Xanax (Alprazolam) is the #1 most prescribed psychiatric medication in the United States. Overall, it is in the top 10 of all prescribed medications in the country. Over 50 million prescriptions are written for Xanax each year that is up from 35 million in 2006.
Xanax is a member of the benzodiazepine family of drugs and is primarily used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. However, because of its unique properties it has become very popular as a recreational drug as well.
Xanax are dispensed in 0.125 mg, 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 2 mg strength. They are 10 to 20 times as potent as Valium of the same dosage. So if someone is taking .5 or 1/2 mg of Xanax that is the equivalent of 5 to 10 mgs of Valium depending on the individual's metabolism.
Xanax works by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain to promote calmness and a relaxed feeling. GABA is the body’s natural calming agent. It is believed that people with anxiety disorders such a Panic Disorder may suffer from a GABA deficiency.
What makes Xanax unique and makes it potentially the most addictive and dangerous of the benzos is its short half-life. Xanax has a half-life as short as 6 hours, meaning that only 6 hours after it reaches the blood, half of it has already been metabolized. It is the short half-life in addition to its quick acting effect, sometimes within minutes, which makes Xanax so addictive. The short half-life of Xanax also explains why people often start craving more of this drug within a few hours. As the stimulation of the receptors starts decreasing, the brain sends out signals demanding more Xanax to stimulate the receptors.
“In addition, Xanax actually begins to deplete the production of the body’s natural calming-agent, GABA, after several weeks of continued use. This means a person will require more and more of the drug to achieve the same calming effect. What is even worse is if a user suddenly stops taking the drug, since their GABA has already been depleted, the anxiety and other withdrawal effects can be intense and even life threatening.” NIH.gov
This popularity of Xanax can largely be attributed to the ease with which doctors in the U.S. prescribe the drug, also because of the proliferation of illegal pharmacies accessible through the internet. There are now hundreds of pharmacies in Mexico and Canada that will sell Xanax without a prescription.
Abrupt discontinuation of Xanax is never recommended. The early stage of withdrawal symptoms is accompanied by a sense of anxiety and apprehension coupled with tremors and headache. This stage rapidly progresses to feelings of panic-like anxiety with palpitations. The patient also starts feeling de-realization, along with marked startle response and increased sensory input.
"Compared with other benzodiazepines, Xanax has an additional problem. It has a very short half-life, which in practical terms means that it goes in and out of the body very quickly. Because of this, many people will begin to experience subtle withdrawal symptoms between doses, which really can increase the addictive potential of this medication. Like most other psychiatrists, I dislike Xanax for this reason and will often try to switch long-term Xanax users to one of the other benzodiazepines that has a longer half-life and less liability for producing patterns of rising and falling anxiety across the day." Dr. Charles Raison Psychiatrist
Overdoses of Xanax can be mild to severe depending on how much of the drug is taken and if any other depressants meds are involved. Combined overdose with antidepressants, alcohol, or opiates significantly increases the likelihood for severe toxicity and possible fatality. Xanax overdose reflects the central nervous system depression of the brain and may include one or more of the following symptoms
- Somnolence (sleepy state)
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Hypoventilation (shallow breathing)
- Impaired motor functions
- Dizziness
- Impaired balance
- Muscle weakness
- Impaired or absent reflexes
- Fainting
- Coma
- Death (rare)
Xanax overdose statistics are just behind those of Oxycontin, providing even more reason to take the use and abuse of this drug seriously.
Source material: Wikipedia, Rxlist, PDR 2010, Forbes.com, Psychiatric Times.
