Xanax use is widespread in the U.S., due to being one of the most common prescription drugs. Sadly, it is highly addictive, and even those who have a legitimate prescription are at risk of abusing it. Can your brain recover from Xanax? Individuals prescribed this drug should be aware of the Xanax effects on the brain, as misuse or dependency can lead to adverse neurological outcomes.
What is Xanax Used to Treat?
Xanax, the brand name for alprazolam, is a prescription drug that treats panic attacks, anxiety, and insomnia. Although it is legal to take Xanax with a prescription, it is illegal to acquire it without one due to the dangers of abuse.
Belonging to a group of sedative drugs named benzodiazepines, Xanax is a depressant drug that increases the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and halts brain signals that would usually cause feelings of anxiety and panic to arise.
Abusing Xanax frequently can have many negative health consequences and can lead to addiction. With support, care, and guidance, someone will be able to overcome their Xanax addiction and live a sober life. Likewise, addressing someone’s substance use disorder helps prevent potential brain damage due to the Xanax effects on the brain.
How Does Xanax Affect the Brain?
Xanax, a brand name for alprazolam, is a benzodiazepine commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Understanding how Xanax affects the brain involves examining its therapeutic effects, potential side effects, and the risks associated with dependence and addiction.
Desired Effects of Prescription Xanax
Xanax works by enhancing the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that inhibits brain activity. By increasing GABA activity, Xanax helps to calm the nervous system, which is beneficial in treating anxiety and panic disorders.
- Anxiety Relief: Xanax’s primary use is to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. It produces a calming effect, reducing feelings of fear, unease, and worry.
- Panic Disorder Treatment: For individuals with panic disorders, Xanax can help reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks.
- Short-Term Sedation: Xanax is also used for its sedative properties, helping to induce sleep in individuals with severe anxiety or insomnia.
Side Effects of Prescription Xanax
While Xanax is effective for short-term management of anxiety and panic disorders, it can also cause a range of side effects.
- Common Side Effects: These include drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, and impaired coordination. Some individuals may also experience headaches, nausea, and blurred vision.
- Cognitive Effects: Xanax can cause memory loss and difficulties with concentration and attention. Prolonged use may lead to significant cognitive impairments.
- Emotional Effects: Mood swings, irritability, and depression are potential side effects, particularly with long-term use.
Dependence and Addiction
Long-term use of Xanax can lead to dependence and addiction, which pose significant risks to the brain and overall health.
- Dependence: Over time, the brain becomes reliant on Xanax to maintain normal function, leading to tolerance and the need for higher doses to achieve the same effect.
- Addiction: Xanax addiction can develop quickly due to its fast-acting nature. Users may experience intense cravings and compulsive use despite harmful consequences.
- Withdrawal Symptoms: Abrupt cessation of Xanax can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and psychosis.
Long-Term Effects and Recovery
- Cognitive Impairments: Long-term use of Xanax is associated with cognitive impairments, such as memory loss and difficulties with learning and attention. There is also ongoing research into whether Xanax can cause dementia, but definitive conclusions have not yet been reached.
- Brain Recovery: Recovery from Xanax dependence and addiction is possible with proper treatment, including medically supervised detoxification, therapy, and support. Can your brain recover from Xanax? The brain can recover from Xanax with time and appropriate care, although some cognitive effects may persist depending on the duration and severity of use.
Over an extended period, Xanax abuse can affect relationships, work, physical health, and mental health. Drug addiction can feel very scary. Someone may feel as though they have lost control. They might be unsure of how to break free from the dependence. Fortunately, there is help and recovery information available.
What are the Effects of Xanax Use?
The main effects of Xanax use include a sense of calm and relaxation. When taking Xanax, someone may also feel sleepy, content, and quiet. These feelings are different from the sensations experienced when stimulant drugs are taken, as they often produce feelings of high energy.
Because of its sedative effects, Xanax is particularly dangerous when mixed with alcohol. Both Xanax and alcohol are central nervous system depressants, so abusing both substances together can have life-threatening consequences.
Likewise, taking Xanax alongside other drugs can be dangerous. Polydrug abuse means taking multiple drugs at the same time. Unfortunately, taking Xanax with alcohol or other drugs causes the most significant amount of deaths.
To grasp, “How does Xanax affect the brain?” it’s important to know that it binds to GABA receptors, increasing GABA activity, which reduces neuronal excitability and helps alleviate anxiety and panic disorders. Long-term effects of taking Xanax alongside other drugs can lead someone to experience symptoms such as:
- Insomnia
- An increased likelihood of developing an addiction to both Xanax and alcohol
- Memory problems
- Irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety
What Are Xanax Effects on the Brain?
What does Xanax do to the brain? To work effectively, Xanax needs to reach the brain. As with other benzodiazepines, Xanax works by increasing the production of the brain chemical GABA. Xanax may trigger the reward system upon reaching the brain, leaving someone more open to addiction.
As a short-acting benzodiazepine, Xanax works pretty quickly. Some of the short-term effects of Xanax use on brain activity include:
- Mood problems
- Dizziness
- Feeling sleepy
- Memory problems
As the brain becomes dependent on Xanax, it forgets how to function effectively when the drug is absent. As GABA is affected, the brain slowly becomes reliant on it to work correctly, causing Xanax to impact thought processes, concentration, muscle coordination, and emotions. Additionally, current evidence is inconclusive concerning Xanax and memory loss. However, long-term use of benzodiazepines has been associated with cognitive decline in some studies.
Some of the other effects of Xanax use on the brain include:
- Lowered inhibitions
- Reduction in intelligence quotient (IQ)
- Difficulty processing information and learning new skills
- Slow response times
- Problems concentrating or with attention span
So, to answer the question, “What does Xanax do to the brain?” Research into the long-term effects of Xanax on the brain reveals the potential cognitive risks associated with prolonged benzodiazepine use. The safest way to protect the brain from potentially irreversible damage is to withdraw from Xanax safely and begin the recovery journey.
How Long Does Xanax Affect the Brain?
How long does Xanax affect the brain? Xanax is a fast-acting drug, but the effects of a standard dose (between 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg) tend to wear off quickly, within five hours or so. For this reason, people take Xanax multiple times a day. Of course, dosing can vary. For instance, those living with panic disorders tend to take a higher-than-standard dose.
While the brain may feel the effects of Xanax for only a few hours, the amount of time it takes for the medication to decrease by half in the body can take up to 15 hours. Different factors impact this “half-life.” These include the age, race, weight, and metabolism of the user.
Does Xanax Cause Memory Loss?
As patients inquire, ‘Can Xanax cause memory loss?’ healthcare providers emphasize the importance of balancing therapeutic benefits with potential risks. Healthcare providers often face the question from older adults, ‘Does Xanax cause dementia?’ Although some studies have found an association, more rigorous research is required to confirm these findings.
Researchers continue to study the long-term Xanax effects on the brain to uncover potential risks associated with prolonged use. Like alcohol, Xanax can cause memory loss when abused. Sometimes, a person may be unable to remember events that occurred while they were under the influence of Xanax. This is known as anterograde amnesia or “blacking out.”
Why does Xanax cause memory loss? When ingested, Xanax increases the effect of the brain’s neurotransmitters called GABA. GABA slows communication among different parts of the brain. This slowed activity can have calming effects, but it can also impair cognitive function, including memory formation and recall.
The higher the Xanax dose, the more likely it is the person will black out. Of course, drinking alcohol at the same time as taking Xanax makes memory loss more likely. Once someone has blacked out due to Xanax abuse, there is no way to reverse this and suddenly remember what happened while they were under the influence.
In some cases, abusing Xanax and memory loss can persist even after a person stops taking the drug. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). PAWS can last for weeks or even months after the person quits taking Xanax.
Does Xanax cause dementia? Long-term use of Xanax has been linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the condition that affects memory and cognition, usually in older adults. In summary, patients experiencing memory difficulties raise the question: does Xanax cause memory loss? Therefore, prompting further investigation into benzodiazepine-related cognitive effects.
What are Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms?
Xanax withdrawal symptoms can arise if someone has been abusing the drug. Though they may think that stopping taking Xanax cold turkey is safe, this is not true. Due to the effects of withdrawal, they should always complete Xanax detox with support and advice from a clinical professional.
If a person decides to seek treatment for Xanax abuse, they will first complete a substance abuse assessment. This will ensure they get proper treatment. Typically, treatment starts with a detox.
Xanax withdrawal arises when detox commences under the guidance of a professional treatment center. We at Tulip Hill provide the care and advice needed to cope with withdrawal symptoms and usually recommend a medical detox.
Withdrawing from Xanax involves slowly tapering the dosage. The effects of Xanax withdrawal include psychological and physical symptoms, such as:
- Muscle aches and pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Excessive sweating
- Shaking
- Heart palpitations
- Headaches
- Weight loss
- Seizures
- Anxiety
- Trouble concentrating
- Depression
- Agitation
- Irritability
- Sleep issues
- Memory problems
- Nightmares
- Mood swings
- Psychosis
- Suicidal thoughts
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be fatal, and some people experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. It is therefore vital to complete detox with the guidance of medical professionals. Though uncomfortable, withdrawing from Xanax is the best thing for their health as it can reduce long-term impacts on the brain.
Can You Overdose on Xanax?
Yes, it is possible to overdose on Xanax, especially when taken in high doses or combined with other substances, such as alcohol or opioids. Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine medication that depresses the central nervous system, leading to sedation and relaxation. An overdose of Xanax can result in severe respiratory depression, unconsciousness, coma, and even death.
The risk of overdose increases when individuals misuse Xanax by taking larger doses than prescribed, taking it more frequently than recommended, or using it without a prescription. Additionally, combining Xanax with other central nervous system depressants, such as alcohol, opioid painkillers, or other benzodiazepines, can amplify its effects and increase the likelihood of overdose.
Symptoms of a Xanax overdose may include extreme drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, slowed or shallow breathing, fainting, and loss of consciousness. If an overdose is suspected, it is essential to seek immediate medical attention by calling emergency services or going to the nearest emergency room.
What Addiction Treatment Options Are Available?
Fortunately, treatment options for substance abuse are available to prevent any long-term effects of Xanax on the brain. At Tulip Hill Recovery, addiction treatment begins with withdrawal.
Upon completing detox, the patient will undergo treatments that reduce psychological dependence. During their time at Tulip Hill, they will have a personalized treatment plan which may involve therapy or counseling to help them develop coping strategies and maintain sobriety.
Find Treatment for Xanax Addiction in Murfreesboro, TN
Abusing this powerful drug can have long-term effects on the brain, increasing the risk of memory problems, information processing, and cognitive impairment in old age. However, quitting Xanax safely via one of the many Tulip Hill Recovery across the country will help reduce the short and long-term effects of Xanax on the brain.
Contact us to learn more about the Xanax effects on the brain and how we can help you or your loved one break free from Xanax addiction.