Not sure if I should switch back to Xanax

Posted by ddscal1958 @ddscal1958, Aug 15 5:15pm

I have been on Lexapro on and off Xanax, Ativan and Xanax as needed for over 25 years. I was doing great I retired. We moved to Tennessee change is not good for me so I knew I would go through some anxiety, but six months into the move, my husband was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lungs. It seems that my drugs are not working for me. I guess I’m on overload. I was wondering if anyone has gone back from Ativan or clonazepam to Xanax since it’s faster working please let me know and press for my husband are always appreciated. Thank you.

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sugarbaker | @sugarbaker | Aug 16 9:47am

I had to as a result of medical PTSD. Some people question it but that’s what my doctor ordered and it’s what’s working so that’s what I’m on.

Phoenix | @kudzu | Aug 16 10:12am

So sorry to hear about your husband. That can’t be easy added to anxiety and the stress of a recent move.
I too suffer from anxiety and have found that Xanax is the only thing that works for me. I’ve tried every SSRI, SSNI, and Benzo known to man, but they don’t help me. I have read that Xanax contains an extra ingredient the other benzos don’t. It was referred to as a euphoric, though I’ve yet to feel any euphoria. I do however feel a sense of well-being along with calm after taking a Xanax.
I did have to increase my dosage after my mom died, but I’ll gladly do that to be functional.
Maybe try going back to Xanax and increasing the dosage, at least for now.
Also, I know Xanax is short-acting, but there is an extended release kind also.

Phoenix | @kudzu | Aug 16 11:00am

Maybe what I read previously about Xanax wasn’t explained very well. I looked it up again today. Xanax doesn’t actually contain an extra ingredient, but does have a unique chemical structure that other benzos don’t. It’s called a triazole ring, attached to the benzo nucleus., whatever that means. This affects the way it attaches in the brain, giving it an extra “punch”, albeit short-acting, that I guess could be felt as euphoria by some. Anyway, I do know it works better for me than the others. Hope this helps.