Posted by Viridis on April 15, 2003, at 13:31:43
In reply to Would Xanax or beta blockers act fast?, posted by HelenInCalif on April 15, 2003, at 3:38:32
Most benzos act almost immediately -- with Xanax, I can feel the calming effect within about half an hour, or in a few minutes if dissolved under the tongue. The effects of Xanax typically last about 3-4 hours.
Benzos can cause sleepiness and/or lack of coordination if you're not used to them. I take Klonopin (a long-acting benzo) daily, and it took a week or two to get over these minor side effects, so at first I just took very small doses throughout the day. Now I have no side effects at all. I also take Xanax occasionally. For me, 0.25-0.50 mg just makes me feel calm, but more than this makes me drowsy (for me, 1.0 mg is great for occasional insomnia, although I wouldn't use it regularly for this purpose).
If you can get your doctor to give you a small prescription of a benzo, I'd recommend Xanax (alprazolam); some respond better to Ativan (lorazepam); Klonopin (clonazepam) is good but longer-acting, and it seems to take a bit longer to adjust to Klonopin for some people. Xanax just seems to provide the best short-term stress relief for the widest range of people.
I would try a small amount (for Xanax, 0.25 mg) and see how it works, preferably at home when you don't have to do anything demanding or drive anywhere. There's a lot of variation in reaction -- some people respond to 0.25 mg, some need at least 1.0 mg, and so on. If 0.25 mg hasn't done anything within an hour, try adding another 0.25 mg, etc.
Of course, you should discuss all of this with your doctor. Many doctors are afraid of benzos because they can cause dependency with long-term use, but even "benzophobic" doctors will sometimes prescribe a few pills to get you through a brief, very stressful time. They're usually very effective, and are very safe.
Good luck!
poster:Viridis
thread:219453
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030411/msgs/219580.html