I quit taking Xanax...

[Stump]

a few days ago and i must say, I feel much better. I had gotten to where I couldn't sleep without it but I felt so fucking "dead" during the day and I was having major depression. Since I've stopped the Xanax, my mood is much better and I'm beginning to sleep on my own. I mean, the Xanax is great for a "chill pill" when you really need it but has anyone else had the side effects of depression? I mean I've been going through some shit latley but things got pretty dark a few weeks ago and only seemed to improve after I quit...could be a coincidence, dunno?

[amyrose2712]

1. Absolutley..I get very depressed if I take it too long. nt

[Stump]

2. Man, it's been almost week now...

and my quality of life has went way up. Xanax is a great drug when you really need to chill and it stops anxiety in it's tracks...but long term use, to hell with that...no way I could live like that.

[amyrose2712]

3. Xaxax had a big part in screwing up my life for a while...

My bf was misdiagnosed as GAD, but we soon found out he was truly bipolar. The Xanax it seems was exacerbating the mania. He was drinking and going nuts. Getting lost for days in Atlantic City. When he got angry it was scary. Now, he is on the proper meds. And, although he is not completely better, his mania mostly only manifests in his work and occasionally just annoying the shit out of me with his energy. Stay strong and talk about your meds with your Dr. A good dr and patient relationship is important.

[Stump]

4. That's funny...

My drinking was getting out of hand as well, almost like it made the desire to get fucked up unbearable...that shit really fucks with your head.

[amyrose2712]

5. same here....

We were both taking them. And, when I took them i HAD to go drink. I would walk from bar to bar.(i live right next to large shopping area with many chain restaurants. I would definitely be careful with them. Although, be careful when stopping meds too. Should always discuss with DR

[mdmc]

6. I personally think xanax is the best drug ever

but it works much better as a PRN (as needed).

I take it now PRN, and think the world of it.

[amyrose2712]

7. Hey stump ...how ya doing?

Just wondering. Hope things are well.

[Stump]

13. Started taking them again...

Don't know why, but I did...still use them only at bedtime...and sparingly. So far, so good.

[EFerrari]

14. The withdrawal from Xanax can be very difficult.

I hope you work with a doctor if you try this again.

I stopped taking Xanax when the drug became politically incorrect in the late 80s. It was nuts. Eventually, they put me on a smidge of a similar drug but, in the meantime, I went through a lot of stupidity.

Good luck.

[amyrose2712]

15. Good to hear from ya...

Hope things are ok. I also agree working with a Dr is important. I have been taking Amitriptyline and ativan. I have been taking them for a completely different problem (cyclic vomiting syndrome), but I think it all stems from some underlying trauma or something that i am unaware of. Anyway , I feel better and more social. So they seem to be working. Good Luck! Keep in touch.

[Forkboy]

8. I hated it, and won't take any more anti-depressents.

I've tried 4 or 5 now, and they always just make things way worse for me. It can get a little hairy at times with the depression and no meds, but with the meds I'm even worse, so I have to chance it.

Glad you're feeling a little better. :toast:

[mopinko]

9. do you sleep well?

i think a lot of what looks like depression, and anxiety, and probably other things is really sleep trouble. and contrary to what you might think, there are a lot of sleep conditions that respond to simple things. like my daughter is anemic, which causes her to flop around and wake herself up. she is improving with some supplements.
i can see where regular meds would not help is the problem is really sleep. or other things that can cause mood troubles.
the trouble with doctors is not what they know, it's that they often don't know what they don''t know.

[Forkboy]

10. I rarely sleep.

3 to 4 hours at a time in a good week, not at all for days in a bad week, though I have times after a long manic stretch where I crash and burn for a good 10-12 hours (which I desperately need right now). I'm bipolar on top of the depression, so the lack of sleep mostly arises from that. I do have calm periods that last a week or so, usually once per month. The other 3 weeks are an adventure. :)

I spent a couple weeks visiting my mother last month, and I was sleeping on the couch. She said listening to me sleep that it sounded like I had sleep apnea, so that may be part of it. I wake up very easily unless heavily medicated.

I do have meds that are supposed to help me sleep. Sadly, they make me exhausted but don't actually put me to sleep. Instead I get massive restless legs attacks that just force me to get up anyways.

The worst part is in January of 07 I had my thyroid taken out because of cancer, and that's made me tired almost all the time. My energy levels are zilch at times, and that's the total opposite of how I was before. Now my body is fighting to go one way and my brain is fighting to go the other way. Before when I got manic it really wasn't that bad, and quite often it was actually fun until about day 5 when I'd start to get that strung out feeling.

I have to see my PCP soon because he's worried I have diabetes (diabeetus!), so I'll run the sleep apnea thing by him and see what he thinks. I've never given it a bunch of thought (I tend to ignore all health issues until they really get bad), so you may be on to something.

Thanks for the idea!

[mopinko]

11. get a study

if you have apnea, drugs will not help. and if you have restless leg, it is often helped by simple iron supplements.
sleep depravation has even been seen to make diabetes harder to control.
sleep is all. hope that this is of some help to you.

[Forkboy]

12. I'll see what I can find out.

Even as a little kid I was always a night person. I used to stay up all night, go to school, and then sleep when I got home. So I just assumed that's how I was.

I was actually going to talk to my doctor about vitamins. I had hypopotassemia when I checked into a hospital a few years back, and I know because of the blood pressure meds I take that I'm supposed to drink OJ or eat bananas to avoid cramps, but I don't do so nearly enough. So I was thinking about asking the doc about that anyways. I'll toss in the iron supplement idea and see what he thinks.

Thanks again for the advice.

[medeak]

16. used to put pts on c-pap

for sleep apnea (former medical life) It was amazing how their lives changed and the increased energy levels being able to sleep. One pt nearly killed his family falling asleep for a second driving car. Sleep study can't hurt!

edited to add that L-theanine really helps sleep or anxiety. Amino acid the promotes relaxation. (nature's xanax) I like it as can take if wake in middle of night and can go back to sleep after taking without morning drug hangover. you can find it in health food stores