Xanax is the gen-x version of Valium.
CC
So? Those two are in the class of benzodiazepines. Although they can become habit forming, they are nowhere near as addictive as the opioids nor life ruining. I've always been a very light sleeper and gotten worse in my 60's. Once I got a legal script for Ativan (a benso) I sleep through the night and wake up refreshed. My trick is to use it every other day between antihistimes so I don't build up a tolerance nor a dependency.
I'm 68 and if not for my blood pressure medication, I probably would have had a stroke by now...it was that high. I also have to take thyroid because it was so low. I get an extremely complex blood work up every year that includes tests most folks never heard of.
All this whining about Big Pharma ticks me off. The people who should get the derision are the Doctors that over-prescribe. They give antibiotics to everyone who comes in with a sniffle, a cold or the flu, which have NO affect on viruses. They prescribe opioids like candy for the slightest pain.
My gripe about Big Pharma is why are the same drugs so less expensive offshore?
Tip for moderate to heavy drinkers: I've been taking Milk Thistle for years and every blood test comes back with liver enzymes as normal. Milk Thistle has been prescribed in Europe for decades for liver health. So there is something to say about natural remedies. I have also taken Saw Palmetto for years which has kept my prostrate healthy.
Men only: If you can afford it, a shot of BIOIDENTICAL testosterone every couple weeks is almost a fountain of youth. I'm not talking synthetic steroids that body-builders use. With the few exceptions there's a reason that young men don't have heart attacks and other age-related illnesses. Forget the TV commercials and their claims of enhanced everything in a pill. They all have the same herbs/supplements in different proprietary percentages that do little. Get your ass stuck every two weeks for $40 - it's a small needle and painless. Just google a life extension doctor in your area. They'll test you for T levels and recommend dosage if you need it. I wouldn't bother if you're under 50, unless your libido is non-existent. You may be one of those guys who lose it early.
It's just crazy that people now see Big Pharma as the boogeyman even though their drugs help people live healthier and longer lives. Yeah, they don't work for everyone and are actually detrimental to some. So ask your Doctor what the side affects are read the frigging lable.
The drug commercials that crack me up are the ones that end with: If you are allergic or have bad reactions to Pudamizam, don't take it. Now how would you know unless you take it. Especially like the ones that end with, "...even death". That one I won't take, unless on my death bed.
BTW, I've always understood the Stone's little yellow pill to be a barbituate (yellow jacket) like reds, rainbows and qualudes, which all were popular back then to bring you down from a hectic day or benzedrine high.