How Long Does it Take to Get Addicted to Xanax

If you or your loved one suffers from an anxiety or panic disorder, your doctor may have discussed a prescription medication with you or them to lessen the symptoms of this mental health condition. Alprazolam, known by the brand name Xanax, is the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepine for panic and anxiety disorders.

You probably have many questions regarding using Xanax, such as whether or not it’s addictive and even how long it takes to become dependent or addicted. These typical queries are deliberative and logical.

How Long Does It Take To Get Addicted To Xanax?

If your doctor prescribes Xanax for you or your loved one, you may be wondering, “How long does it take to get addicted to Xanax?” The time it takes to become dependent on Xanax depends on several factors. However, it mainly depends on the specified amount.

Based on a study analyzed by the FDA before Xanax approval, individuals who received prescriptions above 4 mg daily had difficulty withdrawing to 0.5 mg. Similar studies showed no difference in weaning up to 0.5 mg based on the duration of use (3 or 6 months).

However, FDA access data suggest that doses between 0.75 mg and 4 mg still pose a risk of dependence. Another factor associated with Xanax addiction is previous alcohol or opioid abuse.

People with a history of substance abuse are more likely to abuse Xanax (alprazolam) due to the effects of Xanax (alprazolam) on the body. The use of Xanax can also lead to addiction, depending on the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

Xanax withdrawal reactions include potentially life-threatening seizures, so if you want to stop using Xanax after some time, you should talk to your doctor about the best way to stop using it. Attacks occur only in a small part of the population but are most common in the first 24-72 hours after reduced usage.

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Is Xanax Once A Day Addictive?

Your doctor will prescribe different doses to your patients, depending on the symptoms you are treating with Xanax. Dosages include the amount taken once a day and when to take Xanax. Increased use by increasing the amount indicates that addiction may be involved.

According to the Mayo Clinic, adults taking Xanax for anxiety should take up to 0.5 mg (milligrams) three times daily to control their symptoms. Due to symptoms, adults with panic disorder can take up to 1 mg once daily.

Whether taking Xanax to solve your mental health problems or recreational medications to make your life a little more comfortable, your drugs work the same way.

It attaches to receptors in the brain, triggering a series of chemical reactions that slow down general brain activity and, at the same time, allow the construction of chemical signals of pleasure.

This chemistry is involved in alleviating the symptoms people experience. The same chemical reaction can also lead to high values. It’s not uncommon for people who depend on Xanax to take much higher doses than doctors prescribe.

Is Xanax .5 Mg Addictive?

It depends on how often you use it a day or how often it is used in general. If you use 0.5 mg Xanax for only as-needed situational use, most likely, there is no concern about addiction. But if you use .25 mg several times daily for recreational use for over a week, then addiction is already occurring. On the other hand, there is a distinct difference between addiction and dependence.

Dependency occurs when your body becomes dependent on the medication to feel standard, such as decreased anxiety, etc. Addiction is when you take more than prescribed or self-medicate for recreational use. Addiction is being out of control of your temptation and physical addiction to reach a better high.

Dependency occurs when your body becomes dependent on the medication to feel standard, such as decreased anxiety, etc. Addiction is when you take more than prescribed or self-medicate for recreational use. Addiction is being out of control of your temptation and physical addiction to reach a better high.

How Much Xanax A Day A Lot?

Healthcare providers usually prescribe alprazolam medication as a short-term treatment (up to 4 weeks), and it is safe to be taken daily during the four-week treatment. After the treatment, your doctor will re-examine your symptoms and decide whether or not you should prolong the use of the medication.

Xanax 1 mg is a dose prescribed to adults who have previously used 0.5 mg. 1mg is advised to be taken once daily and can be increased depending on the severity of the condition; nevertheless, the dose will not increase to more than 10mg daily. If the drug exceeds the prescribed amount, it could be fatal.

Daily administration of this medication is safe as long as an individual does not overdose, i.e., take more amounts than prescribed. Increasing the dose and taking this medication for longer than described can cause adverse effects. Individuals who start using Xanax in larger doses daily are more prone to becoming addicted sooner.

Still, most can fall prey to dependency in a month or less, even on small quantities. Therefore taking this medication for longer than four weeks can cause dependence.

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How Long Should You Be On Xanax?

Xanax is a powerful benzodiazepine that is only recommended for up to six weeks in case of long-term treatment. Xanax must not be taken for more than recommended. When people abuse a benzodiazepine for an extended period, the brain starts to forget how to operate effectively in its absence. Xanax harnesses power over emotional reactions, thought functions, memory, consciousness, and even muscular coordination.

All benzodiazepines ramp up the production of neurotransmitters known as GABA, which are liable for managing nerve impulses that lead to emotional expressions like anxiety and panic.

As tolerance develops, Xanax becomes less effective and will stop effectively treating those emotional disturbances. Xanax can also produce mood swings that sometimes result in violent, aggressive, or hostile behavior. Xanax can cause appetite to wane and may lead to weight loss or binge eating episodes when users experience a surge of hunger.

While the effects Xanax has on neurotransmitters paint a picture of stimulation, these drugs make users quite tired. For this reason, lethargy is widespread and can lead to weight gain. Users may become extraordinarily forgetful, and others will take note of this. It can get so bad that individuals miss deadlines for work and forget about family functions they are meant to attend.

How Long Does Xanax Affect The Brain?

Xanax can also cause the brain to malfunction when coordination works. This means that users can struggle with speech and sometimes struggle to balance. From simple chores to large projects, the difficulty of focusing on tasks is also a common problem. As Xanax shifts from physical to psychological effects on the brain, individuals risk damaging brain cells if used or abused for more than a few months.

Continued use or abuse of Xanax changes the way the brain works. The drug is known to reduce suppression and be more open to taking risks that users usually do not accept. They are more likely to fight their loved ones, drive recklessly, or engage in dangerous sexual activity. For benzodiazepine abusers like Xanax, depression and even suicidal ideation are real.

Many people suffering from these effects end up in an emergency room where they cannot control their pathological thinking. Fox News reports that after using Xanax, the number of people treated for side effects in the emergency room increased by 172% between 2004 and 2011.

Hypersensitivity is common in people who abuse this drug. It’s not uncommon to suddenly snap at someone and suffer from something you don’t usually care about. Users can also experience hallucinations and delusions. Confusion is a characteristic of drugs and often tends to lead users to hostile locations, provoke others, and behave harmfully to themselves and others.

Recent studies have revealed a possible link between Xanax use and dementia. Harvard Health Publications is a study of about 2,000 older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and about 7,000 older adults without Alzheimer’s disease who took benzodiazepines such as Xanax for 3 to 6 months. We found that the risk of developing the disease increased by 32%. An impressive 84 percent of people have used it for over six months.

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