xanax and interviewing

[spinestudent]

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As a suggsted method to prep for a upcoming interview, a friend told me take a few xanax. I took two 2mg bars today and whoa.....could not walk straight 30 minutes later and then dozed off for 5 hours in the middle of the day. Is this normal or do I need to really decrease my original dose? The bars come in 2mg each so I guess I could break them up into halfs or quarters.

 

[idq1i]

Let's see... you want help with self-medicating with a dangerous controlled substance. Am I missing anything?

 

[essbe]

I hope you're kidding. If you're not, I'd say, treat your interviews like you treated MCAT test day. That is, don't do anything your body isn't used to already. Viz., if you're not a regular coffee-drinker, don't down a pot before the big event. You do not want to be sedated/tranquilized for your interview, which sounds like your general rxn to the drug so far. Eat fish and green leafies and iron your suit the night before, take a multivitamin (maybe DMAE), sleep well if you can, and just do it. Interviews really aren't so bad. The sleep part is probably going to be the hardest. Best of luck.

 

[sophiejane]

This is an interview for MEDICAL SCHOOL?

And you want to do it on XANEX?

How exactly is it that you think this will help you think better and show the adcom what you are all about? You are going to a place full of DOCTORS. Don't you think you should maybe have a clear head?

 

[essbe]

Did anyone else get a Saved by the Bell flashback with these threads about self-medicating premeds? I'm talking about the original. Remember the episode where Jessie gets addicted to caffeine pills while leading that all-girl group Hot Sundae 👍?

JESSIE: I need my pills! I have to get into Stanford!

ZACK: (something intervening-like)

JESSIE: [singing/crying] I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so... scared!

ZACK: Jessie! Stop!

Quite possibly one of the top 5 best episodes.

 

[indo]

exlax, not xanex. duh.

 

[Brickhouse]

Personally, I don't know what the big deal is, it's not like it's crack or anything. I keep a bottle in my nightstand at all times. And when I need a little help calming the voices screaming in my head...ahhh, Xanax. Small little pills of happiness.....I sense a new haiku thread coming!!

 

[indo]

i use xanex to come down off my xstacy.

 

[Noitcelfer]

You're taking way too much. 0.5 mg should be plenty to take the edge off without making you a zombie.

 

[jlee9531]

call me naive...

but i never thought i would be reading a "relatively" large amount of posts regarding premeds taking substances to gain an edge i guess i would call it.

i dunno... i just feel a little disturbed...

😕

 

[prg6315]

If you have serious anxiety issues when it comes to interviewing, talk to your PCP about using a beta blocker like propanolol to decrease your heart rate and lessen your anxiety symptoms, xanax is overkill for interview jitters.

 

[labfiend]

Hell, yes, that was a good episode, wasn't it?
Ah, those were the days...

I was also reminded of Empire Records and Corey on speed.

It's good that most of my views on this subject were shaped by tv and movies.

Originally posted by essbe
Did anyone else get a Saved by the Bell flashback with these threads about self-medicating premeds? I'm talking about the original. Remember the episode where Jessie gets addicted to caffeine pills while leading that all-girl group Hot Sundae 👍?

JESSIE: I need my pills! I have to get into Stanford!

ZACK: (something intervening-like)

JESSIE: [singing/crying] I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so... scared!

ZACK: Jessie! Stop!

Quite possibly one of the top 5 best episodes.

 

[meanderson]

>Let's see... you want help with self-medicating with a >dangerous controlled substance. Am I missing anything?

1) Xanax/valium/ativan can really be gotten without an rx. Just go to rx-online.com or something similar. You fill out an online questionare and then a US physician sends the script in to a US pharmacy. totally legal and nothing like the internet pharmacies you have to worry about customs rules with.

2) Xanax is only a dangerous substance if taken with lots of alcohol. I'm smart enough not do that.

 

[ckent]

Even though I'm certain that I have many colleagues who would disagree, I've never thought that benzos were a big deal. If it helps, it helps. 2 mg is a large dose, if you really think that xanax would help, I'd ask your doctor (not taking something you get from a friend) for a script for 0.25-0.5 mg. Try taking it on a day when you don't have anything to do first to see how it effects you first too. A major downside to xanax is that it's really short acting, and most people experience re-bound anxiety after 3-4 hours when you either need to take another one or you just deal with it. I'd actually recommend taking one of the longer acting benzo's for your interview day like ativan or valium (if you really feel like you need one), or a beta blocker can work as well. There are much better meds then xanax and benzos for long-term anxiety such as the SSRI's, or meds like effexor, but you have to be on them a while before they start to work. These drugs, unlike xanax, are not controlled substances and also don't have the same abuse potential/have less side effects then benzos has as well. Addiction is only a problem if it interferes with your life. There are tons of end stage cancer patients out there that would have addiction problems to narcotics if you tried to take it away, but because we provide them with all the narcotics that they need for pain control, it's not considered an addiction. I've always thought of benzo's in the same way, there are a good number of really anxious pt's who are "addicted" to benzo's, but as long as we keep writing for them, it's not a problem and it actually helps with their lives by reducing their anxiety and improving their ability to function in life, in a similar way that narcotics improve cancer pt's ability to function in their lives as well.

 

[....]

2 BARS?! never heard of anyone taking that much.

they come in .25 and .5 mg footballs and the 2 mg bars.....maybe some others too but the 2mg is the big daddy.

I know lots of people who abuse it and NONE of them use that much. a half a bar is PLENTY to take the edge off anything.

I think using it thouhg insults the interview system. A little nerousness is not going to hurt you and a TREMENDOUS amount of nervousness may mean your crazy and shouldnt get in. 😉

 

[meanderson]

well 2 mg is the most common bar on the market. It is a lot cheaper to get 30 2mg bars than 60 1 mg bars. Plus you can break the bars in two(or even 4 if you have a good cutter).

I think next time I will break a 2mg bar in 4 pieces and just take about .5mg a time when needed.

 

[topherius]

You know, I think I would try some non-pharm methods of relaxation before I went to xanax. Like deep breathing, walking around for 20 minutes to get the endorphins flowing, that sort of thing. Xanax...I don't know, one of my friends with a huge phobia of flying takes it to keep her calm on planes. I've flown with her before and it basically zonks her for the entire flight. I don't think I'd want to duplicate that effect on a day that could decide whether or not I get into med school.

I was having an allergic reaction to something a couple of weeks ago so I took some benadryl before an interview I had that day. I felt like even that had me off my game. Anything stronger and I would've been screwed (I might still have been, I haven't heard back from the school yet).

You know, using all these xs is making me subconsciously want to substitute them for other letters. I think x is a very underused letter and it would be nice if one saw it in things other than pharmaceutical brand names. I guess the only thing it can really substitute for is z, though, which isn't that common anyway. Oh well.

 

[ewing]

I should think Viagra would work best. And also, if you've been getting interviews that no one at the medical school is aware of or at medical schools that your pre-med advisor has never heard of, you might want to try clozapine, olanzipine(sp?), haloperidol, or some such.

Thanks for the laughs.

 

[meanderson]

very funny ewing, but if you don't think millions of people use xanax opr other benzos every day(or some occasionally) to get through big or stressful moments in life, you aren't aware of the situation. For many people, 10 mg of valium or 1-2 mg of xanax not only takes the edge off, but they feel much more confident and this comes across in a positive way.

One thing you don't want to do is take a quick acting benzo for standardized tests(usmle, mcat), but social situations, speaking engagements, presentations, interviews, etc are totally dfferent.

 

[ewing]

Originally posted by meanderson
very funny ewing, but if you don't think millions of people use xanax opr other benzos every day(or some occasionally) to get through big or stressful moments in life, you aren't aware of the situation. For many people, 10 mg of valium or 1-2 mg of xanax not only takes the edge off, but they feel much more confident and this comes across in a positive way.

One thing you don't want to do is take a quick acting benzo for standardized tests(usmle, mcat), but social situations, speaking engagements, presentations, interviews, etc are totally dfferent.

Straight up. I know people abuse those drugs, but I would only use them for insomnia. And nowadays, with Ambien on the market, there's really no need to use Valium to go to sleep either.

I am under a huge amount of stress, but I have trouble getting motivated enough to actually perform well. For the MCAT and SAT I was stressed enough to do well, but I typically do poorly on midterms and quizes. Seriously, I have a C average for all non-final exams over three years of college...and my GPA is over a 3.5...because I basically get A's on all of my finals...and I always write good papers. I have been temped to abuse amphetamines to motivivate myself to study for midterms...but I'm too scared of getting arrested. Those are controlled substances, unlike the anxiolytics, which you can buy online. Of course Jeb Bush's daughter was arrested for forging a perscription for xanax, but that's 'cuz she's a *******...it runs in the family.

It's really funny because it's such a culture clash between tose of use with differen psychpharm. needs. I have a friend who takes Valium every day, and I think of her as a whiny, high-strung poodle. On the other hand, she thinks of me as a completely unmotivated slob.

I guess it takes all kinds to make a world, and we should not judge others without walking a mile in their shoes, yadda yadda...

 

[meanderson]

Ewing, you make some good points about the cons of these kind of drugs. Just to add a few things:

1) most people who use valium/xanax/ativan don't do so to get high. If they do, they really should be a little more resourceful and find some better stuff.

2) Being under a huge amount of stress alone does not make one a good candidate for xanax. *Certain* kinds of anxieties are good for benzos. Someone stressed because they have a heavy class load or a paper due soon and they are worried about getting it done shouldn't consider a benzo. Prozac, Paxil, Effexor would be much better here.

3) Xanax, Ativan, and Valium are about the only choices for people who need relief under come cirumstances. I have a friend who teaches three downs down from me. Se doesn't have the nerves to control her anxiety before and during that class(I'd rather not go into the reasons). In the middle of second period she pops in 1.5mg of xanax, and third period goes by much better, at least from her perspective. When she was trying to battle these same problems with an SSRI, it did nothing. Yeah, perhaps she felt a little different throughout the day a month after starting Paxil, but it was worthless for that one hour period she needed it.

 

[DrBodacious]

Originally posted by hightrump


they come in .25 and .5 mg footballs and the 2 mg bars.....maybe some others too but the 2mg is the big daddy.

She's right, people who get perscriptions to "just take an edge off" rather than deal with serious problems take the "footballs". If you want to cool off for an interview I suggest taking no more than .25 or maybe .5 if you're that nervous.

Xanex = powerful stuff, very addictive don't be stupid and mess around with it without knowing the dosages (like you alread did). I have an old high school buddy who got into this stuff for a while and he told me about some mind-bending experiences taking two bars. I think he was drinking as well but still, 2mg is alot.

 

[KatieOConnor]

I have only dabbled in one drug from the Valium family and NEVER AGAIN. I was given it as a knee jerk reaction by an MD after I complained of anxiety at work.

I took a pill and, sure, the anxiety went away, but so did my ability to do my work.

Then I realized, I have a high-pressure job ane EVERYONE here is on edge. No more klonipin.

 

[meanderson]

Katie, then your md didnt prescribe it right. General anxiety at work is a horrible reason to prescribe at benzo. Sounds like a great reason to preescribe paxil.

If you're anxiety at work totally centers around a meeting you have every day qt 10:45- 11:10, then you need to take half a bar a xanax. It's not a good idea to take xanax to deal with a stressful 9 hour work day.

 

[trauma_junky]

2.0 mg !!!!! are you nuts!!! Only the junkies I pick up (guarentteed to get one tonight, with a 5th of jack no doubt) take more than 1.0 mg at a time.

Most of the time the dose is 0.5 mg for mild anxiety. But don't do it. If you can't handle the stress of the interview with out benzo's, how do you plan on performing in medical school!
I agree with the above poster, some sort of SSRI is recomended.

 

[Brickhouse]

You know some people actually have legitimate anxiety disorders and take medication, yet are highly functioning and yes, even become doctors.

Taking anything to deal with normal stress and anxiety is problematic, taking a medication to deal with a recurrent medical problem is quite another.

 

[spinestudent]

trauma, it's not true that only junkies take 1mg or more. Hell, the most popular form comes in 1 and 2mg bars. And yes, it is common to break these up, but some people don't.

How will you handle the stress in medical school? ONE MORE TIME, benzos are not used to handle long term stresses(for example stressing out two weeks before a big test). It would be crazy to deal with the stresses of general life 24 hours a day by taking benzos. You would flunk out of medical school probably if you were popping lots of benzos on a regular basis.

Benzos and SSRI's are completely different drugs used to handle completely different situations. Suppose someone has to meet an ex gf they haven't seen in two years in a few months. They are very nervous about it and are worrying that their hands will start shaking and they will say absurd things when they meet her. An hour before the meeting, this person might benefit greatly from 1mg of xanax. They would feel confident, relaxed, and would likely come off a lot better as a result.

Now give the same person prozac, paxil, or effexor a few months before the meeting and have them take 1 a day. In 8/10 cases, it won't do a thing, and at the most important moment relief is needed, the relief won't be any greater than it was two days before.

Perhaps some SSRI's are useful, but new research is showing that these may be the most useless drugs ever mass marketed. The side effects are not trivial, and many patients experience absolutely no positive effects.

The only argument I can see for anyone taking paxil, effexor, celebra, prozac, etc is if they are using it as a maintenance med *in addition* to benzos when needed.

Also, let's not act like valium and xanax are really dangerous drugs. They and their generics are amongst the top 20 prescribed drugs in the country. If you want some, go to your doctor and get a script. If they refuse and try to pass an SSRI off on you, just go to an legal US online pharmacy and get a script by filling out a questionare. Then after you get the script go to another doctor and say you need some refills. I'm 95% convinced that the current anti-benzo movement has everything to do with the fact that some SSRI's are still patented and most benzo's are off patent. It usually comes down to $$$$