Xanax dosage

What is Xanax?

Xanax is one of the drugs that belong to a family of medicines called benzodiazepines. It is considered a tranquilizer, by enhancing certain chemicals in the brain which have a calming effect.

Xanax is prescribed only for short-term treatment, for a duration not more than 12 weeks. The dose should be gradually reduced before stopping the drug by following a tapering plan.

Xanax dosage is different for different patients. Follow the label’s instructions or the doctor’s orders. Don’t change Xanax dosage unless your healthcare provider advises you to do so.

Xanax dosage depends on the number of doses taken daily, the duration between doses and how long will you take the medicine.

• Xanax dosage for anxiety:

1. For adults:

0.25 to 0.5 mg 3 times a day. This dose may be increased when needed. Never take more than 4 mg per day.

2. For elderly:

0.25 mg 2 or 3 times daily. This dose can be increased if needed.

3. For children:

The safety of Xanax in children is not clear. A doctor must decide Xanax and dosing in children according to the severity and importance of the case.

• Xanax dosage for panic disorder:

1. For adults:

0.5 mg to 1 mg once daily in the morning. The doctor or a pharmacist may increase the dose when needed. However, the dose must not exceed 10 mg per day.

2. For elderly:

0.5 mg once daily in the morning. The dosage can be increased when needed.

3. For children:

The safety and efficacy of Xanax in children are not yet established.

Xanax dosage in geriatrics:

Elderly patients are more subjected to develop adverse effects of the drug like drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and kidney, liver, or lung problems.

Dosage adjustment by a doctor is a must in patients receiving this medicine.

Xanax dosage in breastfeeding women:

Studies have shown harmful effects in the newborn as Xanax is found to pass the breast milk causing dependency and fatal withdrawal symptoms in infants.

Consult your doctor to recommend another drug safe during lactation.

What is meant by drug interactions?

It is the interaction between a drug and certain substances that cause an increase or decrease in the drug efficacy.

Types of drug interaction:

1. Drug-drug interaction: a drug interacts with another drug.
2. Drug-food interaction: a drug interacts with food.
3. Drug-disease interaction: drug interacts with a certain disease condition.

These drugs interactions should be carefully monitored and followed to avoid serious adverse reactions.

1. Drug-drug interaction:

This happens when two or more drugs interact with each other.

These drugs may be a combination of a prescribed drug with an over-the-counter (OTC) drug.

Examples:

• Most antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptive pills.
• Antibiotics like clarithromycin and erythromycin increase the toxicity of digoxin because they slow down the metabolism of digoxin.
• Taking two drugs that have the same effect will intensify the side effects, for example, codeine (pain killer) increase the sedative effect of procodin (cough syrup), also aspirin (anti-platelet) increases the bleeding risk if taken with heparin, warfarin, or antidepressants.

 

2. Drug-food interaction:

This happens when a drug reacts with a food component.

Certain food or herbs can increase or decrease the effect of s drug.

Examples:

• Drinking alcohol while using the antibiotic metronidazole will cause skin flushing, nausea, and palpitations.
• Alcohol increases the hypoglycaemic effect of anti-diabetic medications and increases the hypotensive effect of blood pressure drugs.
• Tobacco in cigarettes highly decreases the efficacy of some medications by increasing their metabolism.
• Caffeine in tea, coffee, and chocolates increases the risk of toxicity of theophylline (a drug used to treat asthma).
• Patients using warfarin are advised to avoid eating green leafy vegetables like spinach because the high vitamin K content in these foods counters the effect of warfarin.
• Grapefruit juice should be avoided with most drugs of the benzodiazepines family.

 

3. Drug-disease interactions:

This happens when a drug worsens an already existing medical issue.

Examples:

• Nasal decongestants containing pseudoephedrine should be avoided by people with high blood pressure (hypertensive patients) because pseudoephedrine increases blood pressure.
• Using over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs as ibuprofen is not recommended for asthmatic patients, as they may lead to airway constriction.

Patients should always inform the doctor about any medical condition or disease before the doctor prescribes a new medicine.

Some health conditions of higher risk for drug interactions include kidney or liver diseases, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, low or high blood pressure, or heart problems.

Drug-disease interactions are more likely to happen in elderly patients as they tend to have more diseases.

Never stop Xanax dosage without telling your doctor or you will be subjected to withdrawal symptoms such as headache, muscle pain, anxiety, tension, confusion, mood changes, and irritability.

 

How does Xanax work

 

how many mg is a Xanax bar

Zopiclone and Sertraline

 

 

 

 

 

 

how many mg is a Xanax bar

Xanax or Alprazolam is one of the most important and common anxiolytic medications all over the world. It is introduced to the market in many forms, solutions, pills and bars. In this article we will discuss, What’s Xanax, how many mg is a Xanax bar, how to get legal Xanax and Xanax’s most serious side effects.

What’s Xanax?

Xanax is a benzodiazepine used primarily to treat generalized anxiety disorder by enhancing some neurotransmitters in the brain known as GABA. These neurotransmitters help to calm the brain and central nervous system, and the body is also relaxed. Xanax is a short-acting drug, someone can feel relaxed in less than half an hour after taking a dose and remain calm for two to 10 hours.

Xanax comes in many dosage forms like oral solutions, pills and bars. Xanax bars are nearly the most common method of taking this drug.

 

What Are Xanax Bars?

Rectangular White Pill with imprint X ANA X 2, recognized as Xanax 2 mg. It is supplied legally by Pfizer.

How many mg is a Xanax bar?

Xanax bars are the most common legal distribution method for Xanax.

Xanax bars, also known as “Zanies”.

These square-shaped tablets contain 2 mg of Alprazolam in total, it can be broken down into doses of 2, 1, .5, and .25 milligram doses. A bar when split in half it becomes a 2 of “1 mg” tablet. Smaller doses include 0.5 mg and 0.25 mg, which is the minimum recommended dose.

 

Some people ingest the entire Xanax bar, this can lead to hyperactivity, irritability, and aggressiveness. Other symptoms may occur, such as chest pain, hypotension, drowsiness, and other withdrawal symptoms. Many people will continue to use more of xanax  to avoid bad withdrawal symptoms.

 

Xanax side effects

Along with its required effects, alprazolam, like any other drug, may cause some unwanted effects and in this article, we will stress on the side effects which need medical attention.

 

Common side effects

ataxia

cognitive dysfunction

constipation

drowsiness and fatigue

dysarthria

memory impairment

weight gain or weight loss

anxiety and insomnia

decreased libido

increased appetite or decreased appetite.

 

Serious Side effects

The following side effects are serious which need immediate medical attention.

 

More common

• forgetting
• slurred speech
• unsteadiness
• difficulty with coordination
• discouragement
• drowsiness
• sorrow feeling
• irritability
• loss of pleasure
• shakiness
• sleepiness
• tiredness
• trouble concentrating
• trouble sleeping
• trouble speaking
• problems with muscle coordination
• weakness or tiredness

 

Less common

• Blurred vision
• inability to move the eyes
• increased blinking of the eyelid
• body aches or pain
• burning, itching, or tingling feelings
• changes in behaviour
• dry mouth
• nausea and stomach pain
• blood vomiting
• dark stools or diarrhoea
• dark urine
• decrease in frequency or volume of urine
• difficulty in passing urine and painful urination
• loss of bladder control
• confusion about identity
• cough and fever
• difficulty in breathing
• hyperventilation
• irregular heartbeats
• difficulty with concentration
• difficulty with moving
• dizziness and faintness
• ear congestion
• lightheadedness and nervousness

• a general feeling of discomfort headache and joint pain

• itching or rash
• lack or loss of self-control
• loss of coordination
• loss of memory
• mood or mental changes
• muscle aches or cramps
• problems with memory
• restlessness
• runny or stuffy nose
• hallucinations
• seizures or shaking
• sneezing or sore throat
• swollen joints
• talkativeness
• tightness in the chest
• trouble with balance
• uncontrolled twisting movements of the limbs or the tongue
• unusual facial expressions
• unusually deep or long sleep
• yellow eyes or skin

 

Dangers of Xanax

Along with its desired effects and expected side effects, Xanax still has bigger problems, we can summarize it as drug dependence and addiction.

 

Once someone gets used to the relaxing effect of Xanax, they can get a tolerance to the drug and start taking overdoses. Unfortunately, people who take Xanax bars tend to go far from a prescribed dose to double or triple this dose. On the other hand, some people combine Xanax with other anxiolytics like marijuana and alcohol.

A prescription does not mean that the drug used is totally safe.  You must be careful and follow your doctor’s prescription, even when you take prescription drugs.

 

Many people become addicted to Xanax while they are not prescribed it. Although it is not supposed to treat anxiety due to daily life stress, They may hear about it and decide to try.

Also, People may begin abusing Xanax by taking more doses than prescribed. When they are more tolerant to xanax, they may mix it with other drugs or alcohol to get high. Don’t hesitate to ask for help If you or someone else is thought to be a Xanax addict. Check more data about symptoms of xanax overdose on our website.

 

If you are searching for how many mg is a Xanax bar, you should know everything about this drug in detail. Follow pharmastores for more data.

Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for further information.

 

Pharmastors is a safe place to buy legal Xanax in a fast and simple way.

 

Always ask your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed here on this page applies to your circumstances.

 

 

Xanax anxiety

Xanax anxiety relationship:

Xanax anxiety expression shows how strong the relation between Xanax and its positive effect in controlling anxiety.

Is Xanax effective for the treatment of anxiety??

The average result of reviews about how effective is Xanax to treat anxiety is about 81% positive effect, while 9% of reviewers reported a negative effect. Xanax anxiety treatment has changed the life of many patients who suffered for several years from anxiety and were deprived of a normal life free of worry, fatigue, and restlessness.

What is Xanax?

Xanax generic name is Alprazolam

Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine drug that is approved for the treatment of several types of anxiety disorders and panic disorders.

When can we say that patient has an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety disorder patients experience symptoms for at least six months, these symptoms are:

• Excessive anxiety or worry
• Fatigue (feeling tired always, low energy)
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Difficulty in concentration
• Sleep disturbance
• Muscle tension

When can we say that patient has a panic disorder?

This happens when the patient experiences sudden or repeated intense fear episodes, these episodes are accompanied by physical symptoms like

• Chest pain
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Dizziness

Panic disorder also includes fear of future episodes.

What should you know about Xanax anxiety?

• Due to the possible effect of Xanax that may cause dizziness or tiredness you should not drive a car or operate a machine or do any other hard work that requires concentration
• Anxiety or insomnia may improve rapidly after starting Xanax, however, some cases require few more days to feel improved
• Xanax or any other benzodiazepines are usually used for a short period, otherwise, it may cause addiction (physical or emotional dependence). That’s why you should refer to your healthcare provider to assess the suitable dose for you and the period required for Xanax use.
• Stopping Xanax immediately may lead to undesirable withdrawal symptoms such as tremor, dizziness, irritability, nausea, rapid heart rates, changes in blood pressure, and seizures.
• Serious side effects may occur if you use Xanax at the same time you use opioid medications (like codeine, morphine, oxycodone, heroin, and some cough syrups) leading to difficulty or slow breathing and death.
• If you are taking one of the previous drugs with Xanax and you feel dizziness, sleepiness, or slow breathing, ask for immediate assistance from caregivers.
• Avoid alcohol, or illegal drugs while taking Xanax as they may worsen your condition, or increase the side effects of the medication. Accidental overdose risk may occur while using Xanax with alcohol.

How should you take Xanax?

Xanax can be taken with or without food but if you have stomach upset take it with food

Xanax should be taken at regular times every day according to your health care provider’s advice.

Based on your response, your health care provider will determine the suitable dose for you.

Careful storage of Xanax is required.

Do not chew, split or crush Xanax tablet, it should be swallowed with water

A measuring or dosing spoon should be used for an accurate dose of liquid Xanax

Use an alarm clock, calendar or mobile alert to help you remember the time of dose, you can also ask for help from a member of your family to remind you and make sure you are taking the medication on the time.

Missing a dose of Xanax

If you miss a dose of Xanax take it once you remember unless it is the time of the next dose you, should not double the dose.

Xanax anxiety overdose

Urgent immediate medical care if an overdose of Xanax happened. Symptoms of overdose:

• Confusion
• Loss of or impaired coordination
• Slow reflexes
• Coma
• Death

Doctors at the hospital may decide to use a drug that reverses the effect of Xanax to control the overdose symptoms, this drug is called flumazenil and must be taken IV (intravenous) at the hospital.

Xanax side effects

– Common side effects of Xanax

• Drowsiness
• Fatigue
• Memory impairment
• Ataxia (lack of muscle control or voluntary movements abnormality)
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Anxiety
• Blurred vision
• Insomnia
• Constipation
• Skin rash
• Weight gain
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea
• Increased appetite
• Decreased libido

– Rare or serious side effects

• Feeling very tired
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Trouble speaking
• Passing out
• Headache
• Increased heart rate
• Irritability
• Memory impairment
• Restlessness
• Face swelling
• Depression or low mode
• Suicidal thoughts

What other medications may interact with Xanax?

Some medications may increase the effects and levels of Xanax such as

• Ketoconazole, cimetidine, itraconazole, nefazodone, and fluvoxamine

Other medications may decrease the effect and levels of Xanax such as

• Carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and phenytoin

Xanax (Alprazolam) should not be taken with other benzodiazepines.

Xanax causes drowsiness so it should not be taken with other drugs that cause drowsiness too, these drugs like

• Antihistamines (as diphenhydramine), opioid cough drugs (as codeine), narcotic pain drugs (as morphine), sleeping drugs (as zolpidem)

Learning about medications is important for your health, so do not hesitate to ask your health care provider for further information about Xanax anxiety.

 

What do Xanax do

How does Xanax work

Xanax anxiety

What do Xanax do?

Xanax is a benzodiazepine drug containing the active constituent alprazolam.

Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs used primarily for treating anxiety, but they are also very effective in other conditions like panic disorder.

It is believed by scientists that anxiety is caused by the excessive activity of the nerves.

The specific mechanism of action of benzodiazepines is not known, but it is known that it affects certain neurotransmitters in the brain.

One of the neurotransmitters is GABA (Gamma amino-butyric acid), which helps in suppressing the activity of nerves.

What do Xanax do?

Xanax helps in the short-term treatment of anxiety, medium and severe cases, and severe cases of anxiety associated with depression.

It is also used in cases of panic disorders, either with or without agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia is the fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment.

Posology:

The dosage should be optimized based on the severity of the symptoms, and the response of the patient to treatment.

Anxiety

0.25 – 0.5 mg three times per day, and the dose may be increased to a total of 3 mg per day

Elders or debilitating patients

0.25 mg from two to three times per day and the dose may be increased if needed and tolerated

Pediatrics

Xanax is not used in patients younger than 18 years old, as efficacy and safety are not yet established

Method of administration:

Oral use.

Treatment should not be for a long time; the patient should be reassessed at the end of 4 weeks of treatment if he will need to continue the treatment or not.

The overall duration of treatment should be between 8 and 12 weeks, including the withdrawal period.

The doctor may need to continue the treatment for a longer period, but he should be aware that the long treatment duration may lead to misuse and addiction of the drug.

During discontinuation of Xanax, the dosage should be tapered off gradually, to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, the pain of muscles, extreme cases of anxiety, tension, restlessness, confusion, irritability, and insomnia (a sleeping problem).

In severe cases, other symptoms may occur, derealization (detachment from reality), depersonalization (detachment from self), hyperacusis (hypersensitivity to noise), hypersensitivity to light, and physical contact, numbness in the extremities, hallucinations, and seizures.

To avoid these symptoms, the dose is decreased by about 0.5 mg every three days.

Contraindications:

Xanax is contraindicated to be used in patients with hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines, alprazolam, or other excipients in the tablets.

It is also contraindicated in patients suffering from myasthenia gravis (weakness of muscles), severe respiratory impairment, sleep apnea syndrome (breathing stops during sleep for a short period), and severe hepatic impairment.

Special warnings ad precautions:

Renal and hepatic insufficiency

Extreme caution is required during the use in patients suffering from renal or hepatic insufficiency.

Depression and anxiety

Xanax should not be prescribed alone in the major conditions of depression and anxiety associated with depression, as it may lead to or increase suicidal thoughts or acts.

Therefore, it should be used with caution in patients with suicidal tendencies and signs of depressive disorders.

Pediatric population

Safety and efficacy are not established in patients younger than 18 years old, therefore, it is only used in adults older than 18 years old.

Geriatric population

What do Xanax do? Xanax causes sedation and muscle weakness.

That’s why, it should be used with extreme caution in elderly patients, as it may cause falls and accidents which may be dangerous especially in elders.

To reduce dizziness and drowsiness, it is recommended to start Xanax with the lowest effective dose.

It should be also used with patients suffering from chronic respiratory insufficiency.

The risk from the joined use of Xanax with opioids

Xanax should be only used with opioids if no other alternative is available, as this may cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.

Amnesia

What do Xanax do? Xanax causes anterograde amnesia in some patients especially if they don’t have enough time to have uninterrupted sleep.

So, if the patient doesn’t have enough time for sleep, he/she should not use Xanax.

Interaction with drugs or other interactions:

Make sure to tell your doctor about the drugs used before taking Xanax.

What do Xanax do?

It interacts with the following drugs causing undesirable side effects.

• Other medicines used to treat anxiety or depression
• Drugs helping to sleep
• Strong painkillers
• Antipsychotics used to treat mental problems
• Anti-epileptic drugs
• Antihistamines used to treat allergies
• Anti-fungal drugs
• Oral contraceptives
• Specific antibiotics such as erythromycin
• Cimetidine (a drug used to treat ulcers of the stomach)
• Diltiazem (a drug used to treat high blood pressure)
• Digoxin (a drug used for various heart conditions)
• Ritonavir or other medicines for HIV

What do Xanax do?

Xanax helps in managing anxiety and panic disorders by affecting certain neurotransmitters in the brain effectively and safely.

 

 

Side effects of Xanax

Side effects of Xanax:

Side effects: side effects mean undesirable (unwanted) effects of the drug, often are harmful effects.

Xanax: is a drug that contains an active ingredient called alprazolam. Alprazolam is one of the benzodiazepines group of medications that act on the central nervous system (CNS), its activity is to suppress the activity of nerves in the brain so this class of medication is commonly known as anxiolytic.

Benzodiazepines: benzodiazepines group contain alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, clonazepam, flurazepam and others.

What are Xanax indications?

Your doctor will prescribe you Xanax if you have one of the following conditions:

 

• Panic attacks.
• Procedural anxiety (premedication).

Side effects of Xanax:

Treatment by Xanax may have undesirable effects, these effects include:

 

• Blurred vision.
• Allergic and skin reaction.
• Nasal congestion.
• Skin rash.
• Memory impairment.
• Decreased libido.
• Weight gain or weight loss.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Muscle twitches.
• Nasal congestion.
• Allergic rhinitis.
• Increased or decreased appetite.

Are there any contraindications for using Xanax?

There are medical conditions considered to be contraindicated to use Xanax.

These contraindications including the following:

• Hypersensitivity and allergic reaction to Xanax or other benzodiazepines.
• A respiratory disorder like sleep apnea.
• Myasthenia gravis disease causes muscle weakness due to autoimmune response.
• Acute narrow-angle glaucoma.
• Severe hepatic insufficiency.
• Severe renal impairment.
• Concurrent use of antifungal like ketoconazole and itraconazole.

Xanax interactions with other medications:

Concomitant use of other medications may increase or decrease the effect of Xanax, so you should revise all of your medications with your doctor before start taking Xanax.

Examples of Xanax interactions:

Medications considered contraindicated to be used with Xanax:

 

• Fusidic acid.
• Oxybate slat products.

Medications decrease the effect of Xanax:

 

• Theophylline derivatives.

Medications increase the effect of Xanax:

 

• Magnesium sulfate.

Besides all medications that affect Xanax, there is the effect of Xanax on other medications, for example:

Xanax increases the effect of the following medications:

• CNS depressant medications.
• Opioid’s agonist.

Warning and precautions of using Xanax:

Warning and precautions of using Xanax in certain medical conditions:

• Depression: you should avoid taking Xanax if you have depression.
• Respiratory disorder: Xanax should be avoided in respiratory depression and sleep apnea.
• Concomitant use of opioids: due to interactions with Xanax that leads to increase side effects and sedative actions, in some cases may cause respiratory depression and coma.
• Severe hepatic impairment: causes prolonged action of Xanax causing toxicity.
• Severe renal impairment: Xanax use with caution in renally impaired patients.

During the use of Xanax, certain parameters should be monitor:

Your doctor will advise you to monitor the following parameters:

• Blood pressure.
• Respiratory rate.
• Heart rate.
• Mental status.
• Liver enzymes.
• Complete blood count (CBC).

Xanax overdose signs and symptoms:

If there are any abnormalities in the previous parameters that may be signs of Xanax overdose.

Signs and symptoms of overdose:

 

• Fatigue and tiredness.
• Impaired coordination.
• Diminished reflexes.

If you feel these signs and symptoms call your doctor immediately and visit the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

Causes of Xanax overdose:

• Ingestion of higher dose intentionally or accidentally.
• Concomitant alcohol intake.
• The concomitant medication increases the Xanax effect.

Allergic and hypersensitivity reaction of Xanax:

If you have an allergic reaction to Xanax, you should tell your doctor and stop the medication immediately.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction:

 

• The difficulty of breathing.
• Swelling of lips and tongue.

Xanax withdrawal symptoms:

Using Xanax for a long time may cause withdrawal symptoms. Also, suddenly discontinuation may lead to appear of withdrawal symptoms:

 

• Weight loss.
• Cognitive disorders.
• Blurred vision.
• Muscle tone disorder.
• Fatigue and tiredness.
• Abnormal involuntary movement.
• Muscular twitching.

You should call your doctor before stopping Xanax.

Tapering the dose gradually before stopping Xanax is mandatory to be under the supervision of your doctor.

Xanax and special populations:

• Smokers: Cigarette smoking decreases the concentration of Xanax up to 50%.
• Obese: avoid the use of Xanax in obese patients.
• Elderly: Xanax is contraindicated in the elderly patient.
• Pregnancy: due to Xanax’s adverse effects on the fetus, it is contraindicated in pregnancy.
• Breastfeeding: Xanax can be excreted in breast milk, so avoid use.
• Hepatic impairment: Xanax is contraindicated in severe hepatic impairment.
• Renal impairment: Xanax is contraindicated in severe renal impairment.

You should take care of the following before starting Xanax:

• You should not drive.
• You should not operate machinery.
• You should not drink alcohol.
• You should not use ketoconazole or itraconazole with Xanax.
• You should not use other benzodiazepines with Xanax.
• You should not increase your dose without taking it with your doctor.
• You should not stop Xanax suddenly.
• You should not recommend Xanax to anyone his symptoms seem to be yours.

Xanax dose

Xanax 2

 

Taking Xanax