[hopeless85]

So my 20 yr old college student who does well in college suffers from social anxiety. He was not always this way so I am not sure what happened. He turned to alcohol for the last 3 years to help with anxiety. He is now seeing a therapist and is on zoloft. His therapist suggested he see his doctor to get an "as needed" anxiety med. He suggested burspirone. The new family doc he went to see prescribed that but my son insists on xanax! He said he doesn't understand what this issue is and that he needs them. Makes me wonder if he tried them already. He said he will still see his therapist but is angry at the family doctor. This doctor said that once he sees my son a few times and develops a repor he may consider prescribing that. Does anyone have any feelings towards this? My son smokes weed and must have told the doctor so he also brought that up as another reason he won't prescribe it. He was doing so well for 5 weeks on zoloft and then started drinking again. We had a huge fight tonight and of course he always turns it around to make me look like the bad one.

[BlessedRhiannon]

I would suspect that because Xanax can be addicting and your son has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, the doctor is hesitant to prescribe anything which has the potential for abuse.

Perhaps Zoloft is not the right med for him - it can take some trial and error to find one that works well on anxiety. Perhaps your son would be well served by going to a psychiatrist, who can work with him to find the right medication that will work the best.

[Yoda]

Xanax works well for some people (me) but it does not play well with alcohol. If he agrees and follows through on stopping the alcohol then he might consider the xanax.

[hopeless85]

Yoda... if you drink alcohol while taking xanax (as needed) what happens? He said the therapist said he would only take it as needed but I know that it can be addicting.

Originally Posted by Yoda

Xanax works well for some people (me) but it does not play well with alcohol. If he agrees and follows through on stopping the alcohol then he might consider the xanax.

[hopeless85]

As for the psychiatrist, I wanted him to go but he fought me on that. I spoke to the therapist I was seeing and he said that a psychiatrist just prescribes the meds and doesn't help you work through the problems. So I didn't know what was best.

Originally Posted by hopeless85

Yoda... if you drink alcohol while taking xanax (as needed) what happens? He said the therapist said he would only take it as needed but I know that it can be addicting.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by hopeless85

Yoda... if you drink alcohol while taking xanax (as needed) what happens? He said the therapist said he would only take it as needed but I know that it can be addicting.

Xanax is fairly safe by itself even in large doses. However if you combine alcohol with xanax it can be a powerful respiratory depressant that can slow or stop breathing to the point of being fatal.

[LonesomeTonight]

It could be better for him to see a psychiatrist along with the therapist. Psychiatrists are experts on psych drugs and would know better what to prescribe (and what not to prescribe) than a family doctor. The fact that he's specifically requesting Xanax (and not just that type of drug--there's others like Ativan) does suggest to me that maybe he tried one of his friend's or something. I tried Xanax in the past, and my psychiatrist only prescribed me a very tiny dose at first--like 5 pills to take as needed. There is the risk of becoming addicted, as others mentioned.
How long has he been on Zoloft? It can take up to 8 weeks to reach full effectiveness. And he might need a higher dose.

[Nammu]

Propranolol does wonder for anxiety and is not addictive. It does sound a bit like he is drug seeking. Has he considered rehab to learn other copping methods than drugs?

[hopeless85]

He won't agree to rehab. He was doing so well without the booze. He has been on zoloft for 6 weeks. This should be his 6th week starting now. Not sure if I mentioned that he doesn't bathe or brush his teeth regularly. I don't know how the girlfriend can stand that. The therapist used to call me back but now does not. Guess a conflict of the privacy act.

[-jimi-]

I didnt know tranqs existed when i was 20. Too bad. Maybe if i had gotten them i would have managed life and school and gotten a career. Instead im dirt poor and on full time disability since 33 years old.

Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk

[AncientMelody]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Xanax is fairly safe by itself even in large doses. However if you combine alcohol with xanax it can be a powerful respiratory depressant that can slow or stop breathing to the point of being fatal.

But xanax has significant addictive potential; not something I would recommend for even a former alcoholic. Buspar would be a better choice...there's several better choices. I hope your son's doctor sticks to his guns and doesn't prescribe the xanax hopeless. good luck to you

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by sidestepper

Propranolol does wonder for anxiety and is not addictive. It does sound a bit like he is drug seeking. Has he considered rehab to learn other copping methods than drugs?

I agree - take him to an AA meeting and show him his future. Im sorry this is happening.

[MovingOnUpAgain]

Originally Posted by hopeless85

So my 20 yr old college student who does well in college suffers from social anxiety. He was not always this way so I am not sure what happened. He turned to alcohol for the last 3 years to help with anxiety. He is now seeing a therapist and is on zoloft. His therapist suggested he see his doctor to get an "as needed" anxiety med. He suggested burspirone. The new family doc he went to see prescribed that but my son insists on xanax! He said he doesn't understand what this issue is and that he needs them. Makes me wonder if he tried them already. He said he will still see his therapist but is angry at the family doctor. This doctor said that once he sees my son a few times and develops a repor he may consider prescribing that. Does anyone have any feelings towards this? My son smokes weed and must have told the doctor so he also brought that up as another reason he won't prescribe it. He was doing so well for 5 weeks on zoloft and then started drinking again. We had a huge fight tonight and of course he always turns it around to make me look like the bad one.

You are a smart parent to reach out and research this. As you search more online you will find out how addicting this medication is for many people. Temporary medicine is all it should be, not a long term fix. I can see taking it if there is a death in the family, something sudden and unexpected. Read more online and you will see why the doctor is hesitant, praise your doc for being cautious. So many just write prescriptions and never talk about the side effects. People struggle to get off this stuff.

[-jimi-]

Thing is Buspar doesn't help many. It is like winning the lottery if it helps. Also there seem to exist a reverse placebo with the types of meds the doc WANTS to prescribe. I have been in my lousiest moments in life, but doc claimed I did swell, and it was the med they prescribed that helped and NO, I don't need a med change.

Yes, it IS easy to get hooked on Xanax, but there are other meds that actually could help, with lesser risk. Also, risking slipping into alcohol abuse, I'd prefer medication that is controlled by a doctor.

And yes, he tried Xanax. It probably made him feel normal, like WOW, this his how normal people feel every day! I had that reaction with Ritalin. It made me feel like the whole world was cheating that they actually felt good naturally and most days! I had no idea life could be like that.

Also... just to be a total PITB, Zoloft is the med that ruined my life. It has the highest effect when it comes to damaging noradrenaline receptors, which in some individuals with a certain body chemistry, kindles them into permanent depression. If you worry about Xanax, please worry about this too.

[Disorder7]

If he takes Xanax he needs to be sure not to drink. It's difficult to overdose on Xanax alone. But it does increase the impact of alcohol on the liver. So when people die it's usually ruled as alcohol poisoning.

[AncientMelody]

Originally Posted by Disorder7

If he takes Xanax he needs to be sure not to drink. It's difficult to overdose on Xanax alone. But it does increase the impact of alcohol on the liver. So when people die it's usually ruled as alcohol poisoning.

it's not just the liver to be worried about. The far greater risk with combining xanax with alcohol is respiratory depression. You combine these two chemicals and you may just stop breathing.