I think if it was me I would just stay on it. I really have never had to taper off. I did pack it around with me once I started to forget it. It only takes around 15 minutes to work so I always figured I could handle 15 minutes of high anxiety.
Don't worry, I am very careful in working with my doctor when it comes to medication. I posted this discussion because I thought maybe there were others that had similar questions. Thank you for your response :)
Your post is very informative and helpful in my decision. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and I am definately working on my cognitive therapy techniques. You are right, since beginning cognitive therapy, there have been times that I forget to take my Xanax. I am so careful about taking Xanax that I set my watch to know how long it had been since I took my last pill, which is good because then I can closely monitor my symptoms, what times they occurred, and whether or not I am improving.
I am not one to abuse medication at all, so as far as that goes, I am very, very careful, and my doctor knew this when he prescribed Xanax for me. I really want to free myself from having to take medications, and I'm not sure how to know when I am ready to reduce my dosage and work on weening off of them. It's tough cause I'm a full time student and worker and I can't afford to have bad flare ups with panic disordr :/
I forgot to mention that any medication change needs to be done under the supervision of your doctor. Even though GPs have little experience with drugs for the mental aspects they still have access to a CPS and it has the information you need.
Also, more is not better with benzos if being in a fog makes you anxious.
I cannot give medical advice on the site as I am not a doctor but you ask an interesting question. Talk to your doctor and get as much information as possible before making any decisions.
Okay this is just information and not a recommendation. Benzos reduce the number of pathways in the synapses. Each synapse is like a hand with information being fed in the fingers and out the wrist to the next finger and out that wrist. So you see a lot of information is trying to get your attention. A combination of past experience in your memory, mood, chemicals etc. dictate whether the guards at the fingers let information through or not. In the panic phase they sometimes let nothing through. In the anxious phase leading up to panic they often let too much through. (driving in heavy traffic) Certain chemicals are needed for them to work right. Calcium is also necessary. That is why calcium is calming. Xanax puts some of these guards to sleep and reduces the load. It also builds a priority route which is why you have to taper off when you quit. You do not want all these guards waking up at once till you have CBT techniques in place to control them. This includes a positive attitude, relaxation techniques and coping skills. And do not forget memory and mood have a major effect on them. Xanax has a long half life so there is little or no rebound. Ativan on the other hand has a short half life with a lot of rebound so it is not meant to be used for more than a month.
Personally and this is just personal experience. I would stay on the Xanax till I had CBT down pat. I have valium, a milder form of Benzo and use it periodically still when my medication gives me excess anxiety. I still consider myself cured.
Davit
The big benzo scare comes from the tendency to become dependent on them. With CBT you usually end up forgetting to take them because you don't need them.
What should I believe about xanax? I have been on it for two years to manage my panic attacks (which are very severe at times and very tough to control). Since I started taking it in 2009, I have cut my dose in half from 2.25mg/day to 1.25. My psychologist recently increased my dosage to 1.50mg/day and it has been helping as I am also using this program and cognitive therapy. I had one of my doctors tell me that some people are on it their entire lives without problems, and then I have other people who are not doctors telling me that it is extremely dangerous and I need to get off of it.
When I started taking Xanax, I noticed that it was the first time in years that I actually felt calm and was able to concentrate. It felt like a miracle to me, but then now I am getting nervous as people are telling me all of these horrible side effects of it, some being permanent, and the drug is not as effective as it once was, possibly due to a tolerance. I know that every person's body is different and we all react to pharmacuticals differently. What does everyone else feel about this drug and what should I believe as the "facts" are torn in two completely different opinions.
