Xanax is a very powerful benzodiazepine, which is often prescribed for panic and anxiety disorders.
Many users will at some point want to withdraw from this medication if they feel that their mental illness has improved.
There are many dangers that one will face when it comes to withdrawing from Xanax.
Below you will discover more information about this medication and how long it stays in the body.
Table of Contents
How Xanax Works
Xanax works by altering the neurotransmitters or the brain’s chemicals.
Many individuals that suffer from mental disorders will have abnormal levels of the brain chemical that is responsible for balancing mood.
Xanax is capable of helping balance out these chemicals:
So the victim can live a normal life without experiencing symptoms of their mental disorder.
Recreational Use
Many adolescents, young and older adults that are forced to face a huge transition in their life such as a death in the family, will turn to Xanax to combat their depression or anxiety.
Other Xanax users will begin to experiment with the drug because their friends are doing it.
Peer pressure can definitely make someone that suffers from low self-esteem or underlying mental illnesses to misuse this drug.
Xanax is not a drug that should be experimented with because it holds a high addiction rate and severe withdrawal symptoms.
Longevity
Xanax will remain in your body anywhere from 3-5 days after a single use, but if you are a chronic user, the drug will remain in your body anywhere from 10-14 days.
While this time frame may be altered slightly by the individual’s metabolism level. These ranges have a wide time variance, just for this purchase.
You may ask:
“How long does Xanax stay in your urine”.
The answer is between 4-6 weeks.
How long does Xanax stay in your blood?
Well, the range will vary between 22-24 hours.
Contraindications in Medical Diseases
Before you start taking a regimented dose of Xanax prescribed by your physician, you should take your medical history into account.
If you suffer from any type of medical disorder, you should advise your physician beforehand.
- Epilepsy (seizure disorder)
- Glaucoma
- Liver, kidney, and respiratory disease
- Long history or opiate or alcohol addictions
- Xanax can potentially worsen or trigger symptoms of these medical conditions. It is vital that you
- Provide your primary care physician with a thorough and honest medical history.
Common Side Effects
There are many common and harmless side effects that you may experience when taking Xanax.
Most of these side effects are nothing to be concerned about, but if they become severe you should speak with your physician.
- Forgetfulness
- Poor coordination
- Extreme drowsiness
- Irritability/restlessness
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue
Some individuals will experience worsening symptoms related to their mental illness.
New signs of depression may also be exhibited, while these may go away on their own, you may find them too difficult to tolerate.
Withdrawal Side Effects
If you become concerned about the above side effects, you should never go “cold turkey” or suddenly stop taking Xanax, without speaking with your physician first.
It can be very dangerous to suddenly stop this drug because it causes severe seizure activity, cognitive impairment, and extreme anxiety attacks.
Other common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Hand tremors
- Insomnia
- Increased agitation, irritability, and anxiety
- Diarrhea/vomiting
If you begin to experience loss sense of reality, confusion, seizure activity, or signs of dementia, you should seek emergency care immediately.
Avoid Misuse
Many individuals that are taking a prescription benzodiazepine will alter their maintenance dose because they are not receiving any relief.
You should alter your dose in any way, without confronting your physician.
This is risky behavior that can lead to addiction or overdose.
If you take more than the prescribed amount, you may run out of the medication, before it is time to be refilled.
It is pertinent that you follow the directions on the bottle.
2 Comments
Anonymous
I took Xanax of 1 mg per day for a week and then stopped using it completely. Before I am taking this medication, my system was thoroughly cleaned. After that I passed drug screen urine test for Xanax to know how long it take to go out of my system. I noticed that it takes around 72 hours. But I took this test after 8 days of usage. So, if you try this yourself it takes some time to clear your system.
Anonymous
I suffered from insomnia so I took Xanax for about 6 months. It works very nicely and helps me to recover completely after those periods. One thing that I wondered is that the drug leaves my body very quickly. This drug act very fast as well as exit very quick, even it has a very high addiction potential. But the time period of half life of Xanax may vary depends on the person’s weight, body and metabolism.