# daily xanax users: 2 or 3 times per day?



## deadphish (Feb 24, 2005)

It's been a rough year for me so far and I have gone from prn usage to twice daily (2mg x2). I have known other xanax users to use up to 4x daily. I don't think I need it that often, but was just curious how others experiences have been with this. 

Thanks for any responses...


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Have you tried taking it as 1 mg x 4 instead of 2 mg x 2? I'm not sure if you're trying to cover more of the day as the drug wears off of if you need 2 mg at a time to get an adequate effect.


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## DontTrustheGov't (Jun 5, 2008)

Hey man. The bird is the word. 

I go on Xanax 3x daily. I will soon go to 4x daily. I find it is best to start low and if 1 pill doesn't cut it then you can take another fairly soon thereafter. 

If you were me I would take 1mg 4x daily as needed for the anxiousness.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

If you're using 4mg a day and have been for a while, you most definitely will get quite a nasty withdrawal.


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## deadphish (Feb 24, 2005)

I like the idea of spreading it out, maybe I will try that. I was on just 2mg per day (prn) for over 4 years and after the year I have had so far that just isn't enough.



euphoria said:


> If you're using 4mg a day and have been for a while, you most definitely will get quite a nasty withdrawal.


Thanks for the info, but why would I stop taking a med that helps me so much....mate??


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

> Thanks for the info, but why would I stop taking a med that helps me so much....mate??


You heard about tolerance?


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

deadphish said:


> I like the idea of spreading it out, maybe I will try that. I was on just 2mg per day (prn) for over 4 years and after the year I have had so far that just isn't enough.


Xanax wears off pretty quickly, so it's not unreasonable to take 4-5 doses a day. I used to take up to 8mg spread out over 3-5 doses.



> Thanks for the info, but why would I stop taking a med that helps me so much....mate??


I call it "cutting your losses". There are much better drugs than benzos out there, not just because they're sustainable; they are actually so much more fun to take and push your life in positive directions instead of the benzo route towards being the "that guy who always seems drunk and never remembers anything".

If you're gonna take benzos, at least get on a stimulant or MAOI too. Otherwise you'll find yourself sleeping your life away, or slipping into depression (benzos can do this).


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## deadphish (Feb 24, 2005)

euphoria said:


> Xanax wears off pretty quickly, so it's not unreasonable to take 4-5 doses a day. I used to take up to 8mg spread out over 3-5 doses.
> 
> I call it "cutting your losses". There are much better drugs than benzos out there, not just because they're sustainable; they are actually so much more fun to take and push your life in positive directions instead of the benzo route towards being the "that guy who always seems drunk and never remembers anything".
> 
> If you're gonna take benzos, at least get on a stimulant or MAOI too. Otherwise you'll find yourself sleeping your life away, or slipping into depression (benzos can do this).


I call it "saving my life." I appreciate the insight, friend, but xanax does not make me "drunk". As far as a stimulant, see my thread about xanax + coffee.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

> "that guy who always seems drunk and never remembers anything".





> Otherwise you'll find yourself sleeping your life away, or slipping into depression (benzos can do this).


You have to differentiate between benzodiazepine abuse (which you might have done?) and longterm benzodiazepine treatment. When I was prescribed 8mg Klonopin for 9 months in the past I never seemed drunk or slept my life away. Nobody could tell I was on that drug except I told him (this includes doctors).


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Medline said:


> You have to differentiate between benzodiazepine abuse (which you might have done?) and longterm benzodiazepine treatment. When I was prescribed 8mg Klonopin for 9 months in the past I never seemed drunk or slept my life away. Nobody could tell I was on that drug except I told him (this includes doctors).


I was exaggerating quite a bit, but benzos will always tend towards disinhibition and cognitive impairment. Depending on dose, it might be so minor as to be unnoticeable, or as overt as a drunk person, but whatever the case it will be there.

There is also the fact that tolerance develops to sedation more quickly than anxiolysis, but it doesn't appear to develop much to cognitive dumbing.

This whole debate will be over when alpha-5 antagonists are developed. Benzos will cease to cause stupidity.


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## Cast Away (Feb 12, 2009)

I take klonopin prn. Sometimes for high stress situations ill take 3mg. It has no sedating/drunk feeling( not anymore but it did when i first started it) or mind numbing/ stupid effects, It just takes me one more step towards feeling normal. When im on it no one can tell im on it. Everybody reacts differently to drugs.


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## Jrock (Dec 16, 2008)

euphoria said:


> This whole debate will be over when alpha-5 antagonists are developed. Benzos will cease to cause stupidity.


What are alpha5 antagonist, how do they work?

Thanks


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## Cast Away (Feb 12, 2009)

rocknroll714 said:


> Kpin makes me uncontrollably aggressive. Literally makes me want to kill everyone around me.


lol. Does it still calm you and help your sa or does klonopin react oppositly/ paradoxical?


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Jrock said:


> What are alpha5 antagonist, how do they work?
> 
> Thanks


a5 antagonists/inverse agonists do the opposite thing to benzos and alcohol at the GABA(a5) receptor, giving cognitive enhancement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Α5IA

You can get drunk or take benzos without becoming anywhere near as stupid.


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## ontourage (May 24, 2009)

ive been taking 3 x.5mg of xanax for the past nine months everyday. this past week i was switched to clonazapam, with the same dose. for myself, i do notice a difference. the xanax does work better for the "immediate" anxiety suppressor, but it does tend to wear off quickly, as well as your body building a tolerance to it. the clonazapam, and again this is for me, definitley seems to be a better fit. my general anxiety has definitley been more "level" with the new bz. (i also take 100mg zoloft once a day) and ive never felt "drunk" taking xanax, unless i was drinking. and no, i dont mix alcohol w/ xanax, but sometimes i would take one prior to a social gathering where i would have a few drinks. i can only remember one time where the two of them made me pretty tired. and again, this is only for myself, alcohol almost seems to be a stimulant for me. alls i know is that not everyone has the same reactions to medications. example: my dr gave me some sample of ambien cr 12.5, i took two, on an empty stomach like it suggests, and i wound up staying up for nearly two days in a row. so my point is that everyone reacts different to bz's. and if you have any concerns, call your doctor or pharmacist, theyre there to help.


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