If you have additional questions about an off-label use of Xanax, talk with your doctor. If you take more than 4 mg of Xanax per day for this condition, your doctor may eventually suggest lowering your dosage. Typically, your doctor will start you on a low dosage. Then, they’ll adjust it over time to reach the amount that’s right for you. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect.
More Info For This Drug
If you have taken this medication for a long time or take a high dose, your body may rely on it. Talk to your care team about how long you need to take this medication. When it is time to stop, the dose will be slowly lowered over time to reduce the risk of side effects. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use.
What Drugs Interact With Alprazolam?
The group, from across the West Midlands region of England, included extended family members and friends who sold more than £4m of fake pills on the so-called dark web. Adams sold millions of pills, including hundreds of thousands to customers who would then re-sell the pills. Your doctor will reassess your treatment periodically to be sure you’re getting the right amount of medication. Answer a few questions, match with a psychiatrist, and start collaborating on your care with your doctor. We all have dozens of neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, that allow neurons to communicate with each other throughout the body, and the amino acid GABA is one of them.
You shouldn’t take a higher dose than what’s prescribed by your doctor. Speak with your doctor or a pharmacist about all the medications you’re currently taking to ensure that they won’t interact. These drugs can prevent the pathway that’s responsible for eliminating Xanax from your body from removing it as quickly as it should. Over time, this may lead to a toxic buildup of the drug and eventually an overdose. Some people have also reported memory loss or blacking out and not remembering what happened for several hours. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Drug Recalls: What Do They Mean?
An addiction means continuing to take a drug even if it causes you harm. Misuse and addiction may lead to overdose, and in rare cases, death. The use of Xanax and opioid drugs may cause severe side effects, including extreme sleepiness and respiratory depression (slow or weak breathing). Other severe side effects include coma and, in some cases, death. Do not stop taking this medication or reduce your dose without first talking to your care team.
Counterfeit versions of benzodiazepines such as Xanax are circulating on the dark web. Talk with your doctor or dentist if you have anxiety before medical procedures. Xanax comes in several different shapes and colors, as shown in the “Xanax images” section toward the end of this article.
Other Warnings
Xanax contains the active ingredient alprazolam and belongs to the benzodiazepine drug class. Combining Xanax (alprazolam) with therapy can help create a more well-rounded, holistic approach to effectively manage anxiety and panic disorders. Taking medication may help with symptoms for a bit, but it won’t address and get to the root of the problem, like underlying emotions or stressors, that contribute to anxiety.
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- If you have hangover-like symptoms when stopping Xanax treatment, talk with your doctor.
- Talk to your care team about how long you need to take this medication.
- If you develop any unusual and strange thoughts or behavior while you are taking alprazolam, be sure to discuss it with your doctor.
- It’s called Xanax XR, and it’s FDA approved to treat only panic disorder.
- Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines that you take or have recently taken.
Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital. You should carry the list with you in case of emergencies. To receive weekly information on mental health, you may want to sign up for the Psych Central newsletter.
Talk To Your Healthcare Provider About The Best Way To Feed Your Baby If You Take XANAX
XANAX is a benzodiazepine and a CNS depressant with a potential for abuse and addiction. Abuse is the intentional, non-therapeutic use of a drug, even once, for its desirable psychological or physiological effects. Misuse is the intentional use, for therapeutic purposes, of a drug by an individual in a way other than prescribed by a health care provider or for whom it was not prescribed. Even taking benzodiazepines as prescribed may put patients at risk for abuse and misuse of their medication. Abuse and misuse of benzodiazepines may lead to addiction. In many of the spontaneous case reports of adverse behavioral effects, patients were receiving other CNS drugs concomitantly and/or were described as having underlying psychiatric conditions.
These are the most serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Boxed warnings alert doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous. It is not known if Xanax is safe and effective when used to treat panic disorder for longer than 10 weeks. It’s important that you don’t take more Xanax than your medical professional recommends. Taking more than the recommended dosage can lead to severe side effects, including coma and, in some cases, death. But it’s best to talk with your medical professional or pharmacist before using any new drugs while taking Xanax.
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The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of XANAX. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. For the same reason, patients should be cautioned about the concomitant use of alcohol and other CNS depressant drugs during treatment with XANAX see Drug Interactions (7.1). No, your dosage of Xanax is not based on your body weight. You’ll likely start on a low dose, and your doctor may increase it slowly based on your reaction to the drug.
However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs. For more information about the possible side effects of Xanax, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to manage any side effects that may concern or bother you. If you’re struggling with anxiety, talk to your healthcare provider or a licensed therapist to explore what options are available for you.
Misuse can lead to addiction, which is when you’re unable to stop taking a drug, even though it may be causing harm. Xanax is FDA approved for the short-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. Xanax and buspirone may be used to treat generalized anxiety disorder.
You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about Xanax that is written for health professionals. Keep in mind that certain drugs, when used together with Xanax, may increase your risk for side effects or decrease how well Xanax works. While you take Xanax, be sure to check with your medical professional before using any other medications. Try to take your doses around the same times each day. This helps your body keep a steady level of the drug so it’s most effective for treating your condition.
Is Your Medication Making You Tired?
Caution should be exercised when prescribing alprazolam in geriatric patients, as it may alter their motor functions and balance, as well as their cognitive functions. Therefore, it is recommended to start treatment with very low doses. Its presentation can be variable, in tablets or in concentrated liquid.
