how xanax is working . . . .

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2007
how xanax is working . . . .
13
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 9:39am

Anxiety is new for me - three weeks now. I'm still trying to figure it out.

I sleep well, but I do wake up wondering how my day will be, which I never used to do. I used to feel in charge of how my day would go. Now I wake up thinking, great, another day stuck here alone with no way to get out. When do I get my life back?

I'm fine here at home, doing yardwork, or being driven somewhere. I've been walking on my treadmill and doing a light workout at home to get those benefits. Cut out caffeine and Splenda, and I'm not medicating with chocolate any more, either! (doc wants me to lose a few pounds to see if that helps my bp)

But I'm definitely having trouble going into places (store, restaurant,etc.). I'm afraid to drive more than a mile. Even on xanax. Sat. night I did okay, was able to eat out with dh, feel tentatively okay, walk around a bit, then got dizzy and started to panic. Yesterday, felt fine, said let's try lunch out, got in the restaurant and had to leave within minutes. That's with having taken two 0.25 mg xanax so far that day. So I guess my triggers are inconsistent, or my reaction is, or it's not a high enough dosage, whatever?

My doc put me on a beta blocker to regulate my bp/heart rate (toprol xl). That helps with the palpitations. I see him again in two weeks. The anxiety med is not really working in my opinion - or will the xanax just take the edge off and not really help me get my function back? Am I wrong to expect it to work like magic? :)

I'm not sure whether I need to ask my doc to try another anxiety med, or what. I'd appreciate any thoughts or ideas from your experiences.

Thanks! AJ

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-2006
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 10:18am
Ok AJ, I am going to tell you what one of my GP Docs told me about Xanax. I posted it before but I hope everyone will bear with me. He said that using Xanax alone to treat anxiety is like turning your radio up when your car makes a bad noise. He said it will help, but it is not going to make it go away. Its like a band-aid for the anxiety but when you take it off, its back again. I wouldn't say that the Xanax is not working for you. If you are feeling less anxious and able to leave the house sometimes, I would say it is working. I am not a Dr so you should definately talk to yours but I would see about getting on an anti-depressant geared for anxiety, like Paxil, Lexapro, or Prozac. It will take a while to work, but it should give you more relief than you are feeling now. Xanax and others like Ativan (what I take now) are used to treat anxiety by helping your brain produce natural calming chemicals. So basically, its calming you down, but not fixing that chemical imbalance in your seretonin levels. At least that is my take. Please ask your Dr, he should be able to tell you much more and probably explain it a whole lot better. Some people have a lower anxiety level and are able to function with Xananx alone. I am not one of those people and many on this board aren't either. Its not a fault, its a chemical imbalance that needs to be corrected or re-directed. Again, if you are feeling the med is not working for you, contact your Doc. I hope I helped even a little!! Big Hugs! Erin
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 11:34am

I started off taking Xanax for anxiety and I felt the same way. It helped when I was in the throes of an attack but did not stop the attacks from coming. I was taking it every day for a while and also found I was very depressed.

I am taking Lexapro which has helped. I was taking Klonopin (like Xanax, but lasts longer and is not as addictive) daily for a while but now I just take it as needed. I don't think my anxiety is gone, but it is much much better. Even when I am having a hard time I'm able to function pretty well.

I found one of the worse things for my anxiety was to give in to it and not go out. I had to force myself out of the house for a few weeks there, but it really helped to get out. If you stay home it seems to feed on itself. Keeping busy really helps.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 1:34pm

(((AJ))) We all want to be better, yesterday. It does take time. Antidepressants are best for long term anxiety relief. Xanax & the other benzodiazepines have their place, but they are short acting & basically do not solve the problem. ITA with what others have told you.


My only significant input here is that all meds are just tools in helping us with anxiety. The best way to learn to deal with anxiety is to get some coping skills under your belt. The belly breathing, meditation & positive affirmations have helped me. You will need to find what works best for you. I know that some folks are not interested in seeing a therapist, but in the past I was shown how my very own behavior set me up for anxiety/panic. From there, painful as it was for me to admit, I was able to make a turn around & find better & more effective ways to deal with my issues.


This is a scary time for you & we understand that. Hopefully the support we offer can get you through the tough time of regaining your balance. It WILL happen. Lots of people on this board can attest to that. GL! We do care about you. jan

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2007
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 4:06pm

Hey AJ...I totally understand what you are going through...my anxiety follows the same pattern...I am more anxious in the morning and also wonder how my day is going to go, which I never used to do either. I will tell you though, I am seeing a Naturopathic doctor and she has found alot of hormonal and nutritional imbalances and is working with me on them (without meds, all natural things) and that has helped tremendously, so if you have a good medical doctor or if you can find a naturopath, ask him to test your thyroid and adrenal glands, there could be an imbalance. I also noticed that you said you cut out the Splenda, which is wonderful. I had a horrible experience with artificial sweeteners, ate them more than three times a day for over a year and they caused me horrible health problems (mostly gastrointestinal) but that is when my panic and anxiety attacks started was after i started eating that stuff...it is horrible for you I have done alot of reasearch on them especially Splenda and Aspartame, and they are basically neurotoxins and will mess with your brain chemicals, so it's a good thing you stopped eating them. I have also found that eating whole, organic, natural foods has helped alot also. I am also on Xanax, and it does take some time but it will help, I would give it a few weeks, and I also have the same fear of going places as you do, but unfortunetly I have found the way to get over it is to make yourself go out, and just see how you do. If you can't handle it, head home but think hey, I tried and tomorrow or the next day, I will try again. And as for driving, do the same thing, and eventually I know you will be able to go farther. But I totally understand about having dh with you, mine is with me most of the time when I am out too...i just recently got to the point where I started venturing out a bit on my own...when it first started mine was so bad i had to be around someone at all times and didn't drive anywhere, BUT IT WILL GET BETTER. In the morning, just say hey, i need to get up, and if there is any housework to do get started on that because that helps me alot...just keeping busy and stuff, and eat a good breakfast. And the heart palpitations probably come from your anxiety, I have them as well but I am also hypoglycemic which can also cause them. But right now, find a good psychiatrist, see what they say about your meds, and have someone test your hormones to make sure you don't have any imbalances that could contribute, along with B vitamin testing too...my psych is great and suggested all these tests to me, and its worth it to get it done...because they did find imbalances with me. but know that we are here, and it will get better...its a process, and a long and not so easy one, but you can do it. If i get anxious I like to curl up with a hot cup of tea, a blanket, and a good movie or tv show and that helps alot, or exercise, or find some good relaxing music you can just lay down and listen to. But def find a good therapist/psych, and keep posting...it helps so much to know there are people out there who can support and help and who understand. And get those tests done!! so you can be your healthiest...keep me posted and good luck...lots of hugs and luv

Krista

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2007
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 6:23pm

AJ,

I agree with the girls. I would ask your doctor about SSRIs. I use the xanax for emergencies because it calms me down quickly, but I take 20mg of Celexa daily. Also, I think that a combination of meds and therapy is the best route. You might want to look into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I found that CBT worked so much better than talk therapy. My anxiety and my panic attacks are less frequent than they have ever been.

Good luck.
D

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 8:45pm
thabc69.jpgThx, D for sharing your thoughts. If we haven't met, I'd like to say, *hi.* If we have, well... guess it's another senior moment on my end. LOL Please visit often & share your experiences with us. Also, consider joining us in chat. We'll be meeting tomorrow & Thursday evening. Watch for the posts. We'll save you a seat! (((hugs))) jan

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2007
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 12:28pm
Thanks, everybody, for your very helpful words/advice. I posted this above, too, on Jan's message for newbies on diagnosing/treating panic disorders. I have a call in to my doc to discuss an addition to the xanax, like one of the SSRIs. Then I'll look at the CBT as a tool as well. Right now I feel like my brain is overloaded with the panic messages when I'm triggered (or afraid of being triggered) and I need to manage that better with the right meds. The pharmacist told me I should feel relief within 30 min. on the xanax, but it's really not that effective and isn't long-lasting, either. I'm exercising every day, trying the belly breathing, doing Bible study, trying to feel better. Hugs, AJ
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2007
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 2:59pm

Thank you Jan. I am new here, so thank you for the invitation.

Dee

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 6:55pm

AJ, the xanax is useful to get you through the tough times.

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2007
Wed, 02-28-2007 - 11:22am
Thanks, Sheri Ann. I did call my doc and now I'm trying BuSpar . . . can't tell yet how it's doing, since it's new. It cracks me up (NOT!) that I'm dizzy and lightheaded and the first two side effects listed are "dizziness, lightheadedness." LOL gotta keep a sense of humor I guess. Still getting palpitations, even at rest watching TV, which I try to ignore. I see the doc in 2 weeks for more blood work and an EKG. After seeing so much on the board about hormones (Krista, hugs) I'm going to ask him to check those and the adrenal function, too. Thyroid came back fine twice already, and all my other labs were fine but we didn't run the hormone levels yet. Thanks everyone for your support! AJ

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