xanax 0.5mg

What Is Xanax 0.5mg (Alprazolam)?

Xanax 0.5mg is the brand name of alprazolam, a prescription drug used to treat anxiety disorders.

Xanax 0.5mg is prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), anxiety associated with depression, and panic disorder.

Other uses include treatment of depression.

Xanax 0.5mg is in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, and is available in several forms, including tablets, a liquid, disintegrating tablets, and extended-release tablets.

Xanax 0.5mg is made by Pfizer and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981. It’s also available as a generic drug.

The liquid form of the drug, Alprazolam Intensol, is made by West-Ward Pharmaceuticals.

Alprazolam orally disintegrating tablets, Niravam, are made by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Xanax XR extended-release tablets are also made by Pfizer; other drug companies make generic alprazolam extended-release tablets, too.

Xanax 0.5mg Warnings

The FDA warns that there are serious risks associated with using alprazolam or other benzodiazepines at the same time as opioid analgesics, like oxycodone and hydrocodone, among others, or with opioid-containing cough products.

Taking opioids and benzodiazepines together can result in extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, coma, or death.

You should talk to your doctor about alternative treatments as well as the serious risks involved before taking opioids and benzodiazepines like Xanax 0.5mg together.

Do not take Xanax if you’re allergic to alprazolam, any of the inactive ingredients in the medication, or other benzodiazepines, like Librium, Tranxene, Valium, Ativan, Serax, and others.

Do not take alprazolam if you have acute narrow-angle glaucoma.

Do not take alprazolam if you’re taking the antifungal drugs Sporanox (itraconazole) or Nizoral (ketoconazole).

Xanax 0.5mg can make you drowsy and decrease your ability to drive safely or operate machinery. You may become particularly sleepy if alprazolam is taken with other drugs that cause drowsiness, or if you’re elderly or debilitated.

Xanax 0.5mg may be habit-forming, so do not take higher doses of the medication or use it for a longer time than your doctor recommends.

Before taking alprazolam , tell-your doctor if you have:

• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts
• Asthma or other breathing problems
• History of alcoholism or drug abuse
• Liver or kidney problems
• Epilepsy or a history of seizures

Tell-your doctor what other prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you take, because these may interact with alprazolam . Also, tell your doctor if you smoke.

Talk to your-doctor if you have symptoms of your condition between doses. Do not increase the dose without talking to your doctor first, even if you think the medication doesn’t work anymore.

The Xanax ‘High’ and Addiction

Xanax and other benzodiazepines are among the most widely abused drugs available today.

Xanax is often abused for the fast-acting, relaxed “high” it can give to people who take it, including people without a prescription.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), benzodiazepines like alprazolam were responsible for most of the emergency-room visits attributed to central nervous system depressants in 2009.

Long-term abuse and addiction to alprazolam is associated with depression, psychotic experiences, and aggressive or impulsive behavior, according to the Coalition Against Drug Abuse.

Pregnancy and Xanax

Xanax can harm a developing fetus.

Before taking Xanax, tell your doctor if you’re pregnant. Drugs like alprazolam may cause birth defects, particularly if taken during the first trimester of pregnancy. Taking it later in pregnancy may have other harmful effects on your baby, too.

alprazolam is not safe to use while breast-feeding, either. Tell your doctor if you’re breast-feeding before taking alprazolam, because taking the medication while nursing can cause harmful side effects to the nursing baby.

alprazolam has not been proven safe or effective in children under 18.

Xanax Withdrawal

Do not stop taking alprazolam without talking to your doctor. Stopping the drug abruptly can make the condition worse.

This is typical of many benzodiazepine drugs, including Ativan, Librium, Valium, and others.

Xanax withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Anxiety
• Suicidal thoughts or actions
• Trouble sleeping
• Blurred vision
• Seizures
• Sweating
• Aggression
• Depression

Withdrawal from alprazolam should be done under the supervision of a doctor, who will probably reduce your dosage gradually to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol and Xanax

Do not drink alcohol while taking alprazolam .

Alcohol can worsen Xanax side effects, such as drowsiness, confusion, and unsteadiness.

Talk to-your doctor before drinking alcohol while on alprazolam .

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