How long does Xanax stay in your system?
How long does Xanax stay in your system?
How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your System? One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How long does Xanax stay in your system?” While the answer might appear to be straightforward — it has a twelve-hour half-life, so the majority of people see it fully removed from their system after four days — there is a lot of pertinent information regarding the drug that needs to be explained to fully understand it.
While Xanax typically is removed from most users system in four days, it can be detected via various drug tests for beyond that, with hair tests being able to detect it upwards of 90 days, blood tests up to six days and urine tests up to seven days after its last use.
Xanax Uses: Prescription and Non-Medical Use
It doesn’t matter if someone is taking Xanax in a prescribed or recreational capacity – it can lead to abuse and eventually, Xanax disorder, which is a very serious epidemic in today’s society and a continuously growing problem.
To understand why there is a growing number of cases involving Xanax misuse, it’s important to understand what Xanax is used for and why it’s often prescribed by medical and mental health professionals.
Its most common use is to treat GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) and panic disorders, as well as insomnia.
General Anxiety Disorder is defined as an individual displaying and/or experiencing at least three or more of the following symptoms:
- Constantly anticipating consequences that result in disaster and chaos
- Not being able to concentrate and remain focused
- Being highly irritable
- Feeling tired easily without exerting much energy
- Constant worrying about finances, health, work and anything else important
- Always feeling on the edge
- Not being able to sleep
- Constantly worrying about everyday issues
- Experiencing tense muscles on a regular basis
Panic Disorder is the Most Common Reason for Prescribing Xanax
One of the most common situations that Xanax is used for is panic attacks. They are very common in today’s society and are triggered by several different emotions and situations.
Increased heart rate, stomach discomfort, dizziness, chills, shortness of breath and constant sweating are all common symptoms, as is the constant feeling as if the world is going to end or fearful that one is going to die.
When a panic attack is combined with agoraphobia — staying away from places that trigger an attack — it creates a very unhealthy situation. Many people that suffer from this combination will avoid public places and remain secluded, which is not healthy, physically or emotionally.
Xanax is often prescribed to help individuals cope with being in public settings without triggering a panic attack. Xanax will often enable the individual to be in these settings alone without the company of a companion.
Xanax in Not a Long-Lasting Drug
As mentioned previously, Xanax has a twelve-hour half-life, and it’s typically removed from the system after four days, but it effects last only four hours on average. What does this mean? Well, in order for it to help some people they have to take it multiple times throughout the day.
The frequency at which it’s taken depends on what symptoms the individual suffers from and how severe they are, as well as the prescription.
How Xanax Works
Most people report that Xanax makes them feel more sedated, which combats anxiety and allows them to be more relaxed. This is accomplished by Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid being enhanced within the brain, which causes nerve impulses in the body to slow down, thus resulting in a state of feeling sedated.
It’s a fast-acting drug, and most users report feeling its effects within minutes of taking it. Some say it works too well, which can lead to Xanax addiction and abuse.
That abuse and addiction typically occur in individuals that are either seeking a fast way to experience a “high” or those with past substance abuse problems in the past. Most Xanax abusers take the drug to satisfy their desire to feel relaxed, escape reality or difficult situations, be more comfortable in public/social settings, remove emotions from their thoughts, and experience a state of being lightheaded.
Xanax addiction and abuse can also occur in people that have no history of prior substance abuse.
Those mentioned side effects are the reason there is rampant use among those not prescribed Xanax for medical reasons. It’s become a very popular and dangerous recreational drug simply due to the fact that it’s effects happen almost immediately.
While some people develop addictions to Xanax after being prescribed it for medical reasons, many try it after hearing about its effects from a friend or family member that used it correctly. The reason it’s typically an introduction from a family member or friend is due to it being only issued to those with a prescription.
Dangers of Xanax
Xanax abuse can lead to several problems, including unhealthy weight fluctuation, memory loss, depression, decreased motivation, numbing of emotions and vision problems, just to name a few.
Most non-prescribed users aren’t buying Xanax from dealers like one might think. Less than 5 percent acquire it that way, while 55 percent get it from friends or family members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additional dangers are encountered when Xanax is mixed with other substances, like alcohol and various drugs. Mixing Xanax with sleeping pills, for example, can be deadly. Drinking while taking Xanax can lower an individual’s blood pressure to the point they lose consciousness and pass out.
There is also a high number over Xanax related overdoses reported on an annual basis, with close to 15,000 overdoses reported in the year 2008, all attributed to pain killers.
It’s an overly-addictive drug, as some users’ can develop a dependency in just 14 days, while the average person will become dependent in about two months. Over time those that abuse it will not be able to function on a day-to-day basis without it in their system. And, since it passes through the system rather quickly that means they have to take it very often to maintain that dependence.
Reasons for Xanax Testing
Due to its increased abuse, many employers are now testing for the drug, as part of their pre-screening and pre-hiring process. A urine-based test is most common, especially when compared to a blood test, and the test will detect any and all drugs, not just Xanax.
Factors Contributing to How Long Xanax Stays in Your System
As mentioned in the beginning, Xanax has a twelve-hour half-life, so the majority of people see it fully removed from their system after four days, but there are many factors that contribute to this time period.
This includes the height, weight, amount taken, frequency of Xanax use, organ functions, as well as age.
Identifying a Xanax Problem
The key to preventing a case of adding it to know what to look for before it’s too late. Common signs of a Xanax problem is constantly looking forward to the next pill, always talking about it, speaking of it as a must-have part of a daily routine, as well as taking more than prescribed doses.
The best way to prevent addiction scenarios is to slowly reduce the dosage over time toward the end to make the body less dependent on its effects.
Final Thoughts
Xanax is an incredible prescription drug when used for what it’s intended for, but when it’s abused it can lead the user down a dark path.
Thankfully, there is help available for those that do experience Xanax addition. Those that use it as directed and as intended, are sure to reap its full benefits.
Know more about Xanax Withdrawal, Signs, Symptoms and Treatment
