5 Most Common Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms

An anxious woman grips her face in a stressful fashion

Xanax (alprazolam) is an oral benzodiazepine usually prescribed to treat anxiety. This medication is the most commonly used medication in its class. More than 16 million prescriptions for alprazolam are filled each year.

Xanax is also incredibly addictive, with a potentially dangerous withdrawal syndrome that should be supervised and/or managed by medical professionals. Knowing what to expect from a Xanax detox can help you feel prepared when you decide it’s time to break free from your Xanax addiction.

Xanax Misuse and Addiction in the United States

Studies show that more than 60% of emergency department (ED) visits that involve alprazolam also involve alcohol or other illicit substances.

On its own, Xanax misuse can cause several dangerous health risks, including addiction and withdrawal, all of which become more intense and more dangerous when Xanax is taken combined with alcohol or other medications that depress the central nervous system. Young adults are the most vulnerable to Xanax addiction due to a dramatically higher rate of misuse.

Some Xanax misuse is recreational, but some is a form of self-medicating known as “chemical coping.” For example, someone who was prescribed Xanax for panic attacks may start taking the drug for other reasons, such as to calm anxiety.

Chemical coping can easily lead to tolerance as patients adjust to the effects of the medication. In turn, this will require them to increase their dosage to continue reaching the same outcome. This is an easy pattern to fall into.

Xanax is primarily an anti-anxiety medication, and anxiety will naturally increase at certain times in life, such as around the holidays or when professional or financial pressures escalate. This can lead patients to take more of the medicine, which will then increase their tolerance.

Xanax is very commonly prescribed and can be very addictive but patients who take the drug only occasionally, or for a short period, and as directed, are unlikely to experience problems. Research shows that more than 30 million people take benzodiazepines each year. Of those, 25.3 million say they take them as prescribed and 5.3 million admit to misusing the medication.

Xanax is rarely prescribed for more than a few weeks at a time. This helps patients avoid physical dependence and Xanax withdrawal symptoms, which will eventually develop with regular use.

Signs of Xanax Addiction

Some of the outward indications of Xanax misuse and addiction include:

Weakness
Impaired coordination
Delirium
Slurred speech
Difficulty concentrating and reasoning
Memory problems
Sluggishness
Drowsiness, excessive sleeping
Insomnia
Swollen hands or feet
Confusion
Tremors

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The Danger of Mixing Xanax with Alcohol and Other Drugs

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common Xanax withdrawal symptoms.

Xanax side effects and addiction, and the risk of overdosing on Xanax, greatly worsen when the drug is combined with alcohol and other drugs such as opioid painkillers.

Sadly, these dangerous combinations are very common when it comes to Xanax addiction. Studies reveal that nearly 55% of people who abuse benzodiazepines combine these medications with opioids and around 25% combine them with alcohol. Moreover, around one in five people who abuse benzos also suffer from alcohol addiction.

Time to Quit Xanax

The time is always right to quit Xanax, as long as you seek out professional medical help to guide you safely through Xanax detox.

Xanax withdrawal symptoms are always unpleasant, but the severity of the experience can vary from flu-like symptoms to life-threatening seizures, depending on individual body chemistry, age, drug use history, and whether you try to quit cold turkey—which is never advisable for any benzodiazepine addiction.

Anyone who has been taking Xanax for awhile, even if they are not addicted, should seek a doctor’s advice on how to slowly and safely wean themselves off the drug. The more carefully you proceed with your Xanax detox, the milder your withdrawal symptoms will be.

The 5 Most Common Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms

1. Anxiety

The most common Xanax withdrawal symptom is anxiety. It is also usually the first symptom to appear during Xanax detox, usually in just six to 12 hours after the last dose, or after the dosage has been lowered. Any nervousness, restlessness, or anxiety you feel will be much more intense if you are attempting to taper too quickly or if you are risking your health by quitting cold turkey.

The anxiety may remain mild or could escalate to panic attacks, but it will improve over time. Symptoms are always at their worst during the first week or two of Xanax withdrawal. Expect considerable improvement after that, but don’t understand that symptoms can fluctuate, coming and going for months after quitting. The trick is to focus on overall long-term improvement. If today feels much worse than yesterday, look back to reassure yourself that this week is an improvement on last week, and this month is an improvement on last month.

2. Flu-Like Symptoms

Xanax withdrawal symptoms also include several symptoms that combine to make you feel like you have the flu.

Just like with the flu, you could have a mild case and feel only a little sick, or you could have a bad case and be miserable. Expect to feel sweaty with an upset stomach, and possibly vomiting if your nausea gets bad enough. It’s very important to stay hydrated through this period of withdrawal, which should pass in a week or two.

If you can’t keep down solid foods at first, try drinking broths and juices. Drink plenty of water, but remember that your stomach may not be able to handle too much liquid at once. Keep a big cup or bottle near you at all times so you can take small sips throughout the day.

3. Difficulty Sleeping

Xanax calms the central nervous system. As you recover from Xanax addiction, you will experience rebound symptoms as your central nervous system revs back up and your body struggles to regain equilibrium without the presence of the drug you’ve become dependent upon. Insomnia is very common, and like anxiety, can persist for months after quitting, coming and going, but gradually improving over time.

Sleep problems include difficulty going to sleep, difficulty waking up, an inability to go back to sleep, restless sleep, and nightmares.

4. Physical Pain

Xanax detox can also bring on physical pain, such as headaches, muscle pain and stiffness. These aches and pains will most likely pass after the first week or two. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen will help with the pain and stiffness, safely getting you through this phase of Xanax withdrawal.

5. Depression

Depression is common during Xanax withdrawal, and can persist for months, like anxiety and insomnia.

For some, depression manifests as sadness, fatigue, and feelings of hopelessness, but some people may experience their depression as irritability and hostility. Difficulty concentrating can often accompany depression as well, especially depression caused by a drug detox. Although thoughts of self-harm and suicide are possible during Xanax withdrawal, they are unlikely to occur if you are getting a medical Xanax detox, or are very slowly tapering your dosage before quitting altogether. A slow, careful taper or medical detox will also help you avoid other severe symptoms, such as psychosis and seizures.

What to Expect During a Xanax Detox

Detoxing from benzodiazepines can be very dangerous without medical supervision. Patients in Xanax withdrawal need to be monitored by professionals who have the skills and resources to treat any symptoms or complications that come up. The safest way to handle a Xanax detox is to gradually decrease the amount of Xanax taken to avoid seizures and other serious Xanax withdrawal symptoms.

How quickly a patient tapers their dosage and how long they wait between each dose reduction depends upon the withdrawal symptoms experienced and their severity. Most doctors recommend at least a week between dose reductions, and about eight weeks of tapering overall until the patient is completely off the drug. Some people take even longer to wean themselves off Xanax, but a shorter period is not recommended unless the dosage you are dependent on is fairly low.

Xanax withdrawal symptoms can fluctuate, as benzodiazepines have a more erratic and unpredictable withdrawal syndrome than other drugs. The symptoms will decrease, but not at a steady rate, and they may flare up at times. When symptoms worsen, patients are advised against increasing their dose. Instead, they should continue with the current dose until the symptoms pass, and then resume reducing the dosage.

Xanax withdrawal can be especially intense in comparison to withdrawal from other kinds of benzos, but it doesn’t last as long. This is because it is a short-acting drug, with its effects starting sooner and passing more quickly than other benzodiazepines. Xanax withdrawal symptoms are at their worst in the first five to seven days, but can linger for a few weeks or a month, sometimes longer.

The Xanax withdrawal symptoms that linger longest are usually depression, anxiety, and sleep issues, which can come and go at varied levels of intensity for a few months up to a year. Counseling can be a big help at this time, as can healthy habits like physical exercise and trying to keep to a regular sleeping schedule. There are also medications that may help you, such as a sedating antidepressant like trazodone, which can be a big help for depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

After Xanax Detox

To stay off Xanax and avoid relapse, it is crucial to continue with treatment even after Xanax detox. Detox is not a cure for addiction, but merely the first step in the ongoing recovery process.

You need to continue seeking professional help from an addiction treatment facility, whether it be an inpatient program where you live on-site at the facility, or an outpatient program where you return home at night to sleep.

No matter what kind of treatment you get, make sure to stay with it as long as you need to. Leaving prematurely, or assuming that you will be safe returning to old hangouts and friends who use drugs after you are discharged from a program is a good way to make yourself vulnerable to relapse. You’ll get your best chance at long-term health and happiness after treatment by nurturing your recovery through good self-care, periodic check-ins with a counselor, and peer support groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous.

Find the Right Xanax Detox for You

Effective Xanax detox and addiction treatment is available for you, no matter what your personal, professional, or financial situation may be.

Xanax withdrawal may not be easy, but you can handle it with help, and any suffering you may encounter in the short term pales in comparison to the suffering and serious health risks that accompany an ongoing Xanax addiction. Call the number below to begin your recovery today!

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