I was looking on Google about memory loss. I have been on 1 MG of Xanax for 34 yrs, I am now 68 yrs old, and really having problems with memory. Please don't say I am addicted... I have been with dr's the whole time. Have never taken more or gone shopping for prescriptions from other Dr's... I have panic attackes and anxiety disorder, it runs in the family... How would you like to walk into a grocery store and after a few minutes a terrible attack of diarrhea hits you. I run to the bathroom as fast as I can.. Take a Xanax and sit and wait abou 20 min then I can continue to shop... I wonder if I get off would some of my memory come back ? Or all of a sudden I get very hot, my heart is beating fast and I break into tears, my symptoms have changed over the yrs..I have been dealing with this disorder and chronic depression
Boopster-
First of all, calm yourself about worries of people saying you're addicted. By your reaction, I'm guessing someone has told you that you're addicted. Well, simply put, fuck that shit. (You would think that since I was an English major I could come up with a more elegant phrase, but I find straight forward vernacular sometimes can't be beat
) Next time someone hassles you, think of it this way -- do people tell diabetics that they're "addicted" to their daily dose of insulin? You're taking something for a medical condition and that's that.
Now, onto the important stuff; the MOST urgent thing I can tell you is that you SHOULD NOT STOP your Xanax without talking to your doctor first. If you have been taking benzos long term it can be very dangerous if you just stop suddenly -- you should be weaned off of it. 1 mg is a fairly low dose but you need to taper down if you're considering stopping it--I cannot emphasize this enough.
Okay, next - did you talk to your doctor about the memory loss? It could have nothing to do with the Xanax, especially since you've been taking it for years w/o any problems. You might be experiencing normal memory loss (e.g., "where'd I put my keys?") and you could be amplifying the severity of it in your mind. That is, you could experience anxiety about forgetting a few things (which is normal at any age) and before you know it, your anxiety about your memory is feeding your "normal" anxiety and then crap spirals out of control (believe me, I know how you feel).
Keeping in mind that I'm not a doctor, your symptoms sound like classic anxiety and depression. Getting hot, experiencing tachycardia, and crying -- good god you could be my twin! First thing, you need to rule out any physical problems aside from your anxiety -- very important, especially at your age. I have anxiety in addition to a physical basis for my tachycardia and for years I had doctors telling me it was "all in my head" when in fact I had a two fold problem. There are a few reasons why your increase in anxiety could be happening, and I urge you to explore these with your doc:
1. Are you menopausal by any chance? (sorry to be so personal and good gosh I hope you're not a man
Anyway, menopause can impact your meds.
2. You've been on the Xanax for 34 yrs. -- it could be 'pooping out' (yes, even the doctors call it the "pooping out effect"; easier than saying "tachyphylaxis") I'd say you've been quite lucky to have been able to maintain your dosage and that particular med for such a long period of time. It might be time for you to up your dosage or go onto a completely different med. I took Prozac for years -- it was delightful -- until it pooped out after 4 years and I had to switch to something else. I also took Xanax for anxiety (did NOTHING for me) switched to lorazapam and was then switched to Klonopin. The reason I'm telling you this boring stuff about me is to show you that sometimes it takes mucho tweaking to fine tune your meds and you have to be patient (and proactive).
3. Are you taking anything for your depression? Xanax is not going to help if you have MDD (major depressive disorder). You might want to explore meds that treat both depression and anxiety (SSRIs, etc.) There is a website that is excellent in regard to information regarding meds that work on mental and neurological conditions; it's called Crazy Meds (love the name)
http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage
It's very well researched and informative.
Yikes, I didn't realize I wrote so much, but I hope it helps you. Anxiety sucks big time and I really know how you feel. Your number one job at this point is to contact your doctor. If he "pooh poohs" your symptoms, time to find a new one or if possible, see a psychiatrist as they usually have a deeper knowledge of the types of drugs we're talking about. I hope you feel better soon.
