It’s been prescribed for severe anxiety and panic attacks for decades, and appears to show some fairly strong success rates. Xanax, and the generic versions, all seem to work well for most anxiety disorders and continue to provide relief for many months. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of this drug or any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider or pharmacist first. Those in recovery may be temporarily prescribed other medications to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, such as longer-acting benzodiazepines.

If the patient needs a higher dose, it should be given gradually in order to avoid adverse effects. If you’re struggling with anxiety, talk to your healthcare provider or a licensed therapist to explore what options are available for you. Ultimately, medication, like Xanax, can be a helpful bridge to therapy, which can build a long-term path toward healing and managing anxiety symptoms.

Pregnancy and Lactation

It is primarily prescribed for the purpose of managing anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Although it can help provide short-term relief it’s important to know the pros and cons of using it for quick relief, and how it fits into your overall treatment plan for managing these disorders. The continued use of benzodiazepines, including XANAX, may lead to clinically significant physical dependence. Like other benzo drugs, Xanax is a safe medication when used as directed. Many people have found relief from diagnoses of insomnia, anxiety disorders, or other mental health conditions, by taking doctor-prescribed Xanax.

What if you’re using it to treat an anxiety or panic disorder?

As in all cases of drug overdosage, respiration, pulse rate, and blood pressure should be monitored. General supportive measures should be employed, along with immediate gastric lavage. Intravenous fluids should be administered and an adequate airway maintained. As with the management of intentional overdosing with any drug, it should be borne in mind that multiple agents may have been ingested. Dosage adjustment is necessary when XANAX and ritonavir are initiated concomitantly or when ritonavir is added to a stable dosage of XANAX see Dosage and Administration (2.6), Drug Interactions (7.1).

Does Xanax interact with my other drugs?

In all 3 studies, XANAX was superior to placebo on a variable defined as “the number of patients with zero panic attacks” (range, 37% to 83% met this criterion), as well as on a global improvement score. In 2 of the 3 studies, XANAX was superior to placebo on a variable defined as “change from baseline on the number of panic attacks per week” (range, 3.3 to 5.2), and also on a phobia rating scale. A subgroup of patients who improved on XANAX during short-term treatment in 1 of these trials was continued on an open basis up to 8 months, without apparent loss of benefit. Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when XANAX is used with opioids. Advise patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery until the effects of concomitant use with the opioid have been determined see Drug Interactions (7.1).

• Following oral administration, peak plasma concentration of alprazolam (Cmax) occurs in 1 to 2 hours post dose.
• XANAX contains alprazolam which is a triazolo analog of the 1,4 benzodiazepine class of central nervous system-active compounds.
• Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor.
• Some of the mild side effects that Xanax may cause are listed below.
• Any form of Xanax abuse can lead to physical dependence and addiction, including oral alprazolam consumption.
• While you take Xanax, be sure to check with your medical professional before using any other medications.

Dosage for Xanax: What You Need to Know

Squeeze the dropper contents into a liquid or semisolid food such as water, juice, soda, applesauce, or pudding. The concentrated liquid will blend completely with the food. To help make sure that you don’t miss a dose, try using a medication reminder. Talk with your doctor about lifestyle changes and other medications that may be effective alternatives to improve your can you shoot xanax sleep. This article focuses on the Xanax immediate-release tablet.

Risk Effects of Injecting Xanax

Some of the mild side effects that Xanax may cause are listed below. For information on other mild side effects of the drug, we suggest that you talk with your medical professional or pharmacist. It may also be helpful to refer to the medication guide for Xanax. Most medications may cause side effects that can be serious or mild. To give you an idea of what might occur with Xanax, we’ve listed some of the medication’s more common side effects below. Keep in mind that we haven’t included all the potential side effects.

• Another drug used for this purpose is Valium (diazepam), which is a benzodiazepine like Xanax.
• Withdrawal symptoms are side effects that can occur when you stop taking a drug your body has become dependent on.
• Although it can help provide short-term relief it’s important to know the pros and cons of using it for quick relief, and how it fits into your overall treatment plan for managing these disorders.
• You should also seek emergency medical attention if you experience signs of an allergic reaction.
• I store my solution in sterile vials and am always using alcohol wipes to sterilize injection sites.

RxList does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at If you struggle with Xanax addiction, contact us today to speak to one of our compassionate experts. In doing so, you can take the first steps in your recovery journey. Although the effects of Xanax generally begin within 20 to 30 minutes, snorting the drug brings on a host of immediate side effects.

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. Benzodiazepines are medications that help calm the mind and the body down, make you sleepy, and help with anxiety and muscle tension. Xanax comes as a tablet, an extended-release tablet, an orally disintegrating tablet (tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth), and a concentrated solution (liquid) to take by mouth. Your doctor may increase your daily dosage depending on your body’s response to the drug.

Of course all precautions regarding sterility when IVing substances are to be followed. I store my solution in sterile vials and am always using alcohol wipes to sterilize injection sites. Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Medication Guide). The chemical name of alprazolam is 8-Chloro-1-methyl-6-phenyl-4H-s-triazolo 4,3-α 1,4 benzodiazepine. XANAX contains alprazolam which is a triazolo analog of the 1,4 benzodiazepine class of central nervous system-active compounds.

While alprazolam is prescribed to treat acute symptoms related to anxiety, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression, clonazepam is used to treat seizures, epilepsy, insomnia, and panic attacks. 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. Early morning anxiety and emergence of anxiety symptoms between doses of XANAX have been reported in patients with panic disorder taking prescribed maintenance doses.