Forst Griffin admits to taking Zanax before Silva fight.

I hate prescription drugs like this that are over the counter....they make people mindless.
A guy I think is a pretty good fighter can't sleep so he takes some over the counter drug that supposedly helps him.

Watching that fight,he was outclassed in a very bad fashion.
Knowing now that he took some over the counter medication,I can see why he was outclassed.

I have never taken Zanax,Prozac etc and don't do pills other than an aspirin or an anti inflammatory if needed.
Why take some piece of garbage pill before a big fight?

Bad call if you ask me.
He also failed his drug test.

The Las Vegas fighter remembers the bout as the low point of his career, but it also helped him put the fight life in perspective.

I should hope so.

Shine on you crazy diamonds.


Edited to add link.
www.mmalinker.com...://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/2012/10/1/3439116/forrest-griffin-admits-to-taking-xanax-night-before-epic-ufc-101-t o

Xanax is a brand name for alprazolam and is not available over the counter. It is a Schedule IV narcotic and requires a physicians prescription - at least in the US.

~Heff

ETA fixed link for the OP source.

OP LINK

reply to post by Hefficide


I am from Canada and maybe they had a prescription but I have seen it here readily available.
Who knows?
Certainly not me but I still ask and wonder.

Thanks for fixing the link Heff.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


It is prescribed mainly for anxiety issues. And if a person takes it daily, and as prescribed, it will not cause undo sedation or euphoria. But if a person who is not acclimated to it takes it, it can very much take them out of sorts.

If he was given Xanax for pre fight jitters then his doctor is not that good, as a medication called Propranolol, a beta blocker, is very effective for "stage fright" and has none of the side effects that a narcotic would. Many celebrities use Propranolol for this very reason.

~Heff

This actually makes a lot of sense. I remember watching that fight and I thought Forest threw it because he kind of ran off in a tantrum right after. (I wasn't expecting him to win, but also not lose as badly as he did.) This explains everything...

I have nothing bad to say about Xanax, as I take .5 mg a day at work. I need to as I am borderline anthropophobic, it has been the only way I could hold a job and dealing with the stress of people with out putting me into a full blown panic attack or rage. It works.
It these morons who take pill after pill after pill till they can't stand up talks straight or pass out standing there at the counter are the problem. You know when someone is benzoed out and Griffin defiantly fit that bill.

reply to post by boncho


It does explain a few things...the guy is tough and a good fighter.
I hate big pharma,I understand being in pain but I also understand you chose what you chose...to be a fighter.
Why take the easy way out?

I don't like steroids in sports and being a wrestling fan as well...i don't like the drug use and abuse in these sports or entertainment.
Minds get warped...why cheat??
I understand the pressure but we have all had those moments where we couldn't sleep or couldn't heal fast enough or get bigger when we wanted to.

Now Boncho....hand me a beer,we don't have to worry about that kind of stuff.

Now that I've gotten free from a couple of other things that had me occupied, and have read the article I am troubled by two things in the following:

And while Silva's cat-like reflexes were no doubt a considerable part of the equation, there was something else at play. On Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, the former UFC light heavyweight champion revealed he took the anti-anxiety medication Xanax the night before the fight.

"I failed my drug test I think for Xanax," Griffin said. "I had a doctor's prescription, I was just, I didn't do it before the fight, I did it the night before, I was nervous and I couldn't sleep."

from the OP source

Prescribing Xanax for insomnia would be considered "off label" to most doctors. There are other medications like Lunesta or Ambien that are much more effective and have much shorter half lives.

And he "thinks" he failed the drug test because of the Xanax? What does that infer?

~Heff

Xanax is a very misunderstood drug. As others have pointed out, it works wonders for those of us with panic attacks, agoraphobia, etc. It is a lifesaver.

Some people will get all uppity about people using a presciption as prescribed, saying that if you need drugs you're weak....and then I see those same people guzzling beer or wine at every social occasion. Pretty hypocritical if you ask me.

I'm no fan of Big Pharma, but some of those drugs actually work for their intended purpose.

If this fighter felt the need to alleviate his anxiety, I don't blame him, but he may also just be trying to excuse his poor performance in the fight by blaming it on the drug, rather than himself. Just a thought.

reply to post by Hefficide


I think its a very human thing to be that excited that you can't sleep in a big situation like that where you can't wind down.
Its a normal human feeling...is it not?
Why look for help???
Deal with it.

We all have had moments like that.
(going on a big trip,buying a new car...we get excited enough to have the excitement enough to not be able to sleep...its normal...it doesn't take drugs to cure it.)

reply to post by DrumsRfun


I wouldn't spite the guy from being in a situation like that. If I get insomnia ( FTR I have suffered from chronic insomnia for my entire life ) the worst that I have to deal with is being cranky the next day. But a professional fighter? If he's a bit off of his game he could break an arm, leg, neck? Or get his own broken. So I can understand.

The point is that Ambien, for example, will knock you flat on your butt... but about four or five hours later it's totally out of your system. You're alert, aware, and feel normal. Many doctors will advise using diphenhydramine or a chemical called doxylamine succonate for insomnia ( almost all over the counter sleep aids use either of these ) but they are notoriously bad for causing "hangover". Xanax is even more problematic in this regard.

How about this for a conspiracy...Dana White had the UFC doc prescribe Griffin with a poor choice in insomnia/jitters meds so that he could affect the fight outcome.



~Heff