New here with anxiety

Hey all,

I came across this forum today while trying to do some research .

Iv has general anxiety for over 10 years now but it recently started getting worse (hard to manage ) in the last 5 months.

I changed jobs and also got married .

I understand anxiety for the most part and was always able to manage it or talk my self out of it but recently it just became so bad that it doesn’t seem like I can do much to get rid of it .

I am prescribed Xanax which I take very infrequent , only when I have a full blown panic attack in a situation I can’t get away from .

I was prescribed lexapro but after I took it once I had terrible side effects and did not want to continue it and in reality I’d rather not have to rely on meds on a daily basis .

I recently started taking ashwagandha about a week ago so far not much difference.

I also purchased cbd oil which I haven’t tried yet because from the research I have done it has interactions with Xanax .

My question is has anyone taken cbd oil and Xanax ? I wouldn’t be taking the Xanax all the time but just Incase I use the cbd oil and have a bad panic attack I would need to take the Xanax .

I am also going to try our therapy in a week or two In hopes to get some relief since this is affecting my everyday life now and is limiting me a good amount .

Thank you all in advance

Anxiouslizzy2000 said:

So cbd oil is incredible in every way. The problem is that Xanax, lexapro, sertraline, and 99% of other anxiety medications cause receptors in the body to lower blood pressure dramatically, therefore calming anxiety. The problem with mixing anxiety meds and cbd is the reaction. Idk if you have ever heard of never eat grapefruit with anxiety meds but it’s because grapefruit has an ingredient which cause the medication you took to be released into the bloodstream way faster, in the end enhancing the effects and dangerously lowering your blood pressure. Cbd oil has the exact same thing in it that grapefruit does, except more extreme. So it can actually be very dangerous to mix it with Xanax. Lexapro, Zoloft, and more mild meds can mix with it but only if you take a small amount every other day or so in my opinion. Extreme low blood pressure can cause excessive fainting and worst case scenario shock.

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Thank you for the quick response . Unfortunately that is pretty much the information I got form my research .

Passing out is one thing that I’m always afraid of and get anxiety as soon as I’m light headed . So yeh that wouldn’t be fun.
Unfortunately it seems like I won’t be able to try out the cbd oil which I was looking forward to doing so based on the benefits Iv read about it .

I’ll just have to hope the Ashwaghanda helps for now.

Brad66 said:

Changing jobs is a huge stressor for anyone so it's not uncommon to go through a period of anxiety when you do it. Seems like you have done well in the past with your anxiety so just keep using your coping techniques that are helpful and let time pass. Eventually you will start to feel more comfortable.

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Thank you ! Yes I was doing pretty decent until this time so it obviously got me down . But all we can do is move forward so I do the best that I can and hope for the best.

Brad66 said:

Yea my anxiety is so susceptible to change. Recently a coworker announced he would retiring in a few weeks, he is someone I rely on heavily at work and I will also be allocated extra work as they will not be replacing him. I have been worried, sleeping bad, and feeling crappy ever since. Once I get through the first few weeks without him I am hoping it will all pass.

Every little change in my life I go through it. It's unfortunate but that is just the way I am. I try not to concentrate on it or let it run my life while it is elevated. I try to continue doing things I like to do and making sure I don't let it get me down into complete despair. It will pass, one way or another.

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Sorry to hear that , I know that feeling well.

Like you said , If you keep positive and continue going forward you will be ok . Once you get comfortable again with the added work and without your co worker being there everything should go smoothly .

It’s odd how our bodies are and how our mind think. We know everything is well and no issues to be worried about or no issues we can’t overcome but our mind tells us differently .

Good luck , you will do great!

triceps said:

Hi and welcome tkiss1. Just a thought from someone who has been on both xanax and lexapro. You describe taking xanax only on an as needed basis, which is great as it's pretty addictive. It is completely out of your system within 6 hours so I would think you could try the cbd oil outside of that timeframe and not have a problem with interactions between the two. If the cbd oil works well for you, you probably wouldn't run into a time where they would be mixed in your system. Again, just a thought that would allow you to at least see if the cbd oil would help you.

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Hey , triceps .
You know , I was thinking the same . My only fear is if I come into a situation where I have taken the cbd oil and I get a panic attack I can’t get rid of and knowing I can’t take the Xanax I would freak out pretty bad . Again it’s just my mind looking ahead at a situation that didn’t happen . But I do like to be prepared.

triceps said:

Hi tkiss1. Yes, there would be the possibility of a panic attack while the cbd oil was still in your system. However, I have discussed cbd oil and medical marijuana (which has cbd in it) with my doctor and the possibility that they wouldn't mix well with my Klonopin (same family as Xanax) never came up. I'll do some research as I'd also like to know.

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Hmm that’s interesting. Next time I see my dr I’ll ask also , I just feel like most drs aren’t to familiar with cbd to fully know .

I did read how ever that unless you take a really high amount of cbd more then likely it will be ok but I don’t want to chance that till I have better evidence.

triceps said:

What I found was that the cbd would potentially have a "moderate" interaction with the xanax. Both alcohol and grapefruit were listed under the "moderate" interaction category. So my opinion is that as long as everything is kept in moderation there shouldn't be a major problem. I used to drink alcohol in moderation while on four .5mg pills of xanax per day without incident. If you're in a panic and take a xanax, I wouldn't suggest taking any cbd shortly after but I'm confident you'd be ok taking a xanax if it's been at least an hour after taking cbd. Just one opinion, but I think it's at least worth a trial of the cbd to see how helpful that might be for you.

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Thank you for the research . Yeah I know a few people who take Xanax and drink and it’s all good for them . Again I only take .5 mg max if I have a bad panic attack but luckily that’s usually maybe once a month if not less unless something gives me bad anxiety for longer like my last episode which lasted me a few weeks of 24/7 bad anxiety .

I will have to try out the cbd on my day off To see how it makes me feel in general. Most of the time if I was to take the cbd I wouldn’t need the Xanax for hours after anyways so I may be good regardless .