Benzos Is Xanax or Zoloft better for occasional high/calm?

[wgafem]

I have mild anxiety and, as of recently, it's increased x100 whenever I smoke marijuana. I'm analyzing/paranoid/consumed by my mind during the entire high. I'm being prescribed Zoloft, but I read Xanax is more of a "take as needed" drug and also more intense, so I'm just curious which would be better. Yes, it's like comparing apples to oranges, but I have the option of both as they're in the antidepressent/anxiety category, I guess. I really just want to be as far chilled as I can get, without turning into a zombie or gaining a ton of weight. Any preference/experience?

 

[Lightning-Nl]

First thing first.

If you have major anxiety when smoking marijuana you need to stop smoking. I am exactly the way you are; marijuana increases my anxiety a TON, but if I only do it occasionally I am completely fine. Therefore, it sounds to me like you need to stop smoking for a week or two and after that only smoke occasionally.

Second,

Zoloft is a SSRI anti-depressant. It effects Serotonin by stopping it's re-uptake therefore increasing the amount of Serotonin you have in your body. Also, because of Zoloft's unique effect on dopaminergic neurotransmission, it also has the potential to increase dopamine levels in the body as well.

Xanax is a non-selective benzodiazepine and is one of the most power benzo's that exist. Xanax is prescribed to people as a rescue medication when someone is having a panic attack. However, Xanax can also be used to get high. Therefore Xanax is a Schedule IV controlled substance. Because of this it will be rather difficult for you to a prescription for it because it is a drug that people will fake symptoms to get.

Personally, I don't think you need Xanax or any anxiety med for that matter. What you need to do is what I stated above....stop smoking marijuana.

TL;DR You don't need Xanax. Stop smoking weed and you will be fine!

 

[alovesupreme]

if you're looking for something to chill you out, xanax wins every time. really they are two different things, zoloft is a SSRI antidepressant and xanax is a benzodiazepine anxiolytic/sedative/hypnotic. zoloft isn't going to do anything for anxiety. obligatory disclaimer: you're right that xanax is best used as a "take as needed" drug, not something that you consume on an everyday basis, try not to catch a habit, use a modest dose and enjoy responsibly!

 

[ChinaWhiteHeroin]

Xanax for sure.

 

[onetwonine]

Stop smoking weed. There is no value in increasing your anxiety.

 

[Deadhead420]

Zoloft isn't recreational at all. It's an SSRI and you have to take it every day for a couple weeks for it to take effect. I know some SSRIs have anti-anxiety properties but I'm not sure one way or the other about Zoloft. Best to talk to your doctor.

Xanax on the other hand is very recreational and also addictive. However, it will immediately relieve anxiety. It's best to only take a minimal dose as needed (not everyday) to avoid addiction.

 

[Lolie]

I've only ever taken Xanax PRN at therapeutic doses for panic attacks and it's calm in a pill. If you're intentionally doing something which makes you paranoid/increases your anxiety, though, you'd be better off not doing that thing - you don't need to be adding a benzo habit to your problems or having to deal with rebound anxiety when you run out of benzos because you've been taking them more often than your prescription warrants. Most doctors are going to notice if you start wanting more frequent refills on a benzo prescription and they're going to suspect abuse. You really don't want to fuck up your access to Xanax for legitimate use.

 

[wgafem]

weed isn't the only reason I'm looking for anxiety meds, its only a side note. I overanalyze and get paranoid frequently, marijuana just enhances it. any alternative drug suggestions?

 

[hatrix]

I suffer from some genera anxiety and have been in a similar situation with what to get prescribed. At first I was prescribed Prozac and tried taking it for a few weeks. It left me feeling.... off, a lot of the time and I told my doctor who then switched me to a different SSRI, Sertraline (Zoloft) which again had a similar affect. I don't honestly believe SSRIs can do much for anxiety.

Xanax or Alprazolam however was also offered to me at the same time I was taking Sertraline. I was prescribed 0.25mg of Xanax for a few months. I only ever had a total of 5 refills I think and each refill was only 25-30 pills, so taking recreational doses was kind of a shitty thing to do as it had me running out to early before refilling and it really sucks when you have actual anxiety and your medication is out. 0.25mg is the lowest prescribed dose but if you're going to use it on an as needed basis it will do great for anxiety. You should probably avoid it though as you don't seem to have a problem other than smoking marijuana, so I suggest you just stop doing that. It's hard not to become dependent on something that makes you feel so at ease so quickly and also helps you get to sleep very fast. Benzo addiction is pretty horrible.

You won't get high from Zoloft.

 

[mrflowers00]

i can only speak for myself but zoloft did just shit for me and xanax works wonders for my anxiety

 

[Lightning-Nl]

weed isn't the only reason I'm looking for anxiety meds, its only a side note. I overanalyze and get paranoid frequently, marijuana just enhances it. any alternative drug suggestions?

Then I suggest that you try non-addictive meds before you move onto a benzo. Benzodiazepines are extremely addictive and the long-term effects are (in some cases) worse than alcohol or tobacco. I have been on Adderall - which is supposedly more addictive than benzodiazepines - for 2 years and have never had any problem stopping it. For the short time I was on Ativan (Lorazepam) if I missed one day taking it, I went into withdrawals.

Seriously don't fuck with benzo's unless it's absolutely necessary.

Some good alternatives you should try first are...

Gabapentin - Trade name Neurotin
Buspirone - Trade name Buspar
Tiagabine - Trade name Gabitril

Some others are..

Many people swear by Seroquel. I've never tried it personally (mainly because anti-psychotics usually tend to make things worse for me) but if it works for you, it will work well. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work at all (from what I've heard anyways).

The best non-benzodiazepine for anxiety (in my opinion) is Pregabalin. Pregabalin is the more potent successor to Gabapentin. Because of this it's a Schedule V controlled substance (the lowest classification) but it also has a very tiny abuse potential.

 

[Engage]

Cognitive effects
The short-term use of benzodiazepines adversely affects multiple areas of cognition, the most notable one being that it interferes with the formation and consolidation of memories of new material and may induce complete anterograde amnesia.[62] However, researchers hold contrary opinions regarding the effects of long-term administration. One view is that many of the short-term effects continue into the long-term and may even worsen, and are not resolved after quitting benzodiazepines. Another view maintains that cognitive deficits in chronic benzodiazepine users occur only for a short period after the dose, or that the anxiety disorder is the cause of these deficits.

While the definitive studies are lacking, the former view received support from a 2004 meta-analysis of 13 small studies.[73][74] This meta-analysis found that long-term use of benzodiazepines was associated with moderate to large adverse effects on all areas of cognition, with visuospatial memory being the most commonly detected impairment. Some of the other impairments reported were decreased IQ, visiomotor coordination, information processing, verbal learning and concentration. The authors of the meta-analysis[73] and a later reviewer[74] noted that the applicability of this meta-analysis is limited because the subjects were taken mostly from withdrawal clinics; the coexisting drug, alcohol use, and psychiatric disorders were not defined; and several of the included studies conducted the cognitive measurements during the withdrawal period.

[edit]Long-term effects...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine#Cognitive_effects

Just doesn't seem worth it to me.
I was taking 1 mg of Clonazepam to help with severe DT's.
That was about a month ago. I still feel the 'brain fog' and depression.
My memory is shot all the shit as well. That's my experience at least.

When I read about the studies mentioning permanent brain damage, it solidified my conviction to stay as 'natural' as possible.

 

[shreddedlettuce]

I have mild anxiety and, as of recently, it's increased x100 whenever I smoke marijuana.

Stop smoking marijuana.
Please read the BLUA and Other Drugs Posting Standards in my signature.

BL isn't here to give advice on what is better to get high A or B.

/closed