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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by blueberry on March 20, 2006, at 18:50:58
So my new doc, in the previous post, prescribes sinemet. Really uncomfortable with that.
But my old doc prescribed clonazepam or xanax, my choice.
Depression and anxiety and lousy sleep are the symptoms I'm concerned about. All the common meds you can think of have been tried.
Here's the thing. I have tried regular xanax twice, for one week each time, at about 1mg to 2mg a day. It was awesome. I felt completely normal. Very relaxed, comfortable, and my longstanding andehonic no-motivation kind of depression just vanished. Afraid of addiction, I tapered off after just a week each time.
I'm wondering though, would that good antidepressant effect last? I mean, months, years? I'm almost certain it would poop out at some point, maybe even at just a couple weeks. Does anyone have any experience with xanax or xanax xr as antidepressants with longterm good results?
Posted by rjlockhart on March 20, 2006, at 21:51:15
In reply to Xanax XR for depression and anxiety anyone?, posted by blueberry on March 20, 2006, at 18:50:58
I take Xanax 4mg daily for panic attacks. It does help with depression, thank god i got off Clonazepam which makes me depressed as hell.
I think Xanax XR is better and is less addicting than regular Xanax. It slowly comes on, not as fast than regualar Alprazolam, i saw in the website "xanaxxr.com" or google it.It does help with anxiety but it bounces off to quick.
Matt
Posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2006, at 21:59:41
In reply to Re: Xanax XR for depression and anxiety anyone?, posted by rjlockhart on March 20, 2006, at 21:51:15
Blueberry I took xanax for years and it worked well. I didnot get addicted. And I never wanted to up the dose. About l0 years later it started to make me tired. Before that it just made the anxiety so much better that I never was depreseed. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by BIGDaddyachmed69 on March 20, 2006, at 22:44:13
In reply to Xanax XR for depression and anxiety anyone?, posted by blueberry on March 20, 2006, at 18:50:58
I've been taking 2 mg of Xanax on a daily basis for the past couple of months. The first day I noticed a mild high, in addition to a loss of inhibitions. Those effects subsided within days. The sedation subsided eventually, too, but it hasn't lost its touch as an anxiolytic. I would say that it continues to exert a very mild antidepressant effect. I had my doctor put on Xanax XR just last week, because the peaks and valley of Xanax IR can become a real problem. I'm still at 2 mg, and I'd have to say that the XR version is milder in terms of its anxiolytic properties. At the same time it's more sedating. What I like about it is the fact that its effects are consistent, and are noticeable for the remainder of my day (I take it around noon). IMO it's a better long-term treatment option than clonazepam or Xanax IR.
> So my new doc, in the previous post, prescribes sinemet. Really uncomfortable with that.
>
> But my old doc prescribed clonazepam or xanax, my choice.
>
> Depression and anxiety and lousy sleep are the symptoms I'm concerned about. All the common meds you can think of have been tried.
>
> Here's the thing. I have tried regular xanax twice, for one week each time, at about 1mg to 2mg a day. It was awesome. I felt completely normal. Very relaxed, comfortable, and my longstanding andehonic no-motivation kind of depression just vanished. Afraid of addiction, I tapered off after just a week each time.
>
> I'm wondering though, would that good antidepressant effect last? I mean, months, years? I'm almost certain it would poop out at some point, maybe even at just a couple weeks. Does anyone have any experience with xanax or xanax xr as antidepressants with longterm good results?
Posted by med_empowered on March 21, 2006, at 10:31:45
In reply to Re: Xanax XR for depression and anxiety anyone? » blueberry, posted by BIGDaddyachmed69 on March 20, 2006, at 22:44:13
apparently, xanax was big for mild depression w/ anxiety (monotherapy), "masked depression," and various other disorders back in its heyday (80s-early 90s). Its kind of developed a bad reputation of late, so it isn't used nearly as much, and I don't think its terribly common to see it used as monotherapy where depression is involved.
That said...it apparently works really well. The BIG problem it seems isn't that xanax is "addictive"--its more that the short half life and constant re-dosing make dose escalation and anxiety between doses a real problem. So...it produces dependence, yes, sometimes rapidly w/ severe withdrawal symptoms in some people...but in terms of true "addiction," its probably not as bad as some docs make it out to be (a med student friend of mine referred to xanax as the "crack of the benzos"--total hyperbole).
Anyway, if you have the option for the XR version, I'd opt for that just b/c it would probably make your life easier in terms of dosage adjustments and maintaining steady levels of the med in your system. As for dependence/addiction...ANY doc who's going to be RX'ing xanax knows **quite** well that withdrawal can be difficult and that usage for more than a couple weeks will result in a sort of dependence. Benzos have been out for 40+ years, xanax for over 20; that much is common knowledge, so my guess is your situation warrants benzo use, and it probably warrants LONG-TERM benzo use. What you may want to do as an informed, pro-active consumer/patient is ask your doc straight up what the treatment plan with the benzo is: short-term, long-term, what-and-see, indefinite, etc. See what she/he has to say. I did this with my doc, and it was OK--basically, the first answer was "BZDs are sometimes used short-term, other times long term.." but then I pushed for an answer specific to me, which was "long-term, but not indefinitely; I will want to discontinue". It really opens up the the communication channels for you and your doc, and will leave you feeling more in control of your treatment.
Good luck!
Posted by sm100378 on March 22, 2006, at 15:58:43
In reply to Re: Xanax XR for depression and anxiety anyone?, posted by rjlockhart on March 20, 2006, at 21:51:15
Hi,Can someone fill me in if they have experienced any sexual side effects from being on Xanax or Xanax XR?
I recently was proven correct when I thought Clonazapam was the culprit to libido/impotence. I was put on Lorazipam about 3-4 weeks ago and now the the "more potent" Clonazepam is out of my system, it is more natural and normal.
Thanks,> I take Xanax 4mg daily for panic attacks. It does help with depression, thank god i got off Clonazepam which makes me depressed as hell.
>
>
> I think Xanax XR is better and is less addicting than regular Xanax. It slowly comes on, not as fast than regualar Alprazolam, i saw in the website "xanaxxr.com" or google it.
>
> It does help with anxiety but it bounces off to quick.
>
> Matt
>
Posted by sm100378 on March 22, 2006, at 15:59:49
In reply to Re: Xanax XR for depression and anxiety anyone?, posted by rjlockhart on March 20, 2006, at 21:51:15
Hi,
Can someone fill me in if they have experienced any sexual side effects from being on Xanax or Xanax XR?
I recently was proven correct when I thought Clonazapam was the culprit to libido/impotence. I was put on Lorazipam about 3-4 weeks ago and now the the "more potent" Clonazepam is out of my system, it is more natural and normal.
Thanks,
> I take Xanax 4mg daily for panic attacks. It does help with depression, thank god i got off Clonazepam which makes me depressed as hell.
>
>
> I think Xanax XR is better and is less addicting than regular Xanax. It slowly comes on, not as fast than regualar Alprazolam, i saw in the website "xanaxxr.com" or google it.
>
> It does help with anxiety but it bounces off to quick.
>
> Matt
>
This is the end of the thread.
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