Alprazolam

Alprazolam is a short acting benzodiazepine used for its anxiolytic effects to treat anxiety disorders. It is sold under several brand names such as Xanax, Xanor, Alplax, Tranquinal, Trankimazin, and Tafil.

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Alprazolam has a calming effect, with potential side effects of drowsiness, clumsiness, fatigue, and headache. The drug can also have more severe side effects, such as blurred vision, slurred speech, and changes in normal behavior. The drug is habit forming, and users develop a tolerance. Physical and psychological dependence after several weeks or months of alprazolam treatment is common. There is now a consent among psychiatrists that alprazolam as a so-called 'highly-potent' benzodiazepin poses a particularly high risk for abuse, misuse and clear addiction/dependence. Likewise withdrawal after weeks or months of use is a complicated matter, because agitation, (rebound-)anxiety, insomnia, muscle cramps and even epileptic seizures frequently result from too brisk dose reduction. As a result, long-term alprazolam treatment cannot be abruptly terminated, but must instead be slowly reduced in dosage over a course of weeks (as is the case with many drugs operating on neurotransmitters).

Benzodiazepine: The benzodiazepines are a class of drugs with hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. Benzodiazepines are often used for short-term relief of severe, disabling anxiety or insomnia. Long-term use can be problematic due to the development of tolerance and depend...

Anxiolytic: An anxiolytic is any drug or therapy used in the treatment of anxiety. Azapirones, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, meprobamate and non-cardioselective beta-receptor blockers can be prescribed. For somatic symptoms propranolol and oxprenolol can be used....

Anxiety: Anxiety is a complex combination of the feeling of fear, apprehension and worry often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. It may exist as a primary brain disorder or may be associated with other medical problems including other psychiatric ...