xanax withdrawal causing dry eyes and dry mouth to be worse??

[valene2009]

Has anyone experienced increased symptoms for dry eyes and dry mouth after taking a consistent dosage of xanax for a month or so or from weaning off of it?  I have sjogrens -and my opthamologist said my eyes have gotten worse the past month due to me taking xanax.  I went from taking 1-2 mg per week to 1-2 mg per day!  and I did notice after a week of taking it like that my eyes started to get drier...  I am trying to wean off-am down to .5 mg per day but my eyes and mouth hurt horribly!

Has anyone else experienced this??? thanks in advance!!

[Scottietottie]

Hi Valene 

I like to welcome you to Sjogren's world but I'm afraid I can't answer your question. I've never taken Xanax. I'm sure you'll get an answer soon.
I know I had to cut down to a minimal amount of a completely different medication once (amitriptyline) because it made drynrss worse. A minimal amount seems to be bearable.

I hope you find the site useful.

Take care - Scottie 

[baddabingtim]

All benzo's cause dryness - the more the drier - I take klonopin and notice a definit change in my eyes when I up the dose...

[ruby52]

I've been on it for several months and your post had me running to check the mg.Mine is .05mg. and I take half late afternoon and the other half evenings for restless legs.My mouth and eyes are drier but I never thought about it being the reason.It figures,help one thing and side effects hurt something else.
                                                                                    Ruby

[Linda196]

Hello Valene, welcome to Sjogren's World.

As you've seen, Xanax has a common side effect of increased dry mouth, but that can take a bit of time to normalize after you stop taking it, so possibly what you are experiencing is the continuation of the drying effect of up to 2 mg/day (which is considered a moderate dose), made more noticeable by the absence of the calming influence of the drug. Hopefully this will level out for you, and you'll find that the reduced dose is sufficient for the intended cause, but not high enough to cause the side effect.

[valene2009]

Thank you so much everyone!  I just joined today-I need to do a profile-not sure how to yet-but anway I really appreciate all the responses. wow! so i am not going crazy!  lol... thanks again..  been suffering for 2 years but was diagnosed 14 years ago ( i guess i was in remission for 12 years)..

[eyeamdry]

As you've seen, Xanax has a common side effect of increased dry mouth, but that can take a bit of time to normalize after you stop taking it, so possibly what you are experiencing is the continuation of the drying effect of up to 2 mg/day (which is considered a moderate dose), made more noticeable by the absence of the calming influence of the drug. Hopefully this will level out for you, and you'll find that the reduced dose is sufficient for the intended cause, but not high enough to cause the side effect.

Linda- to clarify:
I'm trying to follow this and have a follow up question on the dosage "mg" amount.  When you mention 2 mg a day as in the above quote are you speaking of what could be 4 (four) .5mg tablets?  or a total of 2 mg from the 4 x .5mg.

Thanks if you can clear this up for me.  Another poster says hers/his are .05 and they break them in half and take at two different times.  Maybe you could give us a nickel tour of the xanax dosage?  Lucy

[Linda196]

Xanax is supplied in 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg tablets, or in liquid suspension. I've personally never seen 0.05mg tablets, and can't find them in my drug reference, but they could possibly be pediatric dosing, not available in Canada.

Dosage varies with the reason for the prescription: it ranges from 0.5 mg to 3 mg daily in divided doses for excessive anxiety and from 0.5 mg once daily at bedtime to 10 mg daily in divided doses for panic attacks.

When I mentioned 2 mg as being a moderate dose, I was referring to a total daily intake of 2 mg, whether it was in divided doses (0.5 mg X4) or all at once usually at bedtime.

[ktfabian]

Valene,

I was on Xanax briefly last year.  I can't say I noticed any additional dryness in my mouth and eyes (and nose, which is oftern my biggest problem area).  Not long after my family doctor started me on the Xanax for anxiety related to my son's deployment to Iraq, I say my rheumy, who switched me to Ativan.  He said, in his experience, Ativan was not as drying as Xanax and worked just as well.  I still take the Ativan, mainly for sleep.  I take 2mg about a 1/2 hour before bedtime.  I can take up to 6mg total a day, but I don't find myself needing it for anxiety as much now, so I rarely use 3 tablets in one day.

If you feel you still need an anti-anxiety medicine, perhaps Ativan is one you could ask your doctor about.

Take care, Tracy

[irish]

Just to let you know that Ativan doesn't stay in your system as long as Xanax does. It is not as strong as Xanax either.

I have been on Xanax for many , many years and have weaned down from the higher dose of .5mgm 4 times a day. I have had terrible anxiety along with my depression and can't take many of the older antidepressants. Sooo, my psych put me on the xanax which worked quite well. I was so glad when the SSRI's came out cause I got put on the Zoloft which helps both the anxiety and depression.

I can't say that I ever found that xanax dried me out that bad. I am dry(lost all me teeth) but not the horrible dry all the time like some people. I can't say that my zoloft is that bad either. I think all this is just an individual thing and you have to try meds and see how they affect the dryness issue.

Also, I have weaned off xanax at one time and had no problems with the dryness increasing. I would think that your sjogrens might be having a flare of the dryness issues right now. Also, be aware that any time the humidity and dew point goes down we have more problems with dryness especially with AC or furnace running. Try the Salogen for the dryness as it works good. Makes you sweat but seems we always have to trade off one thing for another. Good luck. Irish

[valene2009]

Thanks again for all your responses...  I am down to taking .25 mg ...can't wait til i am off as my eyes are so much drier than normal.. i hope to get back to my 'normal' dry state before i took such a high dose for that month period of time ..

[whatsup]

I'm on Xanax 2mg a day.  I was once told one this forum that while the benzo's can cause dry mouth it isn't likely that they cause dry eye.  I have dry eye confirmed by schimmer test and a dryish mouth (I drink tons of water) and a swollen gland in the bottom of my mouth.  Now I'm wondering if my dryness is caused by the xanax?  However my skin is also dry and I have Raynauds, awful fatigue and a general achiness.  Alas my blood tests were negative for SS so I don't know what I'm contending with. 

So it's news to me that Xanax can cause dry eyes!