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 |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 2 | gad, ocd | a little drowsy | didn't do anything for me except make me a little drowsy | M | 22 | 10 days | 2/2/2009 | 5 | anxiety (SAD & GAD) | drowsiness, slight headache when they wear off | i've read some horrible stories about benzo addiction and withdrawal so i've been very careful with the dose/frequency. i only take .5mg once or twice a week depending on the circumstances, and use lexepro (ssri) and propranolol (beta-blocker) on a daily basis. this combo has worked wonders for me- especially when all 3 are used i have zero anxiety. TBH i dont think any amount of meds can cure anxiety, you have to mentally conquer your fears.. but we all need a break- which xanax can provide | M | 23 | 1 years | 1/25/2009 | 5 | Chest Pounding | I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin and my chest would pound. Felt like I was going to have a heart attack. | I have been taking Xanax for 8+ years, it is addicting and you will increase you dosage after time. I have a one MG bar that I chip away at as needed. I usually use that 1MG bar by the end of the day. Be careful I feel addicted to it and am starting myself to wean myself off of it. DECIDED TO JUST USE IT AS A RECREATIONAL DRUG NOW WHEN I GET OFF IT. | M | 45 | 8 years | 1/23/2009 | 5 | anxiety panic attacks | very slight drowsiness | Wonderdrug! If you're experiencing severe anxiety or a panic attack this will make you feel normal in about 30 minutes. It has been a life saver for me! I only take .25mg as needed and it seems to be enough to stop the anxiety without making me feel messed up. | M | 26 | 2 years | 1/22/2009 | 4 | Tinnitus, anxiety | Had mild drowsiness | I took 1.5mg/day and found I didn't react negatively to my tinnitus. Felt very relaxed. Had withdrawal symptoms for about a week after I stopped taking it - this I expected. Would not hesitate to take it again. I am a firm believer Xanax on low dose does not cause addiction in most people. | M | 40 | 8 months | 1/22/2009 | 1 | anxiety | SEVERE MEMORY LOSS, freakishly abnormal behavior (like compulsion to steal), anger and depression coming off a dose. | This med should be taken OFF our pharmacy shelves and out of circulation. It is BAD NEWS. | F | 36 | 14 days | 1/22/2009 | 4 | Anxiety | Sleepy | I have been on .5 mg for 9 years I would take when needed. I was on Paxil for 2 1/2 years, gained 50 lbs, worked out 5x a week , never loosing any weight. Tried lexapro for a year, I was still fat.. took wellbutrin for 6 months,made me have worse panic attacks. I need something stronger, I feel crazy , cant relax or go out to dinner, worried about everything, what could happen etc.. But that said.. I have lost 25 lbs.. | F | 38 | 9 years | 1/19/2009 | 5 | anxiety | Make's me feel sleepy sometimes. | I take lowest dose of Xanax .25mg as needed. I'm on the lowest dose because it has the tendancy to put me to sleep. Helps with anxiety a lot! Doesn't take too long to kick in compared to other anxiety drugs, i.e. Klonopin. I always take 2 at night to help me sleep. I've also been on Ativan and Klonopin in the past but find that I like Xanax the best. I'm on Cymbalta 90mg, too. | F | 31 | 2 years | 1/15/2009 | 5 | anxiety | if taken at night time, i sleep in late and have a very hard time getting up. | Have taken .5 mg for a year. 90 pills a month. I only take as needed, maybe once a day. I have not had the feeling of being addicted to it, but like I said, I don't take it all day long either. | F | 26 | 1 years | 1/15/2009 | 5 | anxiety attacks | none | I started taking .25 milagrams and realized i had to take .5 imediately. which is still a low dose. I have been on this dose of .5 for three years. i have to take claitan D 12 hr 2 times a day for bad allergies and that increases my anxiety. the xanax i was prescibed 3 times a day. i still now and always did only take it twice a day. Both times with my claritan d to eeze the hyperness from the decongestant. I have on rare occasions taken half of one if i cant sleep. i dont feel anymore addicted to this then if i dont take my allergy medicine. i never had to up my dose and sometimes, and just recently ,i take 1.5 pills a day instead. all i know is it helped me with panic attacks and calm my anxiety when i went places with alot of ppl. If i have to take it forever i will just so i dont have those attacks ever again. I think ALOT OF PPL THAT POST THINGS LIKE THEY WERE SUICDAL ECT... THEY HAVE WAY BIGGER PROBLEMS THEN ANXIETY. THEY PROBABLY SHOULD BE ON SOMETHING ELSE. NEVER HAVE I FELT | F | 40 | 3.5 days | 1/7/2009 | 5 | Extreme anxiety & depression | Sleepy, dry mouth | In 2000, My mother died and my brother was charged with assisted suicide. Nine months later he took his own life. These last two years have been a living Hell and if I did not have Xanax (.50), my mind would have shattered. | F | 59 | 2 years | 12/20/2008 | 5 | anxiety | feeling disconnected and sleepy | Xanax definately helped my anxiety short term. It is hard to use it long term as it takes more and more to get the effect. My doctor did not really want me to take anymore. I have stopped taking this and have started on Buspar as per my doc. | F | 38 | 4 years | 12/16/2008 | 5 | Overactive Gag Reflex | No bad side effects other than it tires you out quickly depending on dosage. It most definitely calms you down. | I take it for an overactive gag reflex that in-turn causes anxiety and panic attacks usually leading to vomiting. The Xanax slows/stops my gag reflex from becoming active since it being a type of muscle relaxant. The feeling is very calming. I have also taken it twice for possible flying anxiety. I took two 1mg tablets with half of one of the tablets I let dissolve under my tongue to kick in faster. It made me so calm that if the plane were going down to crash, I would probably put my hands up like I'm on a roller coaster. Those with horrible anxiety, I would definitely suggest chewing the tablet or letting it dissolve under your tongue for faster delivery! | M | 26 | 3 years | 12/15/2008 | 4 | very bad anxiety | no side affects that were bad, when I would get a panic attack i would take one and then I would instanitly feel better and much calmier. i would reccomend this to anyone but only in the cause of very bad anxiety or panic attacks. | Not alot of doctors like to prescribe this because it can become addictive but it really does help. pretty much has helped me the most, i have taken all the doses on Lexapro, Trazadone, prozaic and now cymbalta. | F | 23 | 1 years | 12/10/2008 | 1 | for panic attacks | either euphoria or numbness of emotions. Became addicted.. | Ended up in jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!! would not recommend it = it is too powerful! | F | 26 | 2 months | 12/10/2008 | 3 | GAD/Panic Attacks | Queasiness (but not nausea), easy irritability, drowsiness and can easily sleep 12+ hours unless I set the alarm clock. | It has stopped my panic attacks more quickly than other benzo's I've tried (Klonopin, Ativan, and Valium). It works relatively quickly, but its easy to become physically addicted to it. I take .5mg, 2 to 4 times a day and haven't had a serious panic attack in quite some time. As soon as I feel a panic attack coming on, I take it. I did however, (not anticipating that I would run out) have a seizure when I ran out during the holidays and couldn't get another script for it right away. | M | 31 | 1 years | 12/7/2008 | 5 | Anxiety | None | I worry about the addictive properties of Xanax - Sometime I don't take it when I probably should. I now take 0.125mg 2 hrs before bedtime. If I have a really bad night, I'll take another 0.125mg in the AM. It's great to read about other users on this website - it's encouraging to see that other people have used it for years. It's a great drug! I just don't want to buildup a tolerance to it. | M | 72 | 1 years | 12/5/2008 | 1 | stress | euphoria and loss of fear. upon attempting to stop, emotional trauma. | This drug has it's purpose, but one must be careful about the dosage they take. I started right away with 2mg doses, and was fine. At first I got that "drunk" feeling, but that soon went away. At the peak of me taking it, I was taking 2mg 3 times a day. When I finally realized I had developed an addiction and tried to down dose to 1.5mg, it has caused my emotions to go severely haywire. First I had the signature headaches and tingly feeling, now I have the emotional inclinations of a menopausal woman. I realize I never truly NEEDED this drug. What I needed was to excessive, or do yoga, or something else natural and constructive. I didn't know what stress REALLY was until I tried to stop taking this stuff. The withdrawal from this, that's REAL stress. | M | 26 | 3 months | 12/5/2008 | 4 | GAD, insomnia | Worst side effect is making sure you have your stash. Forget Sleeping without it. Vacation? Good Luck @ Customs. You can't just go to a hotel and fall asleep like a child. | I envy those who just fall asleep and don't have to take pills first. Makes me feel like a mental patient. It is Salvation for daytime anxiety caused by a divorce. Or from personal problems? I am a slave to it and I hate this. Take .75mg at bedtime. | F | 64 | 20 years | 12/1/2008 | 5 | panic attacks | can put me to sleep at times | i prefer to take xanax the 2-3 times per week i need it, over taking an anti-depressant every day. anti-depressants all have HORRIBLE side effects. xanax calms the mind, and sometimes puts you to sleep. there are really no side effects. the only problem is doctors HATE prescribing it, and make you feel like a criminal when they write it. i really dont see a downside to being "addicted" to it. if i didnt have xanax, i would surely turn to a bottle of alcohol, which makes you gain weight and hurts the liver. xanax has helped me so much. | F | 28 | 4 years | 11/29/2008 | 3 | anxiety and panic attacks | relaxed, tired, worked great on my anxiety | This med should only be used for short periods, doctors nowadays hand this med out like candy for long period of times. It is very addicting and can build up tolerance really fast. Also when discontinuing it take your time, very long time. Do not cold turkey. I went thru months of severe withdrawal symptoms while trying to get off. It effected every part of my body and mind. Still feel effects to this day being 7 months off. Please research and use with precaution. | M | 24 | 1 years | 11/29/2008 | 5 | insomnia | hangover | It works when nothing else had. | M | 57 | 2 years | 11/21/2008 | 4 | Panic Disorder | No negative side effects WHILE TAKEN. | A MIRACLE WORKER to keep in my purse but extremely addictive and hard to stop taking. I eventually built up a tolerance and had to increase my dosage. Withdrawal symptoms after running out included: Insomnia, Panic, Depersonalization, Floaty and "Unreal" feelings, Auditory Hallucinations, Shakiness, Muscle Twitches. | F | 20 | 9 years | 11/16/2008 | 4 | Anxiety | heartburn and excess acid in stomach. | M | 64 | 3 years | 11/14/2008 | 5 | anxiety, rised blood pressure | Short term memory loss | This is the only drug that does not cause any side efefcts except for short term memory loss. I have been taking it for about 10 years in small doses (0.5mg- 0.75mg) in the evenings, initially 2-3 times a week, now every evening. I sleep well and fell refreshed in the morning. | M | 52 | 10 years | 11/11/2008 | 5 | Menopausal Anxiety Disorder | None. | I felt compelled to write many of these postings are from people who either abused the drug, or should never have been on it. I went to ER with what I thought was nervous breakdown at 46 years old. I had always been somewhat 'hyper', but never had GAD. The hospital explained this was very common to "come out" during perimenopause and I was having a severe anxiety attack due to fluctuating hormones. I told myself I don't want to take pills. So I disregarded their advice to find a doctor and get a long term prescription, and within 30 days, had another attack. PLEASE UNDERSTAND - there is a big difference between panic attacks that are caused by psychological reasons (fear or specific places, activities or things) and and a physiological problem that isn't "in your head". Many of these posting suggest (correctly) that if your anxiety is CAUSED by something, you shouldn't be on xanax, you should find a good therapist or work on relaxation techniques. However, in my cas | F | 48 | 1 years | 11/7/2008 | 1 | Anxiety | Rebound anxiety, depression, insomnia, pacing, racing thoughts, wired feeling. Then later, heavy depression, hopelessness, delusional, suicidal thoughts. | Was taken for six weeks, everyday at the lowest dosage, .25 or less just once per day. Was not told that it should only be taken everyday for two weeks at the most. Unbeknownest to me, I started experiencing withdrawals from this after about two weeks, and I just thought the drug was not working anymore, so started taking less towards the last of the six weeks, and that's when the withdrawals really kicked in. It's been over two months since I "withdrew" from this drug and I still have some side effects from it, I just do not feel right. This is a very dangerous drug, there should be major warnings given by the doctors that prescribe this because tolerance is reached very quickly and it stops working unless you increase the dosage. I learned all of this way after I got off Xanax, unfortunately. I never would have taken it had I known these things first. | F | 43 | 6 weeks | 11/2/2008 | 5 | anxiety, panic attacks | None now. When taken at night I at first woke with dry mouth but no more. | I love it, take it as needed. It can take me from unglued to relatively calm and normal within 15-20 minutes. I'm very sensitive to psych meds so .25 or max of .5 mgs will do it for me. I am not worried about addiction because I don't take regularly. | F | 49 | 9 months | 10/25/2008 | 5 | GAD anxiety & chronic insomnia | Desired effects within 20 minutes of dosing (0.50 mg for anxiety); drowsiness if taking higher dose than needed for anxiety (1.0mg for insomnia). Tolerance is only draw back; dose will need to be increased eventually if you take it daily. | Started taking after death of spouse; response to his death was like PTSD. Decrease in anxiety attack within 20 min of dose; decreased agitation. It helps me think BEFORE I say something I regret, so I take it if I anticipate a stressful sutuation/confrontation (and avoid the situation for 15-20min until it takes effect). I also take Effexor XR 225mg a day, and am thankful I do not have addictive tendencies. I can stop it anytime without problems(and have run out before); except no treatment for my insomnia. Recently I have decided to switch to Ambien at night instead of Xanax to minimize the acceleration of tolerance. I've taken this for 10 years. Started on 0.25mg, which used to knock me out. Now I take 50mg without any drowsiness and need 1.0 mg to go to sleep. | F | 33 | 10 years | 10/24/2008 | 4 | GAD, SOCIAL ANXIETIES | Heartburn. | Works very well for intermittent control of anxiety. I am told that 1: tolerance can build rapidly. 2: dependance, physical and/or psychological, can occur rapidly depending upon the individual. Similar to a previous poster, I too get heartburn from the medication. I was advised that certain anti-heartburn meds such as Zantac and Pepsid can interfere with Xanax. I drink alot of water when I take a dose and this does seem to lessen the the degree of gastric upset. | M | 49 | 3 years | 10/24/2008 | 1 | stress induced insomnia | Temporary relief of insomnia only to grow into worse insomnia, anxiety, depression, TMJ, intrusive obsessive thoughts. | Do not take this drug or any benzodiazepines. They are extremely dangerous. It took me many years to withdraw and left my body and mind in a state of carnage. Educate yourselves. www.benzo.org.uk | F | 39 | 5.5 years | 10/24/2008 | 4 | Tolerance build very fast. Use it as prescribed. Using it everyday quiting is hard (but possible) | It does what is supposed to. Good for an escape of Panic Attack, just that. I don't recommend use it as a daily medication. | M | 30 | 1 years | 10/20/2008 | 4 | Anxiety | ACID REFLUX. HEARTBURN. | Works well for controlling the anxiety - problem is my anxiety is always worst at night but I cannot take the Xanax within several hours of going to bed because it causes reflux. If I take the Xanax at night - I get reflux - if I don't take it at night - I don't get reflux. | F | 44 | 7 months | 10/18/2008 | 4 | anxiety, depression | Loss of effectiveness over time. Horrific suicidal thoughts after stopping. | I don't remember why I stopped taking it, but I think it was because I'd become more depressed than anxious and had a goal of eventually being meds-free. I'm supposedly bipolar now and am not liking the prospects (side effects) of any of the bipolar drugs and am considering Xanax again. | F | 52 | 3 years | 10/18/2008 | 1 | SAD, GAD | this drug will just mask your problems, there are other ways to deal with SAD, GAD and panic attacks. It should only be used in the most severe cases; even then i would be reluctant to recommend a benzo. go to benzo.org and read the stories of benzo withdrawal. | IT MAY TAKE AWAY YOUR ANXIETY, BUT IT WILL ALSO TAKE AWAY YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR EMOTIONS, YOUR SOUL. YOU WILL BE AN EMPTY SHELL WALKING AROUND IN A DREAM. | M | 24 | 2 years | 10/17/2008 | 3 | anxiety | Very hyper, shopped and spent lots of money and could not remember. Horrible withdrawals. | Very addictive. In fact, I became so addicted that I started driving to Mexico and bringing xanax back. I took it so much and I think I lost 6 months of my life. I had a very bad seizure when I came off of it and almost bit my tongue off. | M | 32 | 2 years | 10/6/2008 | 5 | GAD, Agoraphobia | None to speak of. | I take .5mg twice a day and find that it really relaxes me. Especialy while in stores and new places I have never been to before. This drug is very easy to take and works for me with in 15 - 20 minutes. I'd recomend you talk with your doctor to see if this medicine is right for you. It's given me back the life I once knew months ago. | M | 30 | 4 months | 9/29/2008 | 5 | GAD | little to no side effects. Can make you tired, but takes away all anxiety. Alot of doctors dont like to prescribe it b/c it is a Benzo, but i think it is a whole lot better than a antidepressant that makes you gain weight, lose sexual desire,etc. I really love xanax | F | 32 | 10 months | 9/27/2008 | 5 | nerve damage, anxiety, stress, | none to speak of. | I am very happy with Xanax. I was prescribed it for a nerve problem increased from stress. I have always been a very anxious person. I have alot of stress. It releives me of stress, I feel less anxious, much more calm and relaxed. I can also sleep easier. As with any drug you must no abuse it. I wish I had known about it earlier. | M | 41 | 3 weeks | 9/24/2008 | 5 | atypical depression, panic, phobia | None. | Xanax -in my case generic Alprazolam- is the only drug that effectively counters my panic an nervousness and provides me with feelings of great relaxation. Fast acting too. I can adjust my dose according to my level of anxiety; usually somewhere between 1 and 2 mg a day. I've tried all SSRI's on the market but they only made the situation worse ( plus personality changes, feeling empty inside, sleep disturbance) and also robbed me from my sex life. Don't buy all the story's of addiction and horrible withdrawal: I have been on and off Xanax for 6 years and I have weaned myself off several times without ill effects as long as you do it slowly. I also have never felt the need to increase my doses despite the long time taking it. | M | 54 | 6 years | 9/22/2008 | 5 | Social anxiety, Panic attacks | Lightheaded and slightly jelly legs first hour of first day. After that NO negative side effects. | I know I haven't been taking this long enough to form a full opinion, but this seems like the perfect drug and the miracle I have been looking for for the last 18 years. I have been on Citalopram before, which only made me tired and lethargic. With Xanax I feel calmer and social situations don't exhaust me as much as before(and don't make me feel like running away). I am planning on taking one 0,5 mg pill per day four days a week max. and do not have an addictive personality, so I am not that afraid of addiction. I think this could help people beat their anxiety if combined with exposure exercises. | F | 28 | 3 days | 9/17/2008 | 5 | Anxiety - sleepless nights | I haven't had any bad side effects. I wouldn't trade this rx for anything. | I worry all the time and am under constant stress. I couldn't sleep since I can't shut my head off...but since I started taking xanax, I started out at .5 and 15 years later am at 1mg and I don't feel the need to increase my dose. I get a great night sleep and if I have a bad "anxiety" moment...I will take .5 as a fixerupper. I know they say your not supposed to take this in the long term...but my doc agrees it isn't hurting me any and I have not developed a resistance to my dosage. | F | 47 | 15 years | 9/15/2008 | 1 | anxiety | I was on the lowest dose and took it twice daily. Worked very well in controlling anxiety. Downside to this drug is when it comes time to wean off....GOOD LUCK there! | I took this drug for about a year and it worked great! It's when my doc said it was time to wean off when the horrific problems began. I followed instructions on weaning perfectly but was unable to handle the withdrawals and had to be hospitalized as doc thought I was having seizures. Believe me, the withdrawals are the worst ever! Severe nausea where you are constantly hanging over the toilet, itching to the point where I had my skin ripped open, tremors from head to toe. The ER doc informed me that its harder to come off Xanax then Heroin and should not be taken for more then 3 weeks. I was put on Klonopin while hospitalized to get through the Xanax withdrawal. Please consider withdrawal symptoms before taking this drug. I WILL NEVER EVER take this again! | F | 54 | 1 years | 9/9/2008 | 5 | General anxiet and related insomnia | Xanax is supposed to decrease anxiety. It's not meant to induce an occasional, slightly dreamy, positive feeling of "oh, who the hell cares..." about things, but it does, and that's a real benefit. | Second time on generic Xanax in 3 years. Just a marvelous med. I take .25-.50 mgs at night to help quiet my mind and induce sleep. It works beautifully 85-90% of the time. Easy to get hooked but also easy to control. The more you take, the more you want. Take it easy to start with and you're the boss. Minor withdrawal symptoms if you skip a day or more, but that's how you keep from becoming a zombie. | M | 44 | 1 months | 9/6/2008 | 1 | generalized anxiety disorder | mild vertigo that increased to frightening levels with dosage decrease or long-periods between dosages; tinnitus; muscle weakness; cognitive impairment; eye muscle twitching; eyes couldn't focus; extreme light and sound sensitivities; increased anxiety between doses; alternating hypothyroid and hyperthyroid-like symptoms | THis medication worked at first but during the last year the vertigo was debilitating to the point I was housebound because I couldn't nod my head or ride in any vehicle without horrible dizziness; couldn't listen to any kind of music; irritability with no cause. Withdrawal was difficult but worth it. Sugar and sugary foods and alcohol made withdrawal symptoms worse. Prescribing physician insisted that these were thyroid-associated even though numerous blood tests came out normal. It was only after the xanax dosage was slowly decreased did the tinnitus and vertigo start going away within a couple of weeks. Four months post-withdrawal, I finally feel like my old self; irritable only with cause; enjoying going out; listening to music. I still have anxiety attacks but deal with them using biofeedback techniques. I would urge that anyone taking this medication be very aware of all the possible side effects. The website benzo.org.uk was a great help during this difficult time. | F | 49 | 4 years | 9/1/2008 | 5 | Anxiety, stress | Drowsiness, groggy in the morning. | Xanax is an excellent drug and worked wonders for my anxiety. | F | 19 | 4 months | 8/29/2008 | 5 | anxiety/panic attacks | none | this is honestly the first time i ever have posted something online with regards to a drug, however, i thought my input may help someone. i had anxiety for years - as long as i can remember - and was resigned to the fact of living with them as all drugs that were given to me since my teen years would just make me very tired. i didn't try xanax until my thirties and it was extremely helpful. i may be one of those lucky ones who haven't experienced any negative side effects, yet for me it was life changing. instead of drinking to mask my anxiety, i opted to try and drug and it has been incredibly helpful - no anxiety attacks. | M | 35 | 3 years | 8/29/2008 | 5 | panic attacks | F | 45 | 180 days | 8/28/2008 | 4 | Anixiety | None while taking Xanax | I've been trying to quit for the last week and a half. Cold Turkey. I was on vacation and away from the office and it seemed like a good time. Now I am paying for it. Headaches, dry mouth, lack of confidence, short term memory loss, and my hands will shake. I thinking about going back and taking a lesser dosage for awhile. | M | 38 | 3 years | 8/26/2008 | 4 | GAD nightly panic attacks | tired, addictive, euphoric | I loved Xanax when I started to take it. I was able to sleep and function during the day. My doctor advised that I was only to take it at night, before bed. She said it was a short term fix. I started off on .5mg and that was upped to 1mg about 6 months later. Now, if I want any results, I have to take 1.5mg. I will soon be weaning from this as it doesn't work anymore since I have built up a dependancy to it. I tried to wean cold turkey and that was a nightmare for me. I now have added Lexapro and am looking forward to losing this in my drug arsenal. Plus, the Xanax did not help at all with anxiety during the day. All it did was help take the edge off when I went to bed. I would recommend it, but not for long term use. I am scared about weaning from it, but I want to so I can move on. | F | 32 | 1 years | 8/25/2008 | 5 | Anxiety | None | Xanax is the one prescription medication that I have been prescribed (among many) that does what it says it is supposed to. It has been enormously helpful to me. | M | 55 | 3 years | 8/22/2008 | 4 | severe anxiety/insomnia | woke up groggy and it qA Hrd to get my morning going. | F | 57 | 6 months | 8/14/2008 | 5 | Anxiety | Dry mouth, fatigue | F | 40 | 1 years | 8/13/2008 | 4 | anxiety, panic, racing thoughts | Rebound anxiety, slurred speech and loss of balance(mild), mild memory impairment that faded away over time, euphoria, addiction. | Xanax is my favorite of the benzos because it seems to have the least side effects (no drowsiness or depression like ativan did to me). However, taking it daily is a terrible idea because of its super short half life. I would find myself grinding my teeth, getting aggrivated, feeling anxious and angry in between doses. I would wake up feeling VERY tense and nauseous, with a strange headache and perceptual disturbances, all of which would subside after I took the drug! So I recently switched to klonopine, which suprisingly covered the xanax w/d very well and lasts longer, elmininating the between dose withdrawel. Xanax made me manic the last six months, riding up and down a rollercoaster of anxiety. Klonopine has leveled me out and I feel like a normal human again. I can dose once a day, as opposed to 3 times a day as with xanax. | M | 19 | 6 months | 8/13/2008 | 3 | akathisia/ s.e. of abilify | Well it sure does take the edge off...all the way. All I do on Xanax is lie there and breathe. I can't function on it, but it sure does trank me out. I'm on the XR version now which is way better. I see how easily it could be abused for someone seeking a downer because this seems like the ultimate down. It did work, but in working it incapacitated me. Oh well. | The XR formulation is well worth considering instead. Taken once in the morning, you never get more than 0.25 mg in your blood at any given time, which will keep a lid on mild anxiety but not knock you out. | F | 34 | 7 days | 8/8/2008 | 4 | Severe Panic / Anxiety / Soc Phobia | The only side effect that has bothered me was being tired all the time. I am medication intolerant -- I am unable to take most medications, including all anti depressants. Xanax is the only one that did not harm me. Please read my additional comments. | I have been on Xanax going on 4 years. I started at .25 mg's 3 times per day. It felt like a miracle. Then a tolerance level began to develop, so my doses were increased. Not only was I taking the Xanax for the sudden panic attacks, but was also prescribed the Xanax as a preventative to be taken every day. My highest dosage eventually reached 6 mg's per day due to tolerance. I am now being forced to have to wean, and I am very scared. I have suffered withdrawal from Paxil and Cymbalta...those of you who are familiar know the hell this created. Now I am forced to stop the Xanax...very slow wean...I have no choice because it is no longer working for me and my body is physically dependent on it. Highly addictive, even if you don't realize you are becoming addicted. The only way I will be able to get this Xanax to work again is to wean off of it, and start over with the lower doses. I'm leaving my email link because I wish to hear from anyone who can help me out .... let me know | F | 38 | 4 years | 8/5/2008 | 1 | anxiety | none effects | M | 18 | 3 times | 8/1/2008 | 5 | Panic,SocialPhobia,Insomnia | None | Taking .25-rarely .50mgs. before bedtime for the past 14yrs; no problems with this drug at all. I have stopped cold turkey numerous times. I added 10mgs. Paxil in the morning 5yrs. ago and they work well together for me. I can't imagine taking more than .50mgs daily but everyone is different. | M | 56 | 14 years | 7/23/2008 | 5 | anxiety , agoraphobia | Nightmares and drowsiness. | xanax worked wonders for my anxiety. It also made me sleep much better. | F | 19 | 3 months | 7/19/2008 | 4 | panic attacks | a little manic for the first six months but nothing really extreme. | For the first six months of taking this drug, it was like a miracle. Not only did it help with panic attacks but it really helped by social anxiety. I started having energy and the will and excitement of doing things and getting things done with ease. After six months, my social anxiety returned it still helps with panic attacks. I take two a half pills a day at 0.5 mg. A few times when I become extremely stressed I tried taking more but it didn't improve things, so I went back to my regular dose. | F | 29 | 1 years | 7/18/2008 |