Mental Health Risks

Antianxiety, Benzodiazepines »

Xanax® 250 microgram and 500 microgram Tablets

Xanax® 250 microgram and 500 microgram Tablets

alprazolam

Package leaflet: Information for the patient

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have further questions, ask your doctor or your pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it onto others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet

1. What Xanax is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Xanax
3. How to take Xanax
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Xanax
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What Xanax is and what it is used for

• Xanax is a tranquilliser containing the active ingredient alprazolam. Alprazolam belongs to one of a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines affect chemical activity in the brain to promote sleep and to reduce anxiety and worry.
• Xanax tablets are only used to treat severe anxiety and severe anxiety associated with depression. Xanax is not recommended for the treatment of depression.
• Xanax tablets should only be used for short-term treatment of anxiety. The overall duration of treatment should not be more than 12 weeks including a period where the dose is gradually reduced (this is called dose ‘tapering’).

You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.

2. What you need to know before you take Xanax

Do not take Xanax:

• If you are allergic to alprazolam or other similar benzodiazepine medicines, or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• If you suffer from a disease called ‘myasthenia gravis’ where you suffer from very weak and tired muscles.
• If you have severe chest problems or breathing difficulties (e.g. chronic bronchitis or emphysema).
• If you have severe liver problems.
• If you have ‘sleep apnoea’ – this is a condition where your breathing becomes irregular, even stopping for short periods, while you are asleep.
• If you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant now, are planning to become pregnant or if you are breast-feeding (see also the sections on ‘Pregnancy’ and ‘Breast-feeding’ for more information).

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Xanax if you:

• Have ever felt so depressed that you have thought about taking your own life.
• Have ever suffered any mental illness that required hospital treatment.
• Have problems with your lungs, kidneys or liver.
• Have abused drugs or alcohol in the past or find it difficult to stop taking medicines, drinking or taking drugs. Your doctor may want to give you special help when you need to stop taking these tablets.
• Have been prescribed medicines for severe anxiety before, because your body can quickly become used to this type of medicine so that it no longer helps you.
• Benzodiazepines and related products should be used with caution in elderly, due to the risk of sedation and / or musculoskeletal weakness that can promote falls, often with serious consequences in this population.

Children and adolescents

Alprazolam is not recommended for children and adolescents under the age of 18 years.

Other medicines and Xanax

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, especially medicines listed below, as the effect of Xanax or the other medicine may change when taken at the same time:

• Any other medicines to treat anxiety or depression or to help you sleep (e.g. nefazodone, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine).
• Some strong pain killers (e.g. morphine, codeine or propoxyphene).
• Antipsychotic medicines used to treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia.
• Medicines to treat epilepsy.
• Antihistamines for relief of allergies.
• Medicines for treating fungal infections (e.g. ketoconazole).
• Oral contraceptives (‘the pill’).
• Certain antibiotics (e.g. erythromycin).
• Cimetidine (for treating stomach ulcers).
• Diltiazem (used for angina and high blood pressure).
• Digoxin (used to treat various heart conditions).
• Ritonavir or other similar medicines used for treating HIV.

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