Posted by yxibow on November 17, 2006, at 3:23:53
In reply to Re: Brand Name vs. Generic Drugs, posted by valene on November 15, 2006, at 9:20:56
> Thank you, Jay. Are you a psychopharmacology student? You are so well informed about meds.
I'd like to consider myself one :) I've thought of going into medicine but the years of studying.... No... though.. I just have been through a lot of them and different disorders and I tend to research the prescribing information a bit too much <g> ? :)
I don't profess to be the be all to end all. In the end, we all have "case studies" on here. What I mean by that, is that everyone is different and their reactions to medications are different, and a bizarre enough reaction sometimes gets written up in journals as a "case study", involving a doctor referring to one or a couple of patients but not a full double blind study.
Enough of them, and I begin to glean some certain generalizations, like a certain number, but not everyone seems to be more depressed if they have an anxiety disorder and are taking Klonopin, etc.
> All I know is I have been on xanax for over 20 years and I used to be able to take 2mg. of the brand Upjohn at bedtime only. Now it does not even last all night.It is conceivable that you are developing tolerance, although the 20 year length does seem to outweigh that argument... I can't say...
I am feeling hopeless about the awful anxiety and head pressure/heart pounding which seems just like withdrawal.Its possible it is interdosal withdrawal -- that is you're running out too quickly for some reason, perhaps breakthrough anxiety, and thus your heart rate increases because the Xanax wears off between doses.
I am planning on asking my pdoc next week for either something to add on to *generic* xanax. She knows I have wanted off this drug. Instead I find myself going up to 2mg. due to the short half-life of the drug.
That is one of the pitfalls of Xanax, it can be necessary to take it up to 4+ times a day.
I sure hope this is not tolerance w/d. I have heard people have success using a combo of neurontin/trileptal in discontinuing or reducing xanax.
In the short run, Neurontin may provide a sedative effect that would help you (as I recall when I first started) -- in the long run, I still take it but I think it only augments the benzodiazepine I take. But as they say, your miles may vary.
I dread going to bed and keep .125mg. xanax beside me so that when I wake up at 5am or so I can take it.
>
> My pdoc is a Harvard grad and in 2 years got promoted to the director of outpatient psychiatry but when I called her yesterday she said "What do you want me to tell you to do?" What a bizarre question. If I knew I wouldn't be calling her!I guess I could say "??" I can't comment there, only you know what the two of you discuss.
-- best wishesJay
poster:yxibow
thread:702989
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061110/msgs/704464.html