Xanax Information
Xanax is one of the most popular brand names of drugs with the generic name of Alprazolam. This medicine belongs to the benzodiazepines group of drugs that are commonly used to treat panic disorders, anxiety, and depression. Xanax contains chemicals that directly target the substances that cause anxiety in the brain.
Xanax comes in two forms – regular Xanax and Xanax XR. Xanax XR has an extended release formulation is made available only in the United States, Portugal, and Israel. Regular Xanax, on the other hand, is available in the United States, most of Europe, and Australia.
Xanax usually comes in tablet or liquid form and can be taken by anybody aged eighteen to sixty years of age. It is the physician who determines the actual dosage a particular patient has to take, so it should not be bought or taken without proper medical prescription. Children and teens under the age of eighteen are not allowed to take Xanax. Also, it is not supposed to be used for more than eight months.
Using Xanax may cause side effects. The most common ones are sleepiness, dizziness, and confusion. Some patients may also experience slow heart beat, difficulty in breathing, walking, and talking. There are also instances where patients may be unconscious or seem drunk. As a result, people taking this medicine are prohibited from driving or operating any machinery until after they have totally stopped using it.
On the other hand, if Xanax were consumed in exceeding dosage, a new set of symptoms would occur. The most common ones are lethargy and loss of consciousness. And number of recorded overdose cases of Xanax had proven to be fatal. So once these symptoms occur, it is important that a doctor has to be summoned immediately.
If a person is taking Xanax, they cannot stop its use abruptly, especially if they are taking it for more than three weeks already. Doing so would cause seizures and similar side effects. To stop using Xanax, doctors will usually recommend a gradual decreased dosage of it before it is stopped altogether.
People with a history of kidney and liver disease cannot use Xanax at all, in the same way that a person who had once been a drug or alcohol dependent can’t. Alcohol can actually heighten the side effects associated with this drug. This is why people who are currently taking it cannot drink wine, beer, or any similar alcoholic beverage.
