Should i chew xanax

You may also ask a family member or a friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication. If you miss a dose of alprazolam, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your health care provider.

Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed. Avoid drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs while you are taking alprazolam. They may decrease the benefits e. Alcohol increases the risk of accidental overdose with medications like alprazolam. If an overdose occurs call your doctor or You may need urgent medical care. You may also contact the poison control center at A specific treatment to reverse the effects of alprazolam does exist.

This medicine, called flumazenil, can reverse the effects of alprazolam but must be given through an IV at a hospital. Only a doctor can decide if you need this medication. If you experience these side effects after starting clonazepam they will often improve over the first week or two as you continue to take the medication.

If side effects do not improve or become problematic, consult your health care provider. Alprazolam is a safe and effective medication when used as directed. Physical dependence may develop after 2 or more weeks of daily use..

The risk of withdrawal reactions when stopping therapy with alprazolam is increased with prolonged use of the medication. Alprazolam may cause drowsiness, so caution should be used when combining it with other medications that cause drowsiness. These could include:. When starting alprazolam, anxiety or insomnia may improve rapidly or over a period of days or within hours of the first dose of medication. The FDA has found that benzodiazepine drugs, such as alprazolam, when used in combination with opioid medications or other sedating medications can result in serious adverse reactions including slowed or difficult breathing and death.

Patients taking opioids with benzodiazepines, other sedating medications, or alcohol, and caregivers of these patients, should seek immediate medical attention if that start to experience unusual dizziness or lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slow or difficulty breathing, or unresponsiveness.

As a benzodiazepine, alprazolam comes with the risk of abuse, misuse, and addiction to the medication. Physical dependence to alprazolam can occur with prolonged use of the medication.

A withdrawal reaction may occur when stopping alprazolam, but this risk can be reduced by slowly reducing the dose of alprazolam when stopping. Do not stop taking alprazolam abruptly, and do not make any changes to therapy without consulting your health care provider. Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions. Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein. The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein.

Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness. About Mental Illness Treatments. Many users suffer from poor coordination and slow response time.

As a result, they are more likely to injure themselves. Many users get hurt in falls while walking around. Others cut themselves with sharp objects. It is dangerous to drive a car while abusing alprazolam. This leads to more accidents. The act of driving serves as an excellent example for another point. People who abuse the drug also create hazards for others. Xanax abuse has obvious dangers for drivers.

However, it has similar dangers for co-workers or even family and friends helping to make dinner. Another negative effect of alprazolam abuse is memory damage. Abusers say that it is difficult to remember events when high on the drug.

This is especially true when the drug is pair with alcohol. This effect of abuse can impact users and their loved ones in many ways. It can destroy relationships and family bonds, as users forget commitments they agree to.

This places tremendous stress on relationships. Additionally, memory loss makes it harder to function in everyday life. Users might have problems paying bills on time, keeping track of purchases and expenses, lose important objects, and more.

People who abuse alprazolam can also suffer from emotional damage. Abusers frequently experience mood swings and even bipolar disorder. These mood swings happen while they are on the drug and when they are going through withdrawal. The mood swings can be very intense and can create confusion for the user. Users may damage relationships or hurt their careers because of the mental toll Xanax addiction can take on an individual. Moreover, users have greater difficulty understanding why they started abusing drugs in the first place.

In most instances, treatment options for Xanax addiction should consider a dual diagnosis approach. Treating any underlying co-occurring mental health disorders significantly improves the probability that a person can find sobriety long-term.

One of the worst side effects of Xanax abuse is an increase in suicidal thoughts. Suicide is a very real problem in America. In fact, many doctors warn patients about suicidal thoughts when they are considering a prescription for the drug. These thoughts can lead to self-harm and suicide. They also make it difficult to engage in effective recovery efforts. Moreover, suicidal thoughts make it more likely that the user will look to other drugs or escalate their addiction.

As a result, this increases the risk of overdose and harmful complications. Finally, people who abuse alprazolam risk overdoses. People think that you cannot overdose on benzodiazepines like alprazolam.

However, the rate of overdose and death from overdose has increased every year. People falsely think that prescription drugs are safe.

Therefore, they engage in reckless behavior, like snorting Xanax. The effects of the drug can fuel this behavior.

However, drugs like Xanax are only safe when used the way your doctor instructs. People who are snorting Xanax, even if they have a prescription, place themselves at risk of becoming another statistic in the growing trend of overdoses and deaths caused by benzodiazepines. Regardless of how snorting Xanax or alprazolam abuse begins, it is important to stop it. Snorting Xanax creates serious risks for yourself and others. It can cause lasting damage to your body and your mind.

Use the information in this post to make informed decisions about Xanax. If you are considering a prescription for the drug, make sure you talk to your doctor. It is important to fully understand the risks you face. Watch out for warning signs, and report anything to your doctor immediately.

You should also investigate other ways to control stress and anxiety. Alprazolam addiction and snorting Xanax can be overcome with the right tools and approaches. Never give up on yourself or someone you love, because everyone is worth fighting for. You must be logged in to post a comment. We are here to help. Snorting Xanax — Side Effects and Dangers. What is Xanax? Snorting Xanax can cause the following physical issues: Blocked Airways Sinus inflammation Sinus infection Lung infections Another issue is that snorting substances make them much more potent and highly addictive.

Chewing Xanax Chewing is one of the most common ways to abuse the drug. Parachuting Xanax Parachuting alprazolam is similar to chewing it. Smoking Xanax Xanax users also smoke the drug to get high. Shooting Xanax Some users are known to shoot alprazolam. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. The most common way people take medications is orally by mouth. Depending on what your healthcare provider prescribed, your oral medication can be swallowed, chewed, or placed under your tongue to dissolve.

Medications that you swallow travel from your stomach or intestine into your bloodstream and then are carried to all parts of your body. This process is known as absorption. The speed with which absorption occurs depends on several factors:. If a quick effect is desired, your healthcare provider may prescribe a medication that will dissolve in your mouth and rapidly enter your bloodstream.

In general, you should take tablets and capsules with water. Taking certain pills, such as Lipitor atorvastatin and Viagra sildenafil , with grapefruit juice can cause potentially dangerous side effects. Milk can block the absorption of many antibiotics, such as Cipro ciprofloxacin. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist will tell you whether to take your medication on an empty stomach or before or after eating. This information is very important because digesting food can interfere with your medication dissolving and passing into your bloodstream.

Always follow the directions on your prescription. Never break, crush , or chew any capsule or tablet unless directed to by your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Many medications are long-acting or have a special coating and must be swallowed whole.

If you have any questions about this, ask your pharmacist. If you have trouble swallowing your medication, tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist. They may be able to provide you with a liquid form of the medication or a pill that is smaller and easier to swallow.

Liquid medications are good for children and adults especially older adults who are not able to swallow tablets or capsules. Many liquid medications, including both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, are made for children and are flavored to mask the taste of the medication. Additionally, many pharmacies can add different flavoring to liquid medications without an additional prescription by the healthcare provider. Most often, you'll be given medication measurements in teaspoons remember that teaspoons are smaller than tablespoons.

In medicine, a teaspoon means exactly 5 milliliters ml. Your household teaspoons may hold more or less than 5 ml. Ask your pharmacist for a spoon, medicine cup, medicine dropper, or a syringe without a needle meant specifically for measuring medications. They can show you how to properly use these. Many over-the-counter liquid medications come with a small medicine cup attached to the top of the bottle. If the medication has been prescribed for an infant or young child, make sure to speak with your pediatrician about the proper dosage, or amount, of liquid medication for your child.