Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with xanax

Does NYC Probation routinely test for benzos?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:37:18 -0800

I have a drug test scheduled with the NYC Probation Dept. on Thurs. September 24. I have been taking Xanax every night without a prescription for months. Can anyone tell me with 100% certainty whether they will be testing for benzos or not? If it matters - I am on the NYC Probation Dept. ARMS system, which is an automated check in, but got a letter in the mail telling me to report for a random drug test. My crime was misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
I should be clean for weed, but am very concerned about the benzos. Does anyone know for sure if they screen for that? Please help. Scared here.

To drink or to stop drinking so much

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:54:17 -0800

How bad is it to take Xanax with a glass or two of wine? I never used to drink. I hated the taste of wine and liquor. But now I've found a kind of wine I really like, and I've gone through three bottles of wine this week alone. Also, I like taking my Xanax (.25 mg) with it.

I don't drink until I throw up or am blitzed out of my mind. I haven't been able to learn to relax my whole life aand am prone to anxiety. This drinking wine and taking Xanax with it has really, really helped me when nothing else has.

Should I stop mixing the Xanax with alcohol? Should I not drink more than 1 glass of wine a night? If it matters, in figuring out how much I can drink without damaging myself, I'm 5'3 and about 107lbs.

Difference between ambien, alcohol, and xanax?

CliffDiving44 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:47:05 -0800

I'm wondering the differences between alcohol, xanax, and ambien. Hello, I'm wondering if anyone could fill me in on this question that has been in my head for the past couple of days. You see, I take xanax for anxiety, and it works great, but it *feels* like I drake some alcohol, but without the "losing control" part. Also, xanax is similar to ambien in that it makes me sleepy, and I sleep like a baby the night that I take it. It also has the same cottonmouth side-effect as ambien. So, I was wondering the differences between the three. Maybe this question can't be answered in layman's terms, but I am just curious. :)

PS: I do not mix these drugs.

Your anti-anxiety meds experiences?

scratch — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:05:24 -0800

YouAreNotMyDoctorFilter: More Xanax or maybe a switch to Klonopin? I have an almost-lifelong history of depression (from major with hospitalization through garden-variety dysthymia) plus anxiety--the depression 30+ yrs, the anxiety diagnosed only within the past few years. Been taking a low dose of Xanax for a few years that has helped a lot. I also take Lamictal and Zoloft. However, numerous, um, less-than-ideal life events have ratcheted up the anxiety level lately. I could up that Xanax dosage (with doc's permission, natch), but I know this will make me very sleepy and generally drag-assy. Doc has suggested switching to Klonopin. So (to get to the point already) I'm looking for personal experiences of people who've figured out a way to deal with Xanax sleepiness and I also want to hear from anyone who's tried Klonopin instead and what you think of one vs. the other.

Disclaimers: I know the warning signs of benzo dependency and I do not have an addictive personality. Current Xanax dose is only 1 mg prn. When I say "up the dosage" I mean minimally and gradually. Also, IMO "drink more coffee/Pepsi/Red Bull" is not the answer--caffeine doesn't help anxiety. Finally, I know about the benefits of exercise and yoga. I'm only asking for personal anecdotes of these two drugs, thanks.

Help! I'm nervous and I can't do anything.

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:24:52 -0800

I have Stratterra, Adderall, and Xanax. What can I do to get serious anxiety and ADD symptoms under control, quickly and for the short-term? I'm struggling with the symptoms of ADD along with a very high level of anxiety (this is a recent and hopefully temporary development). I'm taking the LSAT in 2 weeks and suddenly dealing with an extremely stressful relationship situation on top of the pressure of last-minute studying for something that's very challenging and important to me; please understand that my question is motivated by my desire for a short-term coping strategy (I can only get an appointment with my psychiatrist/therapist after the LSAT, but he'll take it from there, thanks).

I took Adderall in the past and have a handfull of those left; recently, I was prescribed Strattera instead since Adderall isn't available where I live (outside the US). I've been taking about 25 mg a day for a bit more than a month, although I've skipped a few pills (accidentally, because, well, I have ADD, and purposely, because of the following...)

I haven't noticed a substantial improvement in my ability to focus and concentrate, which is very critical to me right now, immediately, until the LSAT (on Dec 6th). I have noticed a huge rise in my base level of anxiety since I started on Strattera - I don't recall having a "base level" of anxiety in the past at all, actually; whenever I have a calm or empty moment, i.e. when I'd usually be daydreaming for a minute in the middle of the day for example, I feel an underlying physical sense of dread. I've also had a lot of trouble sleeping and woken up before I've slept enough with my heart pounding an hour before my alarm is set several times recently. I don't know whether this is caused by the Strattera or having reached a threshold of stress and chaos that I can no longer cope with; however, I understand that Strattera is often prescribed off-label as an anti-anxiety drug, so it's surprising that it would have the opposite affect on me. Life's been rough and I'm constantly nervous in a way that interferes with my daily life, interactions, and (right now) ability to study for the LSAT. Is this anxiety a common, or even possible, side affect of Strattera?

I don't want to stop taking Strattera in case it is actually helping because I can't experiment with letting my concentration get worse right now (because of the LSAT!). It could turn out that I'd have even worse ADD symptoms and anxiety if I went off it right now. However, I also obviously can't handle any additional anxiety. So, one option is to experiment with a higher dose of Strattera to see if it helps me feel calmer or more focused - could I here some knowledgeable/experienced opinions on whether this is a good idea?

The other option is to take my small dose of Strattera plus an Adderall, which does significantly improve my concentration, mood, and performance more than anything else. My concern is whether it will be counter-productive or harmful to mix these medications.

I've also been dealing with the extreme anxiety by taking Xanax occasionally (maybe twice a week, when I'm really hurting for sleep) and/or over-the-counter sleeping pills, but the past week they've only kept me calm enough to sleep for about 6 hours and I'm exhausted. I don't want to mix drugs too much or do anything dangerous or habit-forming (I'm well aware of this risk and consider it each time I use these medications), but I need to have some measured input about whether this is the best thing I can do for the next 2 weeks. I don't need to "stick it out" right now and risk totally falling apart/bombing the LSAT (I also can't just take it in February, since I'm abroad and it's not offered abroad after December).

I really can't afford to lose another day to anxiety and distraction right now - not only will it affect the LSAT, but it's putting a huge strain on the relationship that's causing it, which is becoming a rapidly-accelerating vicious circle. So, how can I stop this and use what I have to make myself functional right now? I've also been using my normal, healthy coping methods (coffee, exercise in the right amount/at the right time, healthy food, chatting with positive and supportive friends, taking breaks, etc). I usually know how to handle myself but I feel like my brain is totally out of control and trying to sabotage me.

I can't get an appointment with my psychiatrist until after the LSAT, so I'm asking you in the meantime; I'd really appreciate answers other than "therapytherapytherapy". Yeah, I know, but it's just not possible right now, and I need a solution or at least a strategy right now; having stated that "go see your doctor" and "get therapy" are not relevant for me, I'll also say that seeing this page full of "therapy" answers would be totally demoralising as it's advice that I can't take, even though I will as soon as that changes. Please respond if you have advice that I actually can take, given what I've told you. Thank you very much if you can help me cope.

OK to stop Lexapro after one dose?

mmf — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:48:35 -0800

I was just prescribed Xanax 0.5 mg, 3x daily and Lexapro 10 mg. once a day for major anxiety and sleeplessness. Took only the Xanax for 2 days and felt markedly better. Slept well, and the pounding heartbeat and breathlessness were gone. Added the Lexapro today and am feeling exhausted. I took a nap at 10:00 in the morning!. Called my MD, haven't heard back yet. Question is if I don't hear back by tomorrow morning is there a problem with stopping the Lexapro and just keeing up with the Xanax until (probably) Monday when I can get in touch with the doc? YANMD, etc.

What is a medication boost bar?

IndigoRain — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:59:36 -0800

What is an anxiety medication "boost bar?" A friend and I heard talk at work about a Xanax boost bar to "get you through until your next medication dose," or something like that. However, I'm trying to search the net and all I'm getting is a lot of spammy links selling medication (or the candy bar of the same name). I did ask the nurses at my doctor's office if they had heard of the boost bars and they said yes, but at the time they didn't have time to explain them to me. Is there a site with details on when they're prescribed, which medications come in that form, and what they look like?

Detecting coffee spiked with xanax?

cps — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:38:11 -0800

Can xanax dissolved in coffee be detected by a regular urine test? There's some background information on the question inside. I should note that this question is mostly hypothetical. The acquaintance who posed it to me tends to be...an unreliable narrator, at times. That said:

An acquaintance of mine says that his friend -- who used to use xanax, but detoxed off it some time ago -- called him a few days ago, saying she was feeling a bit weird and loopy. She asked if he could test her for xanax, and came up positive. She suspects spiking of the office coffee.

Here's what he asked me, and what I'm asking: would it be possible, using an ordinary urine test, to determine whether the coffee is, indeed, spiked?

My thinking is that these tests screen for *metabolites*, i.e. the resulting chemical after your body is done processing the drug, rather than the drug itself. However, I'm not sure of this; perhaps some amount of the drug goes into urine unprocessed, and the normal tests *do* detect straight xanax.

So, does anyone have more definitive information on these tests that would clarify whether testing the coffee would work?

[I told this guy that the whole story sounds unlikely to me -- but that if any of it is true, a very serious crime is being committed and authorities should be involved (and they would do proper lab tests). He made some vague reassuring noises.

Just to be clear: This guy could be bullshitting me, his friend could be bullshitting him, heck his friend could be imaginary for all I know. At this point, I'm just curious...call it story research. Any answers appreciated]

Does Xanax work for all panic attacks?

juniper — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:31:51 -0800

Xanax and anxiety have been discussed here before, but I've recently been prescribed Xanax to be taken on an as-needed (during an attack) basis and am too scared to take it. My specific attacks are more of the derealization/woozy/can't swallow/numb variety, rather than the chest pain/sweaty/hyperventilating stereotype. Will Xanax take those feelings away, or just leave me feeling even more out of it?