# Propranolol vs Xanax



## hjcn (Jul 28, 2011)

I recently saw a psychiatrist for the first time. He prescribed me Propranolol for general social anxiety issues. I looked into it a little and it sounds like the drug is better for dealing with the physical symptoms of social anxiety rather than the mental symptoms. 

I have a feeling he prescribed me this rather than Xanax because my problem really didn't sound that bad when I spoke to him. That's definitely true right now, but I'm about to be in a very stressful situation where I'll be moving to a new city and meeting many new people. Does anyone have any experience with this drug? How does it compare to something like Xanax for dealing with a situation like the one I described? How do I get my doctor to prescribe it if my symptoms don't seem very bad right now?


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

it wont even compare. it may prevent your heart racing, trembling/shaking and sweating profusely but does nothing for anxiety in and of itself.


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

Foh_Teej said:


> it wont even compare. it may prevent your heart racing, trembling/shaking and sweating profusely but does nothing for anxiety in and of itself.


Yes it will as physical symptoms of anxiety lead to negative thoughts that make anxiety worse, both physical and mental.

Not as effective as benzos, but benzos aren't good for a lot of reasons. Avoid benzos, unless nothing else works and still do research about the dangers before you start taking them. If you do decide to take benzos, try Klonopin first as Xanax is more addictive.

Both only mask the symptoms and don't get to the root of the problem. You need CBT psychotherapy for that.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Yes it will as physical symptoms of anxiety lead to negative thoughts that make anxiety worse, both physical and mental.


thats a secondary effect. however, negative thoughts lead to symptoms of anxiety, not the other way around. it still does nothing in and of itself for anxiety.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Not as effective as benzos, but benzos aren't good for a lot of reasons.


name "a lot" of reasons. name anything other than addiction/dependence.... however this can be avoided.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Avoid benzos, unless nothing else works and still do research about the dangers before you start taking them.


You should do research before taking anything as many drugs for many different ailments carry risks and dangers.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> If you do decide to take benzos, try Klonopin first as Xanax is more addictive.


not really. xanax can have slightly more withdrawal symptoms and maybe more euphoric in some people but all things considered, picking one over the other for fear of addiction is hardly the primary concern.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

Neither do much for my anxiety 
Benzo take the edge off a little


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

Foh_Teej said:


> thats a secondary effect. however, negative thoughts lead to symptoms of anxiety, not the other way around. it still does nothing in and of itself for anxiety.
> 
> name "a lot" of reasons. name anything other than addiction/dependence.... however this can be avoided.
> 
> ...


*negative thoughts lead to symptoms of anxiety, not the other way around. it still does nothing in and of itself for anxiety. *

Yes, but symptoms lead to more and worse thoughts. A lot of people, like me are not even aware of thoughts until physical symptoms hit and bring thoughts to the surface and make things/symptoms worse. Physical symptoms can hit without any conscience thoughts due to association via classical conditioning. When you get physical symptoms that leads to thoughts that make the symptoms worse. Yes, thoughts lead to physical symptoms too, but it's a "which comes first the chicken or the egg" scenario. Therefore, propranolol can lessen physical symptoms that can make anxiety worse.

*name "a lot" of reasons. name anything other than addiction/dependence.... however this can be avoided.*

You can read a lot of the reasons by googling "*Long-term effects of benzodiazepines"
*
or read the horror stories here: http://www.benzowithdrawal.com

Or you can take my word for it after being addicted to benzos for 15 years. It makes your anxiety worse over time, rebound anxiety, rebound insomnia, dependence, tolerance, withdrawal, brain damage similar to alcohol (since benzos work similar to alcohol).

*You should do research before taking anything as many drugs for many different ailments carry risks and dangers. *

True

*not really. xanax can have slightly more withdrawal symptoms and maybe more euphoric in some people but all things considered, picking one over the other for fear of addiction is hardly the primary concern*.

All benzos, long term and arguably short term, are bad IMO. If all else fails then Klonopin is superior for the longer half life, which leads to less interdose withdrawal, shorter time to tolerance, shorter time to dependence, etc.

Adding Xanax to the Klonopin I was on just made tolerance, dependence, rebound anxiety, rebound insomnia, and made my anxiety worse in general. It also prompted me to do research on benzos and want to taper off all of them for good.

The bottom line is your doctor is doing the right thing if he/she is trying other things first. Benzos should be a last resort and then should be weighed against long term consequences that will likely make your quality of life and anxiety worse.

I have 15 years of experience on Klonopin and or Xanax + many other psychiatric drugs.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Yes, but symptoms lead to more and worse thoughts. A lot of people, like me are not even aware of thoughts until physical symptoms hit and bring thoughts to the surface and make things/symptoms worse. Physical symptoms can hit without any conscience thoughts due to association via classical conditioning. When you get physical symptoms that leads to thoughts that make the symptoms worse. Yes, thoughts lead to physical symptoms too, but it's a "which comes first the chicken or the egg" scenario. Therefore, propranolol can lessen physical symptoms that can make anxiety worse.


What you describe is exactly what beta blockers do for anxiety.... no argument there. however, they still arent anxiolytic in and of themselves.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> you can read a lot of the reasons by googling "Long-term effects of benzodiazepines"
> 
> or read the horror stories here: http://www.benzowithdrawal.com
> 
> Or you can take my word for it after being addicted to benzos for 15 years. It makes your anxiety worse over time, rebound anxiety, rebound insomnia, dependence, tolerance, withdrawal, brain damage similar to alcohol (since benzos work similar to alcohol).


I asked you to name "a lot" of reasons. these are all direct byproducts of addiction/dependence of which there is little debate.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> All benzos, long term and arguably short term, are bad IMO. If all else fails then Klonopin is superior for the longer half life, which leads to less interdose withdrawal, shorter time to tolerance, shorter time to dependence, etc.


as im sure you are aware, the pharmacodynamics of each make either more suited for particular usage. this and their apparent efficacy should be the determining factor of which your decision is made- not whether one is arbitrarily more addictive than the other.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Adding Xanax to the Klonopin I was on just made tolerance, dependence, rebound anxiety, rebound insomnia, and made my anxiety worse in general. It also prompted me to do research on benzos and want to taper off all of them for good.


what made you think this was ever a good idea?



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> The bottom line is your doctor is doing the right thing if he/she is trying other things first. Benzos should be a last resort and then should be weighed against long term consequences that will likely make your quality of life and anxiety worse.


this is just flat ****ing wrong. benzos should be used as indicated. prn, short term, period. if one abuses or misuses them, THATS HIS OR HER ****ING FAULT. some of the blame may be on doctors who do not inform their patients. ultimately however, individuals control what they put in their bodies.


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

Foh_Teej said:


> What you describe is exactly what beta blockers do for anxiety.... no argument there. however, they still arent anxiolytic in and of themselves.
> 
> I asked you to name "a lot" of reasons. these are all direct byproducts of addiction/dependence of which there is little debate.
> 
> ...


Whatever dude, no doctors informed me of the consequences and prescribed them long term. I just did what they told me to, trusting them. I paid them lots of money and they went to school for years, so I should be able to trust them.

Then I go in and say I want to quit and they have no clue how to taper right, but they know how to give out benzos like candy, because it's so easy. There's so much money in benzos that people look the other way.

The UK finally wised up to it and it will happen in the US eventually.

I had to learn the hard way, because nobody told me. I'm trying to warn the OP and others. Benzos should be the last option. Even when prescribed short term, it's easy to get addicted. If your doctor won't give you benzos long term and you are hooked, all you have to do is do a little doctor shopping and it's pretty easy to find a doctor who will prescribe benzos long term.

You seem to want to be right about this and I have made my argument, so you're right....


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Whatever dude, no doctors informed me of the consequences and prescribed them long term. I just did what they told me to, trusting them. I paid them lots of money and they went to school for years, so I should be able to trust them.
> 
> Then I go in and say I want to quit and they have no clue how to taper right, but they know how to give out benzos like candy, because it's so easy. There's so much money in benzos that people look the other way.
> 
> ...


Putting blind faith in your doctor is your own fault. Blind faith in any area of your life is just a poor choice/judgement on your part, ESPECIALLY one that is such an important part of your life as your mental health is. Unfortunately this is not an isolated case, there is far too many who make this mistake believing the delusion that doctors are all mighty/all knowing gods with magic wands who possess the "cure" to your problem.


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## rickthegreat (Dec 22, 2008)

Propranolol has neglible effects on my anxiety; clonodine on the other hand worked better, but it makes me drowsy. Xanax doesn't work for me, but I use it at the onset of anxiety attacks, but I have to take a lot to stop the attack. My attacks come hours after an "event" though so I can take it at home because at those levels, it would pretty much drug me out. 

It sounded like you had your heart set on Xanax, maybe from what you had heard or read about it? It also sounded like you might be looking for occasional relief in certain situations so Xanax could work. It makes me a zombie the next day so I'm not crazy about it. But sometimes it takes going to different doctors until you find one that is not afraid to Rx Xanax. Or sometimes it's better to see a psychiatrist. 

Oh and I've had an Rx for Xanax for years. Never been addicted. But I also watch for that like a hawk. I've never had to increase the dosage (I make exceptions for anxiety attacks but they happen weeks apart.) But with one exception when I tried it per doctors orders every day for a month, I've also never taken Xanax every day.

You might also want to look into Vistaril. It and other meds for nausea are used off-label for anxiety. Vistaril works somewhat ok for me. Makes me drowsy though. Oh, and I happened to find info on Tetrazepam. "Tetrazepam has relatively little sedative effect at low doses while still producing useful muscle relaxation and anxiety relief". Sounds awesome. I think I will to ask my doctor about it. So, in case Xanax isn't all that you expected it to be there's other stuff at least. Anyway they can also all be taken "as needed" so you don't have to take it everyday in case you didn't want to.


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## rickthegreat (Dec 22, 2008)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Whatever dude, no doctors informed me of the consequences and prescribed them long term. I just did what they told me to, trusting them. I paid them lots of money and they went to school for years, so I should be able to trust them.
> 
> Then I go in and say I want to quit and they have no clue how to taper right, but they know how to give out benzos like candy, because it's so easy. There's so much money in benzos that people look the other way.
> 
> ...


It sucks that your doctors didn't warn you. It's understandable that you didn't know but they shoulda seen your Rx creeping higher and higher. 5 mg benzos? 0_o. Still though, benzos aren't the antichrist. As long as you are aware of the situation and watch the dosages. Maybe you are right about long term if taken every day though.


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

Dr House said:


> Putting blind faith in your doctor is your own fault. Blind faith in any area of your life is just a poor choice/judgement on your part, ESPECIALLY one that is such an important part of your life as your mental health is. Unfortunately this is not an isolated case, there is far too many who make this mistake believing the delusion that doctors are all mighty/all knowing gods with magic wands who possess the "cure" to your problem.


I was 19 and the World Wide Web wasn't nearly as abundant (15 years ago) with info back when I got put on benzos. I believed in doctors back then, because my experience with them had been good then.

I actually resisted pills for a long time too. You couldn't just get on the Internet and educate yourself back then. You really couldn't even go to the library and find much about the danger either.


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

rickthegreat said:


> It sucks that your doctors didn't warn you. It's understandable that you didn't know but they shoulda seen your Rx creeping higher and higher. 5 mg benzos? 0_o. Still though, benzos aren't the antichrist. As long as you are aware of the situation and watch the dosages. Maybe you are right about long term if taken every day though.


IMO benzos are the antichrist, taken long term. There's a wealth of information that proves this, whether scientific studies or just the abundance of horror stories out there.

My anxiety got worse over time on them. I would have been a lot better off if I never got on benzos.


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## jilly1 (Jul 13, 2011)

*k*

All I know is I take both and it works fairly well. 20mg pro. 3X a day combined with 3 mg Xanax xr. The propranolol really helps with my shakiness but if I don't have a Xanax my mind goes running and I still get that anxiety ball in my chest

I educated myself on several combos of medications and when I got to my doctor I , somehow, gave it to her straight ... She didn't decline and I left with what I wanted. Be educated, is all


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## Oobin (Jan 5, 2011)

I agree with benozos being a danger. Maybe it's not as bad now that the internet is readily accessible to everyone. When I was given benzos it was before the WWW really boomed and we were all connected. I had multiple doctors suggest it without knowing of the dangers of withdrawal. I even had a doctor tell me that going off cold turkey would be fine.

Now a days if people are aware of the dangers, and take a small dosage for a short period of time, yeah, I'm guessing it will be fine. It's once you go past a few months that it gets hard.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

I doubt many argue the inherent dangers of benzos. however, i find the incessant demonization of benzos unwarranted. benzos still remain one of the most effective anxiolytics period. when factoring theraputic index, risk factors and direct/side effects, rival anxiolytics hardly compete when all things considered. Other drugs that potentially rival or exceed benzos efficacy in relieving anxiety are drugs like MDMA, MAOIs, sometimes amphetamines* and cocaine*, alcohol, opiates, and GHB. but as anyone can see, these other choices have a limited therapeutic value, legality aside. Arguments can be made about MAOIs theres a reason theres only a few hundred thousand scripts world wide for them. Every other class of drug simply cant compete with benzos. Of course this is a gereralization. I know ill get one mother****er claiming they mainlined a liter of alprazolam and "didn't feel anything but 50mg of zoloft did wonders" or whatever.

*hesitant to even identify them as an anxiolytic, however they possess an extraordinary ability to rid anxiety in _some_ people.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> ...they know how to give out benzos like candy, because it's so easy. There's so much money in benzos that people look the other way.


You should phrase that in the past tense unless a time machine has transported us back to 1975.

There is very little money to be made by selling benzos, which have all been generic for quite some time. Even my mega-bottle of alprazolam (Xanax) costs only $31 (full cash price; no insurance). That's for 150 2mg bars.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Foh_Teej said:


> ...i find the incessant demonization of benzos unwarranted.


^Agree.



Foh_Teej said:


> ...benzos still remain one of the most effective anxiolytics period.


YMMV. They're piss poor drugs that lack the potency to really do much of anything for me. They clearly work well for many, but a greater array of options is needed by those of us who simply fail to respond to this be all end all of anxiety treatment as the medical community seems to deem them.



Foh_Teej said:


> ...when factoring theraputic index


Yes, death by benzo alone is something I've never heard of ever. I don't know if such has ever happened to any human ever, and this exceptional degree of safety in OD is what made benzos wildly popular starting with Librium in 1960 & Valium in 1963.

To come up with an LD50 for benzos they have to be force fed rats and then multiply for 150 to account for humans being about 150 times larger than a rat. Hard to know how much of a benzo would actually kill a human as finding anybody who died by munching on literally thousands of benzo tablets with no other drugs is damn near impossible.

Despite the safety of benzos, they simply don't work for some of us. In such cases, safety doesn't really matter. A chainsaw is a dangerous tool, but it can take down even the largest of trees. A butter knife is clearly a far safer cutting tool, but not terribly effective on cutting anything more challenging than soft butter.

The DEA leaves patients like me to rot in hell, banning (or effectively banning) CNS depressants with serious potency as they're "too dangerous". Evidently, I'm deemed an idiot who can't handle anything risky, so hand me a butter knife to remove a giant stubborn tree and watch me fail safely.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

ha karl, you know you are an exception.


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

UltraShy said:


> You should phrase that in the past tense unless a time machine has transported us back to 1975.
> 
> There is very little money to be made by selling benzos, which have all been generic for quite some time. Even my mega-bottle of alprazolam (Xanax) costs only $31 (full cash price; no insurance). That's for 150 2mg bars.


Well let's say you are right about the drugs being cheap. I'm not sure that's a valid argument when you have lots of people on benzos and are addicted often for years. It adds up.

What about the profits of doctors having patients have to come back often to get a refill or go into withdrawal? You can see more patients (and increase profits) by just giving them a pill that works incredibly well.

They even had a psychiatrist on CNN admitting to prescribing pills as often and as fast as possible to provide quick fixes (Band Aids usually) so he can see more patients and make more $.

Even in the military this happens. One unlucky soldier was on 21 drugs at once. At least 3 of them were benzos. Guess what happened. He overdosed and died.

I'm not wanting an outright ban on benzos. I do want them to be heavily regulated and only given to people, when everything else has failed. I also want patients to be given information about the dangers and have to sign something saying they consent and are aware of the dangers.

Btw, it's not just benzos that are over-prescribed. It's drugs in general. How many ads do you see for drugs nowadays? A lot of people don't need them.

Check out this article. This was the first benzo docs got be hooked on. Then they added Xanax XR.

*The World's Most Dangerous Prescription Pill *

"Klonopin earns Big Pharma Over $1 Billion a Year "

http://www.thefix.com/content/worlds-most-dangerous-drug?page=all

Even Charlie Sheen won't touch benzos.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Well let's say you are right about the drugs being cheap. I'm not sure that's a
> valid argument when you have lots of people on benzos and are addicted often for years. It adds up.


this is true for virtually every medication with any chronic illness. Theres tons more money to be made peddling new drugs, rebranded old ones, and patented off label scripts. you know like, umm, anti-psychotics for depression or rebranding or releasing extended release, prodrug, and active metabolite formulations.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> What about the profits of doctors having patients have to come back often to get a refill or go into withdrawal? You can see more patients (and increase profits) by just giving them a pill that works incredibly well.


what kind of nonsense is "You can see more patients (and increase profits) by just giving them a pill that works incredibly well"?? are you suggesting doctors only prescribe medication that work marginally or not at all? anywho, S(N)RIs are a much bigger culprit with "patients having to come back often to get a refill or go into withdrawal". If you want to attack big pharma and docs for this practice, you aren't alone. however, dont incorporate it into your alarmist anti-benzo agenda.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> They even had a psychiatrist on CNN admitting to prescribing pills as often and as fast as possible to provide quick fixes (Band Aids usually) so he can see more patients and make more $.


so? the guy's a greedy douchebag but he's hardly in exclusive company.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Even in the military this happens. One unlucky soldier was on 21 drugs at once. At least 3 of them were benzos. Guess what happened. He overdosed and died.


he overdosed on what? Its convenient that you cite 21 prescription drugs yet insinuate benzos had anything to do with the cause of death. It's extremely difficult to actually OD on benzos. Upwards of 20mgs *daily* is prescribed for epilepsy. This isnt to say benzos arent dangerous in combo or wont make someone more inclined to abuse drugs thats are known to case death in overdose, but only a handful of cases have ever attributed death from overdose of benzos alone.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> I'm not wanting an outright ban on benzos. I do want them to be heavily regulated and only given to people, when everything else has failed. I also want patients to be given information about the dangers and have to sign something saying they consent and are aware of the dangers.


this should include lots of drugs, not just benzos. However, they ARE already heavily regulated. I'm not sure where you get the idea benzos are so easy to get. Of every single Pdoc I've ever been to (about a dozen), all were reluctant to prescribe them. Only after I satisfied their "first line treatment barrage" of SSRIs, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotic were they willing to write them. Some flat out refused, period.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Btw, it's not just benzos that are over-prescribed. It's drugs in general. How many ads do you see for drugs nowadays? A lot of people don't need them.


true.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Check out this article. This was the first benzo docs got be hooked on. Then they added Xanax XR.
> 
> The World's Most Dangerous Prescription Pill
> 
> ...


this piece is a work of art in fear mongering, logical fallacies, sensationalist drivel, and flat out obfuscatory bull****. Some of this guy's rant has NOTHING to do with benzos what-so-ever and title is hardly supported by the content of the article. Infact its main content is in the form of non sequitur red herring arguments. There is no empirical data that I could find to support the premise, only exaggerated anecdotes and cherry picking in attempt to appeal to emotion. I implore all to actually read the whole thing and chime in to it's absurdity, at least in terms of writing skills.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Even Charlie Sheen won't touch benzos.


because he hasnt found a dealer that sells the kind of klonopin with the effects of "sticking your tongue into an electric outlet, or suddenly feeling that your brain is on fire".

humor aside, there are several reports of him using xanax and valium


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## decadeAndAHalfOfSA (Jul 11, 2011)

Foh_Teej said:


> this is true for virtually every medication with any chronic illness. Theres tons more money to be made peddling new drugs, rebranded old ones, and patented off label scripts. you know like, umm, anti-psychotics for depression or rebranding or releasing extended release, prodrug, and active metabolite formulations.
> 
> what kind of nonsense is "You can see more patients (and increase profits) by just giving them a pill that works incredibly well"?? are you suggesting doctors only prescribe medication that work marginally or not at all? anywho, S(N)RIs are a much bigger culprit with "patients having to come back often to get a refill or go into withdrawal". If you want to attack big pharma and docs for this practice, you aren't alone. however, dont incorporate it into your alarmist anti-benzo agenda.
> 
> ...


Are you in the drug companies' pocket or something or do you just love to argue? I liked benzos 3 years ago and would have argued for them. Then I ran to a big wall of tolerance, dependence, rebound anxiety, rebound insomnia and I started having anxiety in a lot of new situations. Then I started doing some research and found a ton of web sites, well sourced, saying, in a nutshell, benzos are bad. I also found this web site and read all the horror stories. Why don't you read them. There are no ads on there and they are not selling anything btw. There's just lost of people helping each other get off benzos.

If you know the dangers and want to take benzos, then fine. I'm just warning others, because I wished someone had warned me.

http://www.benzowithdrawal.com

One story:

"I am now 2 years off Xanax. It's been a long road. I lost my job,my house,my sanity most days(haha) and have been on disability for 21 months for anxiety disorder. The Xanax made my anxiety disorder 100 times worse in the end. I am still having problems with sinus inflammation/congestion. This causes a lot of breathlessness. I would have to say that's my worst symptom. I am sleeping 8 hours but can only sleep during the day. 6 am till 2 pm. I do have a little energy but not much and not every day. I still have a lot of heart palpitations and get winded easily. Stopping the Remeron 7 months ago really got my withdrawals going. If I could have clear sinuses I would be happy. I have been to the ENT. I have no infection. I am taking nasal steroids but I don't like taking any medications. I don't want to impede my healing from benzos but I have to have some relief. I had to drop the Afrin. I was using it too much. This is my 4th time withdrawing from benzos. I was given Ativan after my divorce in 1995. Only took it a short time. 1mg daily. My doc took me off cold turkey cause she was afraid I was getting addicted to it. haha Little did she know I already was addicted. It was tough. After 4 years I went on a small dose of Xanax.(bad decision) I only stayed on it a few months .25 daily dose. Lexapro was a salvation for me dealing with Xanax withdrawal. Stayed on it for 5 years. Started getting insomnia so my doc prescribed Lunesta. It was not a benzo. I already knew don't take those. I took it every day for over a year. Well it quit working and Lunesta was horrible to get off of. For some stupid reason I decided to get off the Lexapro at the same time as Lunesta. Bad move. Anyway I ended up on Xanax again so I could keep my job. I took .5 3 times a day. It was the only way I could deal with the withdrawals from Lunest and Lexapro. Well fast forward a year and a half and the Xanax stopped working. I knew I had to quit. Anyway with the help of Remeron I was able to taper off Xanax in July of 09. And here I am. Still a mess but alive. I look forward to a day when I can drink a cup of coffee,go on vacation,spend more time with my daughter and just enjoy life."


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> Are you in the drug companies' pocket


i wish



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> or do you just love to argue?


my low post count wouldn't indicate that I post just arguments sake. I am however inclined to point out when one's emotional bias supercedes commonly held logic.


decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> I liked benzos 3 years ago and would have argued for them. Then I ran to a big wall of tolerance, dependence, rebound anxiety, rebound insomnia and I started having anxiety in a lot of new situations. Then I started doing some research and found a ton of web sites, well sourced, saying, in a nutshell, benzos are bad.


there are lots of things, in a nutshell, that are bad. you have to weigh out the benefits-to-risks ratio and decide amongst your options. Your situation is exactly why benzos have never been indicated for long term use for anxiety.


decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> I also found this web site and read all the horror stories. Why don't you read them. There are no ads on there and they are not selling anything btw. There's just lost of people helping each other get off benzos.


you act as if I've never seen anti-benzo propaganda before. There are horror stories for vitually every drug. of the some 7 years I've been on here, we see it often. By large, people are more inclined to bash SSRIs on here it seem but that is neither here nor there. you also act as if we are ignorant to the consequences of benzo use when infact, the consequences of long term use are made apparent by many posters here, including me. Dont get me wrong- I do not bash websites like benzowithdrawal.com for it's intent as benzo withdrawal is a real issue and must be done with care. however, when the intent becomes a bias used to demonize and dissuade others from using a med that could potentially help them simply because of someone's prejudiced view, is intellectual dishonesty.

you forgot this video 






decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> If you know the dangers and want to take benzos, then fine. I'm just warning others, because I wished someone had warned me.
> 
> http://www.benzowithdrawal.com


your doctor should have warned you. dont demonize benzos for your ignorance. They do what they do. The informed patient must assess any drawbacks one might encounter and choose whats in his or her best interest. I understand many fill a script completely oblivious to the effects of their medication and find horrible after effects. However, this does not justify bashing of a medication that has utility in treating an illness. Although a far cry from perfect, benzos are still one of the most effective drugs in the treatment of anxiety.



decadeAndAHalfOfSA said:


> One story:
> 
> "I am now 2 years off Xanax. It's been a long road. I lost my job,my house,my sanity most days(haha) and have been on disability for 21 months for anxiety disorder. The Xanax made my anxiety disorder 100 times worse in the end. I am still having problems with sinus inflammation/congestion. This causes a lot of breathlessness. I would have to say that's my worst symptom. I am sleeping 8 hours but can only sleep during the day. 6 am till 2 pm. I do have a little energy but not much and not every day. I still have a lot of heart palpitations and get winded easily. Stopping the Remeron 7 months ago really got my withdrawals going. If I could have cler sinuses I would be happy. I have been to the ENT. I have no infection. I am taking nasal steroids but I don't like taking any medications. I don't want to impede my healing from benzos but I have to have some relief. I had to drop the Afrin. I was using it too much. This is my 4th time withdrawing from benzos. I was given Ativan after my divorce in 1995. Only took it a short time. 1mg daily. My doc took me off cold turkey cause she was afraid I was getting addicted to it. haha Little did she know I already was addicted. It was tough. After 4 years I went on a small dose of Xanax.(bad decision) I only stayed on it a few months .25 daily dose. Lexapro was a salvation for me dealing with Xanax withdrawal. Stayed on it for 5 years. Started getting insomnia so my doc prescribed Lunesta. It was not a benzo. I already knew don't take those. I took it every day for over a year. Well it quit working and Lunesta was horrible to get off of. For some stupid reason I decided to get off the Lexapro at the same time as Lunesta. Bad move. Anyway I ended up on Xanax again so I could keep my job. I took .5 3 times a day. It was the only way I could deal with the withdrawals from Lunest and Lexapro. Well fast forward a year and a half and the Xanax stopped working. I knew I had to quit. Anyway with the help of Remeron I was able to taper off Xanax in July of 09. And here I am. Still a mess but alive. I look forward to a day when I can drink a cup of coffee,go on vacation,spend more time with my daughter and just enjoy life."


this is not a particularly great example of a benzo horror story if that was your goal. this is where bias lends one to attribute any negative problems to one type of drug and forget they had an underlying mental illness to begin with. Lets attribute palpitations, any withdrawal symptoms, and sinus problems to benzos... yeah that's peachy. Sounds like the poster ignored obvious signs of depression but blames it all of the problems on xanax and ativan use. The poster failed to consider that many of the withdrawals symptoms experienced was due to lexapro, remeron, and lunesta, all of which can cause withdrawal. It looks like the posters xanax use was intermittent and never more than 1 1/2 years. I fail to draw a connection with benzo use and the poster's misfortune based on the available information. Thats not to say benzo use didn't share a part- but to conclude benzos use was solely responsible is being naive.


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## OrionRN (Jan 12, 2013)

People really need to get their facts straight and not rely on strangers for advice. Speak to your doctor or nurse with these kinds of questions because misinformation is written all over this page.
Source: I'm a Registered Nurse


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## jnms (Dec 2, 2012)

why do you want to know what drug is better? It seems like you believe that you have
to spend the rest of your life taking medication. You want to try a new drug...
because you don't have other option. However, the truth is that you do have
another option! You see... nobody wants to tell you... as these companies earn
millions of $ because of you... but there is a cure for your mental disorder.
As a matter of fact there is a cure for almost any illness of this planet!
There is a revolutionary and unique method that can put an end to your mental
disorder. It was created after many years of research on the cause of all mental
illnesses. The best psychiatrist of the 20th century(Carl Jung) started to develop it.
It was continued by other researchers like John Weir Perry. It was recently
finished by another researcher. This is the only method that can entirely cure
anxiety or any other mental disorders because it deals with the cause of all mental
disorders. You can learn more here:

Unique and Revolutionary Approach

I'm going to leave this forum as I don't have a mental disorder anymore.
My social anxiety and ocd are gone. You can learn how to cure your mental disorder too.
You only have to be open-minded and put in some work.
I don't fear social situations anymore. I've even got a girl friend.
I am going to begin a new life. I would like to talk more but it seems like
nobody posts here anymore. I am going to leave the forum too.


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