# How is Xanax supposed to make you feel?



## wanderer82 (Feb 24, 2008)

I've been prescibed .05 mg of Xanax directed to take 1/2 to 1 tablet two to three times a day. I don't take it consistently, only as needed, & the dosage depending on the situation. How exactly is Xanax supposed to make me feel?

A 1/2 pill really doesn't do anything for me (maybe it does or maybe it's because I take it & then go distract myself), & a whole pill seems like it just makes me sleepy, but it doesn't calm my mind necessarily.

Are they even prescribed for social anxiety? It doesn't matter how much I take, I won't feel better about being in public. Only alcohol works for that.


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## amysagirl (Jul 14, 2008)

When I took it, it just made me tired and depressed, but like you said, it didn't help calm me down. So I stopped taking it.


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## AngelKent (Jul 16, 2008)

Xanax did not do a thing for my social anxiety. It made me very sleepy even at low doses.
Seems it would be OK for preventing panic attacks, but I don't have panic attacks in my sleep.
If I had to pick a benzodiazapene I think Valium helped me socially, but was only a temporary, quick fix.


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## danielk (Jun 4, 2008)

wanderer82 said:


> It doesn't matter how much I take, I won't feel better about being in public. Only alcohol works for that.


Alcohol and Xanax both enhance GABA.

As you noted, medication alone is not sufficient for treating social anxiety. It should be used alongside therapy and, even then, only for a short period of time. A 100% reliance on meds will result in a nearly 100% failure rate in long-term recovery/behavioral change.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

I think they should start therapy for controlling seizures too because anti epileptic drugs and benzodiazepines share similarities in mechanism. In fact, benzos are effective anti epileptics. 
If therapy can replace use of benzodiazepines, I am sure it can be used to control seizures too.


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## danielk (Jun 4, 2008)

AdrianG said:


> I think they should start therapy for controlling seizures too because anti epileptic drugs and benzodiazepines share similarities in mechanism. In fact, benzos are effective anti epileptics.
> 
> If therapy can replace use of benzodiazepines, I am sure it can be used to control seizures too.


Cute.


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## Dagon (Jun 28, 2008)

Xanax alone never did it for me for SA. When I mixed Klonopine and then Xanax it worked really good.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

:clap


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## Mr. SandMan (Aug 24, 2007)

danielk is right, this cant just be treated with drugs, you have to use therapy as well, otherwise, like he said, you will never get over this ever...

but if only alcohol is working for your problem, i believe you should seriously think about just stopping and starting over, cause this pill is supposed to work, but if you drink on a daily basis, you will not feel the effects like your supposed to, i believe your drinking is making your pill not work and just making you unhappy...because this pill is suposed to work...and people will tell you that it makes you feel "drunk", but i dont believe it does, it worked very well for me when i took it, i really had no anxiety, and i was just calm...i thought from an anxiety stand point, it works better than klonopin at calming me down...but i think your drinking is holding you back and not letting the pill do what its supposed to do...good luck...


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

I have GA and Panic, so I am speaking from that perspective, but usually when someone starts on a benzo treatment, they feel really drowsy and more relaxed than usual. The more a person uses a benzo, the more the drowsy side effects wear off, as well as that huge feeling of relaxation.

Bottom-line, if a person has GA or Panic and takes a benzo, he or she should feel quite normal.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

Xanax numbs me. I don't feel highs or lows. I don't like the fact that I lose my enthusiasm but it does a good job keeping anxiety in check.


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## wanderer82 (Feb 24, 2008)

Whoa, thanks for all the speedy replies. Well to address one issue, I don't drink that often, & when I do it's not much, just enough to take the edge off. Like danielk pointed out, xanax & alcohol are supposed to have the same *initial* affect on the brain, my psych said the same thing, but I've never got that comfy feeling with Xanax that I've gotten with a good glass of wine or a couple of beers.

I realize drugs alone will not treat sa, but if they are not treating the symptoms like they are supposed to, then therapy becomes more difficult.

I guess I'll just save my money & not waste them trying to go out & just save them for when I'm at home & need to relax & can afford to lie down.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

orbit55 said:


> Bottom-line, if a person has GA or Panic and takes a benzo, he or she *should* feel quite normal.


I'm glad you used the word "should" instead of "will", since I'm a perfect counter-example.

I take 10 mg of Xanax daily (after a laundry list of other med failures) and I'm still not even close to normal. At my best moments when I have nothing at all stressing me I might for a short while get a feeling that I think approximates what "normal" people likely feel. That normal feeling doesn't last long though as some actual problem or intrusive thought will surely ruin the calm.

I make sure to always have alcohol at home in the fridge as there are times when even Xanax doesn't get the job done. Alcohol can make me not care enough to worry.


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## Oddityllama (Jul 19, 2008)

i am not sure that Xanax will ever make anything normal. Like AdrianG pointed out, mainly it removes your drive and just zeroes you out. I have not found Xanax paticularly helpful for social anxiety unless it goes into a full blown attack in which case my GAD usually kicks up as well. For day to day treatment, i would advise you to seek other options.

- Ryan


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## Mr. SandMan (Aug 24, 2007)

well maybe xanax isnt the right pill for you, or maybe you need a higher dose, there is alot of pills that are for this disorder...good luck again...


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## Shy One (May 21, 2005)

Xanax works really well for managing general anxiety for me. And it does help a lot with social anxiety but mine is so intense that I still have problems socializing while on it. It's just a tiny bit easier. If i'm going to a concert or party I ALWAYS take my Xanax. I'd never make it through without it. It does make me tired if i'm just sitting around but if i'm happy and out doing something it doesn't. And I can drink like a fish on Xanax. Normally i'm not a drinker. In fact, I can only drink alcohol when i've taken my xanax or else I really don't feel like drinking it. Weird. But maybe xanax isn't for you. Some people like it, others don't. But personally, I love it. haha.


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## serolf (Jan 10, 2008)

I had a friend who took xanax and he said he felt like he had taken several sleeping pills. He was just dead-tired. So, I wonder if anyone has tried a very low dose of sleeping pills as a cheap OTC medication in place of Xanax.


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## mg1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Hi wanderer

I am kind of in the same boat as you. My prescription is for .5mg though. I have only taken it a few times. The first several times were when I was trying to fall asleep and was having racing thoughts, fast heartbeat, and just freaking out. It was mainly due to the relationship I was in at the time. Since I took it before bedtime, I am unsure of the effect. It did seem to calm me down, but it may have been a placebo effect. 

My psychiatrist recommended that I take one pill or half a pill before going out in public. I was always afraid to try it due to its addictive nature. I am now living in a new city on my own, where I don't know anyone. The other day I was incredibly anxious to go out to the store, so I took half a pill. I'm not sure if I really noticed any effects...

Is it safe to drink with Xanax? I know the weeks/months to come will bring many anxious social situations my way. If I take say, one pill, will it be safe to have some drinks as well? (maybe a little later, not directly after)


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## gwbeats (Jul 10, 2008)

^It's not a good idea to drink on Xanax. You should limit yourself to NO more than 3 drinks (because it will feel like 10!!!!) Alprazolam binds to the a1 and a2 subunits of the GABA receptor. Alcohol binds to the a1, a4 and a5 subunits. Combine both of these and your GABA receptors will be dumping massive amounts of chloride ions, causing respiratory arrest and death.

Xanax really helped me with SA, partly because I obtained pure alprazolam powder from a Chinese supplier and would eat 10mgs off my finger at a time. I was literally smashed on Xanax all the time. Hellish withdrawal from that habit.


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## gwbeats (Jul 10, 2008)

Also, the effects from Xanax are pretty subtle. Personally I really didn't notice any obvious effects from a 2 mg bar, in terms of sedation or euphoria. It just makes frightening and anxiety-provoking situations bother you A LOT less, this effect becomes clear the more you use it. But it won't make you lose your balance, slur your words, vomit, or pass out like alcohol does, even in high doses.


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## Shy One (May 21, 2005)

gwbeats said:


> Also, the effects from Xanax are pretty subtle. Personally I really didn't notice any obvious effects from a 2 mg bar, in terms of sedation or euphoria. It just makes frightening and anxiety-provoking situations bother you A LOT less, this effect becomes clear the more you use it. But it won't make you lose your balance, slur your words, vomit, or pass out like alcohol does, even in high doses.


I think it can make you lose your balance and taken at a high enough dose slur your words also. haha. If you take a dose that is too high for you, you will walk around in a zombie state sluring and doing things that you won't remember doing the next day. This is fact.

But come to think of it, when I first took Xanax I didn't notice anything at first. After taking it a couple of times, I finally started to realize how it was supposed to make me feel. And this was at a way higher dose than i'm prescribed to take now. (When a friend let me try it) So I would definitely give it like a month at first to see if you have a dose that works for you or to see if you even like it at all.


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## DestinyAndFate (Apr 5, 2010)

Hey, I know this thread has been pretty old but I just had a .25 pill of xanax, and its been about 2 and half hours, i've pretty much feel really tired, keep yawning, dont really want to get up, I don't think xanax works very well though for social anxiety, I think it just relaxes your muscles, and makes you a bit calmer, but I really don't feel any different that much would it be okay to take another .25 xanax?


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

yeah it would be ok to take another. you can take as much as you want really, as it almost impossible to die from an overdose of xanax. you will just fall asleep if you take a huge amount. 

the danger of benzos is in long term use, short term they are very safe.


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## DestinyAndFate (Apr 5, 2010)

Recipe For Disaster said:


> yeah it would be ok to take another. you can take as much as you want really, as it almost impossible to die from an overdose of xanax. you will just fall asleep if you take a huge amount.
> 
> the danger of benzos is in long term use, short term they are very safe.


Thanks.


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## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

It depends on your situation. For me, I use it for work mostly to prevent myself from being in a panic attack through nervous situations. I feel it suppresses my worries. But when I'm in calm situations I start to feel sleepy.


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## DestinyAndFate (Apr 5, 2010)

Positive said:


> It depends on your situation. For me, I use it for work mostly to prevent myself from being in a panic attack through nervous situations. I feel it suppresses my worries. But when I'm in calm situations I start to feel sleepy.


How much do you take like your dosage?


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## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

DestinyAndFate said:


> How much do you take like your dosage?


It depends, like if it's a typical day, I just do the usual .25MG. I find that even at .50MG on typical days, I can be very sleepy. I work in a cubicell, so yeah.

But on very hectic days like meetings, I take up to .5MG-1MG. I noticed that xanax takes time to work, so I try to take it 2-3 hours before. But I realize it lasts the whole day for me. Mondays are tough cuz on the weekends, I don't touch xanax unless I have some social thingy. But even then, it's not the cure for all.

At work, there have been times where I've been in situations that require me to take an ativan (ON TOP of the xanax). SO basically I'm taking an ativan for instant relief over a xanax. I know this is REALLY bad, that's why I am going to see a psychiatrist.

My regular doctor started to worry.


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