Xanax and Withdrawal: What Users Say

• Wor...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 28, 2020

For Anxiety "I have severe anxiety panic disorder that started when I was a child. I have been taking Xanax for over 30 years now. Every day I take 4 pills, but on really bad days I take 6 pills. My doctor has retired, and now I have a new doctor who is cutting me off. Instead of taking 4 pills every day, they only gave me enough for half a pill per day. I'm never able to sleep due to extreme insomnia, anxiety, and panic attacks that plague me every day. I was shocked at how much they cut me off and so quickly. Right now, I am in critical condition. They say I exceeded my monthly limit. When I was given Xanax, I was able to function, sleep normally, eat, and live a normal life. I have been taking Xanax for over 30 years. It is truly inhumane. My body relies on taking medicine every day, and suddenly being cut off will be really hard on my body. Some people really do need Xanax."

• Rei...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 17, 2020

For Anxiety "I have used Xanax for 20 years. Always taken it as needed, and it works wonderfully, no side effects at all, no getting used to it as evidenced by not using it for days and no withdrawal. I tried everything else suffering severe side effects like Seroquel. I only need 1mg twice a day, maybe on real panic day three times."

• Com...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 9, 2020

For Anxiety "Xanax has helped me a lot. 2mg once a day or as needed. With anxiety and PTSD issues from combat, I can say it’s helped with my sleep and I’m not so tight everywhere I go. A lot better than Seroquel, which has horrible side effects and weight gain, that stuff made me feel like a zombie. By the way, if you do get 'cut off,' be careful because Xanax withdrawal can cause death and seizures."

• Bro...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 25, 2020

For Anxiety "I have been on Xanax for 30 years and it worked great for my anxiety and panic attacks. I am not addicted, but it helps with everything bothering me. Well, my doctor just cut me off abruptly! The withdrawal is terrible. I was willing to wean myself off of them but got cut off."

• ant...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 16, 2025

For Panic Disorder "The withdrawals are hell on earth, it’s like being tortured alive. It’s not just the withdrawals that are bad but the long-term brain damage that will ensue afterwards that I don’t wish on my worst enemy."

• Ric...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 12, 2019

For Anxiety "The withdrawal from long-term Xanax and other benzos is the longest and most agonizing experience you will ever go through. This is not an opinion, it’s a fact. The withdrawals can last years...yes, years. Don’t believe me? Take a good look online and start researching now. This drug is the absolute worst drug to get off for most people. Narcotic withdrawals pale in comparison. This is not a review...this is a warning."

• Tru...
• September 16, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I have been on Xanax for over 30 years. I have a panic disorder of some kind. It has changed my life and allowed me to function normally. Now my psychiatrist retired, and I am seeing a young resident who wants me off it. I could have seizures and terrible withdrawal, and be back to not leaving the house."

• Ham...
• October 1, 2008

For Panic Disorder "I have used Xanax since 1996. I love it. It has saved my life so many times, I can't count. I have gone through different times in my life where I had to take 9mg a day just to survive the panic attacks. My attacks come in cycles. I have had them since I was 7 years old, and I am now 39. I am so tired of them and feeling them. I had a big one today, as a matter of fact. I am going through withdrawal of getting off Lexapro. I am never without my Xanax though. Simply carrying it around helps keep off the panic attacks sometimes. If I hadn't had it, I would have been put away or had killed myself long ago, because having panic attacks is no way to live."

• Bea...
• January 6, 2020

For Panic Disorder "This drug, Xanax, does exactly what it’s supposed to do for panic attacks. It’s honestly the only prescribed drug I’ve ever taken that really fulfills what it says it will do. I’ve been taking this medicine for close to 20 years, sometimes not for long periods of time but very steadily for about the past 7. I gave it nine stars because it is super effective but has a good deal of drawbacks. For one, it’s crazy addicting. I feel I’m definitely addicted to it and start having very serious withdrawals if I skip a few days. Personally, I feel like it’s the lesser of two bad options, being that not having it in my life is just constant anxiety and panic, but it creates its own anxiety knowing that you need it. I currently take 2 mg a day, and sometimes I break it up throughout the day. If your anxiety is truly severe and strongly affecting your life, I would recommend taking it, but if that’s not the case, I would use some discretion before getting involved with a drug as strong as this."

• ays...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I have had no problem taking Xanax for sleep for years. I am now trying to get off of it, only out of the fear that they won't be manufacturing it for long, and doctors are so reluctant to prescribe it. I'm scared I will have withdrawal effects, so I have to do it very slowly. But I truly have no complaints about taking 1 mg or half for sleep at night and for anxiety. Too bad it's abused and is now known as a bad drug."

• Ash...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 4, 2014

For Anxiety "I get intense panic attacks. Xanax is very effective at working quickly to stop a panic attack. It saved my life, until after a few months I tried to stop taking it and got horrible withdrawals. I felt like I was dying, my anxiety was worse than it had ever been in my life, high blood pressure (and mine is naturally low), tachycardia, hallucinations, tremors. I hope anyone considering taking Xanax takes it at a low dose and not daily. If daily, do not quit cold turkey."

• Eli...
• January 10, 2017

For Anxiety "I suffer from emetophobia-related panic attacks and anxiety, and this drug is just a godsend. I try to reserve it until I really need it, as I know that, based on my personality, I could pretty easily become dependent. If it wasn't for the issues with dependency and withdrawal, it would be a ten out of ten for me. I will note that after I stopped using it semi-regularly, I became better at dealing with anxiety, 'on my own' so to speak, and experienced less anxiety overall as I improved my coping skills. Still, I'm really grateful for this medication and encourage other miserably anxious people out there to discuss it with their doctors. It really improved my life when I thought nothing could."

• Anx...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2015

For Anxiety "I am giving it a 10 because it simply works, and it's the best medication out there for anxiety. The bad thing is it's very addictive. I have been taking it for almost a year now, on and off, 0.5 mg if I feel very anxious before going to bed. Yes, withdrawals can be bad, but don't listen to all the bad things people say when going off, if you need it, you take it. My mother has been on this medication for 10 years as prescribed. If you don't abuse it, you have no reason to be scared. Cheers!"

• NoT...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2018

For Anxiety "From my experience with Xanax, it ruins lives, period. Xanax was made for 14-day use for acute crisis but is grossly misprescribed. Xanax is more addictive than heroin and turns normal people into weird and angry shells of who they previously were. The drug causes the brain to stop producing chemicals it needs, and the half-life is so short that you go into withdrawal every time the drug 'runs out' every 4 hours. You believe the feeling is 'anxiety' and take another pill to treat it! However, the feeling is just withdrawal. You will need more and more of the drug just to get the original effects, and you will not really be aware of how you’re acting. The longer you take the drug, the worse it gets-and eventually, the doctor who got you hooked on it will stop prescribing it. A safe way to get off of Xanax is the Ashton method (Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw)-switching slowly from Xanax to Valium. Valium is like a longer-acting form of Xanax, which then is easier to cut down on. I urge you never to start the drug."

• Gil...
• September 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I did get terrible withdrawal when I tapered off Xanax last year. Now panic almost every day. Will ask for Valium instead of Xanax, because a longer half-life means less withdrawal. I'm so tired of being obsessive and terrified without meds, and sleepy with meds."

• Sun...
• May 28, 2021

For Anxiety "Poison. This drug ruined my life. I was on this for 3 years, 1 mg in the morning and 1 mg in the afternoon and 1 mg at night. One day, I decided to not take one, and I almost had a seizure. For 5 years, I had withdrawal - bad withdrawal. I had drop attacks constantly and randomly. I stopped driving for 5 years because I would get drop attacks in the car. I stopped going outside. It completely made me a vegetable. I couldn’t swallow, I could not breathe. 5 years later, and I finally have driven a car thanks to tramadol. Tramadol saved my life. But Xanax is the worst drug! Do not take it! Bad, bad, bad consequences. I promise you. I have been in Xanax groups of people going through exactly what I did. Countless suicides from it because people didn’t have resources and didn’t understand what was happening. Thank God for my husband. It’s a withdrawal unlike anything. Worse than any opioid. Opioid withdrawal is like flu symptoms for a couple of months. This is more like a vegetable for YEARS! All those years I lost!"

• Mic...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 11, 2018

For Depression "It surely works for anxiety. Being said that, stay away from this drug if you can. In the time you build a tolerance, and doses required are much, much higher as time passes. Withdrawal is TERRIBLE, I would give a 0/10, but I give 4 because at least it works for anxiety. You can suffer severe loss of memory, and generally my brain can't work properly after too many years under its effect, it has ruined my clear thinking. My liver values go off chart when I use too much, and it has become the norm now after a few years of use. Go for other medication that doesn't give you that severe addiction. Hope it helps. Sorry for bad English. I'm now under testosterone treatment, and after a few months, I can see my symptoms get better without the brain fog Xanax can give."

• Poc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 5, 2019

For Anxiety "Do not use these daily or you'll become addicted. They are great for the occasional anxiety as they work fast. But the half-life is so very, very short that you can easily start going into withdrawals after a few days. Be careful with this benzo!"

• Gre...
• March 6, 2017

For Anxiety "Doctor had me on Xanax three times a day to try and stop my anxiety depression from furthering. While Xanax is wonderful for anxiety, be careful, the withdrawal can be nasty if you don't get off it properly. Needless to say, I get timid taking it now because of that. However, it helps in times of crisis."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2016

For Anxiety "I've used Xanax twice in my life-once when one of my children died and later when I was divorced. The drug works as advertised, relieving anxiety in an extremely short time. Twelve years ago, I was prescribed 0.5 mg three times a day, and it really worked. However, it is very easy to get comfortable taking these. I stopped cold turkey after about a month with no withdrawal, but I could just as easily have become very dependent. It's a great medication if you use restraint and only take it when necessary. My current doctor tells me that he tells his patients that three 0.5 mg tablets are the maximum they should take every week. It's great, but be careful!"

• dea...
• September 6, 2009

For Anxiety "The fastest acting anti-anxiety medication I've ever been prescribed, and by far the most effective. The anxiety I experienced prior to medication was crippling, I would stay in bed all day and not want to leave my house to go to school or anything that involved other social interaction. This medicine got me up, happy, and willing/wanting to do the things I could not do before. However, through prolonged use of this medication, I have, as a result, become addicted, as when I do not receive my scheduled dose, I feel withdrawals. Overall, this medication has done so many good things for me I would be content taking this until the end of time, for the pros outweigh the cons, tenfold."

• Sir...
• September 24, 2013

For Anxiety "I have had very emotional ups and downs in life, and after getting married 15 years ago, my life became more hectic. 10 years ago, when I lost my cousin, I had panic attacks, and I became a hypochondriac. I took Anxit (Xanax) 0.25 to 0.5 mg twice a day. I stopped all of a sudden after a year and did not notice withdrawal symptoms, as depression was somewhat like part of life dealing with people. Now, recently, I started having very bad panic attacks, and I almost stopped going out alone, as I was scared to go out alone, and my panic was of heart attacks and death by sudden reasons, etc. For the past week, I again started taking Anxit 0.25 mg once in the morning and night. I am fine and happy for the past week, and I want to continue the same dose."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 5, 2014

For Anxiety "I noticed my memory was very much affected on Xanax. This is the quickest-working benzo, in my opinion, but does not last long. Also, the withdrawals from Xanax were more severe than the withdrawals from the other benzos I've been on. It works great for some people, but not so much for me."

• dus...
• June 25, 2018

For Anxiety "The negative reviews on here about this med are coming from people who take it every day. Folks, do not take this medicine every day. It's for occasional use only. It's like alcohol; having a drink once in a while here or there is fine, but getting drunk all day, every day is obviously not a good idea. Same thing with the Xanax. Taking it once in a while when required is fine, but using it every day will give you horrible withdrawals. I have the XR version that I literally take 'once in a blue moon' for emergency situations only. It works great. Basic rule of thumb: don't take it more than once per week, and if you have to, don't take it more than two days in a row."

• Blu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 27, 2021

For Anxiety "I would urge anyone starting to take this medication not to use it every day unless you are under the care of an experienced board-certified psychiatrist. I have taken the same dose (2 mg/day) for over 25 years. Going longer than 12-24 hours without the medication means that I need to find the nearest ER. The withdrawal is supreme agony and can be extremely dangerous. Even properly withdrawing off this medication can take years and not weeks or months. Over 10 years ago, I was inappropriately tapered off the med and I lost my executive functioning."