Even if you follow your doctor’s order strictly, there is a possibility that you will experience negative side effects and even develop an addiction to this drug. Within this guide, you will learn about the risks of taking Xanax and preventive measures you can take to avoid becoming addicted.
Potential Xanax Side Effects
First and foremost, you should take the time to familiarize yourself with the known side effects associated with the consumption of Xanax. While there are other potential side effects, those listed below are the most common. Also, you should remember that drugs can impact people differently. Therefore, you may not experience these side effects, but your friends or neighbor may.
• Forgetfulness, clumsiness and drowsiness
• Decreased appetite
• Irritability and outbursts
• Difficulty concentrating and speaking
• Trouble completing mundane tasks
• Difficulty sleeping
• Trembling and shaking
Depending on the amount of time you’ve been taking Xanax and the amount taken, there is a possibility that you will also experience diarrhea, dark urine, and even body aches. However, these specific side effects are far less common and generally only experienced by long term users. In some rare cases, the patient may experience ear pain, an irregular heartbeat, nightmares, and even chest pain. If you experience any of these, it is essential to stop consuming Xanax and speak with your doctor immediately.
Xanax Addiction
Being addicted to any type of medication can be downright devastating. Nonetheless, there are some medications that tend to be more addictive and harmful than others. Unfortunately, Xanax most certainly ranks near the top of the list. Benzodiazepines are medications, which can be classified as tranquilizers. Xanax and Valium are two of the most common. These medications are commonly used to combat insomnia, control seizures and reduce anxiety. While these drugs can be legitimately beneficial, they’re also abused regularly. Their toxic effects combined with the widespread availability helps to make these drugs very addictive.
The symptoms associated with addiction include confusion, dizziness, weakness, slurred speech, and blurred vision. Chronic abuse of Xanax can actually lead to alterations of the abuser’s physical appearance and their behavior. Those that have consumed Xanax for a long duration will need to seek out professional assistance when attempting to break free. The withdrawal symptoms can be horrifying and very painful. Therefore, withdrawing from Xanax on your own is not recommended. Remember that it is possible to avoid these problems by following your doctor’s orders and consuming the medication cautiously.
Xanax Overdose
When your physician hands you a prescription for Xanax, you should take the time to read the instructional pamphlet. This educational guide will provide you with a full range of information about Xanax, including the dosing recommendations. It is crucial to follow these recommendations to a tee to avoid overdose. A physician must access the patient to determine the amount of Xanax required for treatment. More often than not, a physician will start with a minimal dose, increasing up to the maximum recommended dosage.
A Xanax overdose occurs, when the patient accidentally ingests a higher quantity of the medicine that the body can process. All types of drug overdoses are very dangerous, even life threatening, but Xanax overdose has a higher rate of fatality. When you discover that you have congested more the prescribed dose, you should immediately call the Poison Help Line or 911. The early signs of a Xanax overdose include:
• Confusion
• Muscle weakness
• Severe drowsiness
• Syncope
• Loss of coordination or balance
• Lightheadedness
Things To Avoid
When you are taking a routine dose of Xanax, you should avoid alcohol consumption. Xanax taken alone can impair your ability to think clearly, but when combined with alcohol, it can cause dangerous side effects. You should also avoid combining Xanax with other forms of benzodiazepines, because doing so can potentially increase your risk of overdose. Before taking any over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl, you should speak with your primary care physician of psychiatrist.
It is also crucial to avoid opioids, unless the same physician prescribes them to you. If you find yourself in need of prescription pain medicine, you will need to alert the physician that you are currently taking a routine dose of Xanax. The physician may decide to prescribe you a mild pain reliever, such as Darvocet.
Understanding Xanax Withdrawal And Detox
Individuals who take larger amounts of Xanax for a longer period of time than prescribed will be at a high risk of developing a dependency to the drug. This fact also increases the changes of a more severe withdrawal period. Once an individual becomes dependent to any drug, he or she just doesn’t feel normal without consuming their drug of choice. When a Xanax-dependent person suddenly stops taking Xanax they are often times going to experience psychological disturbances as well as physical pain.
When you compare Xanax to other benzodiazepines it has some of the most dangerous withdrawal symptoms, because it leaves the body much quicker than any other benzodiazepine. Basically, this means that the withdrawal symptoms are going to come on quicker and more severe. Anytime that Xanax is prescribed to a person, it is often only prescribed for a short amount of time, because it has such a high addiction potential. Even taking Xanax as it is prescribed can cause withdrawal symptoms, when you stop taking it.
Some of the most common symptoms of Xanax withdrawal are headaches, insomnia, blurred vision, sweating, vomiting, aggression, anxiety, seizures, shaking, muscle cramps and pain, and sensitivity to light
A Look At The Duration Of Withdrawal
While the withdrawal symptoms of Xanax are more intense than any other benzodiazepine they usually do not last as long. Withdrawal symptoms can have an onset as little as an hour after consumption and last for more than a week. However, everyone is different and reacts differently to the medication. Your intake of the drug can also play a role in the withdrawal timetable as well as how long you have been taking the drug.
Within the first six hours the effects of the Xanax will wear off and the withdrawal symptoms will start to take over. This is usually the time users start to experience anxiety and irritability, which only get worse. The symptoms of withdrawal will be most intense after the first few days of stopping. This is the point where rebound anxiety and insomnia will be at its highest. After about four days, the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms will usually start to die down.
This article was written by David Warren from the wealthformyhealth.com team.
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