Question by rebfitness: why would a 76 yr,old man be denied xanax when he has suffered anxiety, panic attacks and depression?
My father is a a 76 year old veteran which has suffered anxiety attacks , panic attacks and depression all his life and has yet been even offered to try Xanax,. He has no addictions and has had no help on anything else whatsoever . It is killing me and himself . To know this drug will help although having to see him get denied makes me hugely sick. I just want my father to see plenty or just one more day of pure happiness. Is that too much to ask
Best answer:
Answer by justme
Try a different doctor ….this sounds like ageism! Try someone else and if they still refuse then ask why because u need to know why they are refusing u medication. It could be due to any medical conditions that he has but if he hasnt got any then there is no reason why he cant have that medication
What do you think? Answer below!
..If it would help him,I see no reason why his Dr. would not prescribe it for him. i have atavan on hand and I only use it about 4 times a month.He is old enough to know to be careful with it. Don,t give up .See a new Dr.
His doc is probably being hassled by the DEA. Frankly, a glass of wine 3 times a week is better. I like the Franzia chillable red myself. It is good for heart health and myself, I put it in a pretty stemmed goblet. When I took ativan, it made me mad all the time and I could not control my behavior, and I got diagnosed with a personality disorder for many years, and it was the stupid medication. So I have nothing good to say about benzos. I take a hot bath and sit in there and read a novel and have my nice glass of wine. If he has diabetes, he needs to talk to his doc if it’s ok, and you should know that for some people with depression, alcohol makes it worse, but not everyone. My problem is PTSD from child abuse, so it’s a bit different. Also, if the anxiety is sort of new, many medications cause panic attacks and anxiety as a side effect. I get panic attacks on SSRI and SSNI antidepressants, and never have them at any other time. cutting back on caffeine helps, and good quality sleep. My doc is looking into whether or not I have sleep apnea making my bipolar troubles worse. If your dad is a loud snorer, that is worth looking into. He may be sleep deprived.
I am not always happy with VA care for my husband, so we only go there for some care, and other care, we use the medicare, and we bought a supplement plan.
benzos only work short term anyway – for a few months. then you get too much tolerance to them. and they can cause depression too, so I fail to see how they are any better than alcohol. They are more addictive than alcohol too, but apparently that concern in overblown. Truth is, drug companies want to sell their antipsychotics, that are still on patent, so they exaggerate the dangers of benzos, so their far more dangerous antipsychotics will be handed out like candy. Anyone offers your dad seroquel, abilify, risperdal etc, get a different doc. Those meds are unacceptable except for psychosis or other very extreme problems.
You don’t mention whether your father has actually requested Xanax and been refused. Since pharmaceutical companies now advertise (and I can remember a time when they weren’t allowed to), many physicians think their patients come to them knowing what medications are out there.
I have taken Xanax in the past. It did absolutely nothing for me; I couldn’t even tell I was taking it. But then everyone reacts differently to medications.
You also don’t mention whether your father is seeing a general practitioner or a psychiatrist, the latter of which is more likely to prescribe Xanax. Some GPs don’t like to prescribe medications that might be addictive, since their patients don’t always see them regularly.
My suggestion is that your father see a psychiatrist (or another mental health practitioner) to talk about Xanax. If he’s reluctant to, you may be able to accompany him. Don’t get too stuck on Xanax as a miracle drug; there may be something else that can help your father.
Good luck, and don’t give up. It sounds as if you love your father very much. He is a lucky man.