can people with bipolar disorder take xanax?

[combackkidxxx]

for 2 months before i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, my mom thought i was just depressed and so the psych gave me Lexapro [antidepressant] and it just made my mania worse and basically went through a mini-less severe psychotic break then i was put on Lamictal quickly afterwards...and man that has saved me for a year now. i'm 17 now after dealing with this crap for two years...but i'm stable now...except for the mysterious fact that i keep having panic attacks for the last 3 weeks. i'm going to my psych in a week or so...i really want to ask about xanax...i know it can be addictive [my best friend has bad anxiety attacks and suffers from depression occasionally and she takes xanax for when she has attacks so i know bout the dangers from her..] but i really just want to have something for my anxiety whenever it acts up...but i'm afraid. i know anti anxiety and antidepressants are diff...but would xanax hurt me like lexapro did?

[Alex62]

Ativan is less addictive than Xanax. Klonopin is a more long lasting type of benzo. The thing that occurs to me is whether you are actually experiencing anxiety or if there's some hypomania or mixed hypo going peaking through. I went through a period not so long ago convinced that I was having anxious periods, but no. I was on a monthly cycling thing with a week in there of a mildish mixed state. Once we got that under control, poof, no more anxiety. Talk it though with your pdoc. The thing with bipolar is that you'll be on meds for life. Avoiding the addictive ones as much as possible is worth keeping in mind, especially if it's to treat BP problems and not something else.

EDIT: Forgot to answer, yes, benzos are fine for ppl with bipolar.

[diane b]

I'm experienced, and it's perfectly ok to take an anti-anxiety med in conjunction with Lamictal (I take it for 15 years at it's great!).

Yes, sometimes we need an extra help. Antidepressants and mood-stablilizers can help with general anxiety but sometimes we have worse panic attacks and a drug like (Xanax) helps.

My only advice is that there are other less addictive sedatives. Xanax has a terrible reputation, and my sister got addicted. I take Ativan (lorazepam), which is pretty good and less addictive. And there are many, many more anti-anxiety drugs that will help you with panic or intense anxiety. Ask the doc; tell him you panic and are anxious. He'll decide. Be adamant. You want something to help in extreme situations...and boy, do they work. Just don't rely on them every day.