Alprazolam (Generic Xanax) Review

Alprazolam (Generic Xanax) — 

I'm a pretty mellow and laid-back person, but there are times in my life when I have to deal with anxiety.  I've tried throwing back a few drinks, taking a Benadryl, and aromatherapy, among other things.  Some of my attempts were better than others, but unfortunately they (read: having a few drinks) weren't suitable for work.

When I finally visited the doctor to discuss my work-related panic attacks, she prescribed Xanax.  The generic version is Alprazolam and that is what the pharmacy dispensed.  My prescription was for 0.5 mg and she told me to take a pill whenever I felt exceptionally anxious.  She also suggested that carrying the bottle of pills in my purse.  Maybe just knowing that I had the Xanax with me would help to relieve the anxiety...

It's a nice thought and it did work on some days, but there were other times when I needed to actually ingest the tablets.  You can't take Alprazolam in conjunction with alcoholic beverages, other sedatives/muscle relaxers, or--believe it or not--grapefruit juice.  I have taken one 0.5 mg pill at work and it has helped me to relax enough to continue on.  Unfortunately, it has also hit me hard and has made me incredibly drowsy.  I felt like I could just nap for hours while my students worked. 

I've also used it a several times when I've had to fly.  I am deathly afraid of flying and take TWO 0.5 mg tablets of Xanax/Alprazolam before takeoff.  I usually take one after going through security and then another just before boarding.  That system is enough to have me suitably relaxed/groggy/possibly asleep so that I don't know or care how the takeoff goes.  When I wake up, there is enough of this anti-anxiety drug in my system to keep me relaxed enough to not continuously go through the movie Castaway's crash scenes, which is what I usually do for days and hours before boarding a flight.  I'm serious.

 Xanax and Alprazolam are effective anti-anxiety medications, but they can be addictive so I only use them when I absolutely have to.  They work for my occasional anxiety and to prevent panic attacks when I am going through a high-stress period.  I recommend these medications to anyone who has times when they need to somehow take the edge off of their anxiety in order to function normally.