m y therapist thinks that I should be perscribe 5 xanax to carry with me and to be take when I am trying something new with strangers and it seems to make sense in therory but then you put in that it is a very addictive drug and the fact that I hate these type of meds because I seem to get side effect I guess they are all different types but these types I am getting side effects from more than say antibiotics or other med for different reasons just wondering if this seem like it makes sense or if he is off the wall again
and from reading crazy meds makes me twice as leary of his therory
I understand your concern about Xanax. However, somewhere in CrazyMeds the difference between addiction and dependance is discussed. When you’re addicted to a drug – like morphine and other pain killers and so many street drugs like meth and heroin – you need more and more to get the same result. That is addiction.
Xanax is not addictive like that. Your brain can become dependent on it, meaning you start to like how they make you feel – you get a buzz or something. Then you start taking them more them more often just because you like that “buzz.” But you don’t need to take more and more: you’re not addicted. Today you may take 25mg, and it helps for your anxiety. 25 mg will keep helping. Next month you will still need only 25mg to feel better. Next year you will still need only 25mg to feel better. If your anxiety stays at the same level, you dowont need to take more and more. Of course, if your anxiety or depression or whatever changes, the dose may have to change.
In truth, any one of these “mood disorder” meds we take sounds horrible when i read about in on crazymeds or any other place. All of them have good sides and bad sides, and YMMV. Some people will get a lot of side effects, some may get none or very little. Often the side effects start to diminish as time goes on . Somtimes and for some people, the side effects are worth the end result.
Lamictal, my mood stabiliser was like that for me. When i started on it, i hated the side effects – headache, some memory problems, and my hair started falling out (it grows back – but it’s still scarey to see all those hairs in the sink) . Almost immediately i started feeling a bit better, and as time went on i felt better and better. Also, as time went on the side effects tapered off. My hair is still a little thin, but it’s coming back. Yep, I was lucky with that one, and the memory issues have diminished, but have not gone away. Or maybe i’m just used to them now! But, all in all, I decided the the good the med does for me far outweighs the side effects.
Your doctor is not “off the wall” in prescribing Xanax for the reason you describe – it is good for handling these “anxious” moments. My doctor once gave me a couple to take if i felt really really anxious before going to a job interview.
Give it a try – it did help me for those moments of very strong anxiety. It may not. You may get side effects, you may not. If you get side effects, you may decide the help it gives you is worth a little discomfort. Anyway, with most of these meds, some side effects start decreasing as time goes on.
I hope that helps. If i find more info, i’ll keep you posted.
What dosage are the Xanax your therapist wants you to carry? 5 pills seems like a lot to me, but I am not a professional.
I was taking .25 mg three times per day, but now I am on Xanax XR (1 mg at bedtime)… my Mom became seriously, seriously, seriously addicted to Xanax, and I was / am very scared the same could happen to me… however, I appear to be doing well (in the sense of not seeming to be dependent, and having a little better time with my anxieties), and there are times when I’ve forgotten a dose or two, and didn’t feel “wigged out” or anything… honestly, it’s a chance we take with any / every medication, I’ve decided.
I’ve had some pretty serious and whacky side effects from most of the medications I’ve taken (probably 3/4 of all medications I’ve taken)… some have been quite serious, and some have been just weird.
I think it’s very important to take our medications exactly as prescribed to us and not adjust dosages ourselves or go off them ourselves without medical advice (though I admit I’ve done this and suffered dearly for it!)… I also thinks it’s really a great idea to keep a journal of your medications, when you take them, what dose, and any side effects you notice - so that you can easily access it to tell your doctor changes / improvements / negatives you’ve noticed.
I wish you well, I hope it all works out.
ooops. I screwed up royally on my Xanax ramblings, so very sorry.
So, i’ll simply agree with what Punky says about it.
Yes, Xanax can be very addictive. It is not usually prescribed for very long term usage. Punky, you say 5 tablents seems like a lot to carry around at one time. Yeah, i gotta agree.
vickie, did your therapist think you should be prescribed 5 tablets, and have a couple with you in case you have an anxiety/panic attack? Xanax is often used like that, not as a daily dose thing, but as something you take “as needed.” Xanax can work very quickly to calm you down in just a few minutes.
You therapist recommended this, right? But don’t you need to have your psychiatrist or some other doctor actually prescribe it. Your pdoc may not agree, and the 2 of them may need to talk about. Your pdoc would decide the dosage, wouldn’t she/he?
And i simply must reinforce Punky’s suggestion to keep a medication journal. No way are you going to remember what each med did and how it worked and how you felt when you started or stopped. that’s what the journal is for. it’s really critical if you have to change doctors or pharmacies, because they you may not have access to your medical history.
And to add one more thing - - we should always carry around information on what meds we are taking – everything we take for any reason. If we get in an accident or some other emergency situation, a hospital needs to know what we’re taking. And when you have it on paper, they can find out this information even though you may not be ablel to tell them.
When i get a 'script, i get what is basically a copy of the label. I keep one of those for each med with my health insurance card in my wallet, along with the names and phone numbers for my doctor(s) and therapist. When anything about the med changes – dosage, label ti generic, or a change in the generic, i put the new info in my wallet and throw away the old. On the back, i write when i take them – 8Am, noon, evening, or whatever.
good luck with this. These meds ARE all so tricky and so fussy.
peace,
c.
yes my therapists came up with this idea because I went to my Aunts quilt group meeting with her and I could barely function one of the things they make is surgical hats for kids going into surgery I cut out 5 circles it took me an hour in a half I would not answer there questions or respond I wouldn’t put the hat pattern on the table so I can cut them out easier well when my therapist asked if I enjoyed my self I said I don’t know the fear had a strong hold over me that I don’t even know what I like to do thats why he thinks that if I have 5 xanax I can take one when I apsolutely need one when I am trying a new activity or something like that but I wouldn’t take it every day I would only get 5 pills and when something comes up I would be able to take one no I don’t have a psychiatrist my regular dr and another dr has been prescribing adjusting basically dealing with this neither one are psychiatrists any way he will prescribe it if he agrees with my therapist I don’t drive and my drs clinic has a therapist in one morning a week so I lucked out there but as for a psychiatrist there is not one at my clinic I’d have to go to the nearest city which its hard when you can’t drive and no public transportation at this time thanks for your advice punky and still on the seesaw
Vickie: If your therapist and your doctor are working hand in hand with each other, then they are the ones that know you the best. You don’t state what mg. the xanax are, but I am sure that the professionals know what they are doing. If you are totally freezing from fear and anxiety in social situations, then there is a reason for the xanax at this time. Listen to the professionals.
yes thats what I mean I would only take when I apsolutely need it having a difficult time put in unfamililar situation with unfamilular people and hid therory when put in this situation if I can pop a xanax it might calm me down Idont need it daily because the antidepressant seems to be helping with that but he want me to volunteer and to find a class to take so I can practice being around people but when I am around people I freeze up rarely I will have a panic attack but mostly I am just unable to turn off my fear of doing something stupid or wrong that I become paralized I just sit there with a broken record in my head I can’t do it I don’t like this all fear I don’t know what I like or don’t like
Oh - if you only meant five TOTAL, taken one at a time throughout a period of time, then that changes my mind.
I was honestly panicked that your doctor was overdosing you!
But now I think I get it.
I think Xanax can help anxiety when used correctly, I really do.
Take care, and hope it helps if you go this route.
Vickie, it sounds like your doctor is giving you good advice (just my opinion), so if you TRUST and like him, certainly take his advice. If you have concerns, get a second opinion to see the difference (if there is any).
I think his plan is to help you find that you CAN do many things around people (without “losing it”) with the help of Xanax so that you can BEGIN to see that you will also be able to do those same things later on down the road WITHOUT Xanax… I understand his thinking process, and can agree.
Good luck - I have a lot of faith in you, and you’ve already made such progress just posting here on this site 