Xanax dosage range

[Dan Cook]

My pdoc thinks 6 mg or so is the max, but I have read in many places
that 10 mg is the max. I don't want to go up to 10 mg, but I do want
to go from 6 to 7 mg. I was on 5 mg for about 4 years, then had
tapered down to 1 mg/day for a few years until a recent relapse.

So, I'm just wondering what folks on here think about high doses of
Xanax. Right now I take it five times a day. Two doses are 1.5 mg,
and three doses are 1 mg. I feel much, much better when I take the
1.5 mg doses, so I'd like to increase my total daily dosage by 1 mg so
that four of my doses would be 1.5mg. (I'd just take 1 mg at
bedtime.)

Lemme know what you think.

Dan

[Shawn]

I do know one thing about xanax and benzodiazepines as related to
panic disorder -- the xanax itself can create panic symptoms when
taken on a daily basis. I believe clinical studies have shown that the
brain will increase norepinephrim, overwhelming the serotonin balance
in the brain, when GABA is enhanced by the benzo. Are you also taking
an SSRI for the panic disorder? I know I have had good effect by
taking an SSRI and then going through a two week withdrawal regimen
from benzos and then only taking a xanax (0.25 mg) on the rare
occasion of a "breakout" attack.

As with any information given on this group, I would check with a
psychiatrist in regards to your particular issue.

Best wishes,
Shawn

[Dan Cook]

Thanks for the reply, Shawn. I do take an SSRI, too. (Zoloft.) But
I have found that I need xanax on a regular basis to keep the anxiety
and panic under control.

I found several links that list the max dose of xanax for panic
disorder at 10 mg/day. Here is the most "official":

http://www.drugs.com/pro/alprazolam.html

I don't want to go near 10 mg/day, though, and plan to taper down
again once I've been feeling better for awhile.

Dan