Xanax is a medication that helps many individuals cope with panic and anxiety disorders. It is a benzodiazepine, a substance that acts on the central nervous system to produce a calming effect. Unfortunately, prolonged use can result in increased tolerance, as well as addiction. At San Antonio Recovery Center, our Xanax addiction rehab program is designed to help patients work through the underlying causes of addiction and build healthy coping skills.
Even when taking Xanax exactly as prescribed, a person can become addicted to it without realizing it. The majority of the effects of the drug kick in within an hour after taking it. The total duration of its effects can be at least six hours.
As a highly addictive and fast-acting drug, Xanax overdose symptoms can often be mistaken for its typical side effects and vice versa. The negative side effects of Xanax typically occur immediately on first use.
Xanax’s Side Effects After Normal Use
Common side effects include a slowdown of brain functions, difficulty concentrating, slurred speech, memory problems, decreased coordination, irritability, and confusion. Those symptoms can be accompanied by drowsiness, fatigue, and dizziness. Physical effects include low blood pressure, dry mouth, increased salivation, changes in the menstrual cycle, and urinary retention.
Xanax Overdose Symptoms
Because it is so fast-acting and toxic, Xanax can cause more severe, complicated overdose problems. The early symptoms of Xanax overdose, as previously mentioned, resemble the side effects of regular Xanax use.
Xanax overdose symptoms include difficulty in concentrating, drowsiness, and unusual talkativeness. Overdose can also result in changes in appetite, constipation, nausea, and difficulty in passing urine.
When to Stop Using Xanax
Few of the foregoing symptoms on their own are an accurate gauge that an overdose has occurred. However, Xanax users should pay close attention to how they feel during the several hours when any of those symptoms occur. If the symptoms persist, the best advice is to stop taking Xanax and refrain from consuming any other drugs or alcohol. If you’re struggling to quit using Xanax, a benzo addiction rehab center can help.
Severe Side Effects Indicate a Possible Overdose
Some Xanax users will experience more severe side effects and extreme Xanax overdose symptoms. They include confusion and depression with thoughts of suicide. Unusual change in mood, along with memory problems and visual or auditory hallucinations, could be accompanied by memory problems and seizures. Xanax overdose symptoms can also include difficulty in breathing as well as yellowing of the eyes and skin.
There are even more serious signs of Xanax overdose symptoms that could indicate that someone is experiencing a Xanax overdose reaction. They include profound confusion and severe cognitive problems. The person may have lost consciousness, is unresponsive, and is breathing at a very slow rate.
Mixing Xanax with Alcohol Can Lead to Addiction
Finally, Xanax use can be lethal when used with alcohol. In addition to behavior associated with extreme intoxication—slurred speech, staggering, etc.– signs and symptoms of Xanax abuse used in combination with alcohol include slow breathing and pulse rate and a comatose state.
Also, using Xanax in combination with alcohol can generate feelings of intense euphoria. That feeling is the positive reinforcement the brain employs to keep taking Xanax and alcohol. That mutual reinforcement, in turn, leads to the disease of addiction.
San Antonio Recovery Center Offers Xanax Addiction Treatment
We have addressed the dangers of Xanax overdose. At San Antonio Recovery Center, our goal is to offer high-quality addiction treatment programs that work to arrest the damage and help you or someone you love to start down the path of recovery.
Contact San Antonio Recovery Center today at 866.957.7885, or contact us online so that you can begin your journey to recovery. Don’t let addiction control your life. Take charge now.
