just switched over from ativan to xanax

[CosmicG]

Hey guys it has been a while since I last posted life has been hectic but i finally feel ready to reconnect. My GP switched me from Ativan .5 mgs twice daily to Xanax .5 mgs twice daily and wow do I notice a difference. The doses are not equal in strength not even close. The relief I feel from Xanax is a relief I have not felt in years. This seems like the perfect drug for my daily anxiety. Has anyone else had success taking Xanax? Also my doc told me to hold onto my Ativan pills and not to throw them away. Any thoughts on why he would say that? This Ativan is useless next to my new found friend Xanax. What else am I to do with it? Thanks in advance!

 

[THCisgod]

Hmm no sucsess thats for sure lots of seizures and i lost a few years of my life to always being a blacked out zombie (got in a lot of fights and hurt a lot of people i love emotionally drinking with them)BUT i was prescribed 6mg a day an i defiantly took a lot more then perscribed. If it works for you and you can keep your usage to that or a little more you will be fine just tread lightly.

 

[CosmicG]

Thanks brother

 

[bcfly7x7]

Any drug over time you will build a tolerance for. .5 might be good for now, but you'll need more in about a year to receive the same relief you have now. Just be VERY careful, benzo w/d and detox can be fatal, no joke. It might be the hardest detox to handle. Your doctor probably wants you to hold on to the atavian in case something happens to your supply of xanax. Call it a backup that might possibly save your life. I took 1mg of xanax daily for 6 months. My self detox of that was fine b/c I didn't take it for 7 years like I did with oxycodone and morphine. I'm lucky, the seizures and possible death from benzo w/d or detox is something that you should consider. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Bob

 

[CosmicG]

Thank you guys so much for all of the replies and support. Unfortunately i am not doing so great anymore. The .5 mgs is no longer helping and i have been having to take an extra one here and there in order to keep my anxiety levels under control i have only been taking the drug for about ten days, but originally was taking .5 mgs of ativan twice daily for about six months. My doctor was going to bump me up to 1 mg of ativan twice daily due to the fact that my original dosage was just not cutting it anymore but then instead switched me to xanax .5 mgs twice a day to see if that would be better. I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and I do hope he is willing to up my xanax dosage to 1 mg twice daily as I truly feel normal and content taking this drug. If not i will soon run out left in a god awful situation.

Does anyone out there take xanax for severe anxiety, and if so what dose do you find to be most therapeutic? Is .5 mgs of xanax a low dose taken only two times daily? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated much love everybody.

 

[bcfly7x7]

I was taking xanax 1mg 2X daily. It worked for a bit, but you'll find yourself right back where you are now in 1-2 months. Do what you like but im telling you, this is not a road you want to travel down. The choice is yours, but if I may make a small suggestion, ask your dr, for visterill, about 50mg 3x daily. Its a non addictive med that mimics the effects of xanax. Im using it currently to help with PAWS from benzos (xanax) and a whole slew of opiates. It takes my anxiety away, and boy do I have alot of it 16 days clean. Again, this is your choice.

Good luck,

Bob

 

[downerhead]

I've been on benzos,mostly Xanax for years and finally found my right dose-2mg 4x daily.I've gotten stbilized on this and feel more normal and calmer than I have in a long time.Whatever works for you is what's important.They don't turn into the hellish nightmare for everyone.Not saying you need or should get on this high of a dose.Only you know what you feel.Be upfront with your doctor and they should work with you on finding the right dose for you.Lots of luck and hope you find the peace you are looking for.Anxiety and panic attacks suck big time.

 

[CosmicG]

I spoke with my doctor today and explained to him how my dose of .5 mgs twice a day was okay, but that towards the afternoon my symptoms seem to come back in between doses. He decided to up my dose from two to three times .5 mgs a day. I feel a lot better at this dose but wonder if I wont need to increase later in the future. I am incredibly greatful to have such an understanding doctor who is willing to work with me.

 

[bcfly7x7]

Cosmic,

Im glad you found something that is working now. I promise you though in 6 months to a year your gonna need more. No doubt, your body will adjust and will require more.

Why does a heroine dealer give you that first hit or two for free, because they know youll be back. Same with drs, its just legal. Make no doubt though, you will need more.

Good luck cosmic, I hope you find what works and your life gets better.

Bob

 

[CosmicG]

Do you think that it is odd he would write me 150 pills in literally a two week time frame? Is there some kind of incentive for GPs who write so many prescriptions? I have known him for going on ten years so I fully trust him but its strange to me that other doctors would think completely the opposite as so many are careful about handing out benzos. Again im not naive but he never did mention how addictive it is. This is another subject altogether though as I am getting off topic.

 

[bcfly7x7]

Well, let me do quick math, so at .5, and you said 3x daily and prescriptions are normally for a month at a time for benzos, so that should be 90, but really 84, because you see the dr every 28 days. So you should have a few extras, 150 seems very high in terms of quantities, however the total is only 300mg. There are some that are prescribed up to I think, again not a dr here, but 8-10mg at a time.

If you have that trust in your dr, he might just really care about what you're going through, and thinks this is the best route. IDK, but I would ask why he didnt discuss the highly addictive properties of xanax. Least of all, if you decide to get off them at some point in the later future, its a straight up bitch. Not to mention if you decide to detox, you can't go cold turkey with benzos, you need medical supervision because of possible seizures.

I just want you to know before going to far down a road that has no end.

My best,

Bob

 

[downerhead]

Do you think that it is odd he would write me 150 pills in literally a two week time frame? Is there some kind of incentive for GPs who write so many prescriptions? I have known him for going on ten years so I fully trust him but its strange to me that other doctors would think completely the opposite as so many are careful about handing out benzos. Again im not naive but he never did mention how addictive it is. This is another subject altogether though as I am getting off topic.

Actually it tends to be quite the opposite when it comes to your incentive to write more prescriptions theory.While it is true that doctors get kick backs from pharmaceutical companies to prescribe their products (my mom worked at a family medicine practice for years so I know this to be true) doctors come under investigation all the time for writing too many controlled scripts.I know of several who lost their licenses or even went to jail for doing this.

 

[Parabolan]

I would love to switch from my physician to yours

 

[CosmicG]

It is convenient but also somewhat troubling because I hope to move out of this town some day soon, and wonder how hard it will be to find another doctor that is this understanding. That kind of makes me feel stuck in a way.

 

[bcfly7x7]

It is convenient but also somewhat troubling because I hope to move out of this town some day soon, and wonder how hard it will be to find another doctor that is this understanding. That kind of makes me feel stuck in a way.

I know that feeling all to well. I was with the same pain dr a state away. I had to pay 15$ in tolls just to get there. I wanted to switch to someone closer but had the fear they would fuck with my meds and try and do it their way. So for 7 years every month I travelled 1 1/2 hours each way. God I don't miss that at all.

 

[grimthereaper]

xanax is the only benzo that helps my panic attacks

 

[CosmicG]

The xanax no doubt works wonders but I am definatly building a tolerance at an alarming rate. It does make me tired at times but I find myself able to awaken if I keep myself busy. At the rate I am going now I will soon be out and obviously need to begin tapering starting tomorrow to get me through the month. Perhaps I should consider a longer lasting benzo such as klonopin? I dont like having to dose so much it does not seem to last long enoug had I really dont want to harass my doc by trying to up this script too quickly. I feel right now that I am still taking a moderately low dose compared to others at only 1.5 mgs per day. I just cant help take one extra especially on my off days. I work in a fast pace busy cafe and admit the xanax can make it hard to perform at the level I am capable of.

My doc had asked if it made me tired at all, which I responded by saying no but since upping the dose must admit that I am a lot less energetic and enthusiastic at times though I still feel content and for the most part am living well and in a good place. I wonder what he will think when I tell hin it has been making me tired? Would he think less would better or add a stimulant to the mix? He has been known to prescribe adderall and xanax to the same patients in order to level out the symptoms. I am not interested in this idea at all but wondered what you guys thought. Any experiencing mixng the two or heard of such a thing?

 

[pally pete]

Well, let me do quick math, so at .5, and you said 3x daily and prescriptions are normally for a month at a time for benzos, so that should be 90, but really 84, because you see the dr every 28 days. So you should have a few extras, 150 seems very high in terms of quantities, however the total is only 300mg. There are some that are prescribed up to I think, again not a dr here, but 8-10mg at a time.

If you have that trust in your dr, he might just really care about what you're going through, and thinks this is the best route. IDK, but I would ask why he didnt discuss the highly addictive properties of xanax. Least of all, if you decide to get off them at some point in the later future, its a straight up bitch. Not to mention if you decide to detox, you can't go cold turkey with benzos, you need medical supervision because of possible seizures.

I just want you to know before going to far down a road that has no end.

My best,

Bob

I remember at the height of my Benzo abuse back in 2010 I was taking that many (300mg) Xanax in a weekend. I'm extremely lucky to be alive!

Here I am 4 Years later still living life in utter desperation. Around 1 Year ago when I stopped abusing Benzo's cold turkey (not for the first time) I nearly ended up dead. I was put on a 30mg Diazepam per day taper along with 600mg per day Pregabalin. Yet all this does is keep me from having a possible seizure.

There are many days when I feel like suicide would be easier than to live life as a barely functioning human being due to my feeling of being in constant extreme withdrawal.

I have Hydroxyzine (Atarax/Vistaril) here with me now which I have used on the odd ocassion but at doses of 50mg I don't feel any effects.
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Btw congratulations on your 16 Days clean.