This is speculation on my part, but I take a benzo, clonazepam, for anxiety and I seem to get up less on the nights I use it. Two nights ago I slept from 1 am to 7 am and had a wicked big piss after waking up. It was cause for minor celebration.
Yes, there is an addiction risk with benzos, but a bigger issue is tolerance where you need a higher and higher dose to get the same effect. I do make a point to not take it when it's not needed, and have never gone up from the minimum dose after taking it in an on and off fashion for at least a decade.
If you're looking for fun, try medical marijuana, specifically "Pineapple Express"
If you're looking for sleep and perhaps less bladder urgency, starting with a low dose and gradually increasing it each night until you get the desired effect is a good strategy. It's a gentler way to find out about any undesirable side effects.
I haven't personally tried Xanax, but just like Karmaji said, it has a significantly shorter half life. With anti-depressants, I don't do well with drugs that have a short half life. For me, they come on too strong when I take them, and then when they wear off I crash and get severe withdrawal symptoms.
Drugs with a longer half life (bupropion, Prozac, clonazepam, etc.) don't have those problems.
Great to know. Yea I crash too, big time, esp off opioids. So with vikes I take ( took ) them light as possible to barely get the job done until I build up enough tolerance when they just quit . Instead of taking more I was cycling off them for some days ( easier when you aren’t taking that much daily ) ... grin and bear it.... long enough to make them start up again. I filled in the diff with cannabis cookies, cbd/thc drops, booze , pst ... ibuprofen etc.
Been oakie- doakie for a year , more or less ... the grin and bear it times been getting a bit more iffy tho ...... but my long time GP just retired and my new GP ( a young lady Indian doctor ) has way different ideas. She banned my cannabis intake ( not legal at Kaiser but otc in local stores ) and wants me to stop cycling and stay on the opioids ( vikes and Hydromorphone) full time .... at the same time my oncologist started writing me the Xanax ( was my GP , prn ) in a daily prescription and wants me to stay on that every day !!! Way different than my initial routine..... and both , in my view, potentially jacking the addiction angle too.
Hated losing the cannabis .... but, in what seems like a bizarre twist, I do have to grudgingly admit that my QOL has improved considerably . I brought up the addiction angle both places and both of them gave me “ the look “ my oncologist kinda laughed / muttering that , considering my condition- circumstances, addiction was the least of my things to worry about. My GP saying if addiction became an issue, they’d cross that road when we came to it. ( you’re croakbait bozo, get a clue yayahahahaya)
It’s working near perfect for daily comfort, but half the fun enjoyment has been removed too yayahahahaya. Plus it’s the addiction thing there in the back of your head all the time. I know that benzos are very “ nasty “ to shake like you said .....
Whatever. My long time GP was fine with cannabis and pst ..... but he knew he was bowing out ... my new GP just getting established I guess, very conservative. She asked me to give her a chance ( like my wife , my way or else yayahahahaya) and I obviously owed her that respect .... and she’s been right so far.
I’m only taking the little Xanax, .25mg so it’s probably more like you said about coming on too strong ... maybe.
Yeah my mom worries about me getting addicted to everything and I keep saying there's bigger things to worry about. How many guys here are still getting nagged by their mom? But I digress.
I just checked your profile and realized we were diagnosed at about the same time. Brothers indeed! Keep up the good fight. Let me know how the xanax works for you long term.
Xanax is wonderful to take the edge off. But not suppose to take it for more than 5 days at a time . Once in a while is fine. In emergency break glass. Just don’t get hooked .
Oh !!! .......... not 5 times a day then ...... got it. Yayahahahaya
My oncologist wrote my new script for once a day in the a.m. ... everyday. I kinda asked about “ hooked “ ... more or less ... he kinda laughed it off, saying that was the least of my concerns , considering ... at this point in time.
Dunno whats hez talk’in about tho ... there’s nud nud nud nud nud’in wrong wid ma ma ma me ! Really ....
The addiction risk of Benzodiazepines meds such as Diazepam, clonazepam is overblown.
These anti anxiety meds increase GABA transmission in the brain ,thus lowering anxiety and inducing sleep.
GABA increase is what alcohol does to brain...however with higher risk of liver and pancreas damage...plus risk of dementia. If alcohol is used heavily.
Just like not everyone who drinks alcohol gets addicted..the same is true with benzo use...only a fraction of people who have addictive tendencies only get addicted.
If you give breaks in use of benzos , you minimize the risk of addiction significantly.
To be sure you don't have a urinary infection, try drinking a glass of cranberry juice and taking high concentration cranberry pills, 25,200mg each. Take about 4 pills with the juice.
Surprised no Tamsulosin, 4 mg twice a day....... I have been on it since 2003. Initially, I took Sitz Baths several times a day and just peed away. Even today when I don’t completely empty my bladder, I just fill the tub with hot water and relax. Peeing in the water will not hurt you. Check with your Radiation Oncologist or RN should there be doubt. They will confirm.
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Urologist appt about frequent urination 
Any suggestion for treatment with P53 is much appreciated?
Update on Dad and ideas 💡 
PSA up after radiotherapy
Frequent Night time Urination
