XANAX Reviews (ALPRAZOLAM)Average Rating: 3.9 (928 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare XANAX with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 |
More on XANAX: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR XANAX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | panic and anxiety | all good effects | between pills and psychiatrist I am addicted and trying hard to get off of them, I no longer have anxiety or panic but feel bad after a few days without the pills | F | 75 | 35 years | 4/23/2004 | 5 | panic, PTSD,likely related to Lupus | CAN NOT drink etoh,slight fatigue, increased anxiety when it wears off. | I have lived w/intense anxiety/panic and don't think I could have withstood unless God showed me xanax til I could cope. It causes great stress when DEA, and pharms. begin to cycle back to xanax for negative propaganda, increasing anxiety that they will take it away in this stage of life! When its not broke, why do they try to fix it... | F | 60 | 31 years 4 mg, 3X day | 7/12/2017 | 5 | panic/anxiety | headaches, increased anxiety, | I have taken the same dose of xanax pretty much the entire time. I can now work and drive with little to no anxiety. I have a well paying career now also, that would not have been possible before this medicine. | F | 51 | 27 years .25 4X day | 4/8/2011 | 5 | anxiety and panic attacks | minimal, daytime grogginess at times, but not sure if it is from the xanax or the insomnia i also suffer from. | was hospitalized with a breakdown in 1967 at 19, and put on valium, imipramine and nardil, gradually got better and weaned myself off valium and everything else after 7 years. then back to the shrink and put back on xanax which i was told was not addicting! i have been on it since. initial dose was 1 mgm, 4x a day. over the years i gradually reduced dosage on my own and tried to get off this, but it is impossible, so i continue to take it at low doses. it has helped tremendously and i am sure i would be dead without it. it prevented many panic attacks and helps greatly with my anxiety. i am supposed to also be taking paxil, but it is an awful drug and refuse to take it. the shrink has tried me on all the ssri's, but they are like poison to me and make me feel like a zombie, so i wont take them. anyway, i am worried about the addiction (?) and the long term physical effects of xanax. can it kill you eventually? I think it is alot less harmful than alcohol. i dont drink. i am only taking 0.25 mgms and sometimes only take half doses. otherwise i see no problem taking it for the rest of my life. i have only upped the dose in crises, such as family deaths, divorce etc., so i dont abuse it. | M | 62 | 25 years 0.25 3X day | 2/24/2010 | 5 | anxiety | none | Great, helpful drug ... it has made my life more happy, useful and productive. | M | 62 | 25 years | 12/30/2005 | 5 | panic attacks diagnosed | none | taking 4 times a day, .50 mg. for a grand total of 25 years. I started and stayed on .25 mg. 4 times a day from age 17 til age 37-increase was due to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. DO NOT MISS a scheduled dose of this medicine if you don't want to experience numbness/tingling sensations in extremeties and then the panic attack nightmare. This medicine allows me to be a functioning, working, normal human being thankfully who can drive and all the other things that most with panic attacks avoid. | F | 42 | 25 years | 12/10/2006 | 5 | for sleep | New Info: As science has progressed a bit in terms of understanding how to measure individual genomics particularly neurotransmission, Krebs cycle and detox pathways, there is verified info now that everyone IS DIFFERENT. You cannot blanket say that ALL benzos are terrible for EVERY body. So that out of the way, I have to say that I am very careful with my meds but xanax has been wonderful for my sleep problems. I use it rarely when I wake up in the middle of the night. I also use Ambien for the same. I prefer to do other things, try 5HTP, GABA, meletonin, chamomile tea etc. But sleep is sooo important to our overall health that I will use these meds when I need to. It is increasingly important that our alternative practitioners continue to do neurotransmission testing to find out which anti-depresanats, SSRI and other work best with an individual's body chemistry. Epi-genetics is the future. | Too bad it has such a variety of neg. effects for so many. Worked wonders for a friend's suicidal anxiety, and he's been on it for years. | F | 63 | 25 years .5 1X AN | 10/31/2017 | 5 | anxiety and panic attacks | Was put on drug along w/ clomipramine when hospitalized for suicidality 25 years ago. Still on both. History of OCD, anxiety worsened by marijuana, psychedelics. Drug works really well except for time delay 15-20 minutes, but now I anticipate better and avoid this problem. Even greatly helped me write exams years ago on moderate dose; relaxation resulting in better recall. Coffee and xanax do not cancel out – I get the best of both, relaxed and alert. But hungover if too much the day before, sometimes with flu-like aches. Helps immeasurably with stressful social situations. | Smoked pot again about 10 years ago just a couple of times and xanax didn't work anymore. Put on antipsychotics. After several months gave them up and am fine on xanax. Was concerned about addiction. Told 4 mg daily is threshold for that, but alcohol use seriously lowers threshold. Originally I'd been on 2 mg daily plus horrible halcion in the same family (see my halcion entry 3/10/2009). Now on 3 mg daily, usually in 2 installments. Drug is wasted on a full stomach! One shrink said I might as well throw it in toilet if I've eaten first. However, once I take it, with LOTS of fluid, I wait 10 minutes and then eat; otherwise hunger keeps me anxious because of low blood sugar (part of problem with pot). Once was off antidepressants 5 weeks: my sexuality went from nil to like a teenager; kept taking xanax which had no negative effects in this dept. BEWARE withdrawal if quitting or cutting down. Cold turkey from xanax or any benzodiazepine can literally kill you from stroke; even fast cutting down can easily lead to seizure. Anyway, couldn't live without this drug, which, like all benzos, is based on brain's own GABA antianxiety chemistry; but I've read (non-medical) just buying GABA may not work because of something to do with blood/brain barrier. I don't understand this so do your own research. | M | 63 | 25 years | 12/8/2009 | 4 | Insomnia and anxiety | none | taken at very low doses it works quite well | F | 83 | 25 years | 3/20/2009 | 1 | Anxiety and sleep | Extreme addiction. It will destroy you life if you ever stop taking it. | Works great ,BUT after a very short time you will not be able to come off of it. It’s more addictive than almost any drug. Avoid at all costs. | M | 49 | 25 years .5 | 6/20/2019 | 1 | Anxiety Bipolar,panic disorder | none, at first. | Never start this drug. It is very addictive. Now I am told that it would be easier to get off of herion, methadone or vicodin than xanax. That was from a psychiatrist. Why they never told me or others how it would end up I do not know. If you are on this, please, save your life by getting the doctor to change you to any other drug. Look up withdrawal symptoms and see if it is worth this. God help us who are on it! | F | 51 | 25 years 2mg 4X day | 4/11/2011 | 5 | Anxiety & depression | None | From the day I took my first dose, my severe anxiety and fear of speaking in front of others disappeared. It helped immensely with depression which I'd had since I was 11. For years now I've been on .5 mg. 3 X daily. Never had to increase. | F | 59 | 24 years | 8/13/2009 | 2 | GAD, Anxiety | It wasn't as effective for anxiety all the time but most of the time.I didn't have to increase dosage and used it mostly for sleep. Then I got off it and the withdrawal is horrible.I have barely slept in ten days, one night zero sleep.I'm a zombie.And I'm a senior one at 66. | Don't ever start.Don't take them.Get something from the drugstore!If you try and quit it is BAD, u can't stay off the toilet,no sleeping,in bed I feel like I'm going crazy.Hot flashes,can't drive-too weak.Husband is sick but too tired to help much.You can't nap.When will this insomnia end? | F | 66 | 24 years .5 mg 1X day | 10/29/2010 | 1 | anxiety, generalized anxiety | DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG. It will control your life; you won't be able to leave home without it. You will be relaxed at times but the price is NO sleep without and break-thru anxiety. | It took a month of horrible insomnia and one seizure to stop. I never saw a doctor. I couldn't drive due to exhaustion. Always in the bathroom, flu like shakes for weeks, hot flashes HELL. Happy I'm off it.I cry at little things; it's great to be alive now.Had flashes of bad thoughts in bed that kept coming.Do not EVER take this.Doctors KNOW it's bad.Try B Complex,fish oil,yoga. Calms you at first;then your hooked.Avoid.Exercise-do Something.Given my lst in '85 big mistake.Blunts emotions,takes Joy out of life.Now I can feel. | M | 66 | 24 years .5 mg 1X day | 11/7/2010 | 4 | anxiety GAD insomnia | You don't Have side effects *unless* you reduce dosage or stop. As long as you take it you'll like it. Try to stop and you'll hate it.The Slightest reduction in dose and you'll be nervous. | Began 23 yrs ago for insomnia.Thought they were a Godsend. Last few months reduced to 1/4 mg per day.Result? 24hr a day ear ringing.Depression,nervousness upon awakening.Hate to wake up.Better have a huge case of these cause if u run out you'll find out what addiction means.Satanic drug!Social drinking does NOT do this to you.Ask doc if he prescribes BEFORE changing docs.If he does not, you could have a convulsion. Its possible I would not have continued with GAD had I not been taking this. I could be fine now; not depressed and anxious w/ear ringing.Want to sleep? Try 3mg of Melatonin an hr before bed. | F | 66 | 23 years .5 MG 1X day | 6/3/2010 | 5 | anxiety | None | I find it to be a wonder drug. I have taken it as needed since 1980 with no problems. I sometimes take it once or twice a day for a few weeks and then can go months without it. I have never taken it at high doses though. | M | 50 | 22 years | 8/8/2002 | 4 | anxiety, insomnia | I have odd memory lapses. I can't remember things I've done or said weeks or months ago that relatives remember. Diarrhea if none taken for 24 hrs; diarrhea if too much taken. | Taken for 20+ yrs after divorce; now no sleep without .5mg and melatonin. Am switching to valium and will taper off xanax that wears off too fast and wakes me up. I think it causes lack of emotion or "flat affect" which reduces enjoyment of life. | F | 65 | 22 years | 9/14/2009 | 5 | panic/anxiety disorder | NONE, if taken correctly. | This medication has literally saved my life and makes me as "normal" as possible. God Bless Upjohn/Pfizer! | M | 40 | 21 years 1mg 4X day | 6/2/2015 | 5 | anxiety | perhaps drowsiness - will not take if driving madhouse Seattle traffic | Doc warned me Xanax cd become habit forming - I started with half mg tabs several times a day. Habit? Not so - am now down to only quarter mg. tabs for help sleeping , none during day any more. I take no other drugs. I find other ways to avoid anxiety during daytime - long walks, TV blabbermouths, good book, longish naps, bothering friends on phone... I feel for users who seem to have the bizarre side effects and wonder if they are taking wrong med, too much, or have more complex probs. | M | 72 | 21 years | 2/6/2009 | 5 | Panic Attacks | Sometimes sleepiness, but not always | Xanax has been a God send for me. I use to take anti-depressants every day and I still had them terribly....worst feeling I think anybody can ever imagine. I suffered with panic attacks most my adult life. I haven't taken anything for them for about 13 years....(Thanks to faith in God) except Xanax as needed. 30 pills will last me a year. Only take them in stressful situations such as seeing my ex. Anyway....I've taken them every day for a week or none at all for months. Never felt habit forming or losing effectiveness. (.25). Love the drug....why don't doctors want to prescribe....I had to talk my new doctor into it!!!! Finding someone you can talk to and who understands what you are going through.....helps wonders too :) | F | 39 | 21 years | 5/14/2007 |
XANAX (ALPRAZOLAM): Alprazolam is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. It works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA). FDA Approval Date: 1985-11-27 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)