Alprazolam and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Kur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 30, 2016

Alprazolam for Anxiety "I had only taken Xanax a few times as needed and losing it (oops). Sometimes it works right away, calming me down and everything, but this one time I was a mess and it took a while to work. But, on the bright side, I have very bad insomnia, and it made me sleep better. I do not take it as a sleep aid, that was just one instance where it was nighttime."

• ALa...
• June 17, 2013

For Anxiety "I'm currently on alprazolam - 1 mg a day. I've been diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic disorder, afraid of dying; through my experience because of my symptoms, which are rapid heartbeat, trouble breathing, sweaty feet or clammy hands, nausea, trembling, trouble sleeping, going out to do anything became an issue too, socializing, and even faint, dizzy, pure fear of death. This has conflicted with my wife, children, jobs, and my entire life, period. Xanax has given me my life back in full, and I am currently regaining my life back."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2017

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "Took Xanax for a month for anxiety and panic attacks. I took it 3 times a day (the lowest dosage) 0.25 mg in the morning, 0.25 mg in the afternoon, and 0.50 mg in the evening. The first week seemed fine with little to no changes, but after that was torture. Horrible insomnia, nausea, and panic attacks got WAY worse. My psychiatrist added Adderall to the mix because of my ADHD. This is when the nightmare really started. I couldn't sleep for 4 days straight-- I had to miss work, I was threatening suicide in front of my family-- I was LOSING it. Couldn't keep anything down. The best way to describe it was like a bad trip that you were certain was never going to end. I tapered off of it and felt normal again after 2 weeks. Please use caution."

• Boo...
• August 21, 2009

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "I have taken Xanax now for six months, and it has been the best six months in a long time. I have finally been able to go out in places where before I absolutely would not go for fear of panic attacks. I was on 8 mg Ativan and 60 mg Tranxene before, and all I did was stay in my house and sleep. Thank goodness my doctor prescribed Xanax."

• Mrw...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 26, 2016

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "I have been on a fairly high dose of this medication for over 6 years now. I cannot tell you enough that it is an extremely horrible idea for long-term use, 2 times daily or more, or even less. Any long-term use of this drug, to me, is almost a death sentence for that person. It is probably the most difficult thing to stay off of if used for more than a month or 2 straight. I'm trying to get off them now myself, but I am so very deep in a hole it's almost hard to see the end. Once you stop, say goodbye to sleep for a while and feeling like complete psychosis for the next few weeks or months till your brain comes back from the hole you dug for it. If I could go back and never take a benzo, I would in a heartbeat. SSRIs and SNRIs never worked for me."

• Hur...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 14, 2021

For Anxiety "I've been on Xanax for twenty years. I suffer from severe anxiety. It has always worked great for me, it gave me a life where I was able to function. My doctor retired, and some of my new doctors cut me off from it abruptly. Now I have seizures, convulsions, I can't eat because everything tastes horrible-a metallic taste, I have insomnia and panic attacks so bad I feel like I'm going into shock. If this doesn't stop, I'm going to wind up dead. How could any doctor do this to someone and get away with it?"

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2019

Alprazolam for Anxiety "So I took Xanax at the hospital for my anxiety. I had it for at least two days before going in, and it didn’t seem to really work. It would make me go to bed for about 5-10 minutes, and if I woke up from anxiety again, I would get no sleep. If I did, I’d wake up with anxiety again, so I don’t know if there’s something wrong with me, but I didn’t feel better at all after I took a Xanax."

• Pup...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 21, 2022

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "Xanax literally saved my life. I normally am not a pill popper, so it might be easier for me to control. Where it may not be good for someone else. But I have severe insomnia to the point of sleep deprivation for weeks and months at a time. I mean like nine years of zero normal sleep patterns. To the extreme, I would go a week to two weeks with zero sleep all the time, only to catch five or six hours and then go another week. And I was not in mania, it's not bipolar. I was sick because I couldn't do anything. I couldn't think clearly at times, I would crawl on the ground because I was so weak I couldn't walk. It was like something just broke in my brain. And it would not turn off. It's still broken. I've got EEGs scheduled coming up. Misdiagnosed me a million times because no one sees anyone go this long without sleep, so they think it's something else always. Of course, not sleeping for that long makes you crazy, so you can't diagnose somebody until they've slept. And try to explain that to a doctor."

• Pup...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 21, 2022

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "Xanax literally saved my life. I normally am not a pill popper, so it might be easier for me to control. Where it may not be good for someone else. But I have severe insomnia to the point of sleep deprivation for weeks and months at a time. I mean like nine years of zero normal sleep patterns. To the extreme, I would go a week to two weeks with zero sleep all the time, only to catch five or six hours and then go another week. And I was not in mania, it's not bipolar. I was sick because I couldn't do anything. I couldn't think clearly at times, I would crawl on the ground because I was so weak I couldn't walk. It was like something just broke in my brain. And it would not turn off. It's still broken. I've got EEGs scheduled coming up. Misdiagnosed me a million times because no one sees anyone go this long without sleep, so they think it's something else always. Of course, not sleeping for that long makes you crazy, so you can't diagnose somebody until they've slept. And try to explain that to a doctor."

• MIK...
• October 24, 2020

For Anxiety "Alprazolam works great for short-term anxiety or depression. But short-term, 8-12 weeks, low doses less than 1 mg. The damage this drug does to the way you think, act, and feel is unreal. I was addicted to benzos for six years. At the end of my road, I was doing 3-4 mg a day just to get through till tomorrow. If I was looking to get high, it took 10 mg or more. When I finally decided to try and quit, I was a raging suicidal maniac. I had severe migraines, several seizures, diarrhea, insomnia, no hunger, muscle pains, and no motivation for life. After about 12 weeks, the physical symptoms mostly went away, but the mental pain never heals. You will always need them to strive and be as outgoing as you were before. It steals your motivation for life because you forget how to deal with the smallest amount of stress. So instead of worrying, stressing, and panicking, you do nothing. Short-term use only, very harmful if taken longer than 12 weeks."

• BDC...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 11, 2022

For Anxiety "Since being prescribed Xanax 6 years ago, it has literally turned my life around; in a positive direction! I had to fight to function in social situations, breaking out in sweats, couldn’t breathe, and horrible insomnia. I started on .25 mg 3 times a day, and now take 1 mg 3 times daily. What a difference this medicine has made in my life. The social paranoia is gone, the fits of anger to get people to stay away, the shakes; horrible panic attacks are now gone. I too am now able to be free from sometimes crippling anxiety and live what to me is a normal life. I sleep well every night, I eat regularly, and feel in control. I hear all these terrible things about Xanax but, if I need to be on it the rest of my life, so be it. I'm in better physical and mental condition now, hoping to stay this way. In my younger days, I was on meds for what was always diagnosed as depression and always felt like I was trying to swim through wet cement when taking them. Life is better now!"

• zas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 26, 2021

For Anxiety "Literally the holy grail of anxiety medication! The first time I took Xanax (at 0.25 mg), my anxiety just melted away. My best friend was talking about how his friend got into a horrific accident, and I was not fazed at all. I remember smiling like an idiot walking around his block the rest of the day. Just don't take too much or you will blackout. I also sleep really well with these. And of course, don't abuse these drugs. Please only take these drugs when you feel a panic attack coming on (or if your anxiety is super debilitating that day). I will say, tolerance builds VERY quickly. I don't get 'high' off Xanax like I did when I was new to it. It either helps me fall asleep (or sends me to sleep), or it gets rid of a panic attack like nobody's business. If you're looking to get 'high,' stick to cannabis, and if you suffer from insomnia, take an OTC like Unisom. Xanax is not a very good drug long-term for insomnia/rec. use."

• Cai...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 4, 2023

Alprazolam for Anxiety "I was sexually abused for years. I deal with horrible, horrible insomnia. Xanax helped me sleep, but sadly, after 3 years, it now stopped working. I even increased the dose, but still had no sleep. So yes, it worked for some time, but it does not work anymore!"

• TJ3...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 13, 2017

For Anxiety "Yes, this drug works well regarding how fast my anxiety dissipated. My first prescription and experience with a drug in the benzo class. It worked quite a while. My doctor began my dose 3, 2 mg 'bars' a day. I had no anxiety. Instead, I felt an alcohol intoxication feeling. My body/brain built a tolerance. I was taking 5 to 7, 2 mg a day. I functioned as well as anyone. Save for the constant anxiety, I felt great. I decided to stop. I never felt worse. My 5-year anxiety trial was 10-fold. I began having seizures, cramping, not sleeping, anything, clothing touching skin made my entire body spasm. It is best taken in a low dosage and probably only when one feels an attack. I now take a medication, a benzo class, lower dose, take less, and in therapy."

• use...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 26, 2022

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "A word of caution: know the risks if you are prescribed this daily for an extended period of time. I was on Alprazolam ER for around a year, 2 mg/day, for good reason. The medication worked extremely well for the first 6-8 months and helped me live a normal life. Predictably, after some time, my body became accustomed to the dose, and I felt the positive effects gradually wear off. My doctor and I decided to taper me off this medicine, and it was...much harder than I expected. Weeks (months) of my life lost dreading the next decrease in dose, aches all over, clouded thinking, trouble sleeping, irritability to the max, etc. I do not regret taking this medicine and will continue to utilize it occasionally as needed, but do NOT plan on taking it for extended periods of time ever again. Be aware and prepared that if you commit to taking this daily for an extended period of time, stopping will be extremely physically and mentally taxing."

• Iha...
• April 16, 2008

Alprazolam "Best medication out there for stopping a panic attack in progress by far. Xanax will probably put you to sleep. A 10 rating is for its ability to stop an attack."