I’m not a pharmacist, but I am an analytical chemist who has worked on NDA studies for both Halcion and Xanax. That makes me exactly as qualified as any of you to comment on the effects of these drugs.
However, in reading the study protocol for an early Xanax project, I remember a phrase something like “Does not exhibit the same potential for habituation as other benzodiazapines.”
At that point I suspected that benzos were highly addictive and that Xanax would eventually prove to be not much better than its cousins.
My predictive powers are generally pretty lame, but the important point is the OPs: these drugs are very addictive and potentially dangerous to quit cold turkey. They do however offer real help to people with certain disorders, and are manufactured to the highest quality standards.
Unfortunately, there is financial incentive for the manufacturer to downplay the risks, and for doctors to overlook the potential for abuse. To be clear, I’m not suggesting any kind of a conspiracy, but there is no substitute for watching out for your own health.
I ran out of Xanax a couple of years ago and thought nothing of it; besides my next appointment was a month away (and it also showed that something was wrong - I took more than my prescription suggested). I woke up one day feeling an impending sense of doom; I just cried randomly the bus, had the symptoms of a panic attack that lasted for three days before finally dragged by my friend to see a clinic which could prescribe Xanax. And it happened twice. There was one intense night I had to call SoS; I almost jumped out from the window from my 13th floor apartment room. Luckily the landlord kept the grilling locked.
Thankfully I am off it now; and the Dope was helpful what I asked how it could be done.
I have been taking 1 mg Lorazepam (Ativan) once a day for almost a year now. Should I be concerned? I am also on several other depression meds, and Ambien for insomnia.
I was on Lorazepam for a while, but I cannot remember much about it. The thing is that you are not supposed to be on term with those medication, and you got to taper off them gradually.
Thank you very much for your feedback and encouragement. While I take no pleasure at all in others’ struggles, your comments are in a way rather reassuring, in that I am not by any means alone in my unpleasant experiences with this class of prescription drugs. (“Unpleasant” is a euphemism if there ever was one, but I digress.)
Ruby: My wife has some serious struggles with food, too. As you mention, the problem is compounded by the fact that one cannot abstain from food. Best wishes to you as you work through that problem.
Crowbar: Yep, that’s textbook benzo withdrawal. Panic attacks that last days or even weeks, suicidal ideation, paranoia, depression, to name only a few. I applaud you for getting off the stuff.
nyctea scandiaca: I’m not a doctor or therapist, but I think I can tell you very generally (from experience) what to watch out for in terms of possible Rx drug addiction:
-taking more than you’re prescribed/increasing your dosage without a doctor’s advice to do so
-running out of meds early
-doctor shopping (going to more than one doc or clinic to get multiple prescriptions of the same drug or drug class)
-problems at work or in relationships due to the drug’s effects (or its absence!)
-becoming emotionally or psychologically fixated on your daily usage
While it sounds a little risky to me for a person to be taking both benzos and hypnotics (i.e., Ambien) at the same time, unless you’re displaying any of the above behaviors, I wouldn’t personally be too worried, if I were you. Some people can take benzos and hypnos with no problems or complications at all. But as hougaswd said, these drugs have a VERY high addiction potential. if you’re at all concerned, see your psychiatrist or another practitioner (preferably an addiction specialist) ASAP. Best wishes to you.
Some Rx substances are street drugs. Oxy is all over streets now, selling at over $40 a pill in Southern California. There’s a lot of crossover with the cheap, black-tar heroin that’s coming up from Mexico; kids–from all socio-economic strata–go from one to the other, and vice-versa. They grind up the pills and smoke them like heroin.
Yep. Been there, myself. But that’s a whole different addiction tale.
Ironically, that battle ALSO began in a doctor’s office. I’ve never sought out or used a “street” drug in my life. Yet my life was almost ruined by addiction. Twice.