Can Rebound Anxiety be Avoided?
Yes. This is key because rebound anxiety is one of the first and most common symptoms that emerge during Xanax withdrawal.30 Rebound anxiety can be particularly harsh with short-acting benzos, and worsens after prolonged use, requiring a very cautious and measured approach.
Benzos take over the job of a certain natural neurotransmitter, called GABA. The longer a benzo is used, the more GABA receptors become dormant, and the more the natural stores of GABA hormones become exhausted, or used up. Our GABA receptors, when they are functioning well, are designed to buffer incoming stress. Functioning optimally, you are battle-ready for life. You know you are wearing a bullet-proof vest. You can take the blows. On Xanax, you are sitting on a comfortable drug-induced cloud despite being stuck in traffic and late for work. At least for the first little while. And eventually, the cloud evaporates. And when Xanax is withdrawn, there is no protection at all, and in fact the stress reaction, the feelings of anxiety, become highly magnified. Now your armor is gone, you’re out of ammo, and you are in the battle of your life.
This is only one aspect of the mechanisms that go into play during Xanax withdrawal, but it is one that we help the person prepare for, and continue to address throughout the withdrawal process with a number of helping aids. Since benzo drugs disable GABA, we need to rebuild up the person’s natural GABA mechanisms with the use of natural supplements, diet, rest — BEFORE making any cuts to dosage. This, along with other strategies, will greatly ease the manifestation of rebound anxiety. There is much more that can help, so please continue reading!
PTSD, Panic Disorder Studies Outline the Difficulties in Xanax Treatment and Xanax Withdrawal
One study published in 2018 showed after a 4-week withdrawal schedule, 15 out of 17 participants who had been treated with Xanax for panic disorder experienced increased panic attacks, and 9 of the 17 also experienced newly emerging withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, malaise, dizziness, and tachycardia (racing heart rate at rest).25,27
Another study published in the 1990 Journal of Clinical Psychiatry followed its participants who were diagnosed with combat-induced PTSD. In the study, they were treated with Xanax, and then the drug was withdrawn. Subsequent to an 8-week-long Xanax withdrawal, all 8 reported worsening anxiety, rage reactions, hypersensitivity, intrusive thoughts, newly emerging insomnia, sleep disturbances, and nightmares. Of significant concern, 6 of the 8 participants in the study experienced homicidal ideation. During or post Xanax withdrawal, 4 of the 8 experienced suicidal ideation, and 7 of the 8 reported increased irritability and other undesirable adverse effects persisting after the 8-week Xanax withdrawal process.29 According to the research, delirium and psychosis are more frequently reported during Xanax withdrawal compared to other benzodiazepines.
A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry documented similar findings one year later in a 4-week-long Xanax withdrawal trial. In this placebo-controlled trial, half of the 126 participants (all with panic disorders) took Xanax for 8 weeks, and half were given a placebo. After a 4-week withdrawal, 27% of the medication group experienced a rebound of anxiety and panic attacks. The placebo group experienced no change in their baseline symptoms. The study recommended patients being treated for panic disorder with Xanax be withdrawn over 6 months to avoid significant relapse of anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia symptoms.26
What Makes Xanax so Difficult to Quit?
First of all, Xanax is one of the most frequently prescribed drugs in the US. It is overprescribed, and for way longer than it should be. Its addictive qualities make it a liability past a few days or weeks. And, the withdrawals are SEVERE. Debilitating. Ruinous. Intolerable. And, doctors are NOT trained in helping a person recover. Addiction and dependence make formidable enemies, and often cannot be overcome without competent care and support.7-10,32,33
According to the Heather Ashton guidelines, a person should take benzodiazepines for a few days to a few weeks at the most. The guidelines in Ashton’s research show that Xanax withdrawal need not be traumatic if done correctly and with individual support care in place, but these guidelines are not broadly known.2
We provide more information below, on the most frequently requested topics concerning Xanax and Xanax withdrawal. Always do your best to research before starting or stopping Xanax or other medications.
Conditions Xanax (alprazolam) is Used for?
Xanax is approved to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Off-label prescriptions are very common, including for insomnia, premenstrual issues, depression, and others.38
Xanax suppresses the central nervous system and prescribers give it to treat anxiety or panic disorders. If you suffer from anxiety and/or panic attacks, there are studies showing how methods of controlled breathing, exercise, yoga, and other nonpharmacological interventions can be highly effective, for example, turning off a panic attack or reducing their frequency without drugs.35,36
CAUTION: Just as you would not drink and drive, Xanax’s dampening effects on alertness and cognitive function make driving or operating machinery inadvisable while under the influence of Xanax.
Xanax — Generic, Brand, and Slang Names
Xanax is the brand or trade name given to the generic drug, alprazolam. Other brand names are used in the US including Gabazolamine-05 and Niravam.
Xanax has developed a presence as a street drug. People can purchase it on the street for as little as $5 per pill. Its popularity is possibly due to its sedative effects and pleasurable sensation of mild euphoria. According to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, numerous street names have evolved, including bricks, footballs, bars, zanbars, and others.3
FDA Recommendations to Quit Xanax, Ease Withdrawal
Quitting Xanax or any benzodiazepine drug abruptly can be deadly. A gradual reduction, the FDA’s recommended approach, can lessen these severe and potentially life-threatening Xanax withdrawal symptoms. Several factors can affect the timeline of your withdrawal including how long you have used Xanax, how high the dosage is, general health, age, and even some genetic factors that may affect the rate of clearing from the body.
Xanax has an extremely short half-life, which makes a smooth withdrawal nearly impossible. A recommended strategy to discuss with your prescribing caregiver is to transition over to a longer-acting benzodiazepine such as Valium© which may allow a less problematic withdrawal schedule. We invite you to read more about options for Xanax withdrawal used at Alternative to Meds Center, including cross-tapering methods and others. Always seek professional guidance or inpatient care for your best outcome.2,6-10
Misdiagnosis During Xanax Withdrawal — Important Note
Xanax withdrawal symptoms and Xanax adverse effects have many similarities which may cause some physicians unfamiliar with Xanax withdrawals to misdiagnose the ups and downs that can occur during Xanax withdrawals. An incorrect diagnosis may be given, either thinking the patient has relapsed, or some newly emerging mental disorder has occurred, leading to further errors and complications in treatment.34
There are several safety warnings on Xanax packaging.
These are:
- Xanax combined with opioids can produce profound sedation, suppressed respiration, coma & death.
- Xanax use carries a high risk of abuse and drug dependence
- Because of the risk of dependence after continued use, and due to the very short half-life7 of alprazolam, sudden Xanax withdrawal should not be attempted due to the risk of acute withdrawals which can be severely uncomfortable, and potentially life-threatening.
- Driving or operating heavy machinery is not recommended due to drowsiness, confusion, blurry vision, and others.
Research has not found yet exactly what causes dementia. However, studies have associated certain environmental factors including lifestyle and genetics, as possible contributors. Doctors primarily diagnose the condition in elderly populations, but also in younger-onset dementia, though the medical literature reports the latter as rare. Symptoms of dementia include cognitive impairment, memory loss, confusion, and personality changes. There is some consideration that heredity may play a part in this disorder. 
At Alternative to Meds Center, we specialize in safe Xanax withdrawal treatments. Another pillar of treatment of equal or even greater importance is to provide the testing and therapies that can relieve symptoms for which prescription drugs may have been prescribed in the first place.
