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

He's probably having panic attacks over the lack of 22's.

Thinking the docs are now effected as well. :-)

Gotta wonder how many of those 'scripts are to treat symptoms (side-effects) of some of the other 'scripts.

I hate taking anything myself, but like you I had a collapse in my health, some of it yestersday. know i am on a couple of meds to treat ulcers, 2 for high blood pressure and 2 as needed for my back.

To the OP I know my neighbor is on Xanax, (legal R/x??, i don't know) and he is one creepy dude, the only time he comes out of the house is when the police have arrested his teen-age daughter

Xanax is a benzodiazepine, not an antidepressant. It's an anxiolytic, i.e., alleviates anxiety. It's not associated with erratic behavior. It has very few reported adverse side effects, in fact.

Thanks,ALL,for the heads up, and the briefing on the subject material out on the table.

J23 NAILED IT, in the basic behavioral description:



Dirtfarmer's comment leaves me wondering just how MUCH of this stuff my friend's gobbling, and WHY it's part of a Hypertension related "Therapy"



Travis:

.....no chit, this is NOT about "healing" in any context whatsoever,.....EXTREMELY disturbing / troubling to a bystander,.....like watching a train wreck.

D.D. :



dunno, Man,......he's answered my queries in the singular, and only spoken about "his DOCTOR". Very bad mojo in play at the moment,.....I made him a smoking deal on that old Red IHC that was sitting out front, some horse trading, as it were,.....
I don't think I want to see him behind the wheel of the thing, after observing his WEIRD behavior through the process of getting the thing lit up. I rode with him in his pickup on a parts run, and it was NO fun at all,......No way he'll be able to handle that 1700 series,....no bloody way.

Beautiful warm afternoon, I gotta' get after some production in the shop.

Again, thanks for all the Skookum input, Amigos.

GTC

Crap, the weird and erratic chime just rang again

I disagree I can't tell you the number of Probationers I have seen with shoplifting charges with previously clean records or only other types of offenses who began taking Benzo's and went out and shoplifted!!! It's a joke among all of us that Xanax will make you steal...


Mike

Re J23's description of how your friend is acting - BTDT; long term stress can cause that by itself. Being on the wrong antidepressant, or wrong dose can do the same thing. Then there's some people that all antidepressants cause this. Re Travis' comment - agreed, wrong doctor; your friend may need to step up to a psychologist or even psychiatrist with a real good handle on pharmacology.

Re you being concerned for your friend - you're a damn good friend to have. Listen to that little voice and follow it - get the guy some immediate help. Again, having BTDT, he could be "there's nothing good on tv" away from picking up the handgun he's been staring at on the coffee table; when you're that emotionally checked out it literally takes that little to go over the edge.

It's great if you are lying around in a hotel in Houston waiting to fly to Mass General in Boston to get a tumor or two taken out of a lung.

Makes a lot of sense, actually.

Well, it will make someone who wants to steal less anxious about possible consequences from stealing, and therefore more likely to do it, sure. But it doesn't make them steal.

In other words ... bliss.

Xanax is a popular street drug. When you find someone strung out on Xanax, there's a good chance they're using other stuff, as well. Crack users often use Xanax to "come down" after a high.

Prescription drugs are taking some of the spotlight from common illegal street drugs in many sectors. They're out there and more commonly abused than one may think.

DF

Probably got those symptoms from all the damn pills he's on.

Cross, I don't know if you can attribute your friend's personality/behavior changes to Xanax, based on what you've described. It sounds like more of a case of polypharmacy (multiple drugs, so many they start producing interactive side-effects). It can be a big problem in people with emotional disturbances. Someone who HATES his job/wife/life on multiple meds (often from multiple docs...) is a huge red flag for me as a clinician.

Alprazolam (Xanax) is without a doubt the most-abused drug in the benzodiazepine class. It has a fast onset (which means it relieves symptoms quickly), and a fast-offset (which means you crash just as quickly). Fast onset/offset drugs are highly addictive... think nicotine, caffeine, methamphetamine. Alprazolam is not quite as bad as those others, but it's close.

I almost NEVER prescribe it because of this. It should really only be used in specific settings such as pre-medication for dental or office surgical procedures to reduce anxiety for the patient during the procedure. I personally take it every time I go in for a dental procedure; it makes me a lot more comfortable, and it makes the dentist's job a lot easier when his patient isn't a sweating, hyperventilating, palpitating wreck!

I'm just going to try and be as non-judgmental as I can, and be supportive without "enabling" this craziness. It's one thing to be a "sympathetic ear",....and quite another to be bombarded with incoherent babbling.

Some of the Docs in this area are damned loose with mixed up cocktails of God knows what, and THEY often lose track of what they've already prescribed, when writing new ones. I know, that very thing happened to my Mom.

Thanks again, everybody, I know a LOT more about this stuff than I did this AM.

GTC

Maybe his neighbors are driving him crazy ?

One in particular, perhaps.

if I wanted any chit outta' you, I'd squeeze yer' head.

Shoo!

GTC

I remember a guy in HS that stole his grandma's Xanax. He went to a party that night, beat up a guy, stole his truck, lit it on fire and ran it into a ravine.

Musta been some goo schitt, huh?

the brand name alone, with it's spelling, is a marketing hit.

a "witches brew" is designed for a specific purpose, event, or outcome. a doctor prescribing multiple pharma must be shooting for a specific outcome.

Good luck, Cross.
I hope your friend, neighbor, gets some relief from what's eating him.

Crossfireoops: I dealt professionally with druggies and over-prescribed goofs for nearly 30 years!
Indeed many (but not ALL!) of them did harm to others!
And many of them harmed themselves.
Heres my "rule of thumb" when observing and assessing EVERY human being I come in contact with!
Observe their eyes - if their pupils are huge or very small (as compared to folks you know to not be "drugged out"!) then BEWARE!
If they do not blink their eyes regularly and every six seconds or so then indeed their mind has been numbed by drugs - either legal or illegal.
If I assess said humans to be drugged up then I simply avoid them (cross the street, avoid them socially etc etc etc).
With your friend using that many drugs the chance of him forgetting to take some meds OR accentuating the bad effects of the drugs by drinking alcohol or ingesting another illegal drug can indeed cause/create irrational, bizzarre and/or dangerous behavior!
And, indeed, when over-medicated people suddenly quit using a drug like Xanax (which are psychoactive drugs and are often used to TRY to control VERY serious mental conditions) they go down to the schools and malls and theatres and mow down a bunch of innocent humans.
It seems that this sudden halting of the use of these psychoactive drugs is MORE dangerous than using to much of it???
I would avoid contact with your friend and try to get his relatives to assess and correct his lifestyle/health issues - once corrected then resume normal contact with him.
Better safe than sorry.
Best of luck to you and your friend/neighbor.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

^

^

I love some of the medical advice I read on the internet.

Just remember, it's worth ever penny of what you pay for it.

You've really got my attention here,.....and I thank you for verifying some concerns that I was a bit shy of projecting.
As the situation stands at this time I certainly AM avoiding contact with this individual.

It's sad to realize that he's but one of many, and that his regrettable plight is so commonplace. Sure is a horrifying devolution to watch in progress.

GTC

Wife has a friend who is bipolar and has a drinking problem.When she washes down some Xanax with a few beers,she's as crazy as a chithouse rat ! After 30 years of dealing with her I finally had to run her off for good.

Here is a list of side effects for Xanax. Both common and rare. The most interesting RARE one is "an easy relaxed state." Thought that's what it was supposed to do.


http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-982...amp;drugname=Xanax+Oral&pagenumber=6

The overmedicated entitlement generation

Its not just the younger druggie people on xanax and valium


Footballs blues and tans 5d and 10s if i remember right


But its the old people that doctors weigh down with all this [bleep] so you got some 70 year old blue hair in a 8,000 lb Delta88 doing 60mph through the walmart parking lot cause she on xanax, prozac, gizzac, ballzac and she plows through a table of girlscouts because she though she saw Jesus beconing her home to the bosom of paradise

Old [bleep] are way too medicated, they oughtta submit em to a piss test or doctors discloser letter of all the goddamm meds their own when down at DMV bitching about wanting their license renewed.

Old, blind as bat, on 20 meds and young people are sudsidizing their insurance rates cause us young people are wild eyed and messin with radio. What a farce, the insurance and aarp have been covering and protecting old peoples insirance rates for decades

Just like that affordable care act BS is going to do

Same thing with pain meds narcotics. Theyll give old farts any damn thing they want even without the patient asking. They used to give my grandmother a friggin pint jar of Darvocet 500s every month

What does she do? She just took Buffrin or sanka or postem or whatever oldsters jive on

Yet some 30 year old flip a dirt bike doing some evil knevel crap and do 15 cartwheels, they me a script for 800mg of motrin

Gmafb

Darvocet was taken off the market a few years ago after decades of use. Seems they found it could cause heart problems.

Prescriptions of Motrin, 400 mg., 600 mg. and 800 mg. can be replaced by OTC Motrin 200's you can buy at the grocery store, merely doing the math. Same ibuprophen, different doses.

As they teach in Toxicology 101, "The poison's in the dose".

DF

Oh man....I wasted five minutes reading this thread before I caught on, ERRATIC...it's ERRATIC behavior...oh man....

Sounds like he and I need to swap pill boxes