Xanax Side Effects
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Common Side Effects pt. 1
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Common Side Effects pt. 2
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Common Side Effects pt. 3
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Lasting Xanax side effects
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Memory Impairment
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Sedation
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![Sedation](https://www.findatopdoc.com/var/fatd/storage/images/_aliases/video_slideshow_thumbnail/healthy-living/xanax-side-effects/sedation/1484223-1-eng-US/Sedation.jpg)
Individuals who may have an allergic reaction from taking Xanax should make a note of any of the symptoms experienced and let the doctor know of them at the earliest. A few of those allergic reaction symptoms are finding it difficult to breathe, swelling on the face, tongue, lips and throat, hives, itching, and tightness in the chest.
Below are some of the common side effects of Xanax:
- Feeling tired
- Drowsiness
- Ataxia
- Feeling anxious after waking up in the morning time
- Insomnia or lack of sleep
- Fatigue
- Sudden changes in weight, either sudden weight gain or loss
- Rashes on the skin
- Diarrhea
- Changes in appetite, either an increase or decrease in it
- Constipation
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Decrease in libido
- Twitching of muscles
- Lack of balance or coordination
- Finding it difficult to remember things or issues with memory
- Slurred speech
Apart from the above, the major side effects mentioned below should be told to the doctor:
- If there is irregularity in one’s heartbeat, or pounding heartbeats
- Feeling of hostility
- Convulsions or seizures
- Seeing or hearing things that do not exist, or hallucinations
- Sudden changes in behavior, which can also include risk taking
- Depressed mood
- Feelings of confusion, anxiety, or getting very anxious all of a sudden
- Racing thoughts or displaying energy that is more than usual
- Suicidal tendencies
The more common side effects experienced by individuals taking Xanax are changes in rhythms of speech, forgetfulness, getting irritated easily, no interest or pleasure in carrying out any tasks, feeling unusually drowsy or sleepy, feeling clumsy, finding it difficult to maintain balance or lack of coordination, feeling unusually empty or sad, finding it difficult to perform daily routine tasks, inability to concentrate, trembling, difficulty speaking properly, and an unsteady walking gait.
There are certain other side effects which are uncommon in individuals taking Xanax, and those include: sudden changes in behavior, changes in mood or mental changes, pain in the body or aches, urine that is dark in color, confusion about time and place, aches or cramps in the muscles, sudden loss of voice, feeling restless, stools that are clay-colored, coughing, breathing that is labored, runny nose, shaking or shivering, decreased frequency of urination, difficulty passing urine, difficulty moving around, congestion in the ear, fever, feeling warm, a constant feeling of nervousness or fear, joints becoming swollen, pain or tightness in the chest, sneezing, dryness in the mouth, breath odor that is unpleasant, spasms of the eyelid, inability to sit still in one place, loss of self-control, bloody vomit, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and loss of bladder control.
Overdose Side Effects
Since Xanax is a prescription medicine and also is a part of the benzodiazepine class of drugs, it should be consumed for only a short duration. It should mostly be used for treating panic attacks and anxiety. However, if an individual consumes this medicine for longer than the prescribed duration, it has a tendency to cause certain repercussions which can be severe if they are not controlled in time. If anyone has taken additional doses of Xanax or overdosed on Xanax, they would experience the following side effects:
Feeling dizzy, blurry vision, feelings of confusion, feeling drowsy all the time, fainting spells, irregular breathing, weakness in the muscles, leading to a lack of coordination, and fatigue or tiredness.
If the overdose becomes serious, then the speech is also affected, along with respiratory depression. A severe overdose of Xanax can also prove to be fatal for the individual since it can lead to hallucinations and, in worse conditions, it can cause coma or death.
Effects of Xanax on Memory
Xanax is known to have sedative, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, and hypnotic effects. Some of these properties can be mediated either in indirect form, which can impact one’s memory. It is said that Xanax promotes retrograde amnesia along with changing risk-taking behavior and memory gain. In one set of research, it was found that alprazolam led to the impairment of word recall tasks in patients, and this is known to last for at least four months after stopping the use of the drug. However, it did not in any way cause any effect on the performance of the implicit memory. The effect of Xanax on retrograde amnesia is still not very clear. Benzodiazepines are known to be highly effective, but they come with a major drawback. First, as time passes, the brain becomes accustomed to their activity, hence, if they are stopped all of a sudden, the activity of the brain overshoots its normal levels, and when this occurs, people start to show withdrawal symptoms.
Benzodiazepine is said to produce certain calming effects at too few of the sites on the GABA receptors that are present in the brain. With continuous use of Xanax for a prolonged duration, it can lead to certain changes in the GABA receptors, thereby making them less susceptible to any kind of stimulation. As time passes, the individual would build up a tolerance level for this medication and thus would require taking more of the medicine so that it produces the same effects as the initial dose. Withdrawal in an individual is known to begin when the medication starts to leave the bloodstream, since the individual has not had this medicine for a long duration. The brain tends to struggle to find order and balance in its natural sense. Thus, withdrawal should be strictly done under the guidance of a professional doctor so they can avoid any untoward incidence.
Xanax Withdrawal Side Effects
Withdrawing from Xanax can prove to be very dangerous, so it should be carried out only under the guidance of a supervised medical professional, and also, one should note that the environment should be safe so that the person does not become more aggressive. The process carried out for detoxification gradually reduces the amount of Xanax in the body of the individual, which in turn can lead to reducing the chances of any life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
Xanax has the ability to cause a slowdown in the temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure in the body. It also minimizes anxiety levels, stress attacks, and panic attacks. Xanax is known to have the ability to decrease epileptic seizures as well. If it is stopped all of a sudden, these functions would rebound. Within a period of 6 to 12 hours of the last dose, the individual would start to experience certain withdrawal symptoms, which are known to last for one to two days. Below are a few of the physical symptoms caused due to a Xanax withdrawal:
Sudden weight loss, blurry vision, constant headache, pain in the muscles, excessive sweating, lack of sleep, diarrhea, sensitivity towards light and sound, feelings of nervousness, a tingling sensation in the feet and hands, convulsions, cramps, and, in severe cases, it can lead to death, which may result from suicide or any other form of health complications.