“Knowing what I know now, I would never have taken that first prescription,” he told the filmmakers.Ĭutting back or quitting cold turkey can be dangerous, experts say. When John finally realized his symptoms stemmed from Xanax, he began to slowly and carefully reduce his dose. But neither John nor the many doctors he consulted made the connection between the dose reduction and the symptoms. According to the film, that reduction kicked off a plethora of disturbing and scary symptoms: hypersensitivity to sounds and smells, heart palpitations, a sensation that his skin was burning, brain fog and crushing fatigue. He started out at a 1-milligram dose, which over the years crept up to 3 milligrams.Įverything seemed OK until his doctor reduced the dose from 3 mg to 2.5 mg. John, a middle-aged man from Colorado, was given a prescription for Xanax when he was in college, according to the film. “I could almost feel it kick in with a click, like a magic elixir,” one Xanax user named Scott said in the film.īut there’s a dark side for some. Listening to patients in the film describe how effective the drug is, it’s easy to understand how someone might end up using it for years. And people can buy it on social media.” What does 'Take Your Pills: Xanax' reveal about using Xanax?
