Xanax and Tiredness: What Users Say

• sop...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 17, 2014

For Anxiety "I've been on a variety of different benzodiazepines for about 16 years now for anxiety, agoraphobia, and even insomnia, and I have to say Xanax is by far the most effective. I've been on Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, and even SSRIs, and none helped me the way Xanax did. Ativan did absolutely nothing, Valium was 'decent' (I'd give it a 5) because of its long-acting qualities, and Klonopin made me tired all the time. Only with Xanax can I lead a normal, productive life. Without that medicine, I would not be able to hang out with friends, go to the grocery store, go to the mailbox, or associate with my family. These are all triggers of my anxiety, even answering the phone! I've taken 2mg two times daily now for the past 7 years, and it works great!"

• sun...
• January 19, 2020

For Anxiety "I have been using this drug for several years for my anxiety attacks, and it's great. But anxiety has been getting worse and worse, especially during work which causes heart stress (thanks so much anxiety...), so my doctor is now letting me take it during my 5-day work week. It works excellently. I am so much more calm and present at work. I will say I am a lot more lethargic, and that is noticeable. But otherwise, I have no side effects, so I will continue with this treatment, and I am so glad that it is so effective. The good outweighs the bad for me, but I will say that if you tend to be more dependent on drugs like these, I don’t recommend it for you. I have no addiction to it and no withdrawal symptoms when I go days without after taking it for multiple days in a row. So just be aware, and pay attention to your body. If you are struggling with learning the difference between wanting another dose and needing another dose, talk to your doctor."

• Jsa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 1, 2020

For Anxiety "I've taken Xanax to help me sleep for several years. I try to take it as little as possible so I won't get addicted. It makes me tired, even at 0.25, so I don't take it during the day. Luckily, I don't suffer from panic attacks very often. I probably take it a few times a month just before bed. It works better than antihistamines, although I frequently wake up after 6 hours, which is all it seems to last. I have heard about it leading to Alzheimer's, though. I'm afraid of that."

• Anonymous
• May 4, 2009

For Anxiety "Xanax is the best medicine. I was dizzy for two months straight. I felt like I was on a boat and couldn't get off. My whole life was just a mess between working full time, school, personal life until I found Xanax. I am on 0.5mg twice a day and I have my life back. I can tolerate people again. This is the wonder drug. Other than being a little more tired than normal, which I will suffer through because it is better than biting people's heads off every chance I got."

• Yes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2019

For Anxiety "I was prescribed 0.5 for anxiety. I have been taking half a tablet during daytime if I have anxiety and 0.5 at night also if I need it. It does make me a little tired, but the half seems to be good enough for me during the daytime. After taking it, I feel relief, and the pressure on my chest seems to settle quickly. Not all medicines agree with everyone, but you have to keep trying until you find the right one."

• Gee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2013

For Anxiety "Four years ago, I had my first panic attack and anxiety. I had hyperventilation and ended up in the ER. My doctor prescribed 0.025 mg of Xanax. I took the medicine as required. I wasn't able to drive or do anything by myself. I was afraid and worried about being alone. I always feared that it would happen again. My thoughts are always, 'What if...' Anxiety was taking over my life. I was able to control it for two years. Just this month, I recently panicked for no reason. My doctor put me on this just in case I have a full-blown anxiety attack, but the downside to this medicine is that it makes me really sleepy and tired. But it does work!"

• And...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 15, 2016

For Anxiety "Xanax saved me. Apprehensive about taking meds but broke down after it got so bad I didn't even want to take the covers off my head with my eyes clenched shut, just fearing every day because I knew anxiety, fear of everything under the sun, and panic attacks would rule my day. I was told I needed to be on long-term anxiety drugs, so I tried Lexapro and ended up in the ER with side effects so horrific I don't even want to think of it now. Xanax is basically a quick fix to calm the anxiety, but it's the only thing I'm willing to take, and over time I broke out of the nightmare I was living. I still have bouts of anxiety, but as long as I have Xanax on hand, I know I'll be okay. I never had any bad side effects except for being tired. Trade is worth it."

• Sur...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 11, 2023

"I began to take Xanax years ago when I developed severe tinnitus. This was maybe 45 years ago. I was taking 1 mg a day and eventually, I cut to .05 a day, usually at nighttime. I have since dropped to only .025 at night for the last 12 years, and I do okay. You would think that at such a very low dose, I could just cut it off completely. I have tried a number of times, and I simply cannot do it. My brain does not work right, cannot make decisions, and have pretty bad anxiety that I can feel in my spine and brain. So at that point, I take the .025, and in half an hour or less, I am a completely functional person with a good brain that does not affect decision-making. I have no desire to give it up since I am 77 years old and have conditions that act up immediately upon withdrawal. I have never had any reverse reaction, tiredness, or brain fog. My brain is much clearer on it."

• Naz...
• September 22, 2016

For Panic Disorder "Please be very careful, and I repeat, very careful. My doctor prescribed Xanax to treat my panic disorder from underground stations (London) phobia of being under the earth's surface. I was managing fine with other medication such as Vistaril, which did a great job but was keeping me tired. Almost two months later, I asked my doctor to take me off of them because Xanax just makes me want to sleep and sit on the couch doing nothing. We tried all dosages, and I still felt sad inside. Here is the shocking part: only eight days after my last dose (which was weaned slowly over two weeks), I had my first ever seizure at the age of 29. I never had seizures, no family history. Never ever will I touch this stupid medicine again, never."

• Tra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 25, 2015

For Anxiety "This pill works miracles for me. It is completely effective against all of my anxiety. It also makes me feel less OCD. I no longer obsess over thoughts or worry while I am on this. Xanax unleashes my creativity. I play guitar, write music, and draw a lot. I used to do all these things but have thought I lost interest because I had no inspiration. I have no side effects except some memory loss and tiredness. I wish my doctor would up my prescription, I am on 2 mg a day, and for the past nine months, I have always finished my prescription in 1 - 2 weeks. But this does well for keeping tolerance low and avoiding addiction and dependence. I am on it for 2 weeks and then off until my refill."

• Ner...
• April 10, 2012

For Anxiety "I used to work for a bank, and I was being helped by one of my colleagues on opening an account for a customer. I was making many mistakes, I began to panic, and I was sweating profusely. The customers wouldn't make much conversation with me because they felt they were making me nervous. I had to excuse myself to take a breather in the break room! Xanax has helped me become more relaxed and socially open with strangers. I feel like my job interviews are going to be pleasant now! The only side effect I experience is tiredness after the medicine wears off, but that only lasted for about 1 hour for me."

• Pol...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 6, 2021

For Anxiety "I was prescribed 2 mg Xanax retard daily for hypertension 15 years ago. I have severe anxiety and panic attacks, which started about the same time. At the moment, my panic attacks and anxiety have worsened. I now have 1 mg Xanax retard, and if desperate, take another 1 mg normal Xanax. I feel guilty that I take them, but I am sick of feeling tired, frightened, and shaky. After reading the comments, I felt a lot better about taking Xanax. I need to feel better, and as someone said, hypertension meds are necessary every day, but no one says stop taking them."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 11, 2017

For Anxiety "Xanax is like putting a Band-Aid over a wound that needs stitches. This med helped take the edge off my anxiety, and I am thankful for it. It will NOT treat GAD properly because you'll be dependent with too many doses, but it is a godsend for panic disorders. I still struggle with anxiety (anger, headaches, worrying, crazy thoughts). It helped me be able to sleep, socialize, not have panic attacks at work, great sex drive, and I feel calm. I was prescribed 0.5 mg twice a day, usually took less, otherwise, I'd be sleeping all day. I could only go about a day without it, then I need it again for anxiety. The biggest downside is that it makes me REALLY tired, lazy, and poor memory sometimes. When mixed with alcohol, I get very angry. I will be looking into SSRIs."

• Koz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 5, 2021

For Panic Disorder "After a long period of abuse, I was diagnosed with a dissociative disorder and panic disorder when I was 14 years old. For the most part, all I had was panic attacks and periods of time missing in memory. Though, as time went along, I developed intense obsessive thought loops about worries that made no sense and would hyper-fixate on things such as breathing, death, etc. I saw many psychiatrists who tried putting me on SSRIs, SNRIs, TRIs, etc. None of them worked. When I was 16, I was given 0.25 mg of Xanax to take 1-3 times a day, and it changed the world. It stops panic attacks, it helps ground me during any moments of derealization, and whenever an obsessive thought loop starts, I begin taking it a few times a week until it tapers off. I don't usually ever take more than 1 within a month, though sometimes it does get a bit stressful, and I never really had any withdrawal issues. I do get tired and spacey the next couple of days after taking it, but it's really no issue."

• Gai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2019

For Anxiety "Xanax does not help me with my anxiety, it only makes me tired, the same way everything else I tried has. I don't like the feeling of being high, and I don't want to be tired and fall asleep. I have a fear of going to work, but I'm trying to force myself to go. I have not been successful yet! I panic just talking about it, and it's really ruining my life. I want to go to work, and this is killing me. If anyone can help me with suggestions, medicines they've tried, a great psychiatrist or therapist if they worked."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 27, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I'm 63 and started Xanax at 19. Had panic disorder. Now I suffer trying to hold a job as I can’t remember things while trying to be trained. I’ve lost the last 2 jobs due to it. My balance is suffering, been tired for years and now see it causes Alzheimer's. I’m scared of what’s ahead in my future now, but after 40 years, the damage is already done. It was very effective for helping me live, but now I wish they’d have tried something different."

• Zio...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

For Anxiety "It’s a rip-off, and I never will ask for this again. It’s a disgusting drunk feeling you get from this, but it does calm you down and make you tired, so that’s why I gave it the stars. Anyone with anxiety should use Ativan, it’s so much cleaner and makes me feel completely normal. Strange how similar these drugs are, but how different they affect me."

• lam...
• July 11, 2011

For Anxiety "Effectively and rapidly eliminates symptoms of my anxiety. Also works well in calming my thoughts down. Only downside of this medication that I can conjure up is a propensity to make me lethargic, but this is only a significant problem if I'm not engaged in some sort of physical or mental diversion."

• Anonymous
• July 25, 2021

For Anxiety "Have a high tolerance to medication, and given that I did in my profession, took a large dose a day when needed. I never had any withdrawal from it when I stopped taking it, but now use it daily, about 4 to 6 mg a day if I need it. It would just level me out, never made me tired, nor helped me sleep, although at times I would take about 6 mg to help me relax enough to go to sleep. With any medication, if you are taking it to resolve the issue you are dealing with, it just aids and helps with the issue you are dealing with. Any drug you take as recreational, or feel you need something, will have an adverse effect. I've taken it off and on for years, given the situation, but never had any withdrawal when I didn't need it or stopped for a period of more than 1 to 5 years. I guess it's based upon your need of that issues you are dealing with, and that can be said of any medication if you abuse it or not."

• Pur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 6, 2012

For Depression "Works well for some anxiety, but it caused me to be tired and sleepy. I slept a lot while on this and was still depressed."

• mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2016

For Depression "I take 2 mg. It makes me calm, but also depressed and sad, with no energy."

• Anonymous
• August 28, 2009

For Anxiety "It made me tired and didn't relieve my anxiety."