Xanax Interactions. What Medicines and Substances to Avoid
People taking Xanax may also need to use some other medications. Some of them may dangerously interact with Xanax. To be on the safe side, you should know about such interactions. Read on to find the necessary information. Xanax has been present on the US pharmaceutical market since 1981, so a lot is known about its properties. However, not many people know that Xanax may dangerously interact with a big number of other medications. Some of such interactions are dangerous and even life-threatening. To be on the safe side, you’d better learn about all of them before treatment. You can do this by talking to your GP or pharmacist or reading them on the drug label. We’ve compiled some most common and most dangerous Xanax – substances interactions, to share with you.
Some Key Facts about Xanax
The active substance in Xanax is called alprazolam. It is a medication with a habit-forming potential. For this reason, Xanax is only available by prescription. This drug is primarily indicated to treat anxiety and panic disorder, but it can also be applied in people who have nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. Xanax facilitates the GABA receptors release, increasing the levels of dopamine in the CNS. This shows through decreased anxiety levels, sedation, and muscle relaxation. This medication starts working within 20 – 60 minutes only. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll feel the improvements right away. People with anxiety may notice first improvements only after a week of regular medication use. The effects of a single dose of Xanax last for about 6 hours if you use immediate-release pills or for more than 11 hours if you take the extended-release form. Based on the medical condition you suffer, the entire period of therapy with Xanax may take up to a month (for anxiety) or up to 10 weeks (for panic).
Xanax and Alcohol. Can It Be Safe?
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 85.6% of adults in the US drank alcohol at some point in their lives. This means that the likelihood of mixing Xanax with alcohol is higher than the risk of its interaction with any other medication. What are the risks of concomitant use of Xanax with alcohol? The main hazard of drinking alcohol when on Xanax is that the effects produced by these substances are similar. If taken in moderate and high doses, alcohol works as a nervous system depressant. As such, appears the synergistic effect, which is the cause of all problems in Xanax-alcohol interaction. The severity of side effects and their type depends on the dosages of alprazolam and ethanol ingested and their ratio. If the dose of alcohol is higher than the dose of Xanax, you are likely to experience strong sedation, lethargy, or pass out. If the dose of Xanax is higher than the dose of ethanol, the feeling of euphoria is more likely. Anyways, their concomitant use is dangerous because of the risks of getting unconscious and falling into a coma. Regular use of Xanax with alcohol may cause alprazolam buildup in the system, which may be life-threatening.
Mixing Xanax with Opioid Drugs
There’s a lot of information proving the hazards of using benzodiazepines, which Xanax is, and opioid drugs. Both of them produce sedating effects on the nervous system, which may result in excessive sedation and respiratory depression. Depending on what dosages of Xanax and opioid medicine one uses, a person may fall into a coma and even die. Studies showed that the concomitant use of benzos and opioids enhances the risks of drug-related death. Another danger of such a drug mixture is that both benzodiazepines and opioids have habit-forming potential. But if there’s no other alternative, your doctor may prescribe Xanax along with opioid medication. In such a case, only low doses can be used. Besides, close monitoring of the patient’s condition is required.
How Can CYP3A Inhibitors Influence the Effects of Xanax?
The clearance of alprazolam from the body may be slowed down if you use Xanax with drugs that inhibit CYP3A. To CYP3A inhibitors belong erythromycin, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and some others. The concomitant intake of these medicines results in alprazolam levels going up. This enhances your risks for unwanted reactions, including severe ones. To avoid unwanted reactions, the use of Xanax and potent CYP3A inhibitors is not recommended. So if you use any of the mentioned drugs, but need to start on Xanax, tell about it to your doctor. Xanax interactions are diverse. Some of them are lower risk, while others may become a deadly mixture. So whatever medication you are going to use with Xanax, you’d better ask your GP about the safety of their interaction. As for alcohol, you should abstain from it for the entire period of taking Xanax. However, it’s not a huge sacrifice for your safety, don’t you think so? >>>>>> Visit Pharmacy >>>>>>