Posted by snapper on May 22, 2004, at 0:26:00
In reply to got it, sorry for delay... » snapper, posted by chemist on May 22, 2004, at 0:05:21
> > Chemist did you see my question .......further up on the board? " Chemist Xanax ?? again" ?
> > Snapper
>
> hi snapper, i read your post, and my apologies for not replying sooner. xanax is a pretty heavy-hitter in re: short-term memory loss, and you have to dose regularly in order to keep the drug in your system. i am guessing that your problems - e.g., the pseudo-dementia - are really related to the quite often severe anterograde amnesia....in addition to the very short onset of action, which can be a kick in the pants. i do know that xanax (and at least one other triazolobenzodiazepine) have been found to possess anti-depressant activity. wondering if your new switch is just a settling-in period? the swap from a 1,4- or 1,5-benzodiazepine for xanax is not a one-for-one deal, so that could very well be the problem. i prefer xanax to the benzos because, in my opinion, it is a cleaner drug, with a short onset of action, and a short half-life. the latter statement is indicative of trouble in tapering off of xanax, but as with any substance, as long as the tapering is slow, no problem...might you try a lesser dose taken more frequently? please let me know if any of this helps, and again, i apologize for not responding sooner.....all the best, chemist>thanks for getting back to me.....the memory problem existed before the Xanax but not nearly as severe.... as I noted in some other post I am dosing of of it from 1mg t.i.d. by .5mg per every 5 days- tommorrow I will only be taking 1mg b.i.d.
then so on and on....as i mentioned earlier in other post ...my doc performing ECT wants me to be off of all benzos (and derivitives) before starting ect. I know ect is most likely not your specialty but I am particularly anxious about the time period of when I hope to initiate ect 1st or 2nd week of June .... I will not have completely been off of it by the time I hope to start the ect and wondering if at that time, I am say on only .5mg or 1mg of Xanax if I will have any detrimental effect of immediately d/c'ing it to commence the ect. I know all of this is very wordy and I hope I am getting my point across-but my anxiety isn't in check with the benzos any way (neither with the Klonopin) I hope you can decipher some of this and give me some input-like I said before I have a retarded/psedo-dementia type depression any way and the Xanax is really making me feel like a 'retard'...... Finally in your opinion what would be a safe taper off of Xanax under normal circumstances 3mg t.i.d. for 5 to six weeks and previously long term Klonopin useage.....
thanks
snapper
poster:snapper
thread:349078
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040521/msgs/349508.html