"as needed" Medication

I know it sounds like a stupid question but with constant anxiety how do you know when it's "as needed"?

I know you have been going through hell lately I'm so sorry.

You probably should call Monday morning and clarify " as needed"
Is there a oncall Pdoc or Nurse you can call tonight?

Alot of anxiety meds are " as needed" but there is a total amount per 24 hours you don't want to exceed...

Try and call for specific instructions... Be safe !

Calculate what you have and for how long it has to last you.
Also, if you got a benzo PRN, then I would definitely watch your intake.

PRN = "as needed"

I personally take mines when I feel my anxiety getting higher than I would like. My tremors are noticeable, my insides feel like their gonna explode and I feel far too claustrophobic.

I don't use it any more, but I started by taking it when I was falling apart.
Then I learned to take it when I was very anxious (but not yet falling apart).
Then I learned I could take half or less at the time I felt my anxiety was not going to calm down, and was I was on my way to being very anxious.
In the end 1/4 or 1/8 of a .5mg tablet of Xanax was all I needed to stop the anxiety from progressing to panic. Sometimes I had to take that amount twice, about 20 minutes apart.

To me, "As needed" is defined by you as when you feel like the anxiety is more than you can tolerate.

20-30 minutes before you enter what you know will be a stressful situation.

I take Zanax for stress. I identified my stressors and take 1/2 hour before needed. I used to take after my symptoms hit panic mood. I prefer the proactive approach myself.

I've started taking my Zanax 2x a day just to maintain it in my system. I can add to it if needed so I keep in my purse.

If you only take atarax/vistaril you don't have to be afraid of addiction because it is not addictive and it is tiring rather than calming. You can almost take as much as you want (with doctor's blessing). 150 mg is where I live the max dosage, which is plenty if you take the 10 mg type. The limit is what feels OK and is safe and not making you too tired,and of course what the doc says.

My deal is different taking Xanax. I take them every day but I usually take them at night because in the day I am more distracted plus in the night I get extra anxious because being tired makes me so.

I think you should ask your doc and have your prescription changed from PRN to this and that many tabs a day. It is safe with Atarax.

Okay thank-you

i'm in my 60s and no longer get anxious about getting adicted to .5 mg. klonopin..i am more interested in my comfort level and how i feel and how i interact with those close to me. my p/doc has me take 1/2 of a .5mg daily along w/my other vitamins and meds to just sorta keep the edge off. i exercise hard 7 days a week and do a lot of cardio to burn off my mania (i don't get the depression...if during the day i'm really stressed or agitated, i will take another 1/2 of that klonopin or even another whole klonopin. do not mix alcohol w/those anti-anxiety meds.

You guys are brave to try and take thse meds that you could get adicted to. I'd be so worried about that.

I had a severe addiction to Xanax for the past 6 months.
I'm just now nearing the tail end of weaning myself off of it.
I'm not afraid of addiction. The weaning process is the scariest part,
but once you go through it a few times, it gets exponentially easier.

If I miss a few days on my antidepressant I feel really really bad. Worse than if I skip Xanax. When I came off Effexor I thought I was in hell. So compared to that I don't feel like Xanax is what I should fear. I totally fear I will have a problem refilling my antidepressant. Or that they will stop making it which actually is a real worry.

I didn't find anti-depressant withdrawals to be anything to even think about.
Benzo's are known to have some of the worst WDs of any medication.

Both are known for withdrawals and we're not all the same.

I lost a friend because of tapering out Effexor too fast. It can be really bad....

I feel like anything can become an addiction. People are addicted to coffee.
If the medication works for me I use it.

Some people have more addictive personalities so for them it's a bigger concern.

Yea it is both about personality and chemistry. I've really never had to increase dosage and it took me many years to have any withdrawals from Xanax and still I don't get the classic withdrawals, I get silent migraine attacks no different from my ordinary attacks. Other people can get hooked fast and they might have to even increase dosage and then it is the wrong med. So it can be about luck like that. I have even decreased the dosage since I first started it.

I take Xanax 1mg and .50 Halcion every nite .. both are benzos, I have tried every other sleeping med. Nothing has worked. My doctor is fine with my medications, I have taken them now for about 2 years.. I have never needed nor wanted an increase.

It works for me.