I have obsessive thoughts about my health. my pcp gave me the generic xanax (alprazolam) but i don't feel like it's doing anything. how can i stop these thoughts?

Other choices: I'm not a psychiatrist but i can think of some better choices, especially for somebody like yourself -- you're bright, you found healthtap, you realize these thoughts aren't really yours, and i'll bet anybody a short course of cognitive-behavioral therapy could teach you to short-circuit them. Failing this, obsessive often benefit from very low doses of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

Health obsessions: I hear your frustration. Xanax (alprazolam) can blunt anxiety, and many pcp's prescribe it -- but it doesn't help obsessions or ocd. Sounds like you need to see a psychiatrist for an evaluation & more focused treatment. Talk therapies, which all psychologists and some psychiatrists provide, are essential in dealing with health anxiety. If you actually have ocd, other medications will help too. Teamwork!

OCD: Talk to your doctor about behavior modification. There are so many techniques that would help your ocd anxiety, such as exposure, response prevention, thought stopping, desensitization, flooding, etc. Also, some medications such as Luvox (fluvoxamine) or Prozac would be worth discussing with your doctor. Wish u well.