# How many MGs is too much of Xanax?



## SolaceChaser (Jun 8, 2009)

Hey guys,
Well, I am getting better and better everyday. I am currently doing some CBT (essential-basis for my progression basically) and I am coupling that with 1mg Xanax xr. But I feel like I need some other medication along with it or I need to up it to 2mg. Is 2mg Xanax too much for day to day? The 1mg one doesnt make me tired that much, if at all and I can focus better on it actually. I tried taking 2mg and I felt super normal, but is that overkill?

THanks

also, does anyone know if the generic xanax or other benzos are supposed to be weaker than the originals? I am currently taking generic


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## DMBfan (Aug 29, 2008)

2mg/day is not a high dose. With benzos you need to watch out for continuing dose escalation over time (not including initial dose adjustments in say the first 6-12 months.) When I took 1mg of regular Xanax it barely helped my anxiety.

Some people say certain generics are weaker than other generics or brand name yet others notice no difference.


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## arth67 (Aug 6, 2009)

2mg on a bad day is OK but dont take any on the good days

SA is seldom constant, we have our good and bad days


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## flinty (Apr 11, 2009)

i take 1 mg Xanax three times per day. i've been taking it for many years, though. it is true that, after a while, you might need to increase it. but, i have been on my current dose for about 5 years. it works well for me. just a question--how does your Doc want you to take it? how is it prescribed? you might want to talk with him/her about your concerns, so he/she can work out the appropriate doseage with you. but, you're not taking too much, in my humble opinion. 

i have a real issue with those in the UK who slam Benzos, though. yes-one can become a bit dependent on 'em, but i wouldn't be able to function without the Xanax i take each day {and, i do not take more than what is prescribed} i have generalized anxiety disorder--it's biochemical in my case, is not related to SA--and it corrects the problem. i agree that therapy, in conjunction with the medication, is important. but, i do not appreciate the slamming of the useage of this medication. in the UK, narcotics are, apparently, prescribed without much concern on the part of M.D's.

i was addicted to Vicodin {a narcotic} for 10 years--was prescibed for pain due to a physical injury. my Primary Care Physician just kept writing me scripts until i couldn't live without it. and, when i needed to get off of it, due to rebound headaches--which were diagnosed by a Neurologist-- my PCP wouldn't touch it! he was afraid of losing his license! so, i had to taper off of it myself-without his help. he put me in a hell of a positon--it could have harmed me greatly if i didn't know how to do it safely. i am, now, free of Vicodin-no thanks to the Doc who prescribed them for me for 10 years!

so, i see no issue with ppl being prescribed Benzo's. they have, literally, saved my life. i trust my Psychiatrist to help me taper off of them if/when the time is right. 

i know i'm rambling here, but it pisses me off that those in the UK are so judgemental, when they obviously are lacking in information. 

so, i wish you the best with the Xanax. it has halped me tremendously!


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Apparently 2 mg isn't overkill given that Xanax is available in 2 mg bars -- I take 5 such Xanax a day for 10 mg total.


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## SolaceChaser (Jun 8, 2009)

Thanks for the replies, guys. Yo flinty man, its like that here too. Many people and psychiatrists put a bad twist Xanax. Yes, it has some negative symptoms, but I think the benefits outweigh the negativity. Actually, I think the benefits rape them


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

flinty said:


> have a real issue with those in the UK who slam Benzos, though. yes-one can become a bit dependent on 'em, but i wouldn't be able to function without the Xanax i take each day {and, i do not take more than what is prescribed} i have generalized anxiety disorder--it's biochemical in my case, is not related to SA--and it corrects the problem. i agree that therapy, in conjunction with the medication, is important. but, i do not appreciate the slamming of the useage of this medication. in the UK, narcotics are, apparently, prescribed without much concern on the part of M.D's.


How do you separate your original GAD from inter-dose withdrawal symptoms though? Anyone dependent on/withdrawing from benzos could truthfully claim they have GAD which goes away when they take a benzo.


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## flinty (Apr 11, 2009)

i don't understand the question....please explain. 

---i was talking about my Vicodin addiction, which began with my being prescribed the medication due to a physical injury. and, how the Doc who prescribed the Vicodin would not assist me in tapering off of it. {i only needed this narcotic for a short period of time-for a broken foot-but, i ended up taking it for 10 years! i should not have been prescribed this medication for any longer than was medically necessary.}

i was not talkiing about the Xanax that i take for GAD. i would imagine that
if/when the time comes for me to taper off of the Xanax-with my Psychiatrist's help-that it would be a slow tapering-off process, and that it would not cause me too much distress. {both my Doc and i feel that the Xanax is medically necessary for me at this time.}

again, please explain your comment/question--i don't get it. thanks!


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

flinty said:


> i don't understand the question....please explain.
> 
> ---i was talking about my Vicodin addiction, which began with my being prescribed the medication due to a physical injury. and, how the Doc who prescribed the Vicodin would not assist me in tapering off of it. {i only needed this narcotic for a short period of time-for a broken foot-but, i ended up taking it for 10 years! i should not have been prescribed this medication for any longer than was medically necessary.}
> 
> ...


Sorry, lol, I quoted the wrong part. I've now edited the post... I was saying, how do you draw the line between your original GAD and benzo withdrawal symptoms? Benzo dependency can reach the point where you are no longer benefiting much from the drug other than to avoid withdrawals, and between doses you can get far worse withdrawal anxiety than your pre-drug level.


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## flinty (Apr 11, 2009)

hmmm...i don't really know how to respond to this. i woud hope that a Benzo woud only be prescribed to a person with GAD, and not to someone who is simply "drug-seeking." 

i believe that my Doc would monitor this risk--regarding the possibility that the Xanax would, at some point, be contraindicated for me--- {if/when the medication is simply assisting with the dependency/withdrawal issue...verses it actually treating the GAD.} 

i guess i really don't know about this one....maybe you could explain further-i am not educated about this problem with Benzo's. 

this issue is of great interest to me, as i am unfamiliar with the risks of long-term Xanax use. {i've been taking Xanax for quite a while.} 

i'd love to hear your thoughts on this. thanks!


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## dittersdorff (Sep 1, 2012)

*Thanks!*

Thanks guys, this really helped me. My Dr proscribes 1 mg a day; I used to take much more (I've been taking Xanax for 25 years or so). But a few times on particularly bad days (I'm going through a particularly stressful time right now caring for my elderly parents) I've taken 1.5 to 2 mg and I was anxious to know if this was too much. Glad to hear your responses.


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