xanax plus adderall? advice

[hooosier1]

Hey, new to to this board. I was prescribed to two 2 mgs of klonopin a day for anxiety. I also sometimes take my sisters adderall sometime (never at the same time). Im a third semester law student and sometimes need an extra boost to get through all my work. (I know this is bad, but I will definitely have to take adderall while prepping for the bar). Anyway I felt that taking a 1mg Kpin after i started coming down from the adderall really helped the uneasy process and allowed me to sleep better that night. Is this OK for your heart? Can you do the same thing with 1 MG of xanax? Any advice will be appreciated.

[Kittsoan1989]

Yeah - Adderall (and other stimulants) along with Benzos are definitely an OK combination - many people who are prescribed Adderall (or other stimulants) are also prescribed benzos to take away some of the jitteriness/edge from the Adderall. It's when you start mixing OPIATES with STIMULANTS that the problems occur - BENZOS and STIMULANTS are A-OK - And Xanax and Klonopin both have the same mechanism of action (they are both benzodiazipines) - so it doesn't matter if you take the Klonopin or Xanax to sleep - I personally would recommend the Klonopin as it lasts longer - but some people find Klonopin to be a non-sedating benzo. Just be careful about over-using benzos - it's a warning that I give ALL new members - Despite the fact that they are only a Schedule IV substance in the US they can be EXTREMELY addictive and the withdrawal symptoms can kill - so Yes - is using a Benzo to sleep after taking Adderall ok - Yes - should you be careful about how often you take benzos - Yes as well.

Anyways - I see you have 3 posts so welcome to the board. You may want to take a look at the FAQ and some of the Sticky Threads before posting - they have great info. Anyways, enjoy your time here on PR - there's lots of great knowledge on this website!

On a side note - Drugs.com has a great INTERACTIONS TOOL - go to the website DRUGS.COM and click on the "Interactions Checker" button - you can check the interactions between ANY pills/drugs/foods etc. that you take - very handy when being prescribed new medicines or even when taking a new OTC medicine.

Also - probably not the wisest to be mentioning that you're taking your sister's meds!

[aneiffer]

I would not take xanax plus adderal, one of them (adderol, is meth which is an upper, and xanax is a strong downer. not only could it be bad for your body, it would probably weaken both drugs effects.

[photogirl1980]

I was on adder.ol and k-pins (legally prescribed by my shrink) and all I know is I had to get off the k-pins because i was literally a roller coaster of emotion. I would be all happy and hyper 1 minute, and then pop a k....next thing I know, I'm acting like a freak who had 1 too many beers. I would recommend using one or the other. I know its not good to have your heart rate go from up to down that fast.

[yowmy]

I've been taking adderall for since I was a kid and now occasionally take xanax for anxiety. I never asked anyone if the two were ok together (sorry) I just figured opposite effects, probably ok and I've never had an issue. If anything it helps for the times when my anxiety is high and the adderall makes me feel worse.

[JackRyan]

Any benzo is ok to take on the tail end of stimulants imo. From years of experience it's much better to calm down and sleep than to stay up tweeking for hours on end.

[akl63]

I only know 2 people who get monthly Adderall scripts, they both get clonazepam scripts as well. Taking adderall everyday can be pretty miserable without something to take the edge off, otherwise I think a regular sleep schedule could be impossible. Taken at the same time can be kinda defeating the purpose though. Benzos after the adderall, is the appropiate order. And if you're anxious, I think Adderall is the last thing you wanna take. I've made that mistake before and won't again.

Benzos are the accepted solution for someone who has been on too much uppers. Like when people freak out on meth for days, start to lose it and end up in the ER. They will be given some kind of benzo to bring them back to reality.

[slick76]

Yes, it perfectly fine...especially when the Adderall is wearing off. I'm on Vyvanse and take 0.5 mg Klonopin when I get edgy and irritable. It makes the comedown a lot easier plus you need to get your 7-8 hrs of sleep if you want to learn and retain the material.

Good luck with the BAR exam, I'm studying for the CPA exam and using stims this time, I have legit ADHD, but was always hesitant about taking these things, afraid of getting hooked and stuff.

[bradw]

Taking a benzodiazepine (Klonopin, Xanax, et cetera) while on the come-down from a stimulant dose (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvnase, et cetera) isn't likely to cause you any problems, provided that you ensure the two drugs are taken at least several hours apart. Taking a benzodiazepine in combination with a stimulant (simultaneously) is not, however, recommended (without the advice of a medical professional).

Someone mentioned here that taking a benzodiazepine/depressant and a stimulant together would likely cause a decrease in the effects of each, and this is most certainly incorrect. It is a wide-spread falacy (particularly among the recreational drug-using community) that depressants will decrease the risks or side-effects from stimulant use, and likewise, that stimulants will decrease the risks/side-effects from depressant use. Taking central nervous system (CNS) stimulants together with CNS depressants can cause increased stress to the heart, including heart failure, as well as increased risk of psychosis and paradoxical reactions.

If the effects of stimulants and depressants were to cancel each other out, so to speak, not only would they be used medically as antidotes for overdoses from each other, but their combination would not be sought-after by recreational drug users (think speed-ball).

There are some rare situations where, if seeking professional medical help is absolutely not an option, depressants may be indicated immediately following or during the acute effects of stimulants, but that is beyond the scope of this thread.

Back to the original question though (sorry, I sometimes get off topic); taking a depressant (benzodiazepine) hours after using a stimulant (like Adderall) isn't known to carry a high risk. Doctors will sometimes prescribe depressants (including benzodiazepines) in the event that a prescribed stimulant taken earlier in the day causes insomnia in the evening. They may also, very rarely however, be prescribed together for some very specific indications (refractory treatment-resistant social anxiety disorder w/ agoraphobia, or concomitant adult AD[H]D and panic disorder, for instance), but in these instances the patient would be monitored very closely by their physician. Benzodiazepines and stimulants are used safely together, but due to the risk of certain side effects, medical oversight by a professional is strongly recommended.

[endo1]

Taking a benzodiazepine (Klonopin, Xanax, et cetera) while on the come-down from a stimulant dose (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvnase, et cetera) isn't likely to cause you any problems, provided that you ensure the two drugs are taken at least several hours apart. Taking a benzodiazepine in combination with a stimulant (simultaneously) is not, however, recommended (without the advice of a medical professional).

Someone mentioned here that taking a benzodiazepine/depressant and a stimulant together would likely cause a decrease in the effects of each, and this is most certainly incorrect. It is a wide-spread falacy (particularly among the recreational drug-using community) that depressants will decrease the risks or side-effects from stimulant use, and likewise, that stimulants will decrease the risks/side-effects from depressant use. Taking central nervous system (CNS) stimulants together with CNS depressants can cause increased stress to the heart, including heart failure, as well as increased risk of psychosis and paradoxical reactions.

If the effects of stimulants and depressants were to cancel each other out, so to speak, not only would they be used medically as antidotes for overdoses from each other, but their combination would not be sought-after by recreational drug users (think speed-ball).

There are some rare situations where, if seeking professional medical help is absolutely not an option, depressants may be indicated immediately following or during the acute effects of stimulants, but that is beyond the scope of this thread.

Back to the original question though (sorry, I sometimes get off topic); taking a depressant (benzodiazepine) hours after using a stimulant (like Adderall) isn't known to carry a high risk. Doctors will sometimes prescribe depressants (including benzodiazepines) in the event that a prescribed stimulant taken earlier in the day causes insomnia in the evening. They may also, very rarely however, be prescribed together for some very specific indications (refractory treatment-resistant social anxiety disorder w/ agoraphobia, or concomitant adult AD[H]D and panic disorder, for instance), but in these instances the patient would be monitored very closely by their physician. Benzodiazepines and stimulants are used safely together, but due to the risk of certain side effects, medical oversight by a professional is strongly recommended.

YES, THANK YOU.

you cant just reason that benzos are downers and amps are uppers and deduce that they will cancel each other out. their effects are manifested by their actions on certain neurotransmitters and benzos and amps although "superficially opposites" function chemically on different NTs that allow them to be used simultaneously even synergistically. For example, while addys or benzos taken alone greatly alleviate my social anxiety, they don't cure it. taking a klonopin and addy together, however, eliminates it completely. I couldn't do a presentation on addy alone and probably would have a rough time getting through one on a benzo alone but on both, I could tell a room full of supermodels that I have the penis of a 3 year old without my heart skipping a beat.

thats why if tolerance was a person, I'd kill them.

[alumni]

Taking adderall everyday can be pretty miserable without something to take the edge off, otherwise I think a regular sleep schedule could be impossible.

I think a key caveat with this question is whether the person taking any stimulant like Adderall is taking it for an appropriately diagnosed medical condition.
For instance, the vast majority of patients I'm aware of using Adderall to control an attention deficit disorder definitely do not find that taking it every day is "pretty miserable", don't need something to "take the edge off" and do retain a regular sleep schedule.
However, some people may need dose and timing regulation when beginning treatment with stimulants for treatment of a doctor-diagnosed ADD or narcoleptic medical condition.
Using benzodiazepines instead of attempting to properly titrate or try another stimulant is unfortunately the quick response that some doctors prescribe and it really flies in the face of how these anxiolytic drugs are supposed to be used.
I'm aware that there are doctors who do this because I've eventually had to work with their patients who are struggling to kick the benzo habits that resulted.

[andyli]

Just wanted to say, Benzos and Stims mixed simultaneously work great for me. They do not cancel each other out. A lot of people have this misconception about this, but if you tried it for yourself once, you will easily have the right answer.

[Perromaldido]

IMHO, first add'l, then, on coming down, Alps.

Perrmaldido

[andyli]

And no there are no harmful drug interaction. I am prescribed both adderall and benzos.

[alumni]

And no there are no harmful drug interaction. I am prescribed both adderall and benzos.

I gather you are saying that you have personally not found adverse reactions while taking both of these medications concurrently?
Just because you haven't experienced problems, others very well might since these drugs can have conflicting effects depending on dosages, other existing health problems, age, additional meds being used and overall health condition.
You indicated that your personal physician is prescribing both to you currently which is obviously the best course of determining the right treatment. However, if someone else is considering self-medicating with this combination, I believe
they should get advice from a healthcare professional based on their own unique medical situation.

[etinin]

I gather you are saying that you have personally not found adverse reactions while taking both of these medications concurrently?
Just because you haven't experienced problems, others very well might since these drugs can have conflicting effects depending on dosages, other existing health problems, age, additional meds being used and overall health condition.
You indicated that your personal physician is prescribing both to you currently which is obviously the best course of determining the right treatment. However, if someone else is considering self-medicating with this combination, I believe
they should get advice from a healthcare professional based on their own unique medical situation.

But then, self-medicating can be dangerous even with monotherapy.
Benzos and Opioids do not have any significant interaction with stimulants, provided you're talking about relatively low dosages. People do speedball all the time without issues. The problems come when you take a high enough dosage of the downer to overdose and the only thing that keeps you breathing is the stimulant. And then, depending on the drugs, the stimulant wears out first and you're ****ed.

[DeepSouth]

Definately, taking a benzo after a stimulant come down helps a ton! It is not good to mix the two together, as in them working. It;s not a bad combo together but the benzo will offset the stimulant pretty much. It will still work, but just not as effective.

[Buchanan35]

I am prescribed by my doctor 70 mgs of Adderall and 1mg Xanax three times a day. It is the only way I would be able to handle the adderall. (I used to be on klonopin..thinking about switching back..that's another story) Anyway, yes it is safe! I mean you definitely do not want to take them at the same time that's just stupid. They completely counteract each other. I take 30mgs of adderall when I wake up, and then about 3-4 hours take a little bit of xanax, then later on in the afternoon I take a little more adderall to get some things done, and then a couple of hours before I get ready to go to sleep I take a couple of Xanax. It really is the best combination ever! I was afraid that my doctor wouldn't give me both b/c of what I had heard about the up and down/ speed and downers stuff, but he gave it to me with no questions asked.
'

[Street__Pharmacist]

To reiterate what most have said, many people take Xanax or another downer after coming down off Adderall. Taking them at the same time is pretty pointless, not to say that they cancel each other out completely because it just doesn't work like that. Im prescribed Adderall for narcolepsy and Xanax/Klonopin for GAD and panic disorder. I have to take Xanax and Klonopin with Adderall together all the time, however I DO NOT recommend it. Tread easy, abusing stimulants and benzos are not to be taken lightly. Every addiction starts off with use 'every once in awhile'...

[kcfunguy50]

Just my two cents: My buddy had prescriptions for both adderall and xanax from the same doctor. Not sure what he may have been told regarding timing though. Oh and my friend developed a serious drug problem after that which lead to his early death, FWIW.