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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ChicagoKat on October 3, 2012, at 10:08:44
FYI, smoking leads to a 50% decrease in blood levels/efficacy of Xanax.
So if you are a smoker and are on Xanax, or are ever put on Xanax, let your pdoc know about this and have him or her up your dose of Xanax, or better yet, have him or her change you to a different benzo such as Ativan which does not have such an interaction.
If your pdoc is skeptical about this info, tell him/her that a PharmD (pharmacist) told you about it.
Kat
Posted by phillipa on October 3, 2012, at 10:31:34
In reply to Important info for smokers, posted by ChicagoKat on October 3, 2012, at 10:08:44
Kat that is interesting as when smoked and working and taking .5 of xanax I also used to drink beer at night and smoke about 5 cigarettes. Then would go to sleep. I would sleep well and wake feeling great. So since l5 years since smoked does this mean for 15 years the same dose of xanax is really twice what it was? Phillipa
Posted by ChicagoKat on October 3, 2012, at 13:47:04
In reply to Re: Important info for smokers » ChicagoKat, posted by phillipa on October 3, 2012, at 10:31:34
> Kat that is interesting as when smoked and working and taking .5 of xanax I also used to drink beer at night and smoke about 5 cigarettes. Then would go to sleep. I would sleep well and wake feeling great. So since l5 years since smoked does this mean for 15 years the same dose of xanax is really twice what it was? Phillipa
Hi Phillipa,
If you have stopped smoking, then the effect has stopped too. And your dose wasn't twice what it was supposed to be it was effectively half of what it should have been. Glad to hear that despite that you still slept well. Take care.
Kat
Posted by schleprock on October 3, 2012, at 23:01:15
In reply to Important info for smokers, posted by ChicagoKat on October 3, 2012, at 10:08:44
I think I've heard something similar about nortriptyline. Or it might have been one of the other antipsychotics.
Posted by ChicagoKat on October 4, 2012, at 10:04:47
In reply to Re: Important info for smokers, posted by schleprock on October 3, 2012, at 23:01:15
> I think I've heard something similar about nortriptyline. Or it might have been one of the other antipsychotics.
I know of no such interaction with Nortryptiline, and I researched it well, b/c I do smoke (bad me!), and I just started on Nortryp. I will now research it even harder. Thanks for the info.
Kat
This is the end of the thread.
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