People who take Xanax usually feel some effect within 10 to 15 minutes. Peak effects begin after 30 minutes, and the effects usually wear off after six hours. Also, you should not drive or perform other potentially dangerous activities, such as operating machines, until you know how the drug combination affects you. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988.
Many Xanax users refer to this phenomenon as rebound anxiety. About 75 percent of deadly benzodiazepine overdoses involve opioids, according to a 2015 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid taking expired medications. If you have unused medication that has passed the expiration date, ask your pharmacist how to properly dispose of it. Taking the medication around the same times of day helps keep a steady level of the drug in your body.
What is this medication?
This period, called detox, can last several weeks depending on the severity of your addiction. During detox, people can experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. But with supportive medical staff on your side, medically supervised detox can help you cope with withdrawal and achieve long-lasting sobriety. The best way to get the attentive level of care you need is at a residential Xanax addiction treatment center. There is a subpopulation of patients exposed to benzodiazepines that is more likely to escalate their dose, mainly those with coexisting drug or alcohol use problem (Griffiths and Wolf, 1990; NICE, 2014). Most would agree that tolerance is a multifactorial process that occurs at different rates for different patients, and also depends on the profile of the benzodiazepine used.
- For people who struggle with anxiety, feeling relaxed and at peace can be an addictive sensation.
- They can talk with you about the benefits and risks, and help you determine the best way to feed your baby.
- Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products.
- Others desire a loose, goofy feeling that’s similar to how people feel when they get drunk.
- Legendary singer Stevie Nicks has publicly spoken out about her difficulty with benzodiazepine abuse and addiction.
The potential for addiction is higher with Xanax than with lower-potency benzodiazepines like Librium (chlordiazepoxide). Addiction is now classified as a substance use disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition 5 (DSM-5). Benzodiazepine use can be apparent if someone appears intoxicated or there is drug-seeking behavior, but the problem can also be well concealed.
FAQs about side effects of Xanax
As a general rule, exposure to any type of benzodiazepine during the first trimester should be avoided. Alprazolam and its 2 hydroxylated metabolites are known to cross the placenta. Retrospective studies evaluating pregnancy outcomes of women exposed to alprazolam during the first trimester of pregnancy found conflicting results of congenital anomalies (Iqbal et al., 2002). You might need to continue to meet with a therapist for months after your detox is complete, or even for longer. The purpose of therapy is for you to understand your addiction and to gain control so you can avoid misusing Xanax or another drug in the future.
After detoxing, treatment should involve therapy to treat the drivers of addiction. Usually, these are mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, which Xanax often (ironically) treats. Suddenly stopping this medication may cause serious (possibly fatal) withdrawal, especially if you have used it for a long time or in high doses. To prevent withdrawal, your doctor may lower your dose slowly. Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have any withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, trouble sleeping, restlessness, hallucinations/confusion, depression, nausea, or seizures. To learn more about treatment options, contact our Admissions Navigators.
How Addictive is Xanax Really (and Why)
Doctors may sometimes prescribe Xanax with Adderall for people with ADHD who also have anxiety. Taking these medications together for this purpose as prescribed by a doctor is not known to be harmful. Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Xanax, as the reaction https://ecosoberhouse.com/ could become severe. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects from Xanax are not common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects.
A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up. Selling Xanax or giving it away may harm others, and is against the law. Before you start treatment with Xanax, tell xanax addiction your healthcare provider if you have abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs. When someone takes a drug—as a prescription medication including opioids or Xanax—on a regular schedule, the medication will adjust the user’s brain chemistry.
Why Does Xanax Lead to Dependence and Addiction?
Individuals battling mental illness may be on Xanax to treat symptoms or simply abusing it in attempts to self-medicate, and this abuse can often cause mental health conditions to worsen. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports around half of all people with severe mental illness also have co-occurring substance abuse problems, so this issue is a common one. Some people work with their healthcare provider to slowly taper off the medication over time, while others may require long-term treatment to avoid relapse. Prescription drug abuse is most common among 18- to 25-year-olds. 5 of the top 10 reasons teenagers misuse prescription drugs have to do with accessibility. Some studies indicate that senior and elderly medicated patients may be at heightened risk of developing addiction due to the number and variety of drugs they take for health reasons.
Benzodiazepines such as Xanax are included in guidelines for managing GAD. The drugs are recommended for short-term treatment to help ease anxiety symptoms. It’s typically used to help ease the symptoms of anxiety while other treatments for GAD, such as antidepressants, are taking effect. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Xanax to treat certain conditions.
Symptoms of withdrawal
Suboxone works by easing the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. However, during the initial induction phase of treatment, your healthcare provider will have you take one form or the other until you are stable and not switch between the film and tablet or vice versa. Treatment for OUD typically starts with an induction phase at your healthcare provider’s office or a treatment clinic. In this way, the combination of buprenorphine/naloxone films and tablets discourages abuse of the medication while promoting safe, effective use.
