How addictive is Xanax?

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure about Xanax, but I’m on Klonopin and I’m physically and mentally addicted. I’ve accidentally left my house without it and have had to turn around. If I miss a dose here or there I get extreme anxiety and panic attacks. I’m almost 33 and have been taking it since my mid 20s. I kind of wish I never started, but it was the only thing that helped me survive other day. My panic disorder was so severe. I’m worried about the long-term effects, but I don’t see how I’ll ever get off without going into some type of inpatient program.

[Anonymous]

If you plan to take it more than a few days I would go ahead and make an appointment with your dd to get another type of longer term drug that can help you.

[Anonymous]

In a difficult period in my life I took .25 mg every day for two months and was able to easily stop it. I would cut in half for a while, and then in quarters and then I stopped. No problem at all.

For smaller crisis I've done it for a few weeks at a time and had absolutely no trouble stopping. But .25 is a low dose.

It's pretty amazing. If you have an addictive personality I'd be careful.

[Anonymous]

My mil has been popping xanax daily for more than 2 decades. I think you'll be fine for a coupke of days, but please learn how to cope without them, lest you come to rely on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its seriously addictive most doctors are not writing for this anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its seriously addictive most doctors are not writing for this anymore.

Benzos are highly addictive a lot of doctors are going back to good old benadryl for aniexty. There was another thread about this same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m on the edge of a mental breakdown, but I have a couple of projects I need to finish at work before I can take time off.

To get me through, I have some 0.5 mg Xanax. The bottle says I can take one in 24 hours, so I plan to take one each morning before work in an attempt to appear sane.

How long can I do this before I get addicted? I wish I could take some tonight and tomorrow morning!

talk to a doctor. Do not self medicate

You can't "self medicate" with a substance like Xanax at least not initially because your doctor has to prescribe them, it is a highly controlled substance. So again unless OP intends to buy them from a friend or dealer on the street, she is not going to get enough to "self medicate". Unless her MD is a drug dealer, and then her pharmacist would catch that.

My point was she got it from her doctor and so she should check in again. Whats the harm in that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its seriously addictive most doctors are not writing for this anymore.

Benzos are highly addictive a lot of doctors are going back to good old benadryl for aniexty. There was another thread about this same thing.

I'm not sure how true this is but my Dad died of dementia and had taken Benadryl for years for sleep. His neurologist told us early on that frequent, long term use was tied to dementia.

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, I took it daily for 3 or 4 weeks. It was not addictive for me, but it pretty much completely lost effectiveness after 10 days or so.

[Anonymous]

Adult child of an alcoholic/ACOA here. I have an emergency prescription for Xanax .025 mg/once daily for “emergencies.”

I typically only ever take this when I’m flying (claustrophobic) and then only under very specific conditions and timing. I take it the night before I’m flying (to help with anticipatory anxiety) then immediately upon waking up. Depending upon when my flight is, another 8 hours later. I prefer sublingually (let it dissolve under tongue) and sometimes titrate my splitting the pill in 1/2.

I’m very judicious. I always carry one pill with me more as a security measure; it’s there if I need it. Typically works within 1/2 hour. Depends upon what I’ve had to eat - on an empty stomach works faster.

I’ve never taken Xanax more than 2 days in a row. Sometimes I’ll get a headache or a hungover feeling the next day.

I never feel or look impaired (I’ve asked) but alarmingly, seem to have memory loss post event. I can’t recall details of my last trip - especially the actual flight and some early fun events upon arriving. Scary because I have a memory like a steel trap.

[Anonymous]

I have a prescription for .25 that I take sometimes for flying, or for anxiety that is causing me to lock up my jaw so much that I am feeling pain and/or I can't sleep and/or I am completely out of sorts. Examples are: child had surgical procedure (it doesn't knock me out and DH was with me), panic, overwhelming grief, once when my in laws were coming and I was upset about it and decided it would make me nice. One pill unclenches my jaw for that episode.

My doctor gives me 30 and I have never finished the bottle. Usually it's long expired and I ask for a refresh. Last time they did the count at 10 because I said I wasn't using it all.

That expired too and I just re-upped. They gave me 30.

I probably take it 7 times a year.

[Anonymous]

I have GAD since birth and have taken the "nasty" benzos for many years. They are NOT ADDICTIVE if you leave 6-7 half lives in between. I take Ativan 2 times a week and never been addicted. If you took heroin every Saturday you would not be addicted.

The addiction comes with daily use as the half lives overlap and you end up with larger quantities of the drug in your body.

SSRIs did nothing for me except give me depression when I had none before. There is nothing wrong with my serotonin level.

Even doctors are clueless about the chemisty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its seriously addictive most doctors are not writing for this anymore.

Benzos are highly addictive a lot of doctors are going back to good old benadryl for aniexty. There was another thread about this same thing.

I'm not sure how true this is but my Dad died of dementia and had taken Benadryl for years for sleep. His neurologist told us early on that frequent, long term use was tied to dementia.

PP ACOA. Anecdata: my MIL has taken Xanax regularly (once weekly) for vasovagal syncope/fainting prevention (she’s a fainter) for decades. Now 75, has diagnosed brain atrophy and showing significant memory and cognitive decline.

The Benadryl overuse and possible correlation to dementia is frightening. I was given Benadryl for everything as a child; sleep aid, car sickness prevention, to curtail my eczema itchiness, seasonal allergies. This was when Benadryl was prescription only!