Author: John Carter

Benzodiazepines and Opioids National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA

Both come as oral tablets, but clonazepam also comes as an orally disintegrating tablet. Xanax is typically prescribed for short periods of time to relieve anxiety symptoms while other treatments, such as antidepressants, are taking effect. Antidepressants can take about 4 to 6 weeks to start working for anxiety disorders. Xanax is approved to treat only generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

However, the exact amount of time you’ll have Xanax in your system depends on various factors. These include your age, liver function, and other medications you may take. You should not take pain relievers that contain an opioid with Xanax unless your doctor has approved it. If you need a pain reliever during Xanax treatment, ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a suitable medication. Xanax has a boxed warning about the risk of severe harm or death if taken with opioids.

These medications contain different active ingredients. The active ingredient in Xanax is alprazolam, and the active ingredient in buspirone is buspirone. You may be curious about how Xanax compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar purposes, such as buspirone. You may wonder how Xanax compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar purposes, such as Ativan. To help make sure that you do not miss a dose, try using a medication reminder.

Xanax’s Mechanism: Exploring How Xanax Works in the Body

If your prescription label is hard to read, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Some pharmacies offer labels that have large print, braille, or a code you scan with a smartphone to convert text to speech. If your local pharmacy does not have these options, your doctor or pharmacist may be able to direct you to one that does. There are special rules around prescribing and supplying Schedule IV controlled drugs.

Overdose

  1. To learn more about cannabis and the drug, talk with your doctor.
  2. To help avoid withdrawal symptoms, do not stop taking Xanax unless you first talk with your doctor.
  3. Xanax works by calming the central nervous system and lowering overexcitement in the brain.

Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication. Swallow the extended-release tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it. Also, you should not drive or perform other potentially dangerous activities, such as operating machines, until you know how the drug combination affects you. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help pass messages between nerve cells in your brain. GABA helps pass nerve messages that have a calming effect on your brain.

Why is this medication prescribed?

Xanax and Valium may be used to treat anxiety disorders, although both drugs have other uses that differ. Xanax has a boxed warning for the risk of misuse and addiction. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The warning alerts doctors and patients to side effects that may be dangerous. Your doctor may prescribe Xanax with other drugs for generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder.

If you’ve had problems with drug or alcohol misuse or addiction in the past, you may have an increased risk of these problems with Xanax. Your doctor will assess your risk of misuse and addiction before determining whether Xanax is right for you. Consuming alcohol during Xanax treatment can also increase your risk of an overdose from Xanax and, in rare cases, death.

Never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away this medicine is against the law.

Xanax and other medications

The common misunderstanding of whether Xanax is an opioid or a benzo is indicative of the lack of public education surrounding the two distinct drug categories. While benzodiazepines are used to slow brain activity and have a calming effect on the mind and body, opioids are more commonly prescribed to treat physical pain. This is because opioids attach to opioid receptors within cells in various parts of the body (including the gut, brain and spinal cord) to block pain messages. People living with severe or chronic pain may be prescribed opioids to reduce the amount of physical pain their brain perceives them to be experiencing. Both benzodiazepines and opioids slow brain activity and produce a calming effect on the body. Similarly, both drug types have the potential for addiction when used long-term or abused.

You can reach out to your doctor or pharmacist if you have additional questions. However, taking these medications together may not be safe. If you take more than 4 mg of Xanax per day for this condition, your doctor may eventually suggest lowering your dosage. Typically, your doctor will start you on a low dosage. Then, they’ll adjust it over time to reach the amount that’s right for you.

They include strong prescription pain relievers, such as hydrocodone (Hysingla ER) and certain illegal drugs. For more examples, see the “Xanax interactions” section. Taking the medication around the same times of day helps keep a steady level of the drug in your body. You should take Xanax exactly as prescribed by your doctor.