S
sam061
Guest
About 30-35 years ago I was teaching inner city middle school. It was very stressful. A new medication had hit the market called Xanax. My doctor wanted to put me on it.
My mother had been addicted to Phenobarbital when she was 18 and was institutionalized. This was back in the late 30's. I never knew it until I came home on leave from the military and was told by my Aunt. To make this shorter, my Aunt and Uncle helped me get her through the withdrawl. I didn't even know what the word meant. It was hell for all of us. I ended up having panic attacks from going through all of this. The small town's hospital would not accept her because they said they weren't qualified. One night we thought we lost her to a seizure. She didn't even know who I was. Three days after that seizure the hospital told us to bring her in. So it tore my life apart. My dad had a heart attack 1.5 years before and died in front of me. I even watched the doctor cut his chest open for heart massage. I got him breathing, but to no avail. He was 48 years old.
Anyway, I told my doctor about my mother, but he assured me this would never happen. I began taking it and within a few days I felt so normal and relaxed even under the stress. After about a year I would get dizzy etc., my body felt like it was tightening up. The love of my life (my wife) took me to the ER. I was given a shot and I felt better. The doctor came back and took my bp. He said, "This is scary!" I said, "Did you give me too much blood pressure medication. He said, "I didn't give you BP medication. I gave you a sedative." My bp had dropped very low. He told me to increase my xanax from .5mg/3 times a day to 3mg/3 times a day. This really scared me. I called the other 3 doctors in the clinic if this should be done. Their nurses all called me back telling me to go to three per day. I did and felt normal.
Now 35 years later I began having those episodes again. We had moved out of state. The Xanax was controlling my blood pressure. If I would forget my bp would spike. I also have been told that under severe stress to take more. So now that drug is a life threatening drug for me. I have been told that back then they didn't know what they know today. Xanax should be for short term use only. So I guess what i am trying to convey is don't take that medication for very long. I had a cousin that was put on .25mg (short term) of it and she told me getting off of it was the most difficult thing she ever went through. Her husband had died and she was put on it.
So be very careful and follow the doctors directions to a T. I have spent most of my life in depression because of my past. Anti-depressive meRAB made me suicidal. I feel guilty and feel like a junkie. The doctors tell me it's not my fault, but that doesn't help. - SAM
My mother had been addicted to Phenobarbital when she was 18 and was institutionalized. This was back in the late 30's. I never knew it until I came home on leave from the military and was told by my Aunt. To make this shorter, my Aunt and Uncle helped me get her through the withdrawl. I didn't even know what the word meant. It was hell for all of us. I ended up having panic attacks from going through all of this. The small town's hospital would not accept her because they said they weren't qualified. One night we thought we lost her to a seizure. She didn't even know who I was. Three days after that seizure the hospital told us to bring her in. So it tore my life apart. My dad had a heart attack 1.5 years before and died in front of me. I even watched the doctor cut his chest open for heart massage. I got him breathing, but to no avail. He was 48 years old.
Anyway, I told my doctor about my mother, but he assured me this would never happen. I began taking it and within a few days I felt so normal and relaxed even under the stress. After about a year I would get dizzy etc., my body felt like it was tightening up. The love of my life (my wife) took me to the ER. I was given a shot and I felt better. The doctor came back and took my bp. He said, "This is scary!" I said, "Did you give me too much blood pressure medication. He said, "I didn't give you BP medication. I gave you a sedative." My bp had dropped very low. He told me to increase my xanax from .5mg/3 times a day to 3mg/3 times a day. This really scared me. I called the other 3 doctors in the clinic if this should be done. Their nurses all called me back telling me to go to three per day. I did and felt normal.
Now 35 years later I began having those episodes again. We had moved out of state. The Xanax was controlling my blood pressure. If I would forget my bp would spike. I also have been told that under severe stress to take more. So now that drug is a life threatening drug for me. I have been told that back then they didn't know what they know today. Xanax should be for short term use only. So I guess what i am trying to convey is don't take that medication for very long. I had a cousin that was put on .25mg (short term) of it and she told me getting off of it was the most difficult thing she ever went through. Her husband had died and she was put on it.
So be very careful and follow the doctors directions to a T. I have spent most of my life in depression because of my past. Anti-depressive meRAB made me suicidal. I feel guilty and feel like a junkie. The doctors tell me it's not my fault, but that doesn't help. - SAM