Long Term High Dose Xanax Effects (Page 2) (Top voted first)

I began taking Xanax in 1982. I have been abusing it more and more over the years. I can now take 14 mg and not even tell it. I can stop taking it with no withdrawals. It's like I am immune to it. For the past two years I have been experiencing a lack of cognition, forgetfullness, and general fatigue. It does not matter if I stop the Xanax for a couple of months, I feel like the deficit is permanent. Can Xanax lead to permanent brain damage?

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Alexia,

I know you probably feel you've exhausted all means of getting the help you need but you haven't sweetie. You need to get off the meds as I think they are the first culprit for the causation in your depression. You will need medical help for this and can be closely monitored. After getting off the meds successfully, you need to go talk to a mental health professional; pref a woman who can be quite empathetic and supportive in your situation. Perhaps there are unresolved childhood issues that you need to come to terms with. Nevertheless please don't give up on yourself! Help is out there for you seriously. You probably just haven't seen the right professional. Good luck to you. There is also spiritual counseling in which you can benefit from even more..I hope what I've said helps and please keep us abreast as to your progress--

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Bobby,
It is amazing how much our situations are similar! I get really bad anxiety when my husband is around and I prefer to be alone/out/doing whatever I can, just to get away from my home. I was prescribed Xanax a while ago, but only recently started taking it on a regular base. Me, too, feel enormous guilt about leaving him and the whole situation started to seriously get out of control. Xanax (0.25mg) can keep me asleep for about 2 hours, max. If I want to sleep through the night, I have to take another pill as soon as I wake up. That scares the hell out of me! without Xanax, I can't sleep at all and daytime anxiety is out of control. Unfortunately, I had to quit my job due to anxiety. I am starting Citalopram today and hope it will ease out some of the symptoms. Take care!!

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Hey all...first time on any post!...so thanks in advance!!
I take 100mg of trazadone and .25mg of xanax every night for the last 4 years. My question is: Will (point 25) .25mg everynight of Xanax cause any bad or permanent side effects...I'm 50 and can't sleep without at least the trazadone...the Xanax is a little bonus to keep me asleep thanks!!!!

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Methadone detox is very hard to diagnose how long withdrawals will last. I've been on methadone 2x the first time in Detoxed in 3 weeks and was on methadone for 6 months and stopped cold turkey at 150mg. The 2nd time I got on I was on methadone for 1yr and 1month and weaned myself all the way to 10mg cause they told me I'd have an easier time getting off. But they lied the longer your on methadone the longer your withdrawal will last, not including the insomnia that comes after the initial physical withdrawls. So the longer u stay on it you will have the worst withdrawals you'd never wish your worst enemy to experience. I just finally said F*** this. I'm not gonna let the methadone clinic rule my life and I'm sorry but there's no remedy to help with methadone detox if your planning on getting off just make sure you have 1 month open cause my last and final methadone detox lasted 3 weeks with the worst imaginable pains and hell I've gone through. If I can do it twice you can do it just stay STRONG and when your In the heat of your detox just stay positive and know that after the first two weeks you'll start feeling better everyday will start be become more and more manageable...... Stay strong and I hope I helped with and questions regarding a methadone detox...
P.S- methadone stores In The bones so take a lot of calcium and other vitamins of that nature

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I used xanax, vallum, klonopin, & lorazapam (shopper) for about 5 years, been clean 3, the day before I ended up in the PSYCHATRIC HOSPITAL on a 5150, I had taken 3 1/2 grams of cocain & 200 mils of a mixture of the above listed meds. I was 98lbs. I went down to 96 in detox. After not receiving proper counseling at rehab, although ive been clean since oct 2, 2007, ive recently went back to counseling for some unresolved issues. I was informed by my therapist (whom I trust for the first time since entering counseling @ 14), that my extreme mood swings are due to the fact my brain has not recovered fully. Not to mention ive since had my 2nd child & still weigh only 115 @ 5'6. So now after everything ive worked for for the last several years, I get to hear im annorexic, or why dont u eat more :/... PLEASE PEOPLE, STAY AWAY FROM BENZOS! & if thats the first suggestion from your doc, GET A 2nd OR EVEN 3rd opinion. (this was not ment as a personal reply, new to site, appologies :) )

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Joe I think you have a good plan. Let me tell you something. I've been on paxil and wellbutrin for severe depression and anxiety. I also take Xanax and I am on 4 15mg oxycodone a day. I went to my dr. And asked if I could switch to lexapro, because it's worked so well for my mom. She stopped me cold turkey from the paxil, even though I told her you just can't stop ANY medication that you've been on for yrs. She disagreed. Sure enough 4 days later I was in the er and the Dr walked in the room and said you're going through withdrawal. As soon as I got one dose in my system I was feeling so much better. So my point is, no matter what meds you take, the safest and easiest way to get off any drug is to take it slow and drop down little by little and you should be fine. Trust me I'm petrified of withdraw from the oxy and Xanax and if I ever not need them anymore, (which I doubt) I have a lot of major medical problems that's how I would do it. Also I won't tell my dr. Because I want to do it at my own speed not theirs. I hope this helped

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It does. At least you gave an idea of what im dealing with and I am very glad to hear you think my plan is good. My dr tried putting me on paxil years back and one or two others to help me get off the xanax but even after a week or two on them i actually felt much worse then ehen stopped that feeling stayed with me for weeks. Then when he swiched i went through withdrawal for another. The 3rd antidepressant i didnt take but told him it did the same. Then he finally said everyone is different and kept me on xanax. So any of those antidepressants are just as addictive as xanax i think but they push the samples on you so that when ypur hooked you gotta buy full price at pharmacy with no generic because its new. Id rather stay on the onw that i know works even though they say it is so much worse for you

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People on the boards say how bad it is to self medicate all of the time but the doctors seem to be the ones getting people hooked because they haven't had any first hand experience. I belive you will always get better info from the people who have went through the things we are or similar than any dr.

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Jay I'm nearly 50.I've been taking benzos since I was 27.I took 5 Xanax bars a day or more for 11 years.I lost it all.I now take a pretty moderate dose of Klonopin,and my pcp writes them for me.I find it very unusual that ativan hit you that hard.Try the 2mg Klonopin or 10 mg Valium.Trust me,you don't want that Xanax Gorilla on your back.Regular Drs are more apt to write you these other meds.I am a phych patient since I was 27 and I have to have Klonopin to manage my anxiety and insomnia.I'm a better person since making that switch also. "barredfrombars"

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The benefits vs. risk of Xanax (alprazolam) have been debated over and over again. It has long been known that the risks of alprazolam far outweigh any benefits. The positive effects of this medication can be accomplished by using any of the other benzodiazapines currently available in the United States. I am surprised that alprazolam has not been removed the market or at least moved into schedule II. Attempts have been made to accomplish that goal but have been destroyed by Big Pharma and the economic benefits of the medication. I once thought that Xanax was heaven sent. In 1984 I loved it. In 2012 I hate it. Countless other peoples lives have been destroyed by this med alone. Good Luck......Misinformed

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You first say you can stop taking it after 30 years and you feel no withdrawals, then you say you feel a 'deficit' as if something is missing. Pal...if you take 14 milligrams a day....and you say you can stop on a dime and have NO WITHDRAWALS [which I find hard to believe] then why do you take it at all? If you are abusing it like you said, you have a problem with it. You are in STRONG DENIAL......

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My doctor did prescribe for a year at a time and if the prescription ran out I could do call in renewals without seeing him. He made it very easy to abuse. When I was going through withdrawels I found an empty bottle that said there were 7 renewals left. I went ahead and ordered another renewal, I was in bad shape, but then I talked to someone and ended up calling the pharmacy to cancel and asked them to cancel all renewals. So glad I had enough sense even in terrible withdrawels to know I didn,t want to go there again. I wouldn't recommend anyone quit cold turkey and if you are on alot even four to six weeks is too fast. A previous post mentioned that you can have hardly any withdrawels for that period and than bam! the real withdrawels start. That's what happened to me. Very Scary. Someone also recommended the Ashton Manual. Wish I had heard of this a long time ago. It is the best way ,I think,to get off Xanax. And please, I don,t want to hear from anyone who says Xanax isn't that bad. It can be for a lot of people.

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Yes,we have some very expensive rehabs here too, but they are not covered,also we do not have a detox in my area, so I checked myself into a hospital and underwent the very quick weening process on the psychiatric ward, not ideal,but better than nothing. were you also on Xanax or was it something else. Over 15 years the increase was gradual but so were the consequenses and with no doctor telling me this would just end up bad, I feel deceived. I know I should accept some responsibility, but by the time I recognized the difference between the real me and me as an addict, it was too late. Had the dr just said from the beginning, this is temporary that would have been it,but he seemed to think I was doing just fine taking it forever,That's why I tell anyone prescribed this to be careful,noone told me that.

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Donna, I definitely am not a professional but your present doctor is not doing you any good as you are maybe realizing. I assume you are in Canada because you mention the not being able to get another doctor. Have you heard of an organization that I think is called doctor find,sorry I cannot recall their name but if you call your local hospital they will know. I used it and they were very fast about giving me a list of doctors taking new patients..Also if you get yourself on the waiting list for therapy through the canadian mental health association. I know people who have PTSD and the therapy definitely helps. Also if you get into therapy you can inquire about new doctors or others that are also taking new patients. I was on xanax also for 15+ years and thought I had such terrible anxiety and depression that I didn,t think I could survive without this medication yet was so dependent on it that my life revolved around pill counting since I had built up a tolerance and would take more than prescribed and then run low before the next refill so would use alcohal to stretch them out. It was a miserable way to live and I was also suicidal. I checked myself into the hospital and underwent a six week weaning schedule there. It was hell, I will tell you the truth and I wouldn't recommend such a schedule for someone on as much as you. But if you were to do this, just to cut back , it will be easier in the hospital than at home because they will monitor you and do the tapering for you. If you just say you are suicidal, which isn't really a lie if you are so depressed and they will have to take you. This way you will also have access to nurses and psychiatrists and doctors and support groups. I also learned that most of my anxiety and depression was a result of the medication itself , I went through a lot but it was all worth it because I am so happy now and feel so free,no longer counting pills and going through panic attacks and constant short-term withdrawels, the medication also fogs your brain so would explain memory loss etc.Just some suggestions from someone who has been there. Just know that you can get your life back no matter what you are feeling now, the xanax make you depressed, really. I wish you all the best and hope you get some help.

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I would not encourage anyone to take xanax..

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i have your same anxiety try listening to binaural beats on youtube weird stuff but actually works its just sound frequencies...i have your type of anger anxiety issues same stuff happens to me...keep on plucking away and pray to God he helped me find the binaural beats and they help me take little medicine now for my anxiety

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My cousin recently died from a Xanax overdose, he vomited in his sleep and choked on the vomit, so you can die from benzo od

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to Feetfried, thanks for advise. Thanks to all the people that are sharing, caring, and advising people... not all of us are strong enuff... to dare to take a step.... for better ... Thank You All.
Alexia.

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I am prescribed .5 mg 4 times a day of xanax. I have not taken them at regular intervals; like today I took two at about 1:00 p.m. and one at about 8:00 p.m.; I was not going to take the fourth .5mg xanax, but it is 1:26 a.m. and I'm not sleepy or feeling like I could go to sleep; I just now took the 4th .5mg xanax for this day (1:28 a.m.); I am afraid I have become dependent on xanax, although I don't seem to need them for anxiety now that my wife has left for a while; she's been gone for almost a week, and I'm not as upset as I usually am when she is here, but I just got a bit of that upset, just getting a text from her; she drives me crazy; I think I"m going to have to leave her, even though she has cancer and is bipolar, I used to feel guilty about wanting to leave her, but she has become so difficult to live with that I just don't think I care any more. And I can't remember who I've told that to; I feel like I'm going crazy; like something in my mind has broken, and I'll never be the same; I don't feel love or affection for anyone (myself included); I don't even enjoy the dog any more; nothing is fun; used to love music; not now; jokes aren't funny; I'm a miserable person. I would like to go to sleep forever. ...although I am not suicidal, I would not deliberately hurt myself; I am hoping something will come along and I will be happy again, but it just doesn't seem to be happening; I've been off work and on one after another psychiatric drug for a year, all with bad side effects; I'm tired of it all. Any ideas out there? ... I just don't much care about anything.

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Hi there, thank you... will def talk to a psychiatrist also i signed up to a gym work out i hear can do you good on this matter...although yesterday had panic attack and strong feelings of anxiety so... i took 5 pills of 1 mg during the whole day.... relax and watch some romantic movies (lol) I will follow the path of going to speak to a doc and a female psychiatrist see the out comes ... i 'd like to d-tox from this chemical stuff from my body and exercise and better diet should put me back on the right path... Only thing....? hope to have enuff strnght to keep doing it, eat better, work out... I know i will have those funky days/nights where i just want to be numbed or relaxed ... again Thank YOU! Alexia :)

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