Drug Ratings for XANAXAverage Rating: 3.9 (900 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
Charts & graphs: Reviews Summary for XANAX | Top 10 Adverse Effects (reported to FDA)
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR XANAX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
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| 4 | addon in hypertensive crisis | cognitive deficits which even seem to persist (loss in visual /short-term memory)..but could also be coincidence because of other meds i have to take | kicks in fast and kicks out fast, great anxiolysis | M | 32 | 3 years 2 10X M | 7/21/2011 | 3 | Panic/Anxiety | No side effects outside of a little sleepiness early on. | Decent drug when used correctly. I took it a couple times a day and kept my dosage low, but I still had a lot of trouble after I quit. (Despite tapering VERY slowly.) I'd recommend starting with a drug like Valium before using Xanax, personally. Xanax is quicker acting, but comes with a lot of baggage. The best thing to do is to use benzos as-needed, but not every day. OR, if you use them every day... pick a longer acting drug and use enough to help calm you, and then make a PLAN to get off, and taper very slowly. These can be very useful drugs, but you need to proceed with a plan. | M | 42 | 8 months .25 2X D | 7/21/2011 | 5 | Anxiety/depression | F | 36 | 7 years 1mg/.5mg 1X D | 6/3/2011 History | 5 | Anxiety | Gentle relaxant - helps for sleep. I never understood what all the fuss is about - this is such a wonderful med! | This is the most gentle medication for anxiety. | F | 57 | 1 years .25 1X D | 6/2/2011 | 5 | anxiety/panic attacks | in the begining i was kinda loopy and a alot sleepy but i got used to it and it has since saved my life but the addiction is also a who nother problem! | if anyone can get in touch with me in the southern california area that has access to this medication thatwould be great, im all out of my health insurance. dannyrobinson@cox.net | M | 25 | 2 days 2mg 2X D | 6/1/2011 | 5 | ma | all good | the bars are a great drug | M | 34 | 5 years 8mg 2X D | 5/19/2011 | 1 | anxiety | jittery, anxious, feeling like a was crawling out of my skin. | My dr prescribed this for travel anxiety. I took it one evening just to see how much it sedated me so I'd know before driving. I took HALF of a 0.25mg tablet. Within 20-30 minutes, I felt like I was in the midst of a panic attack, or like I'd drank 3 pots of coffee-- I was extremely jittery, anxious, couldn't sit still. It was like having a panic attack for 3 hours, when it finally started wearing off. AWFUL. Will never take again. I know it works for alot of people, but I'll stick with tranxene or valium. BuSpar made me feel the same way Xanax did, if there's any correlation. | M | 39 | 1 days 0.25mg 1X AN | 5/12/2011 | 4 | anxiety disorder | drowsiness - thick saliva | I don't take Xanax too often; usually I'll only take it when I need it and I can't control my anxiety myself and that's only once a month or 2 months but when I need it; it helps but there are times it actually doesn't do much for me. I just purchased The Linden Method by Charles Linden and I'm about to start with it and I hope it eliminates my anxiety completely. | F | 23 | 1 years .25mg 1X D | 5/6/2011 | 4 | Migraines/Insomnia | tiredness, relaxed-feeling, less stress over migraine, which in turn causes less crying during migraine and also reduces the vomiting to mild nausea. I went to the ER 7 times in 2010 to get migraine treatment, and ever since I started the Xanax (plus Reglan 10MG for nausea) I have not had to go to the ER for relief. I have noticed that Xanax causes serious "munchies", but I could stand to gain a few pounds. Oh yeah...be careful with this one... LOSS OF BALANCE. | In addition to Xanax & Reglan, I also take 100 MG of Lamictal, 10 MG of Lexapro, and 500 MG of Valtrex daily. The Lamictal sometimes causes insomnia and I'll take 1/2 or a whole Xanax to help get to sleep. Of course, I wake up about 6-7 hours later whereas I am accustomed to getting 9 hours of sleep per night. I do not take Xanax every day and it does not seem to cause any withdrawal symptoms with me. | F | 44 | 6 months 2 MG 3X D | 5/4/2011 | 4 | Anxiety | Drowsiness, decreased cognitive abilities, noticeable decrease in blood pressure (pretty much it slows you down, lessens or ends the panic temporarily, and usually I take a nap after). don't take a large dose (large for your body type or what you personally would consider large), or you'll sleep the whole day away and miss work (you could sleep through an atomic bomb) | I take as needed. Xanax is really just a band-aid for me. It deals with the problem when it is occurring, but it does not prevent me from having a daily panic personality. after all of the years I've taken it, instantly after ingesting it I feel much less panicked due to placebo effect, because it is a guarantee to lessen the anxiety. I take them when I am having a panic attack, and rather than having a moderately bad one for a few hours, the pill ends it in ten minutes or less. | F | 20 | 8 years 0.25 1X AN | 4/25/2011 | 1 | Anxiety | Side Effects When I stopped taking it (2 months ago) i was up to 1mg x3 times a day. I suffered from general anxiety, phobias and panic attacks. Something worth noting as a woman it caused non stop "yeast infection-like" symptoms. I had been told I needed to resort to using boric acid inserts for the rest of my life along with hydrocortisone suppositories. Sex was horrible, and my partner and myself had undergone countless testing and treatments even though we were monogamous and the doctors were convinced it was an STD. Lo and behold Charles linden reported the same symtoms as me and they magically disappeared within 2 weeks of me stopping Xanax after having them for 18 months (INCLUDING 3 Months of celibacy while going through my divorce) Xanax I believe is a crutch it doesn't make the symptoms go away: you know- the pounding heart, the sweatiness, the feeling like you are going to pass out or soil yourself or get locked in a room. My anxiety becasme stronger on this drug | Additional Thoughts I am a chemist who works in the pharmaceutical field. I have worked on several drugs and know their affects. I never thought this would control my life the way that it has. In severe cases by all means follow your doctor's perscribed direction but don't see this as a long term solution becasue I originally started this drug to get over fear of flying. I started the Charles Linden Method two months ago and ditched anxiety and the side effects. | F | 37 | 3 years .25 start 3X D | 4/21/2011 | 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 D | 4/11/2011 | 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 D | 4/8/2011 | 5 | anxiety and panic attacks | None | This is the best drug ever! I have been taking it for over 5 years and it has helped more than anything EVER! I'm still on the same small dosage that i was on over 5 years ago and i only take it when i'm having a major problem with anxiety or panic. It makes me feel better within about 20 to 30 minutes. Without Xanax I wouldn't be able to work or EVER socialize. I'm not sure why people become so addicted to Xanax because it works wonderfully to take the edge off anxiety but it doesn't make me "high" at all or improve my mood overall. To me, it's not like heroin or meth or any of those addictive narcotics | F | 40 | 5 years 0.5 1X AN | 4/3/2011 | 4 | Anxiety/Panic attacks | Mild drowsiness if taking more than .5 within the same 4 hours, increased appetite once it kicks in which is usually like 50 minutes. Sometimes placebo style though I feel better after like 5 minutes lol. | Well, like 99% of the people taking this, I'm super worried about addiction and withdrawals especially since I can't be 100% sure that I'll continue to get this drug if my medical insurance runs out or something. But in general, it really, really, helps prevent me from having anxiety and panic attacks, and I would just be in school trying to pay attention in class but my breathing would get ridiculous, my lungs would feel like they were almost sealed or other times that my throat was reduced to a microscopically thin airway that felt like it wouldn't be sufficient for me to survive for the next few minutes. But yeah I mostly took this twice a day, but I'm starting to feel more often like I should take it 3 times a day, but by the way I am also taking Citalopram, I just wanna mention that Xanax wasn't able to fully do the job with taking an SSRI as much as SSRI's freaked me out because I was like, I'm not exactly depressed, I'm more just really anxious, why are these doctors trying to give me antidepressants... just seems weird, I was pretty sure I just had a breathing problem or something. But what's obvious from these forums, is that everybody does have a different experience, and don't assume that you can predict how a medication will effect you before taking it, it is simply a guessing game and you're gonna try to think of how it might effect you before you take it, but unfortunately you do really have to experience it to understand whether it's good for you personally or | M | 24 | 8 months .5 mg 3X D | 3/30/2011 | 5 | severe panic disorder/agoraphobia | In the beginning, I was a little tired, but honestly felt better being a little sleepy than I did having severe panic symptoms. I take it only as directed and do not ever go over my recommended dose. I take it daily and recommend it to anyone who suffers from panic. It was truly a life saver for me. | F | 45 | 7 months 0.5 mg 2X D | 3/25/2011 | 3 | Panic attacks | increased salivation, moderate sedation, interdose withdrawals, irritability in between doses, rebound anxiety | Great for zapping a panic attack, but taking it multiple times daily causes problems. I can see how people get addicted to it, as the inter-dose withdrawals and rebound anxiety (which occurred in me 4 hours after taking the medication) are quite unpleasant to experience. I prefer the XR version with the option of taking a short-acting Xanax only for breakthrough panic attacks. | F | 27 | 3 years 1 mg 1X AN | 3/24/2011 | 1 | anxiety | Xanax destroyed my life when I tried to get off of it! | Xanax eventually made my anxiety WAY worse and started having bad panic attacks on xanax, it nearly killed me after I tried to get off of it! I have been off xanax now for 8 months and I'm still suffering debilitating symptoms, I'm too sick to leave my house! Avoid taking this drug any longer than 2 weeks MAX! It ruined my life! | F | 49 | 1 mg 2X D | 3/21/2011 | 2 | sleep, anxiety | Very bad dreams. Usually I will have a dream that is scary enough to wake me up and then I have to take another pill to calm down and get back to sleep. I prefer valium: no bad side effects with the valium. | I prefer valium and won't take xanax again unless I have to. | M | 57 | 30 days 1 mg 2X D | 3/18/2011 | 5 | anxiety, social anxiety | sleepy at first; a little moody sometimes. | This drug made my life manageable! It was a lifesaver for me! | F | 32 | 2 years 0.5 3X D | 3/11/2011 | 4 | Panic Attacks | Nothing significant. | Very addicting. Try not to take this for very long. Wean off slowly to avoid "rebound" side effects. This is a great medication for managing *acute* panic attacks. But if you are having panic attacks to begin with, you may have an underlying condition that is better treated with antidepressants or something similar. Don't rely on Xanax long-term. Xanax addiction can be nasty. | M | 44 | 3 months 1 mg 2X D | 3/10/2011 | 1 | anxiety | I would avoid this drug if at all possible and any other benzo. In Nov 09 went off of valium after 5 years a small dose at night and never took during the day. About a month later a doctor prescribed me a megadose of xanax 200 xanax pills. He wanted me to take all throughout the day. I was petrified when I got this huge bottle of pills after all the press I have read on Xanax throughout the years. I didnt take but the two or three pills ( I forget the actual mg they prescribed) and tried to give it back to a couple of MDS but they say they wouldnt take it off my hands. After second MD said that I was wise not to take but couldnt take I kept and a week or two later a month after I got it prescribed I started to take one pill in AM and night and later 3, AM afternoon and night. | The medication was scary cause it made me want. I wasnt smoking pot at the time and never have been a drinker at all but the only way I can describe this medication is that I felt like what an alcholic probably feels like craving that pill that a drink. I found out it leaves your system quick and thats why. I would never reccmend any type of benzo there is nothing glamourous about this class of drugs espcially this one. Sure it gave me a feeling of calmness but couple that with moodiness and the cravings it develops on your body its just not worth taking. I have heard alot of horror stories about this drug for decades and see where that comes from. There are a multitude of meds out there that can help the same symptoms and cant understand why this drug is still prescribed so liberally. I was really happy to not take this med. I did fine over all on no pills for the past year but did go on a month ago 25 mg of Elavil a day at night and so far that seems to curb anxiety and seems alot more beneficial on your body cause it works in a different manner and seems to not have a withdrawal and craving effect.I was able to go off the Xanax that I took til the bottle ran out but it I couldnt wait for them to be gone and the medication out of my system. I would never take this medication again under any circumstances. They seem to addictive and when I was on it for the two months it made me feel like I was living from pill to pill. Too many horror stories and I can see why. | M | 41 | 2 months 25 4X D | 3/3/2011 | 5 | insomnia | none | Couldn't sleep without it | M | 66 | 20 years .5mg 2X D | 3/2/2011 | 5 | anxiety | drowsiness | F | 26 | 1 years 0.5 1X AN | 2/15/2011 | 4 | ptsd, panic attacks, anxiety | none --only relief of symptoms. only problem is needing to increase dosage and switch to controlled release which is expensive to avoid "withdrawal" symptoms between doses. | F | 56 | 5 years 3 mg contr 2X D | 2/15/2011 | 1 | anxiety | hot flashes, tremors, withdrawals between pills, panic attacks,high blood pressure 186/100 | The first month was fine but after that it turned into a nightmare. My word of warning do not take for more than a few weeks because my body quickly got addicted to these pills. I weaned for 4 months got down to 1/6th of a .25 pill and started getting dangerous high blood pressure and panic attacks every hour. I ended up checking into detox at a hospital so I would survive this without dying of a heart attack. For weeks after stopping I thought I would lose my mind thinking all kinds of insane thoughts but now 1 month later I am fine, no panic! Xanax ruined 8 months of my life! I am never going to take xanax again and I recommend that you do not touch them either. | F | 46 | 7 months .25 4X D | 2/3/2011 | 5 | anxiety | By far the best anxiety medication. If you take it as prescribed!! The only side affects to this drug is, tiredness, and once you get off the drug you have some trouble sleeping but not to much. | F | 22 | 12 months 0.25 1X D | 1/20/2011 | 5 | Anxiety | a little drowsiness | I've had a great experience with this drug. I have .5 mg pills and usually cut them in half. I take my Xanax AS NEEDED. I have never taken it more than 3 times in one week, and I'd never take it more than once per day. I think this has prevented me from developing tolerance. On average, I'd say I use it once a week--usually when I'm headed to a stressful event or if I'm feeling particularly anxious about something. It REALLY helps stave off panic over the big stuff. It's not a good drug if you're looking for a relief from daily, constant anxiety, however. | F | 28 | 5 months .25mg 1X AN | 1/19/2011 | 4 | anxiety | none | took edge off anxiety | F | 38 | 30 days .5 1X D | 1/14/2011 | 3 | panic, stress | numbs you. you're able to do what you need to do, sleep, eat, it truly does work wonders. | i like xanax, it does it job so no matter what you need or have to do you can get through it. i didn't realize it was truly for a short time use. you become very robot-like with life. after i worked through some very tough things in life, i wanted to quit this drug. i dropped my dose to .25 and then half of that and i've been scaling back for 6 months now. its hell to quit. this drug makes you feel like your dying when you drop. i was told to try kava-kava PRN (as it can damage livers over time) i may do that. this withdawl is terrible. my life is good and i dont need this drug, yet it has a hold on me that is scary. use with caution. come off after 3 months or use PRN if you dont have a serious disorder, if you do it'll help big time! | F | 31 | 8 years .50mg 1X D | 1/3/2011 | 1 | Anxiety | TREMORS, HEART PALPS, SEVERE HEAD/NECK PAIN, BLURRED VISION, INSOMNIA, DEPERSONALIZATION, DEREALIZATION, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. PURE TORTURE FROM WITHDRAWALS. | DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG !! NOT FOR DAILY REGULAR LONG TERM USE. READ ABOUT BENZO WITHDRAWALS ON GOOGLE. THIS WORKED FOR SIX MONTHS UNTIL MY BODY DEVELOPED TOLERANCE, AND THEN IT RUINED MY LIFE. WITHDRAWAL IS 6-18 MONTHS OF HELL WHICH YOU CAN'T IMAGINE !! | M | 34 | 7 months .25mg 3X D | 1/2/2011 | 5 | sleep | na | na | M | 21 | 30 days .5 1X O | 11/25/2010 | 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 D | 11/7/2010 | 5 | tinnitis, anxiety | None...this is/was a miracle drug for me. It gives you the munchies but I need to gain weight anyway. | M | 42 | 3 years 1mg 2X D | 10/31/2010 | 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 D | 10/29/2010 | 1 | panic | withdrawal! | DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! | M | 32 | 2 years 2mg 1X D | 10/28/2010 | 5 | Anxiety and Depression | No noticeable side affects when taking Xanax responsibly as prescribed. | I only take it during stressful situations like a death of close family member, or when I am unable to sleep or relax because there is something bothering me. To me it is a wonder drug, helping me cope through difficult times without having the feeling of being "drugged". | M | 56 | 2 years .5mg 1X D | 10/15/2010 | 5 | panic attacks | dry mouth | All in all this drug did its job and helped me handle bad panic attacks. Only take this if you are having a bad panic attack and need to stop it otherwise addiction will follow and you will have problems. Don't take it everyday or a tolerate will build up. | M | 39 | 1 years 2 mg 1X AN | 9/26/2010 | 5 | Panic Attacks/Agoraphobia | none | This is my "miracle pill." Even though I've been on it a very long time, I have never had to up my doseage - thank god. It helped me get out of the house when I was completely housebound years ago. All I can say is that it makes me feel normal. | F | 35 | 18 years .75 mg 1X D | 9/25/2010 | 1 | anxiety | DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG, I'M TELLING YOU NOW..AT YOUR OWN RISK, ALL BENZOS ARE DANGEROUS! | I belong to a support forum Benzobuddies.com, and also benzowithdrawal.com and this medication has put me in the house! i can't go shopping or anything. doctors ruin lives! | F | 24 | 3 weeks 0.5mg 1X D | 9/24/2010 | 1 | Don't use this drug to solve your problems. | Hurting from the side effects and the withdrawals? Get some group help (nothing sold at this website, just a group forum) www.benzowithdrawal.com | F | 41 | 0 1X D | 9/23/2010 | 1 | panic attacks and anxiety | my side effects to xanax was hallucnations and hearing voices, I had to go to the hospital where they treated me like a extreme dangered violent person, admitted me into a mental instiute, then diognosied with szochophenia then put me on pills for that. xananx totaly ruined my life. | F | 27 | 12 days .05 1X D | 9/22/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | Felt extremely sedated, even on a lower amount. Doctors, in general, will not tell you the truth about this drug. Unknowingly became tolerant to my dose amount and began experiencing interdose withdrawal a short time after I started taking it. This drug completely derailed my life and made my anxiety so much worse to the point of becoming homebound and agoraphobic. I finally figured out what was going on and got off the xanax. Subsequently, my anxiety is so much better, but I am left with many other problems. If you think your anxiety (or whatever problem you are dealing with) is bad now, try some benzos and see what real hell is waiting for you. Do the research, people! Consider alternative modes of dealing with your problems before opening this can of worms. | I strongly advise people to stay away from this drug and any of the benzodiazepines! They should not be prescribed, or at the very least, MUCH more regulated. They cause dependence (sometimes after very short-term usage) and the risks can be incredibly severe. I am currently in month four of severe benzo withdrawal. This stuff is worse than heroin. I had over 50 symptoms, some of which you would not even begin to fathom. This has been my worst nightmare. I am doing better and am down to about 15 or 20 symptoms, but am told withdrawal can last and healing can take 6-18 months. It influences your GABA production, and, as I understand it, can actually damage your GABA receptors. This does not fix itself quickly. It takes the brain and body much time to heal. There are some people who will argue that they can take these drugs and get off of them without incident, but how can you know if you will be one of the "lucky ones"?? The doctors will deny all of this until they are blue in the face, unfortunately. Just don't trust everything your doctor says. Be your own advocate. | F | 33 | 2.5 years Varied 1X D | 9/14/2010 | 5 | anxiety | Tiredness, mild dizziness. First time I took .5 mg it knocked me out cold (but I got a good night's sleep!) | Xanax has been VERY helpful to me. My doc prescribed it to help me deal with pre-wedding stress. It calms me down within an hour of taking it. I can finally relax and stop at yelling at people while planning my wedding. I know this drug has been said to be addictive, but I am on SUCH a small dose. I've been taking .25 mg as needed (which has been every other day or so). The first time I took it, I tried .5 mg and it was too strong (I only weigh 120 lbs). I fell asleep in 5 minutes and was groggy the next day). I'm really happy with the small dose, as it calms me without making me too tired. I have also found that if I take it in the morning, I can have a glass of wine at night and be fine. I DO NOT recommend drinking more than one or two drinks while taking this drug, however. | F | 28 | 2 weeks .25 mg 1X D | 9/9/2010 | 1 | ptsd | hallucinations, paranoia, apathy, depression, very addicting, withdrawl is the most AWFUL of all. | Thank-goodness I have a doctor who saw the seriousness of this drug and forced me off it. I was weaned and replaced with Klonopin. It keeps an even balance and I'm not anxious or scared, helps my sleeping, tremendously. STAY OFF OF XANAX! My mom and husband stayed with me when I went off it, I would reccomend having it done profeesionally, don't be alone and try it!!!!! The withdrawl is HORRIBLE, you literally lose your mind. | F | 57 | 10 years 2 mg 3X D | 9/9/2010 | 4 | Better sleep | Occasional fatigue the following day | It helps me sleep. | M | 68 | 10 years .25 to .5 1X AN | 9/6/2010 | 5 | Anxiety | Sleepiness, sluggish. | Xanax helps a lot when I have anxiety. Sometimes I take more than the doctor recommends, maybe a double dose if I am having a lot of anxiety. For example, I took a double dose when I got an MRI done b/c I was so claustrophobic, and it really helped. I would not recommend anyone take this drug if you have to be fully functional and/or drive b/c it definitely affects your ability to react...it makes me feel sleepy (I get a great night's sleep when I take it at night). | F | 28 | 4 years .25-.50 mg 1X AN | 9/2/2010 | 1 | anxiety/panic attacks | Paradoxial reaction! Increased anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, agoraphobia, nausea and terrible withdrawal effects! | This drug does not work on everyone! Dr's don't like to believe this! Don't get on it if you don't want to go through hell to get off. Side effects of withdrawal are horrible, look them up and research before starting! | F | 33 | 5 months .5 3X D | 9/1/2010 | 5 | Anxiety | Dry mouth and throat, "light headedness", some difficulty with urination. Helps relaxe me. | Everyone seems to react to this drug differently. Some love it and some dont. You can not know or take anyone elses experience, you need to try for yourself. Start with low dose as recommended and do not exceed 4mg per day. Doses should be spaced out through the day and not bunched up at a particular time of day when you are most likely to have anxiety, avoid the temptation to double dose when having a bad time. Can be EXTREMLY addictive, so the lowest dose you can get by with should be used. Trying to get off this stuff at high dose (over 4mg, but could be lower depending on the person) can be PURE NIGHTMARE HELL. On the other hand, it DOES work for most folks, so ONLY take it as directed and avoid the temptation to sneak in a little daily increase. Also, withdraw symptems are different for different people. For some, its mild at a 4mg daily dose to stop, for others, a trip to hell on earth, and possibly the local ER. | M | 57 | 2 years 0.5mg 4X D | 8/31/2010 | 4 | Anxiety | No side effects taking this medication. | I use Xanax on an as needed basis for anxiety. If I am having a particularly hard day, or need to do something that may cause anxiety I take the medication. I have never had any issues, and it works great to bring my anxiety under control, especially since it works so fast. | F | 26 | 5 times .5mg 1X AN | 8/29/2010 | 3 | anxiety, insomnia | Sleepy when taken at night. | Helps me fall asleep. Usually helps calm & relax my mind & body when experiencing high anxiety & stress. It has lowered my blood pressure which was borderline high before I began my treatment. I have never experienced any withdrawal symptoms. | F | 39 | .5 - 1.0 1X D | 8/29/2010 | 4 | Panic Disorder | Sleepiness, "out of body" feeling, a little dizzy. | I take this PRN. I also take Lexapro daily, but now and then feelings of panic (racing heart, cold sweat, sick to my stomach, antsy, lightheadedness, feeling like I need to run away) sneak through so I take 1/2 to 1 pill. They help within about a half hour and the calmer, sleepy feeling lasts for several hours. I usually don't need to take another pill until the next time I feel the panic setting in (which is only a few times a year). I wouldn't recommend driving or making important decisions until you are used to the side effects. I keep my bottle of Xanax in my purse as "insurance." Just knowing it is there helps me cope with those sneaky anxiety attacks. The Lexapro is my real saviour! | F | 46 | 7 years 10 mg 1X AN | 8/25/2010 | 2 | PTSO Panic Attacks Bipolar1 | Caution: Physically addictive! Sleepiness,stumbling gait, social avoidance. Not able to function. Muscle function reduced. | I suffered an extreme withrawal experience. My psychiatrist took me down slowly and then completed the withdrawal with 5 days of klonopin. My symptoms were horrific. I had no idea that Xanax is as addictive as heroin. Burning chills, vomiting and diareha all at the same time. Leg cramps and pains, headaches, nightmares, restlessness. It is an easy addiction; happens before you are aware of it. Xanax should only be taken when a panic attack begins. Do not use it to prevent panic attacks. Best thing to prevent is behavioral therapy. | F | 57 | 5 years 30 MG 1X D | 8/24/2010 | 1 | Panic disorder | At first I felt confident that a panic attack would not come on. It felt as if my libido was put on hold and I felt extremely calm AND extremely tired. I felt as if I was able to communicate in a calm manner. Unfortunately, there were moments when I didn't come across as being calm. I took one dose before a 9 am meeting. After the work day ended, I went home and fell asleep at 6 pm. Woke up feeling rested the next day, did not take the medicine again but by 5-6 pm that afternoon, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Tried .5 mg again the next day, and the same thing happened so I am now on Ativan and am having better results. | F | 50 | 4 days .5 mg 1X AN | 8/13/2010 | 5 | social anxiety | increased appetite, made me angry sometimes | This pill has given me my life back!!!! About three years ago I was almost kidnapped while coming home from work and developed really bad anxiety from it..I was scared of everyone and would make excuses to just stay home. Car rides were torcher for me, being locked in a car with no escape I would become so scared and start having panic attacks and would throw up. Doctor first hadme on paxil but I got serotonin syndrome from it and refused to take anything else but xanax..I wanted a pill I didnt have to take every single day!! I wanted something to work when I started having a panic attack and would be gone in a few hours..my doc doesnt want me on xanax but I only take it when I REALLY need it..so I can go weeks without having a panic attack ..just carrying it around makes me feel better to know that I have a solution to my panic attacks. I hate that people abuse this drug because it takes it away from the people that really need it | F | 23 | 5 months 5 1X AN | 8/11/2010 | 4 | extreme anxiety, panic disorder | sometimes sleepiness if the dose is too high or if it's just TIME to sleep | I'm happy with Xanax in this period of time. I'm still able to get somehwat anxious/nervous but not to the point of tearing someone's head off (figure of speech)I've changed my dose so many times and the frequency and I really believe that you have to find the right amount at the right time. My Dr. first prescribed to me 1mg twice a day and I felt extremely anxious in between doses,I felt very nervous and unable to control my temper. So I tried less of a dose only .5 mg 3 times a day and I feel that is so perfect for me and doesn't make me feel tired or anxious. My Aunt has tried to persuade me to get off of it saying how bad and addictive it is,I got scared, started researching and deciding to cut back on my own when I did I suffered serious withdrawl symptoms. I decided not to listen to the people or work myself up over everyone's expereinces because in the end, in my opinion it's about the dosage. how much,how often and what works for one may not work for another and vice versa. For me I love it and don't want to go off of it. | F | 30 | 2 years .5 mg 3X D | 8/5/2010 | 5 | felt bad | none | very helpful | F | 90 | 4 months 25 1X D | 7/25/2010 | 5 | Extreme panic attacks | In the beginning, mild drowsiness and surrealness. After a few weeks, my body adjusted and I had no side effects. | This drug potentially saved me from probably killing myself. I started out of the blue, suffering from panic attacks and was put on Lexapro. While it took 6 weeks for the Lexapro to become effective, the Xanax saved my life! The attacks were so bad that I felt like I was in an outside world 24/7. I stayed home for a constant 2 weeks because I was scared to leave my house. Once I started Xanax, I was able to go back to work and start back in my normal routine. I still suffered from panic attacks but they no longer controlled my life. I did have to wean off of the drugs as I got better but it was no big deal at all. My doctor gave me directions on how to wean down and it was successful. Too many people abuse this drug, which makes it harder for people like me that need it, to get it. Luckily, my doctors cared enough about me that it was never a problem. I thank God for that every day. | F | 26 | 12 months .5 3X D | 7/20/2010 | 5 | Panic anxiety | At the most, minor stomach upset | I have overcome general anxiety disorder naturally and use xanax for sudden panic attacks when I can't control them myself. When I first started taking xanax, I took half my pill and would get a little stomach discomfort and gas. Xanax is not strong compared to other drugs and what I like best about it is that it doesn't make me feel weird or fatigued. I just feel relaxed. I think people who are complaining about this medication are probably taking too much and are introducing it into the body too quickly. A perfect doeage of xanax should make you feel normal but just more calm. | F | 20 | 1 years .5mg 1X AN | 7/13/2010 | 5 | Anxiety from Insomnia | Not sure since I started taking this along with 3 other meds. Hair loss, some dry mouth. | I take 100 trazodone, 50 mg Imipramine, .50 xanax and 8 mg Rozerem every night. I wake up usually 2 to 3 times a night but usually get 5 hours straight sleep. Also I read in my oxygen magazine 1000 mg of calcium and 500 of magnesium would help too. It does seem to help. | F | 37 | 2 years .5 mg 1X D | 7/5/2010 |