Question:
I had to go the emergency room again for the third time in 3 months. I
was having severe chest pains and my left arm, head, neck, and shoulders
were in pain as well. I was sweating profusely and passed out at the
hospital probably from taking 5 times the normal dose of Xanax I
normally take per day.
I found out later that I was suffering from Xanax withdrawal syndrome
and am now back to taking a low dose per day. Also since I am more
"balanced" nowadays I am bound to notice anxieity more acutely than when
I was first diagnosed 10 years ago.
Answer:
I was still on Xanax when I was in the emergency room last week Sunday.
I simply was not taking enough for the panic attacks. Also there is a
misperception that less medication means one is better and from my own
experience that is plain wrong.
When one gets a shot for the flu, it doesn't mean the person is not well
because they got a shot. That's the way taking more meds should be
looked at. Whatever dose works so one can function normally is the
guideline to follow.
Despite Xanax being addictive, it still is a very safe medicine
especially for somone like me who has had adverse reactions to
anti-depressants which made me psychotic and suicidal. That's why I'm
on Xanax.
Believe me Xanax Withdrawal Syndrome is about the worst living nightmare
one can experience besides panic attacks. Last April I stopped Xanax
and Risperdal and not only did my anxiety skyrocket, but I couldn't
sleep for 3 days in a row. I couldn't relax or sit still or lye down.
Light and sounds were excruciating. I had morbid thoughts and cried
continously. And I talked non-stop because I couldn't quiet my
thoughts. This is not the mania that manic-depressives experience
because they don't get anxiety when they're manic.
I felt like such an idiot for trying to get off medication because of
the results I just mentioned. It was preventable and I let it happen.
Never again.
This didn't happen in my case. Even when I was ready to die,
the massive horror of a severe PA goes far beyond awful.
The Weekes methods may seem appealing in a psychological
perspective, but neurological dysfunctions have little
respect for psychology. Personally, I'd love to see Ms. Weekes
demonstrait her technique under the influence of a robust IV
of CCK4; in other words, a sufficent dose to turn her skin as
pale a shade of white as mine was during a severe PA.
