I am not on it but have taken it in the past. I just remember one instance when I was on a night bus in thailand from the laos border to bangkok and I had a super huge panic attack.. I was convinced I was going to die there and then in the bus.. My sister slipped me a xanax, after about 20 minutes I was calm and fell asleep soon after.

I have severe pannic attacks. I dont like xanax. It makes me feel funny then too sleepy. I like adivan. I dont know if I spelled that right but you get the idea. I am also on welbutrin. I hate pannic attacks.

Tia

Xanax is a great drug for panic, and anxiety but can become addictive after only a short time of using it.
I would rather be dependant on medicine, than have wretched anxiety attacks daily, though. I must agree with kansas as well, ativan is a similar drug that has done wonders for my panic attacks.
Finding a physician to prescribe these medications is becoming harder to find, because people without anxiety or panic disorders lie about symptoms in order to get the drugs, and use them for recreation.
I am on lexapro, and effexor which works well for depression, and anxiety, but does not help with the panic attacks. I have asked my doctor to prescribe one of the drugs that I know works (xanax, ativan, valium), however he refuses because he thinks that I am just looking for something to get messed up on.

Fi tied my xanax one more time just to give it one last shot. Friday night I had a severe pannic attack so I figured hey anything is better than having another one of those. Anyway I was very scared to take it again since I didnt like it before but my doc told me to give it a chance. I cut it in half because its not a time release kind so u can cut them. I will never take that crap again. I got more anxious and I was up till after 4am. Instead of making me go to sleep it kept me up. Wierd huh? I guess some drugs just dont work for everyone. I am going to my doc switch it to ativan. It wasnt hard for me to get these type of drugs because I had a several panic attacks while in the hospital. Its scary crap thats for sure. I cant wait to get mine under control.

Tia

I agree kansas, I have had similar experiences when taking a new medication. I worry about the way that the new drug will affect me. Sometimes upon taking a new drug, I manifest several negative side effects that aren't even relevant to that particular medication. With xanax, I hesitated to take it at first, but I had to try something, you know. The first time that I took it for my panic attacks, it made it even worse, as you said. I realized that it was my own phobia, and paranoia that fueled it.
I panicked, but eventually calmed down, and felt better.
Have you tried taking a higher dose of it?
Chemically speaking, xanax, ativan, and klonopin are virtually all the same. I must admit that there isn't a miracle drug to just make a panic attack stop, but these medication have aided me tremendously in the event of one. I have learned that after taking xanax, it is best to try and go about your daily duties as usual, however hard it may be.
Xanax is a sedative/downer, so it's natural effects are not to induce anxiety, or nervousness, or any type of uncomfortable feeling.
Those feelings are coming from the sufferer, not the drug.
It is within all of our mental capabilities to supress anxiety, however we just need a little help sometimes. While the meds relax your body, it is good to take steps in relaxing your mind. I find that physical activity helps this. Hope this helps... :wink:

Thanks, yes I know that I do make some of the symptoms of the side effects myself. The only thing is that with the xanax I finally calmed down but I was like wide awake. I just laid there in bed forever and could not sleep for anything. I guess I could have been doing that too maybe. Its just wierd how the ativan makes me sleepy and the xanax doesnt and first time I took ativan I was just as nervous as with the xanax. I dont know. Yesterday I took some pamprin cuz I had some cramps and it was wierd cuz it relaxed me. It was like taking ativan. It made me sleepy and I slept good last night. My husband thinks that it did that cuz it has an antihystomine like benidryl. Oh well at least I slept last night.

:)