Posted by Jost on September 27, 2006, at 10:35:34
In reply to Re: do I need something for anxiety?, posted by alexandra_k on September 26, 2006, at 7:10:12
Xanax works for me. I take it when I have occasional highanxiety or near-panic. I take half a .5 mg tablet. If you're extremely anxious you can dissolve it under your tongue for quicker absorption.
It improves my mood a lot, and makes me much less anxious. No blunting of emotion, or anything of that sort in my experience. In fact, I find the opposite, I can concentrate, which usually leads to more emotional focus.
The dangers of addiction are overstated for most users. They;re real-- but you have to be using a lot. (It is a drug that MDs are known to have abused, and can lead to very bad addiction, if you do get deeply into it.) My pdoc say you don't get into the addiction-threat level until you're at about 4 mg a day. I've never gotten close to that.
If I'm having a really bad seige, I might take a whole pill a one time-- not too often, but it's happened. I also might take as much as four .5 mg doses at varying times in a day.
Yes, I make sure I keep it to a minimum, but I've never had to "control" it-- it helps, and I use it, then I may not need it for a while, and I don't. No effects of not-taking it, that I've noticed. At worst, if you take a lot, you can be slightly sedated for part of the day. It's not that bad, and wears off. (Of course this depends on metabolism, but I mat be a fairly slow metabolizer---on many drugs.)
I'm not sure why your pdoc is concerned. Maybe you should try to figure this out (ie by asking directly, until you feel you do understand)-- since it could be that there is some issue you could address with him. In the absence of any specific reason not, xanax could be a good drug for you.
Jost
poster:Jost
thread:689265
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060927/msgs/689585.html