I've been on Xanax since age 15 I'm 54 :( help

Hi....you are SO right about getting the short end on the benzos! Oh yes....I realize how hard it is to get into a new Dr. Mine accepted me, because my husband was already a patient. Otherwise, he would NOT have.....the thing is, many things get overlooked with this Dr., but his Nurse told me that he has 2,200 patients! Anyway, when I was FIRST placed on Xanax....it was fine, it helped. The anxiety....the panic....was relieved. BUT....like most meds like this, it is stated that they should only be used for short periods of time. But everyone I know, who has been placed on it, or something sililar, has been on them for YEARS. At least I got away from the Dr. who prescribed so damn many!! I spoke with my pharmacist about my dosage....I guess I was just worried about being on it for so long. But as he said, Try and not worry, you are on such a low dose, 1 mg. a day is not bad and you have never agreed to an increase, so that's good right there. " I will probably be on it for the rest of my life.....and right now I just can't worry about it. I am now being scheduled for a 2nd open-heart surgery, so I guess I better just concentrate on that. It's always something!! Oh, I'll get through it all....LOL I'm more worried about Daisy, my Senior dog.....she's almost 18 & has so many health problems. I may have to go a few hundred miles to a University hospital for this.....tons of cardiologists around here, but no one wants to touch this surgery.....ugh. PLUS...even though I have decent insurance (United Healthcare/ Medicare with John Deere), they have made a ton of changes with who I can see and who I cannot. So now I just wait and see who they will send me to. Oh, does the Valium help you? I hope so!! I thank God that at least I am only taking 1 mg. daily of Xanax. I know several who take huge doses! You mentioned having PTSD over all you went through....or probably having it....I can very well understand that! I actually WAS diagnosed with PTSD......anything that causes unrelenting stress can cause it. I'll be fine, though.....and I hope you will be, too! I just want this surgery out of the way....the Drs. say one thing, then another....they need to make their damn minds up & just let me get it over with & heal up. I'm starting to think all this 'waiting' is because I have an HMO....I may o back to what I had before, Hammond Henry Health Partners.....and away from Unity Point/Trinity. Not dure WHAT to do. Anyway, sorry for yammering on....so many people have told me how crazy it is for these Drs. to keep dragging their feet....have a severely leaking valve and a bad aortic valve, but they want to take care of the leaking one as of now. I'm passing out too much. Boy....all the problems we all have....I feel for every one of you! It's nice to be able to come to a forum like this....and hear people's experiences. Anyway, I am so thankful that you found a Dr. and got off the Xanax....I wish you EVERYTHING good! I will stay on that 1 mg. for right now....it doesn't seem so scary in that amount. You take care now and God bless!

Yes please,I need prayers more than ever ,I got a call this morning from my Dr and I was told I have a form of cancer,lots of appointments were just made , please pray for me, the power of prayer is amazing 🙏❤️ Thank you so much. God Bless you and stay safe 🌹

Why don't you try to wean yourself off them? I did that with cigarettes and the patch. When I got down to the lowest dose, I cut the patches in half and then I cut them in quarters. You could try 2/3 s of a pill for a few weeks and see what happens, if ok then cut the pill in half, etc.

While cigarettes and xanex are quite different,I don't believe that will work at all ,big big difference. Congratulations on your quitting cigarettes ( I stopped cold turkey after 30 years or so )

I don’t think that there’s a one size fits all, I have been reading so many stories about benzodiazepines addiction and some people are happy with the meds and others are very tormented. I think it might be due to numerous issues, I never had too much trouble with this drug until it started getting a bad review and although I agree that they aren’t the best meds for long term use many people have been taking them for years, so who’s at fault here, big pharmaceutical companies for putting them on the market, doctors who gave them out like candy to solve our problems, I think it’s more like it solved their problems in dealing with patients quickly, I even took most of the blame because that’s what the doctor wanted. Every medication has it’s list of problems and the endless struggle for us to find what is best for us, nothing is going to change this and although we support each other in time of need, the pain and suffering is a personal struggle and uniquely your own. I’m sure that if benzodiazepine is totally okay to use whenever you need it we probably wouldn’t have much to say about it, what makes it worse is that they really work to get control of anxiety and stress. I think in a perfect world we wouldn’t need meds but I realize that’s not possible at this time.

Also go on FB and get on a benzo site. Ignore the horror stories . Most try to get off too fast . There is a man named David you email for a slow personalized taper. After going to countless Drs and psychiatrist which have no problem prescribing it but have no idea how to taper anyone off or want to taper you too fast. Put you in rehab ( useless and damaging for benzo dependence)I had to do my own search. It is so important you taper slowly off of these, with a good taper plan. Also check out water taper on U tube which David can make out a plan for you also. That is what Iam doing after being prescribed Ativan after my husband died and not being told how addictive it was . I wish you all the luck and as scary as this is you need to get a good taper plan ASAP. Iam 72 and this is not what I had planned on doing in my senior years.
You can do this❤️

Thank you ,someone else had mentioned Dr Josef and I've even written through an email about my story ,I did receive a reply and a phone call however I don't live in the states they serve , with all my new health issues,I plan to speak again with my Drs about the xanex ,I have thought about suing Pfizer ,I have a claim nbr already,just not sure what type of lawyer to look for and evwn if ine would help me ,my opinion is a 15 yr old kid had no business being put in xanex ,also my mom was told this isnt an addicting medication, 40 years later I'm now 55 and I can't come off of it and I drive 14 hrs every 3 months to get the script just so I don't have with draws, when I get low I get nervous.. Thank you for writing and my condolences for the loss of your husband, God Bless you 🙏and stay safe 🌹

Believe me, I know how you feel when not being able to get your medicine when you have no way of getting off. Go on u tube, a lot of info on tapering. Also the benzo websites on FB have a lot of info on tapering. You have no idea how many of us are affected by this . We need a class action lawsuit going. Just remember you cannot make big cuts off of this.Only 5 to 10% a month , especially with how long you’ve been on this I’m sure you’ve built up a tolerance and that’s why you feel so awful. Keep us posted .

I agree. I am tormented being on it but due to my stress and anxiety it helps me.

It works very well and that’s why we have been using it, sometimes I feel so frustrated and scared because it’s horrible to hear how many people are going through the same thing. Honestly if we analyzed most drugs they give to us it would be scary to hear what each medication has the potential to do but we still use them for help and doctors rarely do anything about it until it’s brought to our attention, this is compounded by the fact that they are so very addictive. I mentioned earlier that all the attention came out with benzodiazepines when the opioid addiction problems started, the poor people who were given this drug were told it wasn’t addictive but that was a lie and then the doctors had to reduce and even discontinue giving them to patients. Now we are hearing about all the suffering they are going through and even buying drugs online that are killing them. This is a proverbial nightmare that wasn’t their fault but they are the ones paying for it, my fear is that this sad situation will and is happening to the people who use benzodiazepines. We are told that we learn from our mistakes but this is one very big mistake and now we are hearing about it,