Alprazolam and Memory Loss: What Users Say

• dav...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 11, 2015

Alprazolam for Anxiety "It's been 3 months now off Xanax (was taking up to 4 mg a day for 2 years after my brother killed himself) and I'm just now starting to feel like myself again. Coming off the Xanax was the hardest thing I've ever done. I had to force myself to work and keep my job. I had good days and bad days (more bad than good). My symptoms were crazy. No sleep, headaches, shakes, twitching, pain everywhere, memory problems. If I knew how hard it is to come off benzos, I never would have touched it. Short-term use = okay. Stressful event = okay. If this helps one person, then yay. Please be careful! Don't end up detoxing off of a benzo and going through hell for weeks or months. Research this med. Not fun!"

• JMD...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 31, 2025

For Depression "Been on Xanax for 10 years. I take 6 mg a day, 4 at night, 2 in the morning. Without them, I could not function. Thank God my sister-in-law is a psychiatrist, or I would never get 180 a month. I know a Vietnam vet who gets 240 a month. Never had a problem since taking the drug. Sleep good (4 at night, I would think so) no grogginess in the morning. But that's all I take except a multivitamin. I jog, eat right, and am in perfect physical condition for 65. Might get a little forgetful, but nothing serious."

• Hur...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 13, 2017

For Tinnitus "I have severe tinnitus after having IV antibiotics administered for a systemic infection. This was in 2014. The hair cells in my ears were damaged by the antibiotics. It was impossible to sleep. Tinnitus is constant and loud. I take 3 mg before bedtime so I can fall asleep. The tinnitus wakes me up in the morning. I use hearing aids designed for tinnitus, and they help. Unfortunately, the Xanax is causing memory loss and changes in my cognition. I want to get off of it. I live alone and am 61 years old. I need to have my brain completely functional to enter old age independently. I'm considering medical detox but have no idea how I will go on with the intense sound in my head. Anyone else detox and find an alternative?"

• Nic...
• September 27, 2015

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "I've been taking this medication for a long time. 10 yrs.! I wasn't warned about the memory problems, or any way of becoming addicted. I can happily say it has helped me, I even went into agoraphobia stage. Also, from my own personal experience, be very careful in taking this medication. I actually saw for myself how bad the memory problems can be. When I experienced that, I went to my Dr and said I wanted to wean myself off, but slowly, not stupid either. I've been addicted to this medication, but you have to realize our brain, our mind is more powerful than we give it credit for. I was using 0.5 mg 6-8 times a day. I'm now down to 3 and a half times per day, I'm getting better again."

• Kri...
• July 30, 2015

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "Since 9/11, I have developed an intense fear of flying. I stopped flying for 7 years altogether. In 2010, I had a strong desire to start traveling again, so I asked my doctor if there was something he could prescribe me so I could sleep and not feel anxious on flights, and he prescribed Xanax. My fear is so intense that I have to take 3-4 mg of Xanax on a three-hour flight in order not to be anxious, but it works perfectly. I'm able to be on the plane, and I sleep for a good portion of the flight with no anxiety. I do have some memory lapses, I often do not remember leaving the airport or much of what I do for a few hours afterward, but I am able to sleep it off."

• cen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 30, 2017

Alprazolam for Anxiety "While I found this medication to be effective for anxiety, the concentration and memory loss were terrible and almost cost me my job. I didn't really notice anything was wrong until I started my new job. Training was a nightmare. I couldn't focus long enough to learn anything new! I was reading a short list of keywords, and by the time I got to #3, I couldn't remember #1. I couldn't pay attention long enough to read a book, or even a short article. I couldn't remember people's names. I had to write everything down. I couldn't focus on anything anyone was telling me, I would just pretend like I understood. Luckily, I noticed something was wrong and stopped taking it about 2 months ago. My memory and ability to focus have improved."

• daa...
• August 20, 2015

Alprazolam for Anxiety "Out there reading this. I started taking Xanax for anxiety (a 2mg bar at night for sleep to turn my brain off at night). Worked my way up to 2 2mg bars a night for sleep/anxiety. BRAIN FOG set in. MEMORY LOSS like I was going crazy. BE CAREFUL this med (and all benzos) is for short-term use ONLY!!! Tried to taper myself off and couldn't. I went to a detox facility (hospital) and detoxed properly. Was a horrible experience. I was stuck in a hospital with heroin/alcoholics for a week. If you're reading this, BE CAREFUL. This med is for short-term use."

• Tra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 25, 2015

Alprazolam for Anxiety "This pill works miracles for me. It is completely effective against all of my anxiety. It also makes me feel less OCD. I no longer obsess over thoughts or worry while I am on this. Xanax unleashes my creativity. I play guitar, write music, and draw a lot. I used to do all these things but have thought I lost interest because I had no inspiration. I have no side effects except some memory loss and tiredness. I wish my doctor would up my prescription, I am on 2 mg a day, and for the past nine months, I have always finished my prescription in 1 - 2 weeks. But this does well for keeping tolerance low and avoiding addiction and dependence. I am on it for 2 weeks and then off until my refill."

• Mat...
• April 21, 2015

Alprazolam for Anxiety "This is a qualified positive review for Xanax. I was suffering from mild depression and anxiety last winter, and my doctor put me on Wellbutrin. That stuff takes 4-8 weeks to work, and in the interim, it can really up your anxiety level. A week later, I started 1 mg Xanax 1-2X/day, and it took care of the anxiety immediately. I continued using Xanax for more restful sleep, but after about 3 months, I realized that short and long-term memory was WAY down. I stopped Xanax and replaced it with GABA, and this seems to be a far better solution. The Wellbutrin worked great, I felt more energy the first week, but it did take 6-8 weeks to fully kick in. I will now ONLY take the Xanax for rare, severe stress. Also check the connection to Alzheimer's."

• fea...
• September 8, 2009

Alprazolam for Anxiety "Xanax works well for me with my fear of flying. I have to take it on an empty stomach, otherwise, it does not work. It makes me sleep on the flight to get to where I need to go. The one problem that I am having is memory loss. I cannot remember the events that happened the day that I take it. It makes me very passive."

• Bra...
• December 13, 2016

Alprazolam for Anxiety "I have been on Xanax since 2007 when I was watching my mother slowly suffer. I started on 0.25 mg, and eventually, the dose was not enough. Now ordered 1 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night. It works, however, I have cognitive impairment, and all I want to do is sleep, and my memory is pretty shot. I weaned myself down very, very slowly and got down to 1 mg daily at night, but then some negative events happened, and I was going into a panic attack. I know this medication works, but I would not take it unless it is a must."

• Bra...
• December 13, 2016

Alprazolam for Anxiety "I have been on Xanax since 2007 when I was watching my mother slowly suffer. I started on 0.25 mg, and eventually, the dose was not enough. Now ordered 1 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night. It works, however, I have cognitive impairment, and all I want to do is sleep, and my memory is pretty shot. I weaned myself down very, very slowly and got down to 1 mg daily at night, but then some negative events happened, and I was going into a panic attack. I know this medication works, but I would not take it unless it is a must."

• Ted...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 10, 2022

Alprazolam for Anxiety "In 2022, I am 24 years of age, and I have been taking Xanax every day for four years now. My dosage has gone up and down over the years. I have a myriad of mental health issues, one of them being GAD. I currently am taking about 1.75-2 mg daily. I always take at least one extended-release 0.5 mg pill. I have a sort of unique situation in that my panic attacks manifest in extreme depression, something that took me years to realize. I’ve had, at this point, countless episodes of extreme suicidal ideation, during which Xanax was the only thing to get me off the ledge. It has saved my life multiple times throughout the years. Unfortunately, I do believe long-term use of this medication has resulted in some cognitive impairment. I have a really bad memory. The past four years of my life feel like a dream. It’s really difficult for me to remember. I speak three languages, but it’s hard for me to recall words in my weaker languages, where it was not so difficult before. I’m glad Xanax exists."

• Ted...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 10, 2022

Alprazolam for Anxiety "In 2022, I am 24 years of age, and I have been taking Xanax every day for four years now. My dosage has gone up and down over the years. I have a myriad of mental health issues, one of them being GAD. I currently am taking about 1.75-2 mg daily. I always take at least one extended-release 0.5 mg pill. I have a sort of unique situation in that my panic attacks manifest in extreme depression, something that took me years to realize. I’ve had, at this point, countless episodes of extreme suicidal ideation, during which Xanax was the only thing to get me off the ledge. It has saved my life multiple times throughout the years. Unfortunately, I do believe long-term use of this medication has resulted in some cognitive impairment. I have a really bad memory. The past four years of my life feel like a dream. It’s really difficult for me to remember. I speak three languages, but it’s hard for me to recall words in my weaker languages, where it was not so difficult before. I’m glad Xanax exists."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 11, 2017

Alprazolam for Anxiety "Xanax is like putting a Band-Aid over a wound that needs stitches. This med helped take the edge off my anxiety, and I am thankful for it. It will NOT treat GAD properly because you'll be dependent with too many doses, but it is a godsend for panic disorders. I still struggle with anxiety (anger, headaches, worrying, crazy thoughts). It helped me be able to sleep, socialize, not have panic attacks at work, great sex drive, and I feel calm. I was prescribed 0.5 mg twice a day, usually took less, otherwise, I'd be sleeping all day. I could only go about a day without it, then I need it again for anxiety. The biggest downside is that it makes me REALLY tired, lazy, and poor memory sometimes. When mixed with alcohol, I get very angry. I will be looking into SSRIs."

• zag...
• February 20, 2017

For Anxiety "I have been on Xanax since my first attack in my mid to late 20s. I'm now 59. At first, I was taking 0.5 mg 3x a day, it worked wonders for many years. Then my mother was dying of cancer, my anxiety came back 10-fold, also, my child became a severe alcoholic and almost died. I now take 1 mg 4x a day just to cope with the daily anxiety, and it helps me to feel normal in an unnormal world. Unfortunately, now my new med doc wants to start weaning me off, which has caused me more anxiety. I feel, don't fix what's not broken. But I was told at my age it could cause me to start falling down or lose my balance and become forgetful. Really, please, those things come with age anyway. I've never abused my meds, I'm not falling down or forgetting either."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 23, 2021

Alprazolam for Anxiety "2 years, 4 mg a day. This was the worst two years of my life I don't remember, arrested twice. Constantly had the urge to steal things or make trouble. I had to take this garbage 4 times a day, vs. lorazepam's once or twice a day. People who praise this drug must get a different effect than me, it lasts 1/2 as long as Ativan and makes me insanely forgetful and stupid. I think it's garbage in the long run. Took me 3 months to taper off of too, absolute trash."

• Bun...
• December 2, 2015

Alprazolam for Anxiety "Xanax simply stops working when taken too long on a daily basis. At that point, one reaches 'tolerance,' and the medication is simply no longer effective at that dose. Many psychiatrists tend to keep prescribing Xanax and other benzodiazepines at this point (strong, addictive tranquilizers that lead to dementia and Alzheimer's) as maintenance meds. It is then up to you to realize how bad they are and wean yourself off them, going through years and years of dangerous withdrawal. The best solution is don't even start! XANAX: NOT EVEN ONE!"

• GJa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 13, 2018

Alprazolam for Anxiety "Careful with this one. Very addictive. It was prescribed for anxiety, but after a while, I found myself habitually taking it and getting desperately anxious when I didn’t. Addiction to barbiturates in my mid-forties was not part of the plan, so I stopped. Withdrawals were terrible. I also experienced short-term memory issues. I achieved safer results with antidepressants, although they take a week or more to ‘work,’ they are not addictive. Lifestyle changes also helped: no drinking, took up jogging, gym, and watching what I eat and being more mindful of the spiritual aspects of life. Pretty obvious stuff, really..."

• Ove...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 26, 2013

For Anxiety "I have been taking Xanax (alprazolam) in moderation for a few years. I do not take it unless I feel extremely stressed, which leads to depression. Although I take Lexapro for depression and anxiety, Xanax is still needed for the severely stressful times. It quickly calms my nerves and helps me not to worry and stress so much about things most people would not stress over. It also helps with my short temper. Overall, it has been helpful. Also, I tend to forget what I've done, said, or experienced while under the influence of Xanax. Also, I noticed it increases my appetite for not-so-healthy foods. Use with caution and moderation."

• Nui...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 21, 2017

Alprazolam for Anxiety "Please try a different benzo before this drug. It's a life ruiner. The effects are so strong and leave the body quickly, it makes you crave more. Tolerance builds like crazy with this drug too. I suggest Klonopin. It works great and lasts a lot longer. Withdrawal is horrible from Xanax. You can die from it. It also comes with severe memory loss while taking it."

• Mar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 12, 2021

For Panic Disorder "This medicine is a blessing from God for panic disorder. It works immediately, whereas other benzodiazepines take too long to work if you are having a bad panic attack. I have never been addicted to Xanax or suffered withdrawals because I am careful to taper off if I take it or any benzodiazepine for more than a week. I am prescribed .5 mg, and that’s all I need for panic disorder or insomnia. I was once prescribed 30-1 mg per month, and I never once got addicted or had problems with it. I do not get cravings for it. Xanax really should be an OTC drug because all people should have access to it, like they do to alcohol or to ibuprofen. It is very helpful for occasional insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and it was miraculous how it remediated the panic from claustrophobia while scuba diving in Indonesia. On the downside, it can cause some short-term memory issues, and it isn’t all that great for insomnia."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 27, 2021

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "I'm 63 and started Xanax at 19. Had panic disorder. Now I suffer trying to hold a job as I can’t remember things while trying to be trained. I’ve lost the last 2 jobs due to it. My balance is suffering, been tired for years and now see it causes Alzheimer's. I’m scared of what’s ahead in my future now, but after 40 years, the damage is already done. It was very effective for helping me live, but now I wish they’d have tried something different."

• mom...
• April 30, 2009

For Anxiety "This medication works well for my anxiety. I feel very relaxed and calm, but I find it highly addictive. Sometimes I have memory loss, and when I try to wean off of it, my anxiety worsens, and I go through withdrawal similar to a hangover."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2019

Alprazolam for Panic Disorder "Be careful on this drug! I have a slight case of PTSD. Some things trigger my depression into manic episodes of aggressive crying. Xanax does make it go away, however, I can only take a small dose. The dose perceived to me was so strong I don't remember a whole night with my husband. Eventually passed out with my cat on the couch, and I don't remember a thing before that. So that scares me that it drugs me and takes my memory away..."