# Does Xanax work?



## HopingCat36

I am wondering if I should be listening to my psychiatrist when she keeps trying to shove Xanax down my throat. Does it work for this hell Dp/dr? Or those it have to be a commotion of meds with Xanax to show some real relive?


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## TDX

If you want to take a benzodiazepine you should try clonazepam. It might be superior to other benzodiazepines in treating depersonalization symptoms.

However never forget that addiction is a serious risk when taking benzodiazepines. Withdrawl from them can last very long and be very unpleasant.


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## HopingCat36

TDX said:


> If you want to take a benzodiazepine you should try clonazepam. It might be superior to other benzodiazepines in treating depersonalization symptoms.
> 
> However never forget that addiction is a serious risk when taking benzodiazepines. Withdrawl from them can last very long and be very unpleasant.


Ugh.... i know and this is why I don't want to take the Xanax. Do have to take clonazepan daily to get some type of relieve?


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## Chicane

I'm on clonazepam, I take half a pill every morning and night and have for the last two years. I'm dependent on it now, no doubt, and if I come off it even a little I have symptoms. But it did take away 90% of my anxiety, so it was worth it. I look at it like if I have to stay on it forever, then so be it. I'd rather that than live with endless panic.


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## HopingCat36

Chicane said:


> I'm on clonazepam, I take half a pill every morning and night and have for the last two years. I'm dependent on it now, no doubt, and if I come off it even a little I have symptoms. But it did take away 90% of my anxiety, so it was worth it. I look at it like if I have to stay on it forever, then so be it. I'd rather that than live with endless panic.


Is the Dp/dr also gone?


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## Pondererer

Well anythings worth a try ain't it? Although the way i've understood it, xanax is more of a, emergency drug in the heat of the moment. Not a everyday drug to keep you normal.


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## Chicane

HopingCat36 said:


> Is the Dp/dr also gone?


No. Xanax, like Clonazepam, is a benzodiazepene, which is a class of drugs that usually works pretty well when taken on an as-needed basis. It's not really meant for daily use because your body can get used to it (and require more) pretty easily. The everyday meds are the SSRIs, like celexa, or paxil for instance. Those take a while to build up in your system (usually 4-8 weeks) and are pretty well-tolerated. The benzos on the other hand tend to be a little harsher on the system, and like I said are typically not prescribed for every day, they're more for situational anxiety or panic attacks, and are fast-acting, unlike SSRIs. It's just that in my case, my anxiety was so bad that it was decided I should use both, so that was how it went down for me, even though some experts would say that's not exactly an ideal combo. So I take both celexa (an SSRI) and clonazepam (a benzo) daily.

As far as I know, there's no drug or medication to really treat DP/DR that works across the board, but everyone's different. Some people do feel relief from taking just an SSRI or a benzo, and others still report relief from an (atypical) antipsychotic. You have to remember though, these meds are primarily geared towards anxiety/depression/OCD. So if you want relief from the panic, this is a good place to start. Unfortunately, it's notoriously difficult to go on to treat the DP/DR-type symptoms even once the anxiety has abated. The feelings of spaciness and the unrealness, the cognitive symptoms, those all seem to be far more tricky to get a handle on, though the antipsychotics do seem to help some people in that regard. I haven't tried them myself though.


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## HopingCat36

Chicane said:


> No. Xanax, like Clonazepam, is a benzodiazepene, which is a class of drugs that usually works pretty well when taken on an as-needed basis. It's not really meant for daily use because your body can get used to it (and require more) pretty easily. The everyday meds are the SSRIs, like celexa, or paxil for instance. Those take a while to build up in your system (usually 4-8 weeks) and are pretty well-tolerated. The benzos on the other hand tend to be a little harsher on the system, and like I said are typically not prescribed for every day, they're more for situational anxiety or panic attacks, and are fast-acting, unlike SSRIs. It's just that in my case, my anxiety was so bad that it was decided I should use both, so that was how it went down for me, even though some experts would say that's not exactly an ideal combo. So I take both celexa (an SSRI) and clonazepam (a benzo) daily.
> 
> As far as I know, there's no drug or medication to really treat DP/DR that works across the board, but everyone's different. Some people do feel relief from taking just an SSRI or a benzo, and others still report relief from an (atypical) antipsychotic. You have to remember though, these meds are primarily geared towards anxiety/depression/OCD. So if you want relief from the panic, this is a good place to start. Unfortunately, it's notoriously difficult to go on to treat the DP/DR-type symptoms even once the anxiety has abated. The feelings of spaciness and the unrealness, the cognitive symptoms, those all seem to be far more tricky to get a handle on, though the antipsychotics do seem to help some people in that regard. I haven't tried them myself though.


When this hell started for me the psychiatrist gave me Zoloft, Xanax, and amitriptyline. I started with Zoloft for 6 weeks and had to come off it. It was giving me weird side effects like bruising. Then he told me to drink the Amitriptyline to help me sleep ( I couldn't sleep for 9 weeks when this started) so I started on that (10mg) and finally got some sleep. And now she keeps nagging me to take the Xanax. I really want to feel better but I know there's no medication that can cure this and I also don't know where this came from. So I'm just stuck


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## Chicane

Well that being the case I think what should've happened is that they should have tried a new SSRI with you - zoloft is the one you were given but it didn't work for you. Normally then, you'll be advised to try another (you could try asking about celexa, I have had no side effects from that). It doesn't make a lot of sense for your psych to prescribe you a situational medication (xanax) instead of that, since it sounds like you should be looking to manage your anxiety on a daily basis, possibly long term.

It really comes down to what you're hoping to achieve though. Getting rid of all the DP/DR symptoms is kind of a utopian fantasy for a lot of us. That's not to say it's totally unrealistic, but you have to work out what you can reasonably achieve in the short term. So, psychiatrist aside, what do you want to happen? It sounds like the anxiety is the worst symptom for you right now, and if so, you can get it under control, but you do need to persevere with (most likely) an SSRI for a period of time. Whether your psych then decides to throw in a benzo in addition to the SSRI to help in extreme situations should be between the two of you, I guess. Unless your anxiety is only sporadic, in which case the xanax might suffice after all.


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## Chicane

Think too about how the anxiety itself is hitting you. Is it only spiking when you're at the store? Or just when you go to bed at night? Or are you worrying about your symptoms and feeling stressed by them all day long? Those are the types of things you need to consider. If it's an all-day, every day thing, the SSRI is most likely the way to go. You mention that your psych wants to shove meds down your throat, like you're not feeling it. Why is that though? You don't need to suffer, and you can eventually get even sicker if you let the anxiety take over your body and mind 24/7, so that's something to think about as well. I guess when it comes to anxiety, the standard route is to go with an SSRI you can tolerate (and that's usually a pretty mild medication) and then go from there, only adding the more extreme ones (like xanax) if needed.


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## HopingCat36

Chicane said:


> Well that being the case I think what should've happened is that they should have tried a new SSRI with you - zoloft is the one you were given but it didn't work for you. Normally then, you'll be advised to try another (you could try asking about celexa, I have had no side effects from that). It doesn't make a lot of sense for your psych to prescribe you a situational medication (xanax) instead of that, since it sounds like you should be looking to manage your anxiety on a daily basis, possibly long term.
> 
> It really comes down to what you're hoping to achieve though. Getting rid of all the DP/DR symptoms is kind of a utopian fantasy for a lot of us. That's not to say it's totally unrealistic, but you have to work out what you can reasonably achieve in the short term. So, psychiatrist aside, what do you want to happen? It sounds like the anxiety is the worst symptom for you right now, and if so, you can get it under control, but you do need to persevere with (most likely) an SSRI for a period of time. Whether your psych then decides to throw in a benzo in addition to the SSRI to help in extreme situations should be between the two of you, I guess. Unless your anxiety is only sporadic, in which case the xanax might suffice after all.


What I really want is this hell Dp/dr to go away. Got hit with it out of nowhere and I actually had this before when I was a teen and was triggered by weed (18 years ago)I remember suffering for over a year with no medication and no help. Then now(I'm 36 now) all I did was think about that horrific night and I got all the same symptoms without the weed. Which leads me to believe that I probably had an anxiety problem 18 years ago and the weed triggered Dp/dr maybe from anxiety.. I don't know but this time there was no weed involved, no alcohol, no drugs. I'm healthy and was happy and Bam this came like a monster. Somethings have faded. Like the cotton brain, existence thoughts, the hyper awareness, and the never ending thoughts that kept going but I still feel like hell. I still get those out of body attacks that I am terrified off. I still feel like I am in a dream. This is just a very shitty thing to have.


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