Can You Overdose on Xanax?

Get Guidance and Next Steps to Take in Case of Benzo Overdose

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You are probably finding this guide because you entered the search: Can you overdose on Xanax or other benzodiazepines? If you or a loved one engages in Xanax abuse for its sedative properties, then first, it is important to let you know that Xanax addiction is not uncommon. Second, we want to assure you that you can get help to stop benzodiazepine abuse.

Purpose Healing Center is a Joint Commission-accredited mental health and drug addiction treatment center in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona. We have supported hundreds of people as they ended their Xanax use.

If you have any substance use disorder, we can provide the medical assistance you need to end your substance use disorder.

We invite you to join us to learn about Xanax overdoses and treatment solutions to help you pave the roadway to a clean and sober life.

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Benzodiazepine Overdoses: Can You Overdose on Xanax?

Yes! Taking Xanax (or similar benzodiazepine prescription medications) other than how a doctor prescribes it increases the overdose risk.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2021 that Xanax overdose visits to the emergency department rose by 23.7% over previous years.

The number climbs even higher when mixing with Xanax with alcohol, for instance, or other benzodiazepine drugs with additional substances.

CDC findings also found that the number of fatal overdoses of this prescription medication increased by 500% during the same period. Of those fatal overdoses, 92.7% involved opioid use along with Xanax abuse.

How Much Xanax Does it Take for a Xanax Overdose?

Xanax overdose symptoms can occur if someone takes over 2 to 4 mg per day, but that amount for overdose varies. How much Xanax someone can tolerate without an overdose largely depends on each person’s tolerance and overall wellness.

For most people, the increased risk factors of Benzodiazepine overdoses occur at 10 mg of consumption.

It’s extremely dangerous to take any prescription drugs above the prescribed dose. When calculating your prescription drug, the doctor considers multiple factors, including body weight and overall health.

Combining Xanax With Other Substances, Particularly Alcohol or Opioids

As mentioned by the CDC report shared earlier, benzodiazepine overdose symptoms can occur when you mix Suboxone with Xanax, OTC drugs, and other substances.

Most fatal overdoses come from mixing Xanax with opioids.

However, taking xanax with alcohol can also potentially lead to Xanax overdose.

The Drug Enforcement Administration agrees that taking Xanax and other drugs is a problem; they include benzodiazepines in their “Drugs of Abuse” resource guide.

Xanax and Alcohol Abuse

Both benzodiazepine drugs and alcohol are central nervous system depressants (CNS depressants) with sedative effects. That means they can individually slow down the brain, heart, blood pressure, and lung function.

But when you take them together, that impact is doubled up, making it more possible to overdose. The dangerously slow breathing, or respiratory depression, can lead to death.

Xanax and Opioid Overdose

Opioid drugs include prescription medications or street drugs like heroin. This combination has a similar depressant effect. They are highly addictive. Like alcohol, they can also decrease a person’s breathing and other central nervous system functions.

In severe cases of overdoses of benzodiazepines mixed with opioids, this can be a fatal combination.

Why Do Medical Professionals Prescribe a Benzodiazepine Drug?

Doctors offer FDA-approved Xanax (generic alprazolam) to treat anxiety and panic disorder symptoms. Taking Xanax regularly as prescribed is incredibly effective. Xanax use helps stimulate Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inside the brain.

GABA helps calm overactivity, so it can help calm anxiety, nervousness, or agitation related to anxiety/panic disorders.

Alprazolam overdose is unlikely when taken under medical supervision. It’s when someone takes a large Xanax dosage or combines it with other medications that things turn life-threatening.

Other Benzodiazepine Drugs A Medical Professional May Prescribe

You might wonder why doctors prescribe this medication. You might ask: Is Xanax needed for all anxiety disorders? No.

Besides Xanax, here are some additional FDA-approved benzodiazepine prescriptions a doctor may prescribe:

Diazepam (Valium)
Clonazepam (Klonopin)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)

The clinical pharmacology of each medication is different – and each can lead to a drug overdose. They are for specific uses, including managing anxiety and insomnia.

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What Causes Physical Dependence and Xanax Addiction?

As the brain adjusts to the GABA-enhancing properties of Xanax, the body develops tolerance to it. That means is becoming dependent, leading to craving more Xanax to achieve the sedative effects.

Xanax has a short half-life in your system, meaning it metabolizes and leaves the body within a few hours. That makes withdrawal symptoms start within a relatively short time after the last dose.

The chart below shows some of the most common withdrawal symptoms:

Xanax Overdose Symptoms

What are the signs someone has taken too much Xanax? Watch for these signs of benzo drug abuse:

Blue tinted lips or skin
Blurred vision
Clammy/cold skin
Coma or unresponsiveness
Confusion or disorientation
Dizziness
Double vision
Extreme drowsiness or sedation
Hypotension
Impaired coordination or loss of balance
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Not breathing
Reduced reflexes
Severe weakness
Shallow breathing
Slurred speech
Slow or irregular heartbeat
Vomiting

These are clear signs of substance abuse, including Xanax and other drugs. This is a medical emergency.

First Aid if You Suspect Someone Is Overdosing on Xanax

Here are the steps to take if you believe someone has overdosed on Xanax or another substance:

Call 911 to obtain immediate medical attention. Tell the first responders that you think the person is overdosing on Xanax. Stay on the line with 911; the dispatcher will walk you through your next steps.
Stay with the person until professional help arrives. Monitor their condition so you can explain it to the EMTs who respond.
Check to see if the person is breathing. The 911 operator will explain how to give CPR until help arrives.
Put the person in the recovery position. Gently lay them down on their left side with heads supported. Do not offer them water or food, as it can lead to vomiting and choking on the vomit.

Be ready to explain to first responders (who are sometimes police officers) the truth about the situation. They cannot assist you without a clear picture of what has caused the overdose – different medications treat different forms of overdose, so this is vital information. EMTs will arrive quickly and take charge of the situation.

Xanax Overdose Treatment at the Emergency Room

The emergency department team will act immediately to stabilize a person having a Xanax overdose. First, they’ll likely give them intravenous fluids to support blood pressure and ensure they stay hydrated, especially if vomiting.

They’ll likely give a benzodiazepine antagonist, like Flumazenil, to reverse the Xanax overdose. This medication blocks the interactions between Xanax and the brain’s receptors to reverse the symptoms.

The doctor and nurses will closely watch the person’s breathing and heart, especially if the overdose on Xanax included other central nervous system depressants. The goal of this is to avoid respiratory arrest or heart complications that can lead to death.

Before being discharged from the hospital, the emergency department doctor often suggests an integrated care plan with the person’s primary physician and an addiction treatment center taking over care.

How Purpose Healing Center Helps You Overcome Xanax Addiction

If you or your loved one is recovering from a Xanax overdose, you need professional support immediately. Overdosing on Xanax or other substances is a wake-up call. You might not get a second warning.

Here are some reasons why so many people from Arizona – and even those from beyond the Grand Canyon State – have entrusted our addiction treatment facility with their needs.

Emergency Admissions After a Xanax Overdose

Call us for emergency admissions after your Xanax overdose. After you are discharged from the hospital, make us your next call!

An overdose is more than slurred speech and passing out for a bit. Rather, it’s an alarm bell warning you of how dire your relationship with Xanax is.

Don’t risk your health; you’re at great risk for another Xanax overdose. Make Changes Healing Center your next top to restore your well-being.

We Accept Major Insurance Programs

While we do accept self-pay clients, most rely on their insurance plan to cover treatment costs. We work with the best-known group insurance carriers, Arizona Medicaid (AHCCCS), and GEHA (for government employees), and are in-network with most major commercial insurances.

It is worth noting that your insurance may cover 100% of your rehab program after a Xanax overdose.

Finding an in-network treatment center is a primary concern for many clients. Call our admissions line to speak with our insurance coordinator. We will contact your insurance plan administrators to explain the Xanax overdose and obtain the pre-authorizations necessary.

You deserve to be free of Xanax and other substances, and we are here to help…right from the start.

Full Continuum of Care

Purpose Healing Center can help you heal after an overdose on Xanax, no matter how severe your addiction is.

Our inpatient rehab programs are best for clients with severe addictions or complicated co-occurring disorders. The setting is highly structured and immersive, which allows you to heal without distractions.

Our outpatient programs can help stop regular Xanax use by offering addiction treatment by day and letting you return to a supportive home setting at night. Outpatient care is often the first choice for less intensive addiction or people who have children who require their attention.

Holistic Approach to Recovery from Xanax or Benzodiazepines

We employ skilled, licensed therapists and counselors. They provide individual, group, and family therapies, according to each client’s unique needs. You might also enjoy alternative treatments, which can include popular offerings, yoga, music therapy, or art therapy.

We care about your complete healing after an overdose on Xanax or other forms of potent benzodiazepines medications. We will track your physical health improvements as well as your mental health. Many people notice improved body weight, breathing, and energy levels during recovery.

The entire benzodiazepine treatment process will bring you to an all-around healthy place.