# My anxiety being handled by Xanax? To some degree; but better



## MARKA (Apr 10, 1999)

The particular anxiety that I am and have been experiencing over the past two months (also in the past at times) is situational anxiety. My meaning is that normally I can control my anxiety to a degree because it usually is not bad enough to effect my life. But there are times like over the past two months that a lot has taken place in my life and my thoughts of these happenings have taken control of my thinking and concentration ability. My mind becomes preoccupied with thoughts and worries which compound my anxiety where I have to take something to calm my mind down to a low roll. I have been on Xanax, .25mg twice a day with Serzone (antidepressent) and have found an improvement of my anxiety. But there are times that I do need to boost my xanax by taking one additional pill during the day to relax me enough so I can sleep or concentrate on what I am doing. My anxiety has been more to the worry end than anything else. With everything that I went thru prior to moving back from Colorado and when I got back I started to feel great levels of anxiety and depression. My anxiety is also fueled many times by intimidating people. My body starts to shake and I get sweaty and clammy. This particular case of anxiety I am experiencing now causes me to be unsatisfied most of the time while being out of the house or even in the house. One minute I don't want to be in the house because of bordum or loneliness, the next I go out to the store with my friend and find myself just pacing the ailes and not really shopping but thinking instead. No real social anxiety related with this one though that I can tell, just that I had thoughts in my mind that when I moved back I would be getting together with all my friends that I used to spend time with and now i guess because I have been gone for 18 months they have mainly all started doing differrent things in their lives and not seeing them as much as I had hoped. This too adds to the anxiety. I like to make plans for weekends etc so in my mind I know I can look forward to having some fun. My biggest problem with this is not always getting the commitment from my friends as to whether they will get together with me and I find hearing "Maybe, we will see how things go" bothers me. Sometimes I just get that feeling when they say that that they just don't want to be with me and have something better to do instead. But many of my friends that this happens with I know have real reasons why they can't get together and make the commmitment to be with me. But I still get that feeling of "being left out".At this point I do not believe I am dependant on Xanax because it is a low dose but as the anxiety builds I do find it helps. Last year i was on a much stronger dose .5mg 3X a day. That really kicked my butt to the point where I was really tired each time it started to wear off. This doseage I can barely feel that.Mark


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

Thats great Mark...I have had to find other ways of dealing with anxiety because I havent been able to take xanax or other medication for anxiety in that family..Sometimes for me what works is walking or just sharing with others what is going on in my life..If I live in the problem the problem gets bigger if I live in the solution the solution gets bigger...and I dont always live in the solutions right away..It's easier to live in the problem


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Mark, You've been through a lot of changes. I'm not surprised that your anxiety is pretty high and I know you didn't want to leave Colorado, so you might be grieving to some extent for that loss. Do you have any insurance? If you do have you considered going to a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders? I just started going to one on Monday (too early to see any results, she's still finding out about my history), but I located her through the ADAA site that Jeff mentioned. Be careful with the Xanax. I found that drug to be the most addictive substance I've ever taken. Is there an antidepressant that can take care of your anxiety as well as the depression? I don't know, but maybe someone else on this forum does. Take care.


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## kamie (Sep 14, 2002)

A combination of Elavil and Prozac are thought to be a good choice for a lot of things for dealing with pain to anxiety and even hot flashes in women.Elavil and Prozac work differently when they put them together.I didn't do well on either medication by it's self and I can't take any dose higher than 10 mg each.Right now I am dealing with unchecked pain but that might be a whole other systemic problem.I'm seeing the cardiologist for a first visit on Friday.I also get xanax but they give it to me mostly for trying to keep my heart rate down and to help with the hyoscyamine for my belly spasms.And even with all that my pulse is still running too high.I don't even get sleepy half the time. Just up with a fast pulse until I get exhausted from the heart pumping.KamieP.S. If I could keep my heart rate down I probably would feel fine with the Elavil and Prozac for my post surgical pain and any attending anxiety. There are days that I don't even want to take the xanax except that the pulse just causes so much trouble.Too scary these days.And yes, I am now officially having angst about my pulses and BP and left side pain that is not being addressed.


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## cindy80004 (May 1, 2001)

Hi Mark. Hope you are doing better. I just read your post and noticed that you recently moved from Colorado to NE PA. It's really weird, because my husband and I are planning to move from Denver back to NE PA sometime early next year. If you don't mind saying, where did you live in CO and where are you in NE PA? We may be neighbors someday! Again, I hope you are feeling better. Hope to hear back from you. Cindy


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## MARKA (Apr 10, 1999)

Cindy,How funny, doing the same thing I am. Are you following me around the country?







Really, I lived in Grand Junction Colorado - don't really like to talk aboutit, got screwed and hurt real bad. But anyway now living near Wind Gap PA. Are you moving anywhere close to there?Mark


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## cindy80004 (May 1, 2001)

Hey Mark - Thanks for answering. I'm not sure where Wind Gap is, but maybe you don't know where Susquehanna, PA is either. VERY small town and I love it. It's between Scranton PA and Binghamton, NY - right on the border of NY. Is that anywhere near Wind Gap. I think PA is a beautiful state. My husband is from there and I am from Upstate NY. I'm really tired of Denver, so maybe I am following you around the country. I hope things are going better for you now. Let's stay in touch. Let me know if you know where Susquehanna is and if it is close to Wind Gap. I THINK you may be closer to Pittsburg!?Have a good day, Mark. Cindy


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## MARKA (Apr 10, 1999)

Cindy - you will be about 105 miles from me. I live southeast of where you will be. I am more in the middle of the state at the PA/NJ line and you will be more on the northern end of the state line PA/NY.Mark


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2002)

Although I was not personally able to take it, many feel that the medication, Buspar, is helpful for anxiety.Evie


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