|
Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Alprazolam reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 9 ratings/reviews, Alprazolam has an overall score of 9. The effectiveness score is 9.11 and the side effect score is 8.44. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Alprazolam review by 49 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |  |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | .5mg once a day taken up to once a day for the period of over two years |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | In low doses, this drug does exactly what it says it does - reduces symptons of anxiety. It is especially helpful for very anxiety-producing situations such as speaking in front of groups, flying, and going into crowded places. The drug produces a feeling of being more relaxed, and in extremely high anxiety situations (flying), if I take the full dose of .5 mg, it will sleep and wake up with no residual effects. |
| Side effects: | | Drowsiness, if I take the high end of the prescribed dose, but in this case, that's the desired effect. |
| Comments: | | I can take up to .5 mg / day as needed. I usually take .25 mg to .5 mg / day. |
|
| | Alprazolam review by 55 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |  |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | .5 mg taken 3x daily for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | depression |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I found that episodes of anxiety were less frequent and less severe. I was not as edgy or easily startled. |
| Side effects: | | During the day, there were times I was drowsy and did not feel it was safe to take the medication, as I had to be alert for driving or for concentrating at work. |
| Comments: | | Doctor monitored, and when there was improvement sustained over time, I "weaned" off the drug and have a prescription where I can take small doses "as needed." |
|
| | Alprazolam review by 70 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Anxiety, Panic Attck, Nervousness |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.5 mg taken in the beginning i took 0.25 mg for the period of For 8 years |
| Other conditions: | | Blood Pressure, Mildly Diabetic |
| Other drugs taken: | | Zestril, Glucophage, Amlodipine (Novasc) | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I experienced Xannax more effective for anxiety and panic attacks. |
| Side effects: | | I didn't feel any alarming side effects from this medication even after using for over 8 years.
The feeling of dependency doesn't bother as we are sometimes addict of certain foods also. |
| Comments: | | First I experienced the state of anxiety and panic at the age of 20. Starting with Librium I was successful to managed and control my mood and over sensitive nature.
Regular exercise, food and lively hobbies helped to relieve me form all sedative and tranquilizers.
It was, probably, job related stress and tension what triggered the state of anxiety and panic.
Now the above-mentioned medications are helping to perform my activities, mostly as a normal person.
|
|
| | Alprazolam review by medical professional caring for 53 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Psychosomatic disorder |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.5mg TDS taken tds for the period of 3 weeks |
| Other conditions: | | headache, insomnia |
| Other drugs taken: | | PPIs, Beta Blockers | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | In short, the patient recovered. The patient sometimes used to report higher grades of Blood Pressure, anxiety and headache. Also reported to have back ache some times.
The present treatment gave patient comfort and she has recovered to a greater extent, and is able to live a normal life now. |
| Side effects: | | Mild. |
| Comments: | | Treatment with PPI lasted for 2 weeks.
With Alprazolam for 3 weeks.
Ant with Beta Blocker, for management. |
|
| | Alprazolam review by 70 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Anxiety, Panic Attck, Nervousness |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.5 mg taken in the beginning i took 0.25 mg for the period of For 8 years |
| Other conditions: | | Blood Pressure, Mildly Diabetic |
| Other drugs taken: | | Zestril, Glucophage, Amlodipine (Novasc) | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I experienced Xannax more effective for anxiety and panic attacks. |
| Side effects: | | I didn't feel any alarming side effects from this medication even after using for over 8 years.
The feeling of dependency doesn't bother as we are sometimes addict of certain foods also. |
| Comments: | | First I experienced the state of anxiety and panic at the age of 20. Starting with Librium I was successful to managed and control my mood and over sensitive nature.
Regular exercise, food and lively hobbies helped to relieve me form all sedative and tranquilizers.
It was, probably, job related stress and tension what triggered the state of anxiety and panic.
Now the above-mentioned medications are helping to perform my activities, mostly as a normal person.
|
|
| | Alprazolam review by 44 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | .5 mg taken daily for the period of 12 months |
| Other conditions: | | Depression |
| Other drugs taken: | | Budeprion | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Anxiety greatly diminished shortly after taking alprazolam. The alprazolam was also effective in calming the mind prior to sleep. I have taken alprazolam for anxiety attacks, worrisome and obsessive thinking and in order to fall asleep. |
| Side effects: | | I noticed no adverse side effects other than an occassional grogginess the next day after taking it at night. |
| Comments: | | The Doctor prescribed alprazolam for anxiety, taken daily every 8 hours or as needed to treat immediate symptoms. |
|
| | Alprazolam review by 23 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Panic disorder, agoraphobia |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.25 (dosage frequency: as needed) for the period of 1 month |
| Other conditions: | | Insomnia, high blood pressure, agora |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Helped me be able to leave the house for the first time in months, quickly reduced my anxiety and I didn't have any attacks. |
| Side effects: | | Barely any despite some slight confusion. |
| Comments: | | This medication (and other benzodiazepines) has gotten a bad reputation because some irresponsible people have ruined it for those that actually need it. If people would take this drug as prescribed, there would not be as many problems and it wouldn't carry the stigma it does now.
I started having panic attacks when I turned 21, and the condition soon worsened into full-blown panic disorder. A year later, I couldn't hold down a job and was agoraphobic. I tried counseling and medications like Zoloft and Lexapro. The side effects from those made me feel worse than I did just not taking them.
Finally my doctor decided to put me on Alprazolam as-needed.
It has been a life-saver for me. I would take the lowest dose (0.25 mg), and be able to leave my house for the first time in months. I visited friends, went to restaurants, and did everything I used to do before my disorder. I finally felt like I had my life back. I would take one whenever I anticipated a situation where I could have an attack, or when I felt one coming on already. Sometimes I didn't even need all of the 0.25 mg and could break it in half.
Too many people abuse this medication by upping their dosage without a doctor's consent or using it when they don't need to, and now you are almost treated like a criminal at some pharmacies and doctor's offices when they learn you are taking it because they think you are a druggie.
I *much* prefer this medication over any of the SSRIs, which have horrible side effects. I felt like a zombie on those medications, had no sex drive at all, and didn't have any energy whatsoever. The doctors tell you those side effects will go away with use, but for days to even weeks you feel 10 times worse than you did before. It's just not worth it.
0.25 mg of Alprazolam as-needed for anxiety has helped me get my life back on track and really helped save me from spending days and nights locked away in my house. I highly recommend this medication for responsible people who just need something in a crutch and don't want to go on long-term SSRIs that leave you feeling drained and lifeless.
Yes, counseling and therapy are a better alternative to medication, but the problem is always finding a *good* counselor, and sometimes even then, they just don't work. I have seen 3 counselors and all of them have failed to help me with anything, all I did was waste a $20 copay each visit to have them tell me things that sounded like they came from an inspirational booklet.
Taken *as* prescribed or as-needed, this drug is wonderful. |
|
| | Alprazolam review by 33 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Anxiety |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.5 mg taken as needed for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | Depression |
| Other drugs taken: | | None (just vitamin supplements) | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Able to cope more successfully during panic attacks and acute anxiety episodes. Able to sleep better at night (get to sleep). |
| Side effects: | | The only side effects noticed were dry eyes upon waking in the morning. |
| Comments: | | Took 0.5 mg Xanax as needed for anxiety, prescribed by primary care physician. Was very helpful in getting me through an extremely stressful time of my life. |
|
| | Alprazolam review by 39 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | anxiety and panic diorder |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.5 (dosage frequency: i take one a day) for the period of currently taking |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | buspar, zoloft, ambien | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Alprazolam worked wonders for me I wish I had gotten prescribed a long time ago, works very well for anxiety and panic. |
| Side effects: | | At first it made me a little tired but that did not last long |
| Comments: | | I take it prn when my anxiety is at a high level, I have one with me at all times incase I need it, one usually does the trick and I feel "normal" it is a feeling I have not had in a long time, I would recomment this drug to anyone suffering from anxiety and or panic. |
| |
|
