xanax and mood stabelizer?

Hey,

I am taking xanax 2mg bedtime (Problems with sleeping) and 1mg twice daily for,GAD and some type of mood disorder she said could be bipolar II. I also take Trileptal 600mg bed time and 150mg twice daily I am starting to feel better it does quiet the mind so the racing thoughts are more managable but with all I hear about xanax I do wonder if what I take is good or not? My Pd says I should not worry about what I read about the drug because it is working for me I just worry about what will happen later if I ever try to stop taking it? Does any one have any thought on this?

A lot of benzos (drug class xanax is in) get a bad rap by some Dr's and some people in the recovery community because they used to be massively overprescribed and because they do cause dependency. Note I use the word dependency not addiction - to me they're different things.

Warning signs to watch out for - developing a tolerance - that means you need a higher dose to get the same effect. Starting to abuse the med by taking more than is prescribed or not taking it at the prescribed, a classic case would be taking 6 mg to knock yourself out so you could sleep for a day to avoid dealing with stuff.

I take clonazapam it's similar to xanax, I take 2 mg at night and 1 mg 3 times daily. I've been on this dose a couple of years and it does help keep the physical symptoms of my anxiety in check. But yes I'm aware that I'm dependent upon it and that when I go off it, I'll have to have a tapering schedule to come off it slowly. Withdrawal from benzo's can be nasty if not done carefully. There's rebound anxiety all the way up to potential seizures. It's actually very similar to withdrawing from alcohol if you're physically dependent on that.

My pdoc knows my addictions history and is still willing to prescribe clonazapam to me, because he knows I don't abuse it. It helps me more that it hurts me, so for now, I'm ok with taking it.

--splitimage

Xanax tolerance can happen quickly.

Another thing about Xanax that I found, and I wasn't taking that large a dose, was that it made my mood depressed. I take it as needed and a very small dose, usually 1/4 to 1 full .5 tablet. When I've taken it more regularly and tolerance or depression are notice, cutting back or stopping helped both.

Were you started at 2mg? That seems kind of high to me, but I only know me

If you aren't comfortable with the Xanax, there are other choices of meds for sleeping issues. I used Neurontin for anxiety with sleep issues; it helped me fall asleep gently and stay asleep all night.

Please talk to your prescriber about your concerns. It's very important!

Xanax has a nasty hang over for me. They help me sleep very well but i wake up feeling pretty rough after using them. Ive had much better luck with klonopins or 3mg lunesta to help me sleep.
So if xanax works for you, then use it as directed. Its very easy to abuse and you do build a tolerance to it rather quickly. Getting off benzos can be a nightmare from what I've seen. So make sure the pros out weigh the cons.

I wish you the best of luck

Thanks for your thoughts on the Xanax. But for now I think I will continue to take the Trilepatal whith the Xanax as perscribed becaues it is working for me. First time in a long time I feel like I am ok I hope I will continue to feel this way and if it changes some were down the road I guess I will worry about it then.

So now I am wondering if any one is takingTrilepatal for a mood disorder? I see everything but this drug? I would like to see what any one thinks about Trilelatal as mood stabelizer?

It is my understanding that taking over 3mg of xanax a day on a regular basis then stopping abruptly can cause seizures, so I would be cautious about that.

I took trileptal for a while and it did not help me. Actually, it was part of a cocktail of meds that almost killed me

Actually, seizures can occur by taking any amount (albeit higher amounts more so) of any benzo by stopping abruptly. It's always best to slowly/gradually wean off/taper off of a med like xanax.

I was worried about developing a dependence to Klonopin, another benzo, but was no where ready to be without its benefits. I had my doc prescribe me Buspar to address the anxiety instead. Its a non-benzo and it worked great. I tapered off the Klonopin, but it was still VERY uncomfortable. Like I had the flu for three weeks.

Now I just don't know what to think? I am still taking the xanax and Trileptal was feeling alot better then a week ago I got shingles they say the meds have nothing to do with haveing the shingles. When I talk to pdoc she says I should not listen to the bad things I hear about xanax and it is working for me so I am
confused? Nicoleb2 I am so sorry about what happened to you when you took Trilepatal I pray something like that will not happen to me I have been talking it since Dec I thought it was helping me but with now having the shingles I am so not sure about any thing just want my energy back.......

If worried or decide you want something other then a benzo ask about buspar. I thought it would not help cause I was used to the xanax and other benzo's did not work as well but I love it now. I don't have to worry about becoming depended on it or increase too much on a benzo not to mention the worries if I have to come off of a benzo.