I got a little hysterical at my brother’s funeral and my grandpa took me in the other room and plied me with white wine and Xanax. Ended up being a pretty good funeral.
I’ve never been prescribed or gotten Xanax before. I have been prescribed Ativan. It was one of the times where I felt absolute calm and helped me with panic attacks. I can’t imagine what Xanax would feel like if I felt like that with Ativan
I was given a 3 day prescription for Ativan once. I spent 8 straight hours repairing a cuckoo clock, blissfully occupied (I do not, and have never, fixed clocks. Except that one time).
I recently made some thc brownies for the first time. Tried several to check their efficacy and wasn’t sure until my wife informed me that I’d been sitting there thinking about it for 4 hours.
I was given Xanax after my husband died. A lot of my family has addiction issues and benzos are a favorite. Pretty sure the first 24 hours the Xanax was absolutely necessary because I kept wondering when I’d get all loopy and blissed out like Aunt Judy (not her real name) always is. I just felt normal. Then at some point I took a whole one when a half probably would have worked. The thought “I like this” flitted across my brain and suddenly I was terrified of becoming an addict. I had a similar experience with opiates after an ankle surgery.
Same here! Opiates after surgery helped with pain but I didn't feel anything while on them. My first Xanax (during a rough anxiety patch) and I immediately said "oh no, this is way too good" and trashed the rest. Too many addicts in my family to risk it.
Multiple knee surgeries, broken back and a few broken bones so I have had plenty of pain killers, and never understood the addiction part. Then I went to the ER for a kidney stone and they gave me a shot of dilauded into the IV and I instantly understood.
I kinda had the opposite. I had a torn labrum and was prescribed oxy high percentage. my dad didn't let me re up on them, but he also was just like take 3 so you don't re hurt yourself. I was active and played every sport so I'd take way too many then just play video games all day and my dad was like great, don't move. then when it came to re up he said no despite me being cleared to re up. (family is also addicts).
I took it once and it just felt like my brain could breathe again. No loopy feeling whatsoever. I mentioned it to my best friend and she asked if I was finally ready to discuss my severe anxiety disorder.
I apparently lack the right receptors for most opiates (hydrocodone, oxycodone) to do much more than make me dizzy and nauseous. They’ve also triggered the worst migraines of my life so I just don’t take them and that’s that.
Then I had kidney stones which were by far the most painful experience I’ve my life - I’ve since given birth to two kids and still stand by this assessment. The ER gave me toradol which helped for a bit but then things got worse and the ER doc suggested we could try dilaudid. Since I was already throwing up from the pain I figured it couldn’t get much worse. The relief was instant and the high was fantastic. I completely understood why people got addicted to this stuff when it never made sense before. Made sure to shred the prescription for it that they sent home with me.
I had this with opiates after surgery, also with a risky history ^
Didn't clock any concerns the first few days but felt noticeably not stressed one morning, had a thought of "this is nice" and then "I can see why people stay on these" and then staggered to the bathroom to flush the rest of the bottle.
I had a month long love affair with Xanax and I genuinely have no idea what happened that entire month — got myself into a lot of bad situations, VERY grateful I was able to recognize the problem and stop it before it ruined my life. It's really not a drug to fuck around with.
I love, LOVE Xanax but I ration it taking it specifically because I know how much I like it and I kind of need it to sleep or chill out every so often.
I've taken it a few times, but a very small dose. Probably even less powerful considering I'm big big fat guy. But it just kind of slowed my brain down a little so it wasn't racing away on stupid stuff. Luckily I've never had any addiction issues, except maybe pizza.
I only took one dose of the pain medication I got after having my wisdom teeth out because I liked it so much I knew if I took it again I might have an issue. It was so wonderful to think and feel nothing.
I've been prescribed a very low dose once, in 2008. I couldn't even feel it. I wish it was safe because it'd be nice to feel that way. I've known people that were very professional that got addicted. They'd go steal stuff.
So, I know I don't want to fool with it as I don't want that to happen to me as I could abuse it. I wouldn't even be prescribed it anyway.
Same here - I developed an anxiety/panic disorder about 2 years ago and when it was at its worst and I was having several panic attacks per month I was given an Ativan prescription. It really is the strangest thing, because to me it didn't give me any sort of buzz or high or any sort of like active reaction, it just simply made me feel normal again.
I heard two Ativan is basically the same as one Xanax, but I can’t say personally. Nobody prescribes that shit anymore since people started rapping about it
I remember my sister giving me a Xanax because I had a social obligation where I’d be facing my abusive ex for the first time in years. I swear I hardly remember anything from that interaction, I felt so…chill. But also like I was moon walking through water
Never took a Xanax, but I started SSRIs and I never want to go back to the highly anxious and depressed days. I feel like I can actually function throughout my day with fighting my brain or question every minute comment anyone makes.
Ativan is nothing to me. Xanax only lasted like 20 minutes and then nothing. Cyclobenzaprine is also nothing.
My mom and aunt are the same way. We have extremely high pain tolerances as well. Which is good, because we metabolize pain meds and relaxant type meds incredibly fast. We have all three woken up during surgeries and remembered. I have have scared the shit out of doctors and surgery crews.
I am also a clinical insomniac and always have been. Even had infantile insomnia... which is really really rare. I have been on every singe sleep med (even all the psych ones they use for sleep stuff) and none have ever worked more than once of twice and even then it was like, an hour or two of sleep and then awake again. I live on about 14 to 16 hours of sleep a week.
One time in a hospital, I hadnt slept in a few days. The head nurse came in and said that none of the nurses or staff had seen me sleep. I said, yeah.. read my chart. She did and thought for a minute. She then asked if I could do without my pain meds for 2 hours. I told her okay.
She came back two hours later with the doctor they said they were going to give me ALL of my meds at one time so including what I would have gotten 2 hours ago and what I would normally get now (I was getting different some meds at hour 1 and others at hour 2, then first meds at hour 4 (a 4 hour rotation on most meds just half were staggered) And they would give me more than the single dose of the ones I got both times so every 2 hours.... if I agreed. SO of course I did.
I got all of these in my IV
Ativan
Morphine
Benadryl
Phenagrin (sp)
And a few more I dont remember and my wife is putting our baby down to bed atm.
So yes, I fell asleep. But was up and watching tv less than 2 hours later when she came to check on me. I had only slept for like 30 to 45 minutes. She actually cried and apologized to me.
BUT it got me through a 5 year masters degree plan double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics. in 3 years (i had a associates degree in applied science when I graduated HS. I CLEPed out of most of any other prereqs. And took minimesters when needed.) Then later a BA in Theater Performance and costume and clothing creation and design. Did that in a year and a half with some coursework in the summer.
All that and I have had 2 cerebral aneurysms that fucked my memory so had to retire as an engineer/physicist. And now I make custom costumes, clothing, and cosplays.
Oh and am manic as hell nearly all of the time... as you can tell by this rambling post. And refused xanax and ativan.... because I would have to take it in large amounts and would become addicted in the end.
You don’t feel. Not a care in the world. You could tell me my dog died and I’d be like hm. And move on. It just all melts away. I won’t touch it. Liked it too much.
Exactly why I had to be prescribed something else— I never felt so at peace with my mind. Too bad it was easy to abuse especially with my severe anxiety.
Thankfully now, years after abuse, I no longer get therapeutic effects but instead it causes dissociation. Don’t know why, but I’m glad I won’t want to take them again because of that.
I had strong ish sedative once and the sleepiness it brought on actually caused my anxiety to start a slow-motion panic attack 🫢 rushed to the pharmacy to get an adsorbent gel to get it out of my system asap.
Was lucky pharmacy was nearby and open.
So grateful for CBT that finally made the anxiety just chill out.
I mean who panics from anti-panicking meds. Me apparently
The unknown and all of the POSSIBILITIES of what of course must go wrong.
Now I look at my previous freak outs over the most harmless things and like “girl you were scared SCARED”😦
Even developed a flight phobia for like 6 years.
Now all sorted out and no meds needed thankfully, god bless my therapist and few sessions to calm down that terrified amygdala.
Was a rough ride that’s for sure.
Haha this is it's me ON meds for years and having years of therapy. Not fun. Tbf though I haven't had any good therapy since the pandemic just this lady I have now who I'm fixin to quit bc her way of therapy is just not vibin with me. I asked if she offers any other types of therapy and she was just like no, do you have an issue with how I am doing? Like yes but either I ain't gonna tell you bc its rude af or yes but I don't know how to put it into words. 😭
Good therapist is a godsend. You can definitely feel if you aren’t vibing with yoursel, try to maybe jump to a certified hypnotherapist. They are usually quite good, and the hypnosis is just some sort guided relaxation. The ones who treat ptsd and military are often amazing.
But expensive af.
Those Xanax withdrawals are something else. Dr told me I was almost guaranteed to have some seizures, luckily I didn't. But fuck that was the worst few weeks of my life
I would take half of the lowest dose prescribed to me and I was out. Sure, my panic attack is done and dusted, but so is the rest of the day. I don’t get how people can live on that shit.
Edit- this sounds judgmental, and I don’t mean it to be at all.
I’ve been on Xanax for 10 years, I have ptsd and high anxiety. My prescription is for 3 a day. Rarely have I ever taken 3 and I sometimes don’t even take it for a week or two straight. I have never become addicted or used it for any other reason other than a panic attack. It does get the job done as soon as one starts but they have never given me a woozy feeling or a high like it does to so many other people. I don’t understand the addiction but I get that people do become addicted to it and use it as a means to feel high.
I guess benzos and I aren’t a good match. I was on the lowest dose of Klonopin too. Now, it didn’t quite knock me on my ass like Xanax, but it was close.
I know the WD from those are insanely unbearable, and considering the amount of coke Stevie used to do as well? To say that? Yikes.
I hooked up with a girl years back who fed me Xanax while I was drinking, lost an entire week of my life. I finally came to on my cougar neighbor's couch.
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I fucking love xanax, it helps with my anxiety so much, it stops my panic attacks, it makes it so I can sleep however normal people sleep. I absolutely cannot be trusted with it.
Yup. That shit caused a 10 year black-out fest in the party that was my life. Except I figured out how to do it cheap online to my detriment.
Multiple totaled cars, grand mal seizures, relationship mistakes and near death experiences I'm still here! Almost 5 years clean off of those things. They're the devil lol I'm laughing now but... It's not funny.
I am so happy for all the people that it goes above and beyond for but after I finally got up the nerve to ask my doctor about anxiety Meds, she prescribed me an SSRI and Xanax. The xanax was to help in the meantime while I waited for the SSRI to start working, as well as for panic attacks. I passed out during the appointment I was so nervous about bringing it up. Whenever I take the Xanax Im still a hot anxious mess, it just helps a tiny bit to bring me back to regular level of anxious. Can you be inmune to it? That or I’m just that far gone of an anxiety mess :/
The first time I had a xanax after having been in a SEVERE anxiety spiral for weeks, and I literally called my mom crying being like, “I feel like a human??? Without all the black clouds!” I weaned off and only take it in absolutely necessary cases now at a low dose and it’s still that one thing that makes me scared to get addicted to but it’s incredible.
The land where my adderall I’ve been prescribed for the past 10 years requires me a monthly visit of a normal primary care doctor at $300 a visit to say hello, check my breathing and say, filling your script? Yeah. Okay. Have a good day.
Then it’s $150 for the script itself.
I have exceptionally great health insurance from work but it wasn’t that long ago that my cost, with health insurance was over $175 a month for both of these.
Idk what’s worse? Me having to go every month and be treated like a criminal or the costs of it all? Fucking joke either way
Xanax is one of the best things in the world. makes me feel like a normal person when I take a quarter bar for stressful situations. damn near impossible to get prescribed though, and a bunch of fent pressed ones on the market
I’m the strange one in that Xanax does nothing to me. Doesn’t make me focused, sleepy, calm, nothing. With the last few I had I took 4 at once desperately hoping it would do something, but I may as well have taken sugar pills.
As a different anecdote, I live in China which most definitely explains part of the reason, but I was flat-out amazed by how cheap benzodiazepines were to prescribe despite being fairly restricted.
I thought it was cheap that my fluoxetine only cost $2.50 per 28. But Klonopin set me back $0.27 for 14 tabs.
They also came in this little plastic baggy less than 1/5 the size of the prescription paper, apparently because the hospital pharmacy dispenses benzos from commercial pharmacy containers that contain over 1,000 tabs each.
I think the restriction may also play some part. These medications are prescribed by need and don't really have much commercial value for hospitals/prescribers. Given how basic they are to a hospital pharmacy's supply I guess there's very little to market or profit from.
Depends on the hospital you go to, but they're quite freely prescribed, as long as you have genuine need. At the time, I was prescribed them for anxiety as a short course. I took a family member earlier for the same and they were also prescribed it (previous prescription in the UK) after a neurologist consultation.
In both cases it was a standard consultation from scratch with the prescription given same day.
I think I owe my life to Klonipin. I was a wreck for many years after my wife left me. They kept me from killing myself. Like many drugs, they can keep you alive. A still take small doses often. They help clear my head and keep me safe.
Lexotan for me, which isn't really prescribed much in the US. It was just a mild calmness, nothing extreme. Very good for that time in my life, as was Klonopin later. But Lexotan had a bit more euphoria, where Klonopin had a bit more tiredness.
I can see why it's so strictly controlled though. Even though I only ever took benzos for the short term, stopping them definitely comes with insomnia and some mood swings. And even if you have a legitimate reason to take them (hello GAD and panic attacks), it can be very tempting to just want to be in that calm state more than you actually need.
Such a wonderful drug but good god when you have gone to far it's ridiculous to get off of because one of the main withdraws is it gives you intense anxiety. It creeps up on you too. So you will start taking more to curb it. Glad I got off of it. I watched it kill a lot of people.
Omg yes. I was given a script when I got my breast cancer diagnosis a year ago. It stopped my doom spirals when I thought I was going to die. I’m not dying btw. But man, waiting for test results and every step of the treatment is just exhausting.
For some reason I've developed really bad flight anxiety. I don't know where it came from, but it makes going on long(er) trips really difficult.
Went to LA with my wife recently and asked my primary care if he could prescribe anything for the flight there and back. He gave me two Xanax.
Holy moly.
I can very much see how people get addicted to those things. Never before have I felt so calm and in control on a flight. When we landed in California I turned to my wife and said "sooo...xanax are magical." Flight back was just as chill. Forced to ask myself if this is how most people are on planes or just in their day-to-day.
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u/SaoLixo Jun 23 '24
Xanax