Anxious: Sorting out meds for pain and anxiety

Hello @girl4god and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for joining the community and for sharing your situation with members so you may connect and learn from one another's' experiences.

You will notice that I have edited the title of your post to allow for greater visibility to the topic of opioid and anxiety medication. As well, I've added your post the Chronic Pain Group to allow for additional exposure and engagement.

Members like @grandmar @teetee7 and @jimhd have all shared personal experiences with both chronic pain and anxiety and may be able to help you.

Reading your experience leaves me wondering if your behavioral health provider and your doctor may have an opportunity to discuss your respective medications being prescribed and/or to ask for a review of your side effects to come up with a plan that will work best for you?

Also, did your doctor recommend a taper schedule or are you choosing to do this without medical consultation?

Can you set up a phone call between your two providers so this can be discussed. Sorry you’re in this mess. Sorry you were shamed for having anxiety.

I’m a 70 yr old male. Treated for depression for 30+ yrs. Anxiety became a new symptom for 1yr ago when my meds were switched to 50mg per day of Pristique (Desvenlaflaxine). Psychiatrist added .25mg of Xanax (alprazolam) three times (every six hours) to control anxiety. This was in addition to the Norco (hydrocodone 10-325mg) that I take 1/2 tablet or 1 tablet up to three times a day for my hip and SI Joint arthritis. I’m doing fine. I’ve been told not to take them at the same time. However, two months ago my clinic assigned me to a new psychiatrist and she immediately began to titrate me off the Xanax. I was down to .125mg of Xanax three times a day and began to have panic attacks. I met with the psychiatrist who was titrating me off and she instructed me to maintain the new lower dose for a month snd then we would begin a new titration schedule. I was uncomfortable with this and sought a new psychiatrist who I began seeing. He put me back on the .25mg Xanax per day and told me it was fine. Neither the psychiatrist or the pain doctor have ever said anything about not taking both - except for “never together”. I’d suggest finding a physician that doesn’t have issues with pain meds or benzo’s. No reason to suffer. Hope this helps.

P.S. Some physicians are simply do not prescribe and anxiety or pain meds. They seem to be on a campaign to eradicate substance abuse and assume that anyone taking them are either selling them or abusing the medications. Using these medications as prescribed are beneficial but over use will lead to abuse. It is a risk the individual must be aware of and monitor the use accordingly. Take the pain and anxiety med only when the symptoms occur. Do not take the meds to prevent the symptom from occurring. Taking these medications only when the symptoms begin minimizes the risk of addiction and abuse. If you doctor doesn’t agree with this approach it’s time to find a new doctor. There are no laws that prohibit prescribing both pain and anxiety medications for an individual. The symptoms dictating these prescriptions require different different medications for relief and no law would prevent them from being prescribed together. Your doctor is lying to you if stating otherwise. Good luck.

I fired my Primary.

Thanks also take Xanax for anxiety I take them only as needed up to 3xdaily with 0.5mg.tabs. I started to have panic attacks a year and a half ago when my husband died I am 69 and worry about becoming addicted

You won’t become addicted you will become dependent on this medication and will have a very hard time functioning without it. Withdrawing from this drug can be a nightmare. Try another alternative if possible. You may end up with a doctor not willing to prescribe them anymore which is becoming quite common. You’re too old to go through withdrawals. Trust me.

How do you know that?

Taking medication for anxiety/panic attacks beats dealing with the associated symptoms of the attacks. Be honest with yourself. If you need it then take it. If you need to increase the dosage to get the same results you’ve developed a dependence. Only take when needed and you’ll be okay. Never take them to prevent anxiety - talk to your Doctor about taking an SSRI anti-depressant “daily” to prevent anxiety attacks. Zoloft is excellent for preventing anxiety. Addiction to Xanax is common and easy to develop - be careful and TAKE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY - that’s when you’re having an attack and not before.

Thankyou very much for the additional info. I have also been doing a lot of research on the subject. I have tried a less strong drug for anxiety and I was allergic to it. I really need it at this time to function daily. I am concerned about some side effects such as trembling tremors and some seizure like activity.I also have severe copd and am recovering from a hip fracture. No matter what the risk,I could not forgo Xanax.I am also extremely socially isolated at this time. I am afraid and I am very grateful to you for responding to me.I also take Prozac and trazadone for depression.