Xanax is indicated for the management of anxiety disorders and the short-term relief of symptoms of anxiety in adults.

Xanax (alprazolam tablets)

Xanax is also indicated for the treatment of panic disorder in adults with or without a fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment (agoraphobia). Xanax is not intended for recreational use. There may be serious risks if Xanax is taken by someone for whom it is not prescribed. Beware of counterfeit or fake Xanax. Counterfeits are illegal and potentially harmful. It’s hard to tell where or how they were made—or even what's inside them.

Do not take Xanax if you are allergic to alprazolam, other benzodiazepines, or any of the ingredients in Xanax.

Do not take Xanax if you are currently taking antifungal treatments including ketoconazole or itraconazole.

Xanax is a federal controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep Xanax in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse.

Xanax can make you sleepy or dizzy, and can slow your thinking and motor skills.

• Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Xanax affects you.
• Do not drink alcohol or take other drugs that may make you sleepy or dizzy while taking Xanax without first talking to your healthcare provider. When taken with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness, Xanax may make your sleepiness or dizziness much worse.

Before you take Xanax, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• Have or have had depression, mood problems, or suicidal thoughts or behavior.
• Have liver or kidney problems.
• Have lung disease or breathing problems.
• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Xanax may harm your unborn baby. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you should take Xanax while you are pregnant.
• Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. You should not breastfeed while taking Xanax.

Before taking Xanax, tell your healthcare provider about all prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and supplements you take. Taking Xanax with certain other medicines can cause side effects or affect how well Xanax or the other medicines work.

Do not increase the dose of Xanax, even if you think it isn’t working, without consulting your doctor. Benzodiazepines, even when used as recommended, may produce emotional and/or physical dependence.

Do not stop taking this medication abruptly or decrease the dose without consulting your doctor, since withdrawal symptoms can occur. Withdrawal symptoms can be serious and include seizures.

Xanax may cause an increase in activity and talking (hypomania and mania) in people who have depression.

The most common side effects of Xanax include drowsiness and light-headedness.

Indication

Xanax (alprazolam) is indicated for the management of anxiety disorders and the short-term relief of symptoms of anxiety in adults. Xanax is also indicated for the treatment of panic disorder in adults with or without a fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment (agoraphobia).

Xanax Dosage

Dosage should be individualized for maximum beneficial effect. While the usual daily dosages given below will meet the needs of most patients, there will be some who require doses greater than 4 mg/day. In such cases, dosage should be increased cautiously to avoid adverse effects.

Anxiety Disorders and Transient Symptoms of Anxiety

Treatment for patients with anxiety should be initiated with a dose of 0.25 to 0.5 mg given three times daily. The dose may be increased to achieve a maximum therapeutic effect, at intervals of 3 to 4 days, to a maximum daily dose of 4 mg, given in divided doses. The lowest possible effective dose should be employed and the need for continued treatment reassessed frequently. The risk of dependence may increase with dose and duration of treatment.

In all patients, dosage should be reduced gradually when discontinuing therapy or when decreasing the daily dosage. Although there are no systematically collected data to support a specific discontinuation schedule, it is suggested that the daily dosage be decreased by no more than 0.5 mg every 3 days. Some patients may require an even slower dosage reduction.

Panic Disorder

The successful treatment of many panic disorder patients has required the use of Xanax at doses greater than 4 mg daily. In controlled trials conducted to establish the efficacy of Xanax in panic disorder, doses in the range of 1 to 10 mg daily were used. The mean dosage employed was approximately 5 to 6 mg daily. Among the approximately 1700 patients participating in the panic disorder development program, about 300 received Xanax in dosages of greater than 7 mg/day, including approximately 100 patients who received maximum dosages of greater than 9 mg/day. Occasional patients required as much as 10 mg a day to achieve a successful response.

Side effects

Common side effects of Xanax include: ataxia, cognitive dysfunction, constipation, difficulty in micturition, drowsiness, dysarthria, fatigue, memory impairment, skin rash, weight gain, weight loss, anxiety, blurred vision, diarrhea, insomnia, decreased libido, increased appetite, and decreased appetite. Other side effects include: hypotension, sexual disorder, muscle twitching, and increased libido.

About Counterfeit Xanax

What do I need to know about counterfeit or fake medicines? Counterfeit medicines are dangerous by their very nature - they are not produced under safe manufacturing conditions and they are not inspected by regulatory authorities. It is impossible to know what ingredients counterfeit medicines actually contain and some have been found to contain dangerous ingredients, such as boric acid, heavy metals, and floor polish. Sophisticated counterfeiters will put some of the active ingredient in the fake medicine and make it look very similar to the real medicine. The primary danger in taking a counterfeit medicine is that you are putting something into your body that may not help your current condition, and more alarmingly could result in harmful effects to your overall health.