Dana.... I have been concerned about the Xanax dose as well. The doctor is the one that told me to take it like that and that often to keep it in my system while my anxiety has shot through the roof because of the progesterone, he thinks. Both he and my pshychiatrist said that was a very low dose...I have only taken clonazepam before so now sure how the doses relate to other benzos. He said that my system should be clear of the progesterone today. As far as the estrogen goes, as I said in an earlier post, I guess he was introducing one at a time.? I was supposed to go see him again this week.
This morning I'm having the same issues as last night. Tightening in my chest, exhausted and insides won't calm and headache. My son wanted to take me to the er last night cause he was scared for me. If things don't improve pretty soon I guess we'll have to make that trip to see what's going on.
Something has really gotten my system on high alert. And the scariest part is the way my chest is feeling.
A
How long have you been taking the Xanax? Please don't take it continuously for any longer than a couple of weeks.
There are so many doctors who don't know much about HRT, and there are just as many who don't know much about benzos. Some doctors have a bit of a casual attitude towards them (especially PDocs), but the fact remains that the Pharma companies always say they shouldn't be prescribed continuously for more than a week or two. They are highly addictive, and once dependent on them it can be a very slow and painful tapering process. I know this first hand.
Clonazepam/Klonopin and Xanax are roughly equivalent to the same dose of Valium/Diazepam (0.5mg of C or X is equivalent to 10mg V). The main difference though is that they have a very different half-life. Clonazepam is up to 50 hours, while Xanax is only up to 12 hours, so that's why you probably feel you need to dose more often with the Xanax as its effect will leave your system a lot more quickly.
Valium, on the other hand, has a very long half-life (up to 200 hours). Short half-lived benzo aren't necessarily a good thing, especially once you are dependant to them. Longer half-lives make a tapering process a lot easier.
It is possible that once prescribed some estrogen that might help with your anxiety. The sooner you get your doctor to try it, the sooner (hopefully) you might feel better.