Paradoxical reaction to Xanax (alprazolam)

[Foxy Roxy]

Xanax is in the class of drugs called benzodiazepines. A very powerful and dangerous class of drugs that is way over prescribed and very abused. I personally believe that it should be outlawed, the medical benefits are out weighed by the consequences.

In the case of your dog, the jump in dosage was necessary. You can build a tolerance to xanax even after just one dose. The dog probably didn't have enough, or he was simply enjoying the high.

Bad bad bad drug.

That's insane. There are lots of benzos out there that are extremely therapeutic. You really want to take Ativan and Klonopin away from all epileptics? What do you suppose they should get instead?

I was clearly referring to Xanax...

[BigBadPibbul]

We used to take Xanax for Recreational purposes...
I noticed more than a time or two that if I fought the sleepy jello feeling it gives I'd end up in a really strange place right in between way too jacked up to stay awake and way too hyped up to sleep. A very unpleasant place to be.
Perhaps this is what happens to dogs on the medication who react that way? Maybe the jello feeling freaks them out and they fight it off and end up all messed up and they try to burn it off?
I don't know much about the drug beyond what it's supposed to be used for and what it does to you when you take it for the purpose of getting high, but if a 280lb human can get away with 6 full 2mg bars without any nasty affects afterwards I really fail to see how it's that dangerous of a drug.

[Misskiwi67]

I don't know much about the drug beyond what it's supposed to be used for and what it does to you when you take it for the purpose of getting high, but if a 280lb human can get away with 6 full 2mg bars without any nasty affects afterwards I really fail to see how it's that dangerous of a drug.

Its not that dangerous, but the purpose of giving the medication to anxious dogs is to calm them, not amp them up.

You get very upset owners when you get the opposite of the desired effect, can't be much fun for the dog either. Its less than ideal, and I would stop using that dose forever if my dog had an undesirable reaction as well.

[Red]

Xanax is in the class of drugs called benzodiazepines. A very powerful and dangerous class of drugs that is way over prescribed and very abused. I personally believe that it should be outlawed, the medical benefits are out weighed by the consequences.

Bad bad bad drug.

Lol, based on what?

[HappyPuppy]

Interestingly - and sort of off topic or opposite topic: My dad has the start of a type of dementia possibly related to parkinson's disease, and one of the diagnostic symptoms confirming his condition is a dangerous hyper-reactivity to the benzos. As in, 2 or 3 days of a daily dose of clonazapam/klonopin turned him into a total zombie. It took a full week for him to get back to baseline and apparently they don't always return all the way to baseline afterwards. That's pretty scary. I took ONE of his pills later to see what it did and it just made me very mellow tho I think it is too early to determine if I inherited his awful illness.

[BabyReba]

oh, that's really weird! i had no idea that was even something that could happen ... normally, benzos do make you pretty mellow and pretty sleepy and maybe less inhibited (therefore less anxious). so that's a typical reaction, and the reaction i would have hoped button would have had.

i have to ask the doctor to check his chart and see if he's ever had valium. i really can't remember. the only surgeries he's ever had were neutering and to have his loose teeth removed, and i can't remember if they gave him anything like valium after either of those.

i'm going to try to find some L-tryptophan with him, i think.

[starrlamia]

We used to take Xanax for Recreational purposes...
I noticed more than a time or two that if I fought the sleepy jello feeling it gives I'd end up in a really strange place right in between way too jacked up to stay awake and way too hyped up to sleep. A very unpleasant place to be.
Perhaps this is what happens to dogs on the medication who react that way? Maybe the jello feeling freaks them out and they fight it off and end up all messed up and they try to burn it off?
I don't know much about the drug beyond what it's supposed to be used for and what it does to you when you take it for the purpose of getting high, but if a 280lb human can get away with 6 full 2mg bars without any nasty affects afterwards I really fail to see how it's that dangerous of a drug.

They are very addictive and taking them long term can have nasty side effects
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/benzodiazepine.htm

Sorry OT, poor Button!

[Misskiwi67]

i have to ask the doctor to check his chart and see if he's ever had valium. i really can't remember. the only surgeries he's ever had were neutering and to have his loose teeth removed, and i can't remember if they gave him anything like valium after either of those.

The majority of dogs that undergo spay/neuter are induced with one of three options, either Thiopental which is widely falling out of favor, Ketamine/Valium which is nice and smooth in young dogs, or propofol. Propofol is great for seniors, but not for the younger dogs for some reason, so ketamine/valium is my combination of choice for dogs under the age of 4.

If your dog was neutered young, chances are good he's had valium. I've never seen an excited reaction to valium before, but have seen several reactions to midazolam which is closely related.

[jtalt7]

My dog that has the reaction to xanax had a reaction to ket/val induction, as soon as she could physically stand it was on. More then just being dysphoric too, like bouncing off the damn ceiling.

[addieNmel]

Addie had a paradoxical reaction, too. It was like she was on crack.. very highly stimulated, nervous, could not calm down, pacing, running around like crazy.. could not focus or relax. It was horrible! She seemed to be best on clomicalm, though I have tried both clomicalm and prozac.. neither had a huge difference on her.I tried both for 2 months each. Shes a rather nervous dog in general. No side effrects with clomicalm or prozac, though.