it only as needed. I don't know how strong the generics are for benzos in the US, but in Canada APOTEX blows any other generic out of the water and 0.5mg APO Alprazolam feels almost like 1.5mg of some U.S. generics I've tried.

Anyways, I'm not telling you how to live your life, I'm just saying be careful because benzo dependence is something you DON'T WANT.

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I want to second this. Benzo withdrawal is HELL. I've abused amphetamine for months and recovered.... opiate sick a few times.... no big shake compared to a benzo withdrawal.... it felt like I wanted to rip the skin off of my body and I couldn't get comfortable to save my life. Muscle spasms. Rebound anxiety... and I'm not talking a few days, I'm talking weeks of pure hell.

Ever think of going on an antidepressant to help anxiety? They can be extremely effective once you find the right one.

thizzin' since 98 said:

So I've been suffering from panic and anxiety disorder for going on two years now. It's virtually a 24 hour problem. I am always tense, always shaky, nervous, and suffer from almost constant depersonalization, which leads to depression.

I'm afraid to take Benzo's regularly as I don't want to become addicted. For now, I only take .5mg of my alprazolam whenever I am feeling absolutely terrible or about to panic. Other then that, I just deal with it.

But now I am sick and tired of this bullshit. It's genuinely ruining my life. My brain isn't sharp, my memory is horrible, my creativity is out the window, I cant make decisions to save my life.

Would it be beneficial to maybe start taking .5mg every day for maybe a few weeks, maybe to relief my brain of all the stress, and hopefully lead to a long term healing, or will this only mask the anxiety for the time being.

This depersonalization is haunting me, like a nightmare. I feel like I don't have a connection to this world and the people around me. I don't feel like I am a soul, I'm just an empty vessel. I just lost the girl of my dreams, a 2 year relationship, out the door.

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you need to speak to your prescribing md.
alprazolam is best used during acute panic episodes,
controlling daily anxiety issues is a different story.
if your anxiety is affecting your everyday/all day..
then there are alternatives to using alprazolam which
should be discussed w/your dr.
good luck.

Do you realize that your anxiety is psychological and it has it's roots in somewhere in your mind? I would suggest looking for psychotherapy rather than drugs, anxiety management by medication is always a poor choice and tends not to work in long term.

tokenname said:

you need to speak to your prescribing md.
alprazolam is best used during acute panic episodes,
controlling daily anxiety issues is a different story.
if your anxiety is affecting your everyday/all day..
then there are alternatives to using alprazolam which
should be discussed w/your dr.
good luck.

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^This

One great alternative could be CBT, it has a pretty good track record for anxiety, I just need to try it out myself instead of eating benzos and freaking out over little things.

I will say this, though, benzos used responsibly (not more than twice a week) are miracle drugs for the truly anxious patient who has done everything he can in his power to overcome it, including exercising 30 min/day, eating no processed carbs at all, cutting out sugar and caffeine completely, discontinuing stimulant abuse, eating his body weight (lb) in protein/day, etc.

"Don't get caugt up in a benzo addiction, if you didn't already know. Great short term value, but that's about it."
-A Bluelighter's quote I read a while ago

If u take benzos everyday u will gain tolerance and u will become dependent. If u chose a benxo with a long half life like klonopin or valium u might be able to get by with dosing every othe

Lyrica has been shown in clinical trials to pribde the same therapeutic effects of alprozolam and lorazepam with an ability to retain therapeutic effects over longer periods time compared to benzps

Relying on benzodiazepines daily is not going to turn out well.

Please don't get into the habit of taking any GABAergic, especially benzos or barbiturates. The w/d can be fatal, and the addiction itself is insidious. Benzos are the god damn devil once you begin to take them everyday. I've been taking benzos on a daily basis for about 5-6 years now, and I can't miss a dose or I could have a siezure.
Ask yourself if you are ready to be commited to the ball and chain of benzo use. Even if taken as prescribed you can still die from w/d and it will make your anxiety/depersonalization much worse.
Try opting for something like Lamortrigine aka Lamictal. It's a mood stabilizer used for insomnia, seizures, and depersonalization. It has some clinical efficacy for anxiety as well. Cognitive therapy should have been explored a long time ago, since you seem to have been dealing with this for a long time. Good luck!

ever since i first got Rxed my first benzo in 2008, at age23, Valium, then to xanax, then to klonopin,, it has ruined my life, i can no longer deal with life without having a benzo for stress or panic, and im only 26, it destroyed my life, benzos r for short term anxiety relief, or PRN once ina whil!

To the OP, I would suggest you not use alprazolam alone to control your 24-7 anxiety and panic. The problem with this is alprazolam's rather short half-life and duration of effects, which can lead to a need to be re-dosing very frequently, and a more difficult dependence that would be harder to deal with would likely ensue over using a longer-acting benzo for the 24-7 anxiety and panic. I think benzos certainly have their place in medicine, and I don't know why everyone is saying not to use them at all. Your post expresses urgency in that you are need of relief. If you want to go the benzo route, I'd suggest a benzo like Valium (diazepam), Librium (chlordiazepoxide), or Klonopin (clonazepam) to dose daily. I would probably suggest you start with a LOW dose, if you start taking a benzo on a daily basis, which can be even lower than what a doctor might prescribe. For example, 0.25 mg clonazepam twice daily could be effective enough to take enough of the edge of the anxiety and help reduce the panic symptoms, allowing you to get on a healthy schedule, BUT I would recommend psychotherapy, too. Good psychotherapists can be hard to find, but it is not impossible. Otherwise, begin employing healthy therapeutic tools of your own to decrease and manage the anxiety - there are a number of ways. It is quite possible you just need a LITTLE dose of an anxiolytic like a benzo to allow yourself to be in a better place, but you must do the work, too, and not rely on just the drug(s). As for the alprazolam, I don't see any issue on taking a dose of 0.25 mg - 0.5 mg as needed, and truly as NEEDED, if you are on a longer-acting benzo to treat your round-the-clock anxiety, for the alprazolam to help with major anxiety attacks or panic attacks, for it can kick swiftly and effectively. But, if you are another benzo for round-the-clock anxiety-relief, you likely would not need even 0.5 mg of alprazolam, and I would say 0.25 mg would be good in helping to take the edge off, but 0.5 mg still is usually not a big dose. Benzo dependence DOES ensue with chronic dosing, so if you do take a benzo (any) daily for around-the-clock anxiety control, expect dependence. Addiction is possible but not guaranteed, but dependence is a given with benzos if taken frequently enough for a period long enough (usually a few weeks for a dependence to begin to form - even a week can produce some wd symptoms). That is why I suggest you do dose relatively LOW, making the dependence less troublesome. I also suggest you DO work to better yourself, with a therapist would be good, like I said, or with just yourself. So much can be done - if you like to make any form of art that is great, exercise is great, good sleeping is great, meditation and introspection can be great, just relaxation etc. There is a lot you can do, just DO it if you elect the benzo route, because hopefully after a period of a few months (or maybe less) you can taper slowly off the benzo, while still enjoying a newer and healthier lifestyle which attempts to understand and deal with your anxiety. With the alprazolam, as of now, I would not get into a habit of dosing it continuously, but using it PRN for especially bad anxiety and panic is fine if done with prudence and awareness. Do not get sucked into benzo addiction, for it is a bad thing. Benzo dependence can be dealt with, and while it is not a good thing, it is sometimes a necessary evil which can be managed for the sake of giving someone anxiety relief. It sounds to me that you do need anxiety relief, frankly. But, remember benzos are not the only way in terms of drugs, for there are others, but so many of them carry risks of their own - so always be informed and never blindly follow the advice of a doctor just because he/she is a doctor. Know your shit well, be responsible, work yourself to feel better, and things should get better. Are there risks? As I have stated - yes, but benzos can be used with good result if used properly (initial low-dose, ideally for a fairly short period, for anxiety that responds to benzos well). Hope this helps.

Alex000 said:

so always be informed and never blindly follow the advice of a doctor just because he/she is a doctor. Know your shit well, be responsible, work yourself to feel better, and things should get better. Are there risks? As I have stated - yes, but benzos can be used with good result if used properly (initial low-dose, ideally for a fairly short period, for anxiety that responds to benzos well). Hope this helps.

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^^quoted for brilliance.