Xanax and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• lil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 8, 2013

For Depression "I have had severe panic attacks for years. Finally got a doc that prescribed this, and wow, it is an amazing medicine. My doctor retired, and it seems every doctor now is afraid to prescribe it due to the ones who abuse it. I don't take it daily, but my mind stops racing, and I can sleep when I use it. I gave it a 9 because of slight drowsiness some mornings."

• NEK...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 14, 2014

For Anxiety "Yeah, it works. Some people are more sensitive than others. Generally, you take a pill (depends on dosage) and you just start feeling your tight chest and stomach release, and I notice I begin breathing more calmly and normally. Just feels good all over, which is such a contrast from the horrors of anxiety. It can make you a little sleepy. I think for 'normal people' it would make them very sleepy. For 'anxious' people, I think it makes you normal and relaxed. The one problem is that if you take it too much, like three days in a row, the effect is reduced and you have to 'up' the dosage. I think it works best for occasional use, like before a difficult situation or when you're just having a lot of anxiety and need calm."

• Anonymous
• November 8, 2010

For Tinnitus "I have tried EVERYTHING, and this is the only thing besides ginkgo biloba that helps. I strongly recommend it. I'd rather be a little sleepy at times than hear totally insane ringing in my ears all the time."

• del...
• April 19, 2013

For Anxiety "After my divorce, I was depressed and having anxiety attacks. I went to a reputable doctor, but she prescribed me Wellbutrin. After taking it for a while, I felt numb mentally. I tried a 1mg Xanax, and it was perfect! I slept great, but when I first started taking them, I would wake up groggy. A shower would wake me up. I've been taking them for about 7 years. I am currently cutting my doses down to try to wean off them! I do not have an addictive personality, but after a job loss of 10 years, I tried to quit cold turkey! Not a good idea at all! I can only say use as prescribed and less if possible! Don't just pop one because you are stressed out! Take a walk, talk to a friend, please use with caution."

• Ola...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I was prescribed 0.5 mg Xanax as needed for my PTSD, severe anxiety, and panic attacks. I can say it works 100%. My panic attacks lasted about 45 mins before it was prescribed, and now they last about 5 mins. I take about 1 mg (2 doses of 0.5 mg) when I feel it coming on. This drug saved my life! I am also on 150 mg of Zoloft and hydroxyzine for the evening to keep my anxiety down and help me sleep. They say this drug is very, very addictive, but my psychiatrist said it’s hard to get addicted if you use it correctly and only as needed. Make sure to not drink much with Xanax, or it will make you sleep for a long time and is super dangerous. I will be on this med for a very, very long time."

• maz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I have severe OCD, with accompanying anxiety and debilitating insomnia. Xanax helps me break thought loops. I only take it a few times per week, almost exclusively at night, and rarely during the day when I'm hit with a paralyzing bout of obsessional thought. I take .125 mg (half a .25 mg pill). Surprisingly, that is enough to stop the ruminating and make me a little drowsy, and that adds up to falling asleep. Sometimes I take it in the middle of the night to get back to sleep, but only if I don't have to get up early the next day and if I didn't take it to get to sleep that night in the first place. The way I see it, if .125 to .25 mg stops working for me, it'll be time to move on and maybe revisit Xanax at a later date. Having tried a great many different medications, I'm beginning to think rotating treatments is the way to go anyway, to prevent tolerance, addiction, and avoid long-term side effects/consequences."

• Trk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2013

For Anxiety "Saved my job... I'm a truck driver, so I spend a lot of time in a truck, and it gets really depressing being away from the family for weeks at a time, but Xanax helps me cope with the situation. This is the only medicine I've found that won't make me tired and drowsy, unlike Zoloft that made me so tired I had to take two days off work. Xanax helps me relax and gives me focus so I can deal with my work situation."

• Kbs...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2016

For Anxiety "I urge anyone to start on the smallest dose, as I was pleasantly surprised that a tiny nibble of 2 mg worked amazingly quick and helped curtail a full-blown attack. I have taken a full 2 mg at once when the panic attack was at worst. I simply fell asleep and awoke with the same anxiety. If I take the small dose as I feel the attack coming on, it just stops. I know everyone is different, but I have always been within the mindset that the stronger the better with meds. That has not been the case with Xanax for me. I also keep in mind this is a med that your body will eventually need more of for equal benefit. It's a miracle med for those who have unexplained fear. It has saved my marriage!"

• hul...
• June 7, 2017

For Anxiety "I was extremely against Xanax because of knowing people who abused it, and being someone who will try homeopathic cures before using prescriptions. That said, it really helps me. I have anxiety I would describe as anywhere from mild to severe depending on the day and week. But sometimes I get in these intensely anxious thought patterns, where I cannot let go, it's terrible. Taking medication during these periods is a godsend. It allows me to return back to my normal non-anxious self. I rarely have noticed sleepiness as an effect of the medication-only when I was already sleepy before taking it. If you don't abuse your dose, it shouldn't cause you to feel out of it or have memory loss if you truly suffer from anxiety. That's my experience."

• fro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2013

For Anxiety "I have severe anxiety, including social anxiety, that confines me to my apartment 95% of the time. I also suffer from trichotillomania, where my anxiety is so bad I pull my hair out. Have had this for 20 years, and all the shrinks could not help me. I am 32 years old and just recently have been put on Xanax 0.5 mg, 3 times daily as needed. Well, the first week I slept and slept, which is good because I wasn't sleeping before. I also have bipolar disorder and severe depression. Pristiq helps a little, but I am allergic to everything else. Xanax slows down my racing thoughts so I can think clearer and make decisions easier, and is helping with the hair pulling, but I am still desperately searching for help with that and have not found it."

• Tre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 8, 2017

For Anxiety "Xanax has saved my life. I have GAD, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, and major depressive disorder. This medication has made life worth living for me. I have been in therapy with a therapist, life coach, and psychiatrist for 3-4 years now. I can tell you if the drug makes you drowsy or hungover, it's not for you. Also, the therapeutic dosage should not exceed 3 mg per day, ideally around 1 mg per day. As long as you stay in therapy and see your psychiatrist regularly, you will not become 'addicted' or whatever else people feel about this drug. IT WORKS!"

• 804...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 1, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I have been taking .5 mg as needed for panic attacks for about 5 years now. It is a miracle drug. It's my security blanket. I've been using the same prescription filled in 2019, and I'm getting low. I cannot find a doctor who will prescribe more. I'm getting anxious about running out because when I have a panic attack, I end up in the ER without this medication. I never have to take it any more than two a week at the most, even though my doctor (who is now retired) prescribed it 3 times daily. I do not want to become dependent or addicted to this medicine. It takes away the pains and impending doom that I am dying. If not, I end up in the ER swearing that I'm having a heart attack or something else that I'm not going to survive. Why would a doctor give me this wonderful cure for my panic and then other doctors want to take it away? It's not fair at all. The only side effects I've gotten were headaches on occasion and sleepiness."

• min...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2015

For Anxiety "I've always suffered with anxiety, but I've been able to control it. I've been out of work for 3 weeks, with a phobia of going back, because I had a panic attack, and I was exposed, and people were watching. My secret was out. Rewind - 3 weeks ago I had a kidney infection, I was in the hospital for 5 days, home for 5 days, then went directly back to a stressful job. That's where it happened, the attack. People were surrounding me and causing me more stress, I was put back in the hospital. I'm now on Buspar and Xanax. Buspar I have my negative thoughts on that, not sure it's helping or not, dizzy spells. But the Xanax does help with the anxiety. It makes me super sleepy and groggy. I'm seeing a therapist and psychiatrist, pray for me."

• Col...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 27, 2018

For Anxiety "I have a crippling phobia of needles, as well as anxiety disorder. I’ve refused crucial medical treatment such as IVs and vaccines for deadly diseases, and it put my life at risk. So my doctor prescribed Xanax. At first dose (1 mg), it didn’t make my mind any calmer, it just sedated my body so I couldn’t run away, but my mind was just as desperate and terrified as usual. My dose for such visits is now 3 mg, and I am doing so much better!!!! 3 mg is not healthy for most, but since I have a severe case, it is necessary. Granted, I need assistance walking during the time I’m on it, and it makes me ‘blackout’ (I don’t remember a thing from hours it’s in effect), but it’s worth it to be able to receive medical treatment. Please note that Xanax won’t make your phobias any less scary in the moment, but it will help you get through life. All in all, I think Xanax saved my life."

• All...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 28, 2017

For Anxiety "I'm a 19-year-old girl, and I've been diagnosed with anxiety for a long time but never had an anxiety attack until now. My doctor prescribed me this medicine yesterday after I told her I had an anxiety attack one day ago. My heart was literally at a speed of 100, but she gave me medicine to slow it down. It really helped me sleep last night, too. This medicine took me about 30-45 minutes to kick in, and then it knocked me out, and I was fast asleep."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 31, 2012

For Panic Disorder "I was suffering from nocturnal anxiety attacks for several months, but Xanax helps me get a good night's rest most of the time. 0.5 mg gets me to sleep, but 1 mg knocks me out for the whole night. I do not find that I wake up groggy or experience any other side effects, although I am wary about withdrawal symptoms. It's a great medicine overall though!"

• Fit...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 29, 2017

For Panic Disorder "I’ve been on Xanax for several years, and it works wonders for my anxiety and panic attacks. I only take it as prescribed and try not to take it or taper down 1 day a week. When I take half of a bar, I feel clear-headed and normal. Any more than that, I become sedated, so that’s why I regulate it so carefully. The only downside is the withdrawals are almost unbearable. When I go a couple of days off it, I feel extra anxious, nervous, mildly depressed, and at times it feels like my mind is messing with me. Overall, a great short-term medication for panic or anxiety, but if you choose to take it long-term, please be careful and take exactly what you’re prescribed, and if possible, less."

• Not...
• November 26, 2008

For Panic Disorder "I was suffering from panic attacks for over a decade. I am now 39, and towards that time of the month, it becomes worse. Today I went to the doctor to get some Xanax, and I was surprised to learn how fast-acting it is. I feel like I could go to sleep, though. But I sure am feeling better already."

• Doc...
• May 5, 2009

For Anxiety "I have used Xanax for the past 15 years for moderate to severe panic and/or anxiety attacks. Were it not for this drug, I am not sure what I would have done. It was and still is a godsend. I only use it as needed, as opposed to daily use. Two downsides are that it makes me drowsy, and if I drink alcohol when I have taken it, I get very testy. Don't drink and drive, and don't drive while on Xanax."

• Bra...
• December 13, 2016

For Anxiety "I have been on Xanax since 2007 when I was watching my mother slowly suffer. I started on 0.25 mg, and eventually, the dose was not enough. Now ordered 1 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night. It works, however, I have cognitive impairment, and all I want to do is sleep, and my memory is pretty shot. I weaned myself down very, very slowly and got down to 1 mg daily at night, but then some negative events happened, and I was going into a panic attack. I know this medication works, but I would not take it unless it is a must."

• per...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 14, 2023

"I have had horribly painful periods since puberty. Doctors have run many tests, even laparoscopy, and can't find a cause. Hormonal treatment did not help. Pain management is my only choice. Ibuprofen sometimes does not cut it, and on those days, 0.5 mg to 1 mg Xanax does wonders. It was prescribed to me for anxiety and panic attacks, but I believe it should be prescribed to people for severe menstrual cramps as well. It works better than opioids or NSAIDs on those 2-3 days per month I am in horrible pain. I used to miss work on those days, but this lets me work. I do feel drowsy and don't drive on this med, and I am aware of the potential for addiction and withdrawal, but with only a few pills prescribed to me per month, there is no danger of that."

• min...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 13, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I wish my doc would return me to my previous Xanax 1 mg tds script; I realize that the current Rx is, according to the books, twice the strength (clonazepam 2 mg tds), but the truth is that I found the alprazolam, always dispensed as original Pfizer/Upjohn Xanax, much more efficacious. In between, I was given lorazepam 2.5 mg qds but found it too sedating. There is an advantage to Rivotril, though - it's 'two birds, one stone' in that it treats my epilepsy perfectly. It's just that Rivotril (clonazepam by Roche) doesn't feel like it treats acute anxiety and has far too long an onset of action, though a long half-life suits it for panic syndrome, whilst the Upjohn Xanax rugby balls (footballs to our Yankee friends) treat both, 1 mg being sufficient for most acute situations, as well as long-term panic issues. Anyone agree with me on those questions?"

• Tes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2021

For Anxiety "I was given a small script of 0.5 alprazolam tablets to try after a panic attack, which I suffer from. Compared to 1 mg Lorazepam or 0.5 mg Clonazepam, I found it closer to Lorazepam, with its effects being felt faster, but with more sedation and confusion. Alprazolam and its effects left faster than Lorazepam. It was harder to stay on 1 dose daily. I can see the advantage of rapid onset, but there are other benzodiazepines that leave your system more gradually, so you will have less rebound anxiety or other side effects taking a different benzodiazepine. From my experience taking them."

• Anonymous
• October 16, 2011

For Anxiety "I have very severe generalized anxiety, which sometimes manifests as the inability to leave my home (or sometimes, my room). I have other psychological issues as well, and Xanax can reduce a manic or psychotic episode into almost nothing. I have been thinking of asking for extended-release tablets. When I feel a serious panic attack coming on, it is awesome to have something that stops the attack and doesn't leave me too 'dopey' feeling to go back to work or whatever I was doing. Thanks, Xanax."

• cal...
• February 4, 2010

For Anxiety "I was prescribed 0.25 mg of Xanax for my hyper-anxiety and panic attacks. As a 200 lb man, I needed a 0.5 mg dose. Xanax really solves panic attacks well and noticeably helps with my anxiety. It makes it much easier to fall asleep, which is great at bedtime, but can be a real problem in the morning. Reading 'Feeling Good' by Dr. David Burns also really helped treat the thoughts that led to panic and anxiety."