Is Mixing Meth and Xanax Together Dangerous?
Breaking the Goofball Cycle: Is Mixing Meth and Xanax Together Dangerous?
The Realities and Side Effects of Combining Xanax and Meth
Mixing meth and Xanax together happens more often than you might realize, but that doesn’t make it safe. Some people combine these two highly addictive substances to blunt the extremes of each one.
That’s because taking Xanax lowers the crash after meth use, and using meth helps push through the sedative effects of Xanax.
But many don’t understand how dangerous the unpredictable effects of a Xanax-meth combination.
Individuals struggling with meth and Xanax addiction in the Phoenix area often turn to Purpose Healing Center for professional treatment. Our accredited treatment providers have a proven track record of helping clients stop using meth, Xanax, and other drugs with lasting results.
If you are having difficulty stopping the use of these two drugs, you aren’t alone. It often takes professional help to address the negative consequences of mixing these dangerous substances.
Why People Mix Methamphetamine With Xanax
People who engage in methamphetamine use and Xanax are usually trying to manage the short-term effects of the substances in daily life.
Meth produces an intense high. After using, people report a surge in energy and confidence, appetite suppression, and productivity, followed by what the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) refers to as a crash. Conversely, Xanax is a prescription medication proven to slow brain activity and lower anxiety levels.
When taken together, the brain receives mixed messages. That makes it harder for the brain to control the body. It can impact mood, heart rate, or behavior. This dangerous practice is common in young adults experimenting with polydrug use (mixing multiple substances) or those already struggling with a stimulant use disorder.
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How Drug Abuse With Stimulants and Depressants Strains the Body
Drug abuse of stimulants and depressants simultaneously places extreme strain on the body. The tug-of-war effect can mask the signs of an opioid overdose, sometimes leading people to take higher doses than the body can handle.
Mixing meth and Xanax repeatedly (and perhaps adding other substances like cocaine or alcohol) leads to increases in drug dependence and intense cravings. That makes it feel stopping impossible.
Central Nervous System Effects of Combining Xanax and Meth
The Central Nervous System (CNS) is key in how meth and Xanax interact. Research shows that meth use leads to overstimulation of the CNS, which causes insomnia, sleep loss, hallucinations, and unpredictable behavior with manic symptoms.
Benzodiazepine medications, like Xanax, have an opposite effect on the CNS. It causes respiratory depression, extreme drowsiness, and a low stress response.
Blood Pressure Changes and Dangerous Cardiovascular Stress
Using meth with Xanax causes danger to the cardiovascular system. Meth may heighten heart rate and blood pressure to critical levels, while Xanax may cause them to drop to alarming lows.
These fluctuations can increase the odds of a collapse, stroke, or long-term cardiovascular damage.
Heart Attack Risk Linked to Methamphetamine Use
An American Heart Association study has proven that too much meth increases the risk of having a heart attack.
The risks increase with higher doses or after binge use. The meth stresses the heart muscle, leading to irregular heartbeats and eventual heart failure.
Mental Health Fallout From Mixed Drug Use
Substance abuse that mixes more than one drug can lead to mental health declines, including worse anxiety, depression, and hallucinations.
People who don’t have co-occurring disorders may also experience behavioral symptoms, including emotional dysregulation. The impact can disrupt relationships, work, and daily function.
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Intranasal Methamphetamine and Rapid Onset Complications
Some people inhale meth to deliver the drug into the bloodstream quickly and have a more intense high.
This fast absorption increases cravings and worsens withdrawal symptoms for many. The presence of benzodiazepine drugs, like Xanax, can mask these symptoms and cause an overdose.
Extended Release Alprazolam and Delayed, Unpredictable Sedation
Extended-release alprazolam (Xanax) stays in the body longer than immediate-release forms. The delayed sedation can overlap with the ingested meth, causing the dangerous symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal to be masked.
The danger is further enhanced when taking additional substances.
How Methamphetamine Addiction Can Develop Faster With Polysubstance Drug Use
Polysubstance drug use increases the odds of developing a methamphetamine addiction by overwhelming and confusing the brain’s reward center.
Alternating stimulants and depressants increase tolerance for drugs and dependence, making it much harder to stop using both.
Methamphetamine Withdrawal After Combining Meth and Benzodiazepines
Withdrawal symptoms after prolonged meth and Xanax use can be severe. Meth withdrawal can include depression, fatigue, insomnia, and intense cravings. Benzo withdrawal symptoms include panic attacks, seizures, and dangerous heart symptoms.
Purpose Healing Center provides our clients with supportive medical detox, which allows us to monitor the physical and emotional symptoms of withdrawal and ensure your safety. Our clinician can help you stay comfortable and well with FDA-approved medications to manage the withdrawal process, should they be necessary.
Psychological and Behavioral Therapy Supports Recovery and Prevents Relapse
At Purpose, we custom fit evidence-based, holistic treatment plans to match each client’s treatment goals. Our team finds the most appropriate individual and group therapy modalities to help clients understand the root of their drug addiction.
Some of the services and therapies we often use include the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Trauma-informed interventions
- Individual therapy
- Peer group therapies
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
- Medication management
- Life skills/coping tool training
- Aftercare planning to avoid relapse
Each client will receive the programs and services that will be most effective for their individual recovery needs.
Call Purpose Healing Center for Support to Get Clean and Sober
Mixing Xanax and methamphetamine can have harmful consequences and is dangerous to stop alone. When you call us for treatment, admissions professionals will provide you with a safe space to discuss your needs and take the time to learn more about your Xanan-methamphetamine abuse.
We can also contact your insurance plan for pre-approvals, and we accept nearly all forms of AHCCCS and most insurance plans in-network.
Make a free, confidential call today to hear about our effective and lasting treatment options.
References Cited
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Methamphetamine. National Institutes of Health.
- Singh, T., & Rajput, M. I. (2010). Alprazolam as a monotherapy for anxiety and depression. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 2(4), 165–171.
- Miller, D. R., Bu, M., Gopinath, A., Martinez, L. R., & Khoshbouei, H. (2022). Methamphetamine dysregulation of the central nervous system and peripheral immunity. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, Article 9351721.
- Collier, S. (n.d.). Sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug use disorder. Harvard Health Publishing.
- Curran, L., Nah, G., Marcus, G. M., Tseng, Z., Crawford, M. H., & Parikh, N. I. (2020). Clinical correlates and outcomes of methamphetamine-associated cardiovascular diseases in hospitalized patients in California. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(4), e014581.
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