I take it for occasional panic attacks now that I'm back in school (lol). I first took it for the same thing when I was getting my undergrad degree. I only took it for specific moments (prn - as needed), not as a daily thing. Lowest dose available and I usually broke them in half.
For the mild, not all the time anxiety, I thought it worked well. I think that if you aren't suffering from generalized anxiety it's a better med than one of the others. It helps me a great deal. Especially on those nights when my brain starts doing the hamster wheel (rapid cycling) and I can't get to sleep, even if I'm exhausted.
Depending on the type of anxiety you have, it might be just what you need...but usually, for on-going anxiety, most doctors will prescribe an SSRI (Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, etc.) If these are isolated episodes where you can have an idea of when the anxiety is going to happen, the Xanax isn't such a bad choice, but can make you a bit spacy (probably wouldn't be my first choice to help with anxiety at school) another option would be something like propranolol (a beta-blocker that helps with symptoms of anxiety--like fast heart rate and sweating) which is often used for performance-related anxiety. All kind of depends on your situation, your allergies and if you're taking other medications.
You are masking the symptoms with a powerful drug. The question is, why do you have anxiety? Why do you feel stress from school? And how severe is it? Taking a drug to ease the symptoms is not curing the problem. You most likely have other stuff that needs to be addressed. Maybe a therapist could help and/or a doctor who can check you out for metabolic imbalances. Sometimes a low thyroid can cause all sorts of issues like this. In other words, get to the root of the problem first. Drugs should be used only as a last resort.
You can go to a general MD and tell him/her about the anxiety--most will prescribe Xanax for short-term use. Then, check the phone book and with friends for a new psychiatrist.
i'm on zoloft, so i can only speak on what my experiences are with that... but zoloft really helped me. other people noticed a difference in my attitude-- i was happy again.
you might be on a smaller dosage than someone that has other problems, such as severe depression, so don't really think of it as being too much.
Comments
I take it for occasional panic attacks now that I'm back in school (lol). I first took it for the same thing when I was getting my undergrad degree. I only took it for specific moments (prn - as needed), not as a daily thing. Lowest dose available and I usually broke them in half.
For the mild, not all the time anxiety, I thought it worked well. I think that if you aren't suffering from generalized anxiety it's a better med than one of the others. It helps me a great deal. Especially on those nights when my brain starts doing the hamster wheel (rapid cycling) and I can't get to sleep, even if I'm exhausted.
Hope that helps.
Depending on the type of anxiety you have, it might be just what you need...but usually, for on-going anxiety, most doctors will prescribe an SSRI (Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, etc.) If these are isolated episodes where you can have an idea of when the anxiety is going to happen, the Xanax isn't such a bad choice, but can make you a bit spacy (probably wouldn't be my first choice to help with anxiety at school) another option would be something like propranolol (a beta-blocker that helps with symptoms of anxiety--like fast heart rate and sweating) which is often used for performance-related anxiety. All kind of depends on your situation, your allergies and if you're taking other medications.
You are masking the symptoms with a powerful drug. The question is, why do you have anxiety? Why do you feel stress from school? And how severe is it? Taking a drug to ease the symptoms is not curing the problem. You most likely have other stuff that needs to be addressed. Maybe a therapist could help and/or a doctor who can check you out for metabolic imbalances. Sometimes a low thyroid can cause all sorts of issues like this. In other words, get to the root of the problem first. Drugs should be used only as a last resort.
You can go to a general MD and tell him/her about the anxiety--most will prescribe Xanax for short-term use. Then, check the phone book and with friends for a new psychiatrist.
i'm on zoloft, so i can only speak on what my experiences are with that... but zoloft really helped me. other people noticed a difference in my attitude-- i was happy again.
you might be on a smaller dosage than someone that has other problems, such as severe depression, so don't really think of it as being too much.
um... ask him for something a little less harsh. and less expensive -_-
yes it helps, take it exactly as directed, no more!