# Xanax and Adderall: Timing of Dosage



## TyrosineKinase (Jan 20, 2010)

I apologize for this long post, but this is a very important question that I need answered.

These are my diagnoses:
*1.Treatment Resistant Depression *(Approximately 5 years)
*2. Social Anxiety Disorder*
*3. ADHD (Inattentive)*
*4. Fibromyalgia*
*5. Panic Attacks*

These are my medications:
*1. Remeron* (for both depression and getting to sleep)
*2. Alprazolam* (up to 1.5 mg daily as needed, taken in 0.5 mg increments)
*3. Clonazepam* (3 mg daily: 0.5 Morning, 0.5 Afternoon, 0.5 Dinner, 1.5 mg at night)
*4. Adderall Instant Release *(2.5-10 mg as needed daily. I usually take between 2.5-5 mg and rarely take 10 mg) Also don't laugh, I know it's such a low dosage.
5. *A pain medication* that has yet to be be determined Will either be Vicoprofen, Tramadol, Nucyenta, in addition to Lyrica. This will be determined next week at John's Hopkins University Hospital. This is for chronic head and back pain due to hypersensitivity to pain (for unknown reasons).

Here is the rationale for this approach as explained by my psychiatrist (In regards to the psychiatric meds). I know some of you are say "TWO BENZOS!! AND ADDERALL!!". I am currently a senior majoring in both psychology and biology. As a result, most of these classes are seminar based, meaning I have to do presentations, write 20 page papers in a matter of a week and have discussions with professors and other honors undergraduates regarding the latest research in psychology and biology. The problem begins with this: I wake up in the morning with severe head and back pain and no means to stop it (The reason for the referral to John's Hopkins). This in turn causes anxiety. Thus, I am prescribed 3 mg Clonazepam daily used as a preventative for panic attacks because I have been sent to the emergency room dozens of times due to this. I have also tried every other antidepressant on the market besides the MAOIs (and Remeron which is what I am on now) to try to combat this issue. The Adderall is for my inattentive ADHD that went undiscovered in childhood and is, in essence, the cause of social anxiety and depression (based on what my psychiatrist and an independent psychologist think). Adderall is helpful during class and outside of class in getting through my rigorous schedule, and interacting with faculty and other students, however, as you would have guessed, this causes issues with anxiety and panic attacks (almost like a feedback loop). Therefore, I am put on Alprazolam to prevent panic attacks occurring at an acute level.

The problem is that I don't know when to take the Alprazolam so I don't get the anxiety and resulting panic symptoms from the Adderall (even at such a low dosage level as 2.5-10 mg). The reason for this is because my panic attacks always began with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and I knew what was coming and a sort of snowball effect would occur. Adderall does sort of the same thing. Even though I know it's the medication doing it and I'm not going to die, I simply can't put myself in that state of mind.

*Does anyone with any more experience with this than I do have any idea as to when I should space out my dosages between Adderall and Alprazolam?*

-For example, should I take Adderall, then take Alprazolam 45 minutes later to combat the possible panic symptoms that could occur? I guess a better question would be how to gauge the onset of action of either of these medications so as to have the Alprazolam start working as the Adderall starts to take affect.

Also, keep in mind that I am taking the Adderall mostly in the middle of the day, so I am taking the Alprazolam dosage after either 1 or 2 dosages of Clonazepam, which would mean it would have an added effect.

Thanks for the help and I look forward to any responses you could give me.


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## Stepha (Feb 20, 2012)

I just wrote the longest freaking response to this message ever and by the time I hit submit I wasn't logged in anymore and lost the whole thing in my browser. Need to be doing homework so don't have time to rehash the whole thing, but I have really similar diagnoses as you and have been / am on really similar / the same medications (and even go to Hopkins for some of my issues). If you're still looking for a response tomorrow, reply here and I'll get it in my e-mail - I wish I could rewrite the post I just tried to make, but I am majorly behind on my work right now and if I don't get something done in the next two hours things are just going to go downhill fast. I'm really sorry.


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## The Professor (Jul 31, 2011)

Stepha said:


> I just wrote the longest freaking response to this message ever and by the time I hit submit I wasn't logged in anymore and lost the whole thing in my browser. Need to be doing homework so don't have time to rehash the whole thing, but I have really similar diagnoses as you and have been / am on really similar / the same medications (and even go to Hopkins for some of my issues). If you're still looking for a response tomorrow, reply here and I'll get it in my e-mail - I wish I could rewrite the post I just tried to make, but I am majorly behind on my work right now and if I don't get something done in the next two hours things are just going to go downhill fast. I'm really sorry.


that sucks... you joined on my birthday though


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## TyrosineKinase (Jan 20, 2010)

Stepha said:


> I just wrote the longest freaking response to this message ever and by the time I hit submit I wasn't logged in anymore and lost the whole thing in my browser. Need to be doing homework so don't have time to rehash the whole thing, but I have really similar diagnoses as you and have been / am on really similar / the same medications (and even go to Hopkins for some of my issues). If you're still looking for a response tomorrow, reply here and I'll get it in my e-mail - I wish I could rewrite the post I just tried to make, but I am majorly behind on my work right now and if I don't get something done in the next two hours things are just going to go downhill fast. I'm really sorry.


I appreciate you responding and look forward to a response if you are up for it. Thanks!


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

TyrosineKinase said:


> *Does anyone with any more experience with this than I do have any idea as to when I should space out my dosages between Adderall and Alprazolam?*


I doubt you'll find many with more Xanax experience than me. I've been on it for the last 8 years and have a massive prescription for it (up to 10 mg a day).

I've also been on immediate release dextroamphetamine for the last 2 years. I take the dex as needed for treatment resistant depression. I get it in 10 mg tablets and take either a whole or half depending on my mood or don't take it at all. The times I take it don't conform to any set schedule at all, and the same is true of the Xanax.

Adderall is mostly d-amphetamine, so it's substantially the same as what I take. In theory (at least) pure dex should produce less anxiety than Adderall that tosses l-amphetamine into the mix. I mention that as you may wish to give pure dex a try if you haven't already as there is some chance it may produce less anxiety issues for you.

My reaction to stimulants is one of calm, unlike you who may get a panic attack from taking them. They don't cause me any more anxiety than I'd have without them. If anything, they relax me a bit.

Even though our meds are substantially the same, I really don't have any advice as we have totally different reactions to them. Also, I don't time my dosages at all. I take them when I feel the need in the amount I feel I need. This varies greatly from day to day.


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## imrj (Jan 20, 2009)

UltraShy said:


> and have a massive prescription for it (up to 10 mg a day).


holy s..... have you ever been able to get off it? just curious on your experience...thats pretty incredible


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## tea111red (Nov 8, 2005)

I've taken these two meds together at the same time (along w/ propranolol/other beta blockers) and I never noticed any negative effects. The beta blockers and benzos helped counteract the negative side effects of adderall and decrease my SA.


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## jw003 (Feb 24, 2012)

*Other ideas*

Over the past few years my GAD and Depression has gone from non existent...literally at all...to extreme, hopeless, isolating completely, not eating to the point of being asked seriously several times if i was anorexic...crappy for anyone to be told let alone a 24 yr old male, and having everyone that has known me recently or have heard about me through friends and family say wtf how did this happen, that is a different person...he has to be.

So I started doing a ton of research on amino acids after going through:

Prescribed:
Adderall (Amph Salts) For Lifetime ADHD Hyperactive Type
Celexa (Celexa) For recent Depression
Zyprexa (Olazapine) For recent Bipolar symptoms and appetite stimulant
Valium (Diazepam) For settling down and relaxing/sleeping for ADHD 
Xanax (Alprazolam) For GAD
Lorazepam (Ativan) For GAD
Doxepin (Sinequan) For sleep and Depression
Trazodone (Dessryl) For sleep and Depression

None made me feel good...they handled my depression chemicals to an even, whatever level but i never felt normal or happy...

I found out about Amino acids...I did a ton of homework talked to my psych and started taking L-Tyrosine (a direct metobolic precursur to Glutamate, Dopamine and Norepinephrine) as soon as i felt any come down or negative feelings from adderall later in the day...It completely eliminated my Anxiety, Nausea, Irritability, sleep problems and any "speedy effects" I got from the Adderall (food helped the same way but not nearly as well). So after some time of adjusting meds up and down and back up we decided to taper off the Celexa and slowly add 5-HTP (Hydroxytryptamine- Which is a direct protein precursor of Serotonin) as the SSRI (Celexa) lessened in my system (dont want serotonin syndrome) I took like 1/10th of a 5-HTP before i went to sleep for a week and every morning i woke up after i felt significantly better...not sayin they work for everyone but there are other amino acid precursors for other neurological transmitters and i would highly recommend everyone with any kind of negative neurological traits try to look into the amino acids because they can save so much time/money/life from not fishing for drugs that might not work...

At least try to give your body the fuel and oil (figuratively) and transmitters that it needs to be able to work properly because my treatments weren't working and i started the amino acids and now im completely off the drugs and feel great for over a month now...think about it they're all natural and your body needs those to make the chemicals you need to live...yeah it can make some but giving it isolated individual amino acids helps sooo much...and with our hugely over processed foods and re-injected select minerals to make up for it I think it would be totally easy to get way too much of some essential elements but nearly completely out of others

At least give it a try...good luck


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