My wife has been prescribed Xanax XR

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Ragtime
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03 Mar 2009, 1:13 pm

Edit: Sorry, she was mistaken. It's Xanax, not Prozac.



I've been on Effexor myself, and my ex-wife was on Paxil for a while, but I've not been on, or had any family members on, Xanax. So, could those "in the know" please share with my wife and I what to expect when beginning Xanax (XR)? She has never been on any psychological medications before; this will be her first experience with them. She was diagnosed with severe anxiety.



Last edited by Ragtime on 03 Mar 2009, 9:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

whitetiger
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03 Mar 2009, 1:38 pm

You need to let her know that they can take 3-6 weeks to work, depending on the person.

Your experiences with effexor and paxil are the same kind of thing. Most SSRI's work about the same way, and side-effects are supposed to wear off within the time frame above as well. If they are severe or last longer, you need to let the doctor know, of course.

I take zoloft. I was on prozac for two years and it didn't help me.

Sometimes, it just takes experimentation to find the right SSRI.


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wolphin
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05 Mar 2009, 5:05 am

I have never taken xanax or anything like at, but people tell me it is potent stuff (i.e. it calms you down real fast)

It has some potential for dependence so you don't want to take it for extended periods of time (it's best if it's used on an as-needed basis) or take too much of it. You want to take the smallest effective dose as well.

Otherwise, it ought to completely wipe anxiety out.



monty
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05 Mar 2009, 9:39 am

It's not a SSRI - it is a benzodiazepine (like valium). It works fast on anxiety. It is effective at controlling the symptoms. With daily use over a long period, there is a possibility of dependence. For occasional use, not so much of a concern (most people with anxiety have anxiety over becoming dependent and they self-regulate). Can cause drowsiness. Don't mix with alcohol.

Good for helping breaking a cycle of anxiety, but xanax itself is usually not enough for long term treatment.

As I see it, anxiety involves an alarm bell going off in the brain. This type of drug is good at temporarily disconnecting the alarm bell. But it does not deal with the issues that make the alarm go off in the first place. Exercise, cognitive-behavioral work, diet, and meditation/prayer should be considered along with the xanax for dealing with anxiety.



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05 Mar 2009, 1:13 pm

lucky...

I'm on Effexor XR and I can't smoke weed because of it. It makes me puke.



0_equals_true
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05 Mar 2009, 1:43 pm

Xanax is an old fashioned tranquiliser remarketed. Like people said it is good for controlling anxiety, but to take every day is not so good.



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12 Mar 2009, 6:43 pm

Very similar to Valium as one poster stated above. It can make you very tired & sleepy depending on the dosage, so I would say avoid driving etc. until you are certain how it's going to affect you.

It usually prescribed as sort of a temp fix, because of it's addictive qualities many Dr's are hesitant to keep you on this for a long-term basis, but it works very well for panic or anxiety.

I had one side effect with it though...a severe headache after it wore off later (right behind the eyes stabbing pain sort of thing). Not a common effect (or so I'm told), but basically my day was totaled due to that little after effect.


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