Posted by Thrud on August 23, 2001, at 20:03:21
In reply to Re: Xanax and panic, experiences? » Thrud, posted by Elizabeth on August 23, 2001, at 11:29:30
> 6 mg isn't so far-fetched. I'd probably need 6-8 mg/day if I were using it around-the-clock, too. Are you taking 1.5 mg q.i.d.?I'd like to, but that is too inconvenient. 2mg t.i.d.
>
> Xanax can make you tired when you first start it or when you increase the dose, but you should adjust to it pretty quickly. Personally, I never had that particular problem. I can take quite a bit of Xanax or other benzos without feeling sedated, although a lower dose (2 mg Xanax, e.g.) is usually all that is necessary to fend off a PA.That sort of dose would certainly fend off an isolated attack for me. Problem is that I am left with crippling levels of anxiety in betweeen attacks (status panicus?). So I must use it on an ongoing basis.
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> > Also, my libido is now shot as badly as when using the SSRIs.
>
> I think that might be a gender-related effect -- men and women might have opposite reactions. Are you M or F? ("Thrud" seems pretty neutral < g >, but I'm guessing you're a man.)You are right. Would a sex change operation reverse this side effect? (I would have to become a lesbian though ;))
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> > I have found someone else with a similar experience where his sexual function took 'months' to recover after going from Klonopin to 4mg per day Xanax.
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> I guess that it would take a while. When people discontinue benzos after long-term use, there are EEG differences present a year afterwards, so there can be some sort of long-lived change resulting from chronic benzo use.Hopefully leading to a long-term libido recovery in my case.
(More likley, "add another piece of brain damage to the bar-b"!)
> > In general, why the f!ck does *anything* that helps my PD ends up destroying my libido?
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> Sedation, maybe?Unfortunately not. Even activating, insomniac masters like Wellbutrin lead to Limp Bizkit.
> > (Conversely, when I am unmedicated my libido is fantastic).
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> Do you have atypical depression as well as PD, by any chance?I don't *know* so, but I *think* so. I lack the mood reactivity and histironics associated with it, but definitely the leaden fatigue. If so, how can I augment my Xanax treatment to counter this?
> > I am desperately clinging to the hope that I can be panic free without being sex free as well!
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> Panic attacks don't exactly enhance the mood, yeah. :-)For me, they don't even enhance the mood to live!
On something different, my pdoc says ECT is ineffective against PAD. Is this correct? I was very disappointed, since it was always a "big gun" I had up my sleeve.
Thrud
poster:Thrud
thread:76063
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010822/msgs/76168.html