Posted by stargazer on November 28, 2006, at 9:54:38
In reply to Re: To Dissipate grieving thoughts... Xanax?, posted by med_empowered on November 28, 2006, at 4:12:07
Dosage for anxiety is usually 0.25 to 0.5 mg up to 3 times/day, max daily dose 4 mg.
Xanax is a short acting med so it kicks in and dissipates in a few hours (I don't know it's half life) but it is designed to treat anxiety quickly and then to leave your system quickly. Perfect drug for treatment of brief, short lasting episodes of anxiety.
It sounds as though you need a longer acting medication for the daily stress you are under. That is usually best accomplished with a higher dose of Prozac or something that lasts longer than Xanax.
Do you have a pdoc who prescribes the Prozac? Perhaps the dosage of Prozac can be increased to help with stress, rather than taking Xanax at larger doses, more frequently. A few times a day at lower doses may be OK for a short period of time, but eventually you should be on something else.
I took Ativan during periods of med adjustment where my antidepressant did not control my anxiety. Once the dose was adequate, the anxiety component of the depression is minimized and the use of Ativan (or Xanax) can be used sporatically, rather than routinely.
Good luck...SG
poster:stargazer
thread:708111
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061123/msgs/708154.html