Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Xanax ,........Weird and Erratic Behavior ?

A friend / neighbor of mine has a doctor feeding him pills like there's no tomorrow,....I mean he's gotta' carry a LIST of how much and when,......20 to 30 assorted pills daily, he claims.
Guess they told him he was going to "Stroke Out",.....High BP, and such. HATES his boss, HATES his job ( a real stress raiser, I guess),....and smokes heavily.

One amongst the Pharma is "Xanax",........dunno' much about the stuff, but I've heard that it can contribute to some pretty pronounced mood swings, and generally erratic behavior, and performance.

He's not the man I knew a coupla' years ago, and I'm just trying to get a handle on what I'm seein' go down.

GTC

don't know nothing about Xanax. but, if you see him coming running waiving a gun in the air, i'd probably suggest you retreat to the bunker at least until he begins to talk rationally with you.

Oh,.....speaking of the weird and erratic, there goes one now.

GTC

All of the tweekers, addicts, morons, and d*&kheads around here have a script, be it via a legitamate or street pharmacist.

Basically, from everyone I have seen who is on it, you are like an amoral zombie, with little to no empathy. In my eye, it numbs the person to the point where they have little to no anxiety, worry, fear, happiness, sadness.. nothing.

Like every other overprescribed script, I'm sure it has a short-term legitamate purpose, but is over prescribed and abused. I have heard that the withdraws are frightening.

On a side note, reading this part of your post...



For a minute I thought you were talking about me! Ha.

In a nutshell, if you can, I would talk your friend out of the Xanax. From everything I have seen and heard, it isn't worth the side effects and especially not the withdraws.

The problem with any anti depressant is that it can be used to treat that behavior or cause it in some people. So you never really know what is causing that behavior. This is why docs experiment with types and dosages until they think they found a combo that works. Until it doesn't anymore. Then on to more trial and error.

It's sad cuz a lot of folks need something, but that process of finding the right meds can be brutal

I would describe Xanax as Valium Lite...

Have taken some before Dentist visits when they were going to do a bunch of work.

You start mixing all those "Mood Drugs", no telling what they will do to a human body. I'd imagine it would be different for each individual...

I know little about pharmacology, but I do know that there are a lot of myths floating around about meds in general and a few in particular. I try to avoid meds, and when I do take something I take as little as possible and only occasionally.

With that intro, I do have a script for Xanax which I take on those occasions when I can't get to sleep, mainly because my mind is racing, and especially when I need to be up and about the next day. The main side effect I experience is drowsiness the next day, particularly if I take a full 0.5mg tablet. Usually I can get by with a half. I haven't experienced any other side effects, certainly not mood issues.

I do know that it is one of a class of drugs that can be addictive, and that docs are urged to prescribe it with caution. A bottle of 30 lasts me a long time, usually about a year, maybe more.

Hope this helps, and good luck to your neighbor in dealing with his issues.

Paul

Edit: What deerwhacker said. And Xanax is not an antidepressant. Different class of drug.

Your friend needs a new doctor.



Travis

Taken in proper doses it doesn't have an adverse effect on most people. You never know for sure how different people will react though. A good Doc will start with a very low dose and watch for signs of erratic behavior. If complications develop stop. High doses for long periods would concern me

My 83 year old mom takes a very low dose of it for anxiety. It has been a big help for her. My dad had very wierd problems when given sleeping pills a couple of years ago.

I would never criticize anyone who needs medication, and is precribed and takes it legally and responsibly, but as for this guy, no thanks. I dislike taking Asprin and Tums; not that I am some sort of naturalist, I just dislike taking medication.

That being said, last summer and into fall, pretty much the entire 2012 year, I was haveing some real issues.. depression, lethargy, a lack of interest in EVERYTHING.. basically, I was not me. There was no critial event that thrust me into a full blown depression, nor did it happen overnight, I did finally break down and head over to see the doc..

Turns out, after some basic blood work, my Testostorone was something like 43 at its lowest. After a few months of playing with doseages, I feel alot better. Though I am by no means back to 100%, I am heading in that direction. I will say, as a man who strongly dislikes medication, I don't think I would want to live in that hell again; give me the shot each week.

Anti anxiety drug, not anti depressant. Sorry, I misspoke

Xanax can be very bad news, highly addictive. Oops hope this will help you a little. It's not diazepam (Valium) lite, it's worse.

Xanax (alprazolam) belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing down the movement of chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. This results in a reduction in nervous tension (anxiety).

Xanax is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression.

"Polypharmacy" as it is called, i.e. too many meds, can be a real problem. This guy needs to find a new doc who can take a fresh look at what's being treated and the meds being used.

Xanax is a short acting benzodiazepine, a class of minor tranquilizers including Valium, etc. Short acting benzos are more of a problem than longer acting ones. They can be addicting and a chemical dependency can result. Coming off high doses abruptly can actually cause seizures. They are also used to treat seizures.

Benzos can be used in alcoholics with D.T.'s. A full blown psychotic D.T. patient, seeing snakes, elephants, etc., will smooth out and become symptom free with appropriate doses of benzos. Librium, a longer acting benzo, is often used for that. So you see, benzos affect many of the same neuroreceptor sites as ethanol and combining high benzo use with alcohol can be fatal.

These are dangerous drugs and should be used accordingly. Obviously they are overused all too often. The only really legitimate use for Xanax, IMHO, is acute panic disorder and then only as needed. There is NO indication for high dose, long term Xanax usage.

DF

That.

That many scripts might have originated from multiple docs. Xanax can have some impact to be sure, but I'd be looking first at the possibility of contra-indicated scripts.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-9824-Xanax+Oral.aspx

Sounds like he needs to take control of his life. Poisoning himself with smokes and drugs, stress..... all o that [bleep] needs to go.

Otherwise, just dig a hole.

Yeah, before HE goes...

DF

what you are describing is not the Xanax it is things like antidepressants and mood stabilizers that are causing this the fact that he is taking so many in a day points too these things Xanax is basically high speed valium it is given too people with ptsd for agitation like the sound of a helo going over the house or being in a large noisy crowd it knocks you on you're ass QUICK
if anything you should be glad for that one he is taking the last thing he will do on Xanax is run around waving things please don't ask me how I know but believe me I do.

Polypharmacy is the real culprit here, it seems to me.

Benzos are great meds, just have to be used appropriately. The short acting ones, like Xanax, are for quick action, like what you describe. If one need a serum level of a benzo on board over time, the long acting versions are the answer. They can be used for background control of symptoms with Xanax used only for acute episodes. That's the correct way to prescribe benzos.

DF

This!

He needs xanax