Nursing student w/ anxiety on meds.

Published

I'm in my second semester of any ASN program. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder when I was in high school and have been on a lot of different meds. Right now I'm taking Prozac and Xanax. I tried Buspar and Klonopin and neither of them helped with the anxiety. I take 1 mg of Xanax three times a day. I don't feel like it affects my ability to be a good student (I have a good GPA) and I don't feel like impairs me during clinicals, either. I've been on Xanax for about a year and on this dose for about 4 months. It doesn't make me tired, "high," or loopy - it just keeps me from having panic attacks.

I've already taken and passed a drug screen (it didn't test for benzodiazapines, just illicit drugs and opioids) and no one has ever mentioned anything to me about my behavior. None of my close friends or family who know I take alprazolam say that they can tell a difference in my behavior, other than I seem less anxious and upset.

There have been threads on here before about nurses w/ chronic pain problems taking pain meds, so I thought maybe I should mention my situation. Is this something that I should disclose now? I don't really want to discuss my private medical information with my instructors, but I don't want to get in trouble, either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Personally I would not offer up that information unless it becomes an issue. Quite frankly it is none of their business what your medical history is. As long as you have a valid prescription from a doctor then I wouldn't stress over it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The medication sounds like it's doing what it is intended for and bringing your general well-being back to a normal value. You shouldn't feel bad about that. It's not their business.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I say its none of their business. I can't tell you how many ( a lot) girls in my class are medicated for some psych disorder.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the replies, I feel better. For whatever reason people who take benzodiazapines (Xanax in particular it seems like) are often typecast as either drug abusers or emotionally unstable. I'm not a drug abuser and certainly don't consider myself emotionally unstable - and would be pretty ticked off if someone tried to insinuate that! :down:

A girl in my class last semester was passing several kidney stones and was on Percocet for a few weeks - she let her instructors know. I understand that that was a way different situation though, and the narcotics definitely could have affected her "normal" state. They let her keep going to clinicals, though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We've got plenty on benz and SSRIs lol. Don't sweat it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment