Xanax abuse and addiction can have serious short-term and long-term health effects. While commonly prescribed for anxiety, the drug’s high potency makes it prone to misuse and abuse, with some people taking Xanax in larger-than-prescribed doses or in combination with other drugs and alcohol. This can be dangerous, resulting in slowed breathing, memory impairment, and drug overdose.
Meanwhile, long-term misuse of Xanax can lead to dependence, addiction, and lasting cognitive and emotional issues. Physical tolerance can also develop, increasing the risk of overdose and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when Xanax use is stopped. Understanding the many dangers of Xanax is essential for the effective prevention and treatment of addiction to this complex drug.
Short-Term Effects of Xanax
Xanax® is a high potency benzodiazepine with a long duration of action. It is commonly prescribed to manage panic and anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia1 and insomnia in those living with daytime anxiety.2
Xanax happens to be one of the more commonly misused benzodiazepines, as many people take the drug recreationally for its relaxing and euphoric effects.3 In addition to these pleasurable effects, Xanax poses a number of unpleasant side effects. Short-term Xanax side effects include:4
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Slowed or shallow breathing, shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Skin rash, itching
- Change in sex drive or performance
These and other side effects may get worse if the drug is misused, either by taking Xanax in larger doses than prescribed or with other drugs. The short-term effects of Xanax misuse include:1
- Lightheadedness
- Lack of coordination, weakness
- Poor impulse control, aggression
- Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
- Memory loss or blackouts
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
Long-Term Effects of Xanax
When taken as prescribed, Xanax carries a very low risk. However, when misused or abused over a long period of time, a number of unique, long-term side effects can emerge. Depending on the severity of Xanax use, these effects can include:1,5
- Memory and cognitive impairment
- Psychomotor retardation (slowed mental and physical processes)
- Paradoxical disinhibition (increased anxiety and hyperactivity)
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Personality changes
- Tolerance
- Dependence
Other Risks of Xanax Abuse
Mixing Xanax with other substances like alcohol, opioids like morphine or oxycodone,
or other benzodiazepines like Valium® and Klonopin® greatly increases the health risks of using these substances. Such combinations can also cause respiratory depression, or slowed breathing, which can lead to coma or death.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that from January 2019 through June 2020, over 92 percent of fatal benzodiazepine overdoses in the U.S. involved an opioid such as OxyContin, codeine, Percocet, or fentanyl.6
Meanwhile, mixing Xanax with stimulants like methamphetamines, ecstasy, or cocaine can also raise the risk of fatal Xanax overdose, as one substance may mask or alter the effects of the other. This can create a false sense of control in the user, increasing the risk of overdose.7
Xanax Overdose Symptoms
Xanax carries a significant risk of overdose. While this risk is heightened when the drug is taken in combination with other drugs, a larger-than-prescribed quantity of Xanax by itself can cause both respiratory and central nervous system depression, leading to a number of symptoms including possibly fatal overdose. Common Xanax overdose signs include:2
- Extreme drowsiness
- Confusion
- Impaired coordination
- Decreased reflexes
- Respiratory depression or slowed breathing
- Coma
If you believe someone is experiencing Xanax overdose, seek medical care immediately. Call 911 or your local emergency number and stay with that person until medical help arrives. Be prepared to give information about the kind and amount of substances the person took.
Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms & Treatment
When someone has developed an addiction or physical dependency to Xanax, they can experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms after they stop or reduce their Xanax use. In fact, withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping Xanax use tend to be more severely felt than with other benzodiazepines, due in part to the drug’s higher potency.8
Often, withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that the user will relapse, or return to using Xanax. Common symptoms of Xanax withdrawal include:9
- Headache
- Sweating and palpitations
- Dizziness
- Confusion, disorientation
- Nausea
- Insomnia, nightmares
- Anxiety
- Irritability and restlessness
- Poor memory and concentration
A medically supervised detox and treatment program can help those with a Xanax dependence or Xanax addiction safely manage their withdrawal symptoms and quit Xanax for good. Some addiction programs provide Medications Assisted Treatment (MAT), which combines prescription medications to manage Xanax withdrawal symptoms with counseling and therapy.
Xanax Addiction Treatment in Atlanta
At our drug and alcohol rehab in Atlanta, we know that overcoming addiction to Xanax is about putting in the work necessary to attain a new way of living. Our Xanax addiction treatment programs are designed to guide you in your journey toward long-term recovery.
We offer a variety of rehab programs tailored to fit your needs, including partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment, and outpatient (OP) treatment. We also offer one year of free recovery coaching to keep you working toward long-term sobriety. And if you’re concerned about paying for rehab, including paying for rehab with insurance, the Empowered Recovery Center admissions team can answer any questions you might have. We can even verify your insurance benefits online!
If you’re ready to learn more about our comprehensive addiction treatment programs, contact us today.
References
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2024). Benzodiazepines. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470159/
- Drug Enforcement Administration (2020). Drug Fact Sheet: Benzodiazepines. Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Benzodiazepenes-2020_1.pdf
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2024). Alprazolam. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538165/
- Cleveland Clinic (2025). Alprazolam Tablets. Cleveland Clinic’s Health Library. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/19498-alprazolam-tablets
- American Family Physician (2000). Addiction: Part I. Benzodiazepines—Side Effects, Abuse Risk and Alternatives. American Academy of Family Physicians. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2000/0401/p2121.html
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Trends in Nonfatal and Fatal Overdoses Involving Benzodiazepines—38 States and the District of Columbia, 2019–2020. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7034a2.htm
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). Polysubstance Use Facts. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/polysubstance-use.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/polysubstance-use/index.html
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2018). A Review of Alprazolam Use, Misuse, and Withdrawal. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5846112/
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2015). Management of benzodiazepine misuse and dependence. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657308/
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