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Treatment options include the abovementioned options to help overcome addiction and start recovery. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and require medical supervision. Fortunately, there are telltale signs of Xanax misuse and addiction, such as secretive behavior and always keeping pills on hand. Xanax withdrawal symptoms can begin within hours of the last dose.

However, flumazenil could worsen symptoms in patients with a history of seizures or head injuries. Withdrawal from long-term Xanax addiction can last for up to two weeks, but symptoms slowly improve after the first few days. Those who take large doses of Xanax regularly are more likely to develop a substance use disorder than individuals who take low doses of the drug infrequently. Dependence occurs when a person experiences physical or mental withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking a substance. Individuals who take it recreationally often mix it with alcohol, marijuana or other drugs. Mixing drugs like alcohol and Xanax is dangerous because it’s difficult to know how the drugs will interact with one another.

What Does Adderall Addiction and Abuse Look Like?

While urine drug screens for all three turned up positive for benzodiazepines, none were given flumazenil, a benzodiazepine overdose antidote that can lead to withdrawal and cause seizures or tachyarrhythmias. Health authorities across the globe have been warning about the dangers of designer benzodiazepines, and bromazolam in particular. They’ve noted that the overdose reversal agent naloxone does not combat the effects of a benzodiazepine overdose. This provides some of the same effects of opioids to avoid withdrawal symptoms but without the “high.” Narcan is used as an emergency treatment for someone experiencing a known or suspected opioid overdose to reverse the effects of opioids. Sometimes, healthcare providers prescribe medications for reasons outside the FDA’s approval.

Doctors may prescribe this medication to ease the symptoms of withdrawal. Having an addiction to a substance, such as Xanax or alcohol, is what experts refer to as a substance use disorder (SUD). If a person has an addiction to Xanax, they are unable to stop taking it, despite negative consequences. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Additionally, people who take it every day may develop physiological dependence, meaning that the body requires the medication to function properly. As the above symptoms suggest, there is a general advisement that individuals undergo medical detox when they stop taking Xanax.

How to reduce your risk of relapse

The National Alliance on Mental Illness notes that a person can become physically dependent on Xanax after 2 or more weeks of daily use. Research from 2015 suggests that 20⁠–50% of people experience withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing high dosage benzodiazepines. Nonmedical use of opioids and benzodiazepines like Xanax has been a serious and risky feature of the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic. More than 30 percent of opioid overdoses involve benzodiazepines, according to NIDA. Drinking alcohol on top of these drugs is even more harmful and too common. Some longer-lasting benzodiazepines have been prescribed to treat epilepsy and seizure disorders, but Xanax is a short-acting medication, so it is not effective for consistent treatment.

Recognizing xanax addiction signs and symptoms can help you know when to seek treatment for yourself or a loved one. Xanax addiction can be serious and affect a person’s mood, behavior and physical characteristics. Dopamine is responsible for reinforcing the feelings of reward in the brain. For example, when we eat a sugary snack, a small amount of dopamine is released and we may get the urge to have another. Xanax and other substances encourage addiction through this mechanism. Yes, Xanax is addictive and is classified as a Schedule IV medication by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

What other drugs will affect Xanax?

For instance, someone taking Xanax for anxiety is likely to have a reoccurrence of their anxiety symptoms during withdrawal. The safest way to stop taking Xanax and alleviate withdrawal symptoms is to taper your dose. Tapering allows your body to slowly get used to smaller doses and can prevent symptoms. A doctor can help supervise a taper and recommend additional supportive treatments. One of the most effective ways to relieve Xanax withdrawal symptoms is to slowly taper your Xanax dose.

The dosage is based on your medical condition, age, and response to treatment. Your dose may be gradually increased until the drug starts working well. Follow your doctor’s instructions closely to reduce the risk of side effects.

Xanax Addiction: How Addictive is Xanax?

Some people continue taking benzodiazepines throughout their pregnancy while others follow a dose tapering schedule. The best way to try to lessen the severity of your Xanax withdrawal symptoms is by slowly tapering down your dose of Xanax. Tapering means taking progressively smaller doses over the course of several weeks. It is not recommended to taper without the assistance and recommendations from your prescribing doctor.

Through American Addiction Center’s Addiction Talk series, he hopes to impact other people who may be struggling with substance abuse. We can answer questions about insurance coverage, explain the admissions process, and help you understand your treatment options so you can stop the cycle of Xanax misuse and start your path to recovery. The practical implications of that change, assuming the DEA agrees to it, are relatively modest. The biggest immediate impact would be felt by state-licensed marijuana suppliers, which under Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code cannot deduct standard business expenses on their federal tax returns.