Xanax anyone?

[kel4han]

I have had anxiety all my life, that has been excentuated with my diagnosis of Diabetes, and then my daughters diagnosis in December. I worry worry worry constantly and cant stop my thoughts! I have always taken very low dose antidepressants, but I am thinking more that anxiety is issue, not really depression. Does Xanax interfere with BS? I have got to see if an anxiety medication is what I really need. I feel like a rubberband about to snap about every silly thing in life. :mad:

[BriOnH]

No it won't directly effect your blood sugar. It is the strongest benzo<i believe>. You should try a tamer benzodiazpine before hitting the hard stuff. It will make you feel tired and run down. It can also cause 'rebound' anxiety. It can also make food incredibly delicous. Xanax is extremely, I mean EXTREMELY addictive both psycologically and physically, so be careful.

[kel4han]

Forget that then. I dont want anything that is addictive. Just need relief from constant mind racing and worry. Maybe I will take up running a few more times a day.

[BriOnH]

You might want others advice on this. I am very against using psychiatric medication. Mainly because I wish I didn't have to be on any, but lack that choice right now. Just want to let you know I am biased on this topic so it may not be the best to reference.

I can relate to the racing mind. That isn't very fun, especially when trying to get some sleep.

[BlueSky]

Forget that then. I dont want anything that is addictive. Just need relief from constant mind racing and worry. ...
If you want to avoid drugs, you might want to consider CES (Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation). It is not as flakey as it sounds - the name sounds kinda New Agey. CES has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of anxiety, depression and insomnia. In the US you will need a doctor's prescription. The best thing about it is that there are no drugs and no side effects. I have been considering getting one to help deal with stress. It would probably improve my BG control too. For more info go here (http://www.anxietytreatmentnow.com/). And be sure to watch the videos!

[princesslinda]

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I actually went to the doctor because I thought I was having some type of panic attack...couldn't sleep, racing heart, waking up sweaty, even a little chest discomfort. I thought maybe it was some type of "perimenopausal" type thing as i'm in my early 40's. Anyway, after ruling out cardiac problems, he said it could very likely be diabetes with my family history, and did blood work. In the interim, he prescribed me something for anxiety...which did turn out to be Xanax. The Rx was for 3 a day, and he gave me 30, stating that this would help break my anxiety cycle, but was not something I wanted to stay on.

Having never taken anything for anxiety, I was hesitant, not to mention that working in a medical environment, I had seen many patients addicted to Xanax. Anyway, I took a pill one night at bedtime to see if it would help me rest better. It knocked me out and I slept well, woke up feeling much better. However, I didn't want to have to rely on a potentially addictive pill to help me sleep, as I will be trying to sleep EVERY night and couldn't possibly take one of those that often. Anyway, I didn't take anymore.

As my blood sugars stabilized and I began to come to terms with all that was going on, my anxiety lessened and i've done fine except for the occasional moments of fear/concern that most people have at times.

As mentioned above, there are many other meds that you can take rather than Xanax that would provide you with a temporary lessing of your anxiety, without exposing yourself to something that may be very hard to stop.
Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

[belyro]

Forget that then. I dont want anything that is addictive. Just need relief from constant mind racing and worry. Maybe I will take up running a few more times a day.

I'm on Effexor for that exact reason.....relief from constant mind racing and worry....plus the anxiety attacks that went along with that. I experienced side effects when starting on it, but they went away within a couple of weeks. That said, I'm told that it can be very difficult to get off of. I've heard mixed reviews - some say they got off it no problem, some say they still have effects from being on it even though they've been off it over 10 years. I'm hoping to go off it soon and am a little worried about that.

For me, going onto meds was definitely worth it because it made my life so much more manageable and enjoyable. At this point I don't regret it at all. That said, if I could have done the same with cognitive behavioural therapy and avoided the meds, it would have definitely been preferable. I'm not looking forward to trying to wean myself off.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[Jill-O]

I do occassionally take Xanax. I've taken it after miscarriages and what it did for me was made me stop trying to keep wallowing in how sorry I felt for myself. Without it, I would start crying and then instead of letting that feeling pass, I would keep on thinking of more things to make myself feel worse so that I'd keep crying. Basically, just totally wallowing in self pity.

Right now, I have a little bit of it to take if I need it because I have this uterine (sp?) biopsy on thursday. Several people have told me how it is an excrutiating pain, worse than child birth, etc. SO, I may be getting a little worked up and if so, I'll take a xanax or two. I will also be taking some viccodin about an hour before the biopsy :)

--

That said, I am a gifted worrier as it sounds like you are. Having had xanax for temporary issues, I would not choose to be on it all the time. But, it may do just the trick for you.

Good luck!

[nneighbour]

Bethany,
I've been on Effexor for a few years now and have come to terms with most of the side effects. Unfortunatley the one I can't get used to is an empty pocket... That stuff is way too expensive. I've tried going off of it a couple of times with not so possitive results. But it doesn't mean that you can't do it. I couldn't get off it because I still need it. Just remember that effexor is a physical addiction, like any other drug. Take your time and give yourself some breaks when you decide to quit. You may want to choose a time when you don't have to work.

[sofaraway]

That said, I'm told that it can be very difficult to get off of.

I ws on effexor for a couple of years and came off around a year ago. How do you feel if you miss one dose? I've found that in general people who can miss a dose with little effect can come of the drug easily, those who feel like they are dying from missing a dose tend to have a harder time.

[belyro]

Bethany,
I've been on Effexor for a few years now and have come to terms with most of the side effects. Unfortunatley the one I can't get used to is an empty pocket... That stuff is way too expensive. I've tried going off of it a couple of times with not so possitive results. But it doesn't mean that you can't do it. I couldn't get off it because I still need it. Just remember that effexor is a physical addiction, like any other drug. Take your time and give yourself some breaks when you decide to quit. You may want to choose a time when you don't have to work.

That's definitely the plan. I'll be very cautious of when I chose to do it. I also want to combine it with some cognitive behavioural therapy or something of that nature so I have some non-medicinal coping strategies.

[belyro]

I ws on effexor for a couple of years and came off around a year ago. How do you feel if you miss one dose? I've found that in general people who can miss a dose with little effect can come of the drug easily, those who feel like they are dying from missing a dose tend to have a harder time.

Would you believe I've never missed one? I have no idea. I sure felt wonky when I went on it though. Felt like my brain was cold. And I couldn't type if my life depended on it. Very bizarre. I'm on a very low dose (37.5mg) so I'm hoping that makes the transition easier.

[Eri's mom]

They had me on xanax for a while, but I always got a headache and this metal taste in my mouth. I stopped taking it and they put me on valium, which I only take once a day for heart palps and it is doing the job, thank God.