Question for those who use or have used alprazolam (Xanax)

[Sbetto]

Hi everyone,
some time ago my psychiatrist prescribed me alprazolam to counteract side effects from another medication, such as anxiety and insomnia. Since then, I haven't experienced similar symptoms that required its use, and I only took it to test its effects in case I ever decide to CTB.
Five days ago, I couldn't sleep and had a bit of tachycardia, so I decided to take 0.50 mg of Frontal (Xanax) to calm myself down. After about an hour, I didn't feel much of anything, but I eventually fell asleep.
Today, after waiting five days to make sure the benzodiazepine was completely out of my system, I decided to take another 0.50 mg. After 30 minutes of not feeling anything, I took another 0.50 mg.
The effects on my anxiety were basically nonexistent, but it made me very sleepy. While lying in bed with my phone, I fell asleep without even noticing. I can say, however, that I woke up feeling quite groggy and dazed.
I should mention that I'm a regular cannabis smoker (I smoked last night before taking Xanax today). Could this interfere with how alprazolam works? Has anyone experienced something similar?
Next time, I'd like to ask for a benzodiazepine with a stronger anxiolytic effect and less of a sedative one, maybe in liquid (drop) form, so I can better control the dosage.

 

[opheliaoveragain]

Couple things, just my 2 cents.

So cannabis could have come into play if it's a stimulating strain for you, personally. Indica vs sativa doesnt necessarily matter as much as brain chemistry, some people find indica too much, some people find sativa too much, speaking in anxiety terms.

Re: the Xanax (been on it for 15+ years), everything you described tracks per side affects. You may want to look into Ativan or Valium, or Klonopin at low doses as it has a much longer half life in your system. I can't speak on liquid benzos as its not a thing in my country, except for mostly unsafe research chemicals.

Hope this helps xx

 

[Radiate_Ruby]

My psychiatrist prescribed me Alprazolam to block CTB thoughts, but it only makes me sleepy and breathe slowly. This is normal because there's no medication that will change your thoughts, but instead, will change your reactions. When I took half the dosage, I could barely walk and talk, I was so much slow on thinking and acting, and that could help me to not CTB. But now, I decided to take it regularly (1/4 * 4, meaning 1 entire dose of it through the day).

I'm on Alprazolam (1/4 * 4)
Des venlafaxine (1 and a half)
Lithium (1)
And Risperidone (1)

Unfortunately, the thoughts won't go away just with medication. I'm on therapy currently for about 6 months now, and I made progress, but very little progress​

Also, any sedative substance (such as Alcohol or any other drugs) will boost A LOT of the Alprazolam effect. In the receipt I got, it even says that the combination of such can cause coma and even death.

And I'm not sure if

a benzodiazepine with a stronger anxiolytic effect and less of a sedative one

is possible, tho. You may try to ask it btw. The anxiolytic effect is caused by the sedation effect, if I'm not wrong

 

[LittleThoughts]

Until a week ago, I was using a quarter of a 2 mg alprazolam tablet to sleep before I finally started getting full 0,5 mg tablets instead. I've been using sertraline to treat my anxiety for two, almost three months now and I don't think alprazolam has been affecting me so far when it comes to that. It is different for some people though, it wasn't prescribed, but that's how I've been using it so far. Sleepiness is a common effect of alprazolam, so keep that in mind.

 

[LittleJem]

Xanax puts me to sleep. I stay awake on lorazepam. Though, ironically, I now go to sleep on two lorazepam since I was last put on a psych ward.

 

[dust-in-the-wind]

I have to take 1.5 mgs for it to even touch my anxiety and even that is not enough. But if I take anymore I will just fall asleep.

 

[Novaaa]

There's something called drug interactions. Benzodiazepines (alprazolam) and marijuana are both central nervous system depressants, so their effects are enhanced. Alprazolam has a faster onset than other benzos, and the effects depend on each individual's body (it doesn't make me sleepy, and clonazepam doesn't either). I recommend not mixing substances whose interactions you don't know about. Marijuana will only worsen your discomfort if you have depression or another condition.