Confessions on How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your System For The First Time

August 20, 2017

Veronica Phan

Confessions on How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your System For The First Time

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Introduction

Anxiety, depression and stress are dark sides of our modern life. And to escape from one of them (or sometimes, all), many people choose to take drugs. Xanax is among the most common ones.

However, few people are aware of how long does Xanax last in the body and what its effects are. It is important to equip yourself with the understanding of possible drawbacks of this drug.

As follows, the article will shed light on how long does xanax stay in your system.

What is Xanax?

Xanax Stay in Your System

Xanax, or you might know it as alprazolam, is a benzodiazepine. This drug has been accepted by FDA for its short-term effects on alleviating anxiety and panic disorder.

Despite being useful to relieve anxiety in many cases, there are urgent situations in which the use of Xanax is limited.

Xanax comes in many types and even colors. You will find yellow xanax or even peach xanax on the market.

Those who wish to cope with panic disorder can resort to Xanax, but only under the prescription of professionals. You also need to tell your physician everything about your condition, including your alcohol or medicine consumption.

Normally, 4 mg per day is the necessary dose to help people handle panic disorder, but it also comes with potential risks. If you use more than 4 mg, you are more likely to experience physical and mental dependence [2]. Professionals are responsible to tell their patients about all threats they might face.

Who Should Avoid Xanax?

  • Xanax is not suitable for those with narrow-angle glaucoma or allergies to this drug. In fact, it is not unusual to witness the allergic reactions caused by Xanax or the same medicines, such as Tranxene or Valium.
  • Pregnant women cannot use Xanax either. Scientists claim that Xanax might lead to birth defects and some other problems, such as neonatal depression, in infants. If you are breast-feeding a newborn, taking Xanax might transfer its chemicals into your milk. As a consequence, your baby will suffer [1].
  • Under-18-year-old people mustn’t use Xanax.
  • Those who are or used to be addicted to alcohol or drug.
  • Those who are undergoing narcotic medication.
  • When you belong to these groups, it is essential to discuss with your doctor to come up with the ultimate option.

Besides, adverse impacts of Xanax seem to be longer and more dangerous in older people. And you had better avoid any injuries during the period you use Xanax.

How Long Does It Take for Xanax to Work?

It is a very tough question because there is no fixed schedule for every type of body. Xanax might work immediately in some people, but others have to wait for several hours to witness the effects.

Some people might be concerned about how much Xanax to get high. However, in fact, it is relatively rare to get high on this drug. You will feel calm and eager to sleep after using this medication.

When you use Xanax, but witness no sign of drowsy feeling or relaxation, it is possible that your body is tolerant or addicted. In this case, it might result in the following adverse effects.

Side Effects of Xanax on Your Body

How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your blood

Obviously, the primary target of using Xanax is to get yourself free of anxiety. Nevertheless, in many circumstances, Xanax results in annoying side effects, leaving you to wonder why they happen.

If you notice these side effects, it is time to call for help:

  • Drowsiness or tiredness
  • Feeling anxious in early morning
  • Loss of appetite for foods
  • Have some trouble sleeping or speaking
  • Difficulties with your memory
  • Depression (some might even think about suicide)
  • Difficult to control your muscles
  • Pounding heartbeats
  • Difficult to achieve the balance in the body [2]

Besides, the risks for these problems are much lower, but it does not diminish the possibility that you might face them:

  • Dark urine
  • Stomach pain
  • Vision problems
  • Fever
  • Itchiness, rash and skin problems
  • Joint pain
  • Swelling

How Long Does Xanax Last?

After knowing some severe side effects of Xanax, some people might want to quit it immediately. Nonetheless, withdrawal process can pose some threats, especially if you have been used to high doses.

Therefore, it is imperative that you withdraw with professionals supervising you.

So, how long does a benzodiazepine stay in your system?

Normally, Xanax half-life is between 9 and 16 hours for the body of normal adults. In other words, your body will need about 9-16 hours to eradicate half of Xanax. And the full elimination of Xanax is likely to complete after four days [3].

Certainly, you cannot expect this to be the standard for everyone. The rate for each person is different. For some people, the process might finish within just 2.06 days, but some might even experience a longer period [3].

Age is a significant factor because healthy older adults might even have the Xanax half-life of around 19.7 hours [3].

How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your Urine?

If you want to detect drug use, it is crucial to know about drug testing. There are many different types of drug tests. The analysis of urine is one of the most popular methods.

Therefore, in the case of Xanax, using urine is helpful to know how long does Xanax last. However, the question is how long can Xanax be detected in urine?

Many factors can change the last results, such as your metabolism speed or the amount of drug you use.

Urine test to detect Xanax does not work in occassional users more than 4 days. However, if users abuse the drug, the positive result to Xanax will appear up to 1-6 week since the last use [5].

How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your Blood?

Another method to test the use of drug is to use blood. This method produces the result more quickly than the use of urine.

In general, 6-48 hours after you use Xanax, it will be shown through your blood’s test. However, like urine test, the outcome of blood tests is dependent on several factors.

Compared to the blood test, the urine test will be more efficient, when you want to do so beyond 48 hours after using Xanax. Blood test does not work beyond this amount of time.

In other words, if you want to check the abuse of Xanax, other methods are better.

Hair and Saliva Xanax Drug Test

While blood and urine are the most common ways to test the drug use, some other methods are available in case of Xanax.

Saliva Tests

Using oral fluid, known as saliva, is quite popular to check the presence of even alprazolam 1mg.

According to scientific studies, if you want to detect alprazolam, the maximum time is around 2.5 days [5].

In other words, saliva test might be more practical and useful than blood test in case you test the drug for a longer period. However, it is still not as extensive as urine one.

Another advantage of saliva test is its simplicity to carry out. But you do need to consider its high cost, and the truth is that it is not as common as the two other tests.

Hair Tests

It sounds fantastic to know that you can use hair sample to detect Xanax. Once you use this drug, it will concentrate in hair follicles that are present in all body parts. If you go for this method, you just need to give 20-50 strands.

Generally, hair will grow by 1 cm for more or less than one month. So, you will have to wait after the ingestion of Xanax. Several days after ingestion are not sufficient to detect the drug use.

Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms

Xanax withdrawal symptoms can tell you that your body is working to eliminate this drug. If you are heavily dependent on Xanax, these symptoms are obstacles to prevent you from abandoning this medication.

  • Panic disorder
  • Insomnia
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Rebound anxiety
  • Sometimes you might be disturbed by nightmares
  • Tremors
  • Seizures

People claim that many Xanax withdrawal symptoms can pose threats to your life. And a lot of patients have struggled with this process. Thus, you should not do it alone. The supervision of professionals or experts will make everything safer and simpler for you.

Factors That Impacts How Long Does It Take for Xanax to Kick In

Numerous factors which affect how long does it take for Xanax to get out of your system can be mentioned. Knowing all of them is helpful if you have the intention to adjust the rate.

Age

Age creates big differences on the question how long does Xanax stay in your system. Older adults (more than 65 years old) normally undergo a longer period to eradicate the drug.

It might be a consequence of aging as well because their metabolism, blood circulation, and other mechanisms have been slower.

Thus, you should pay more attention to the excretion of Xanax in elderly people.

Metabolism speed

The influence of metabolism speed on Xanax does exist, but studies have not proved that it contributes to metabolizing or eliminating the drug yet.

Some speculations point out that high BMR is a sign for the quicker elimination of Xanax. And a low BMR indicates that it will take more time to remove Xanax completely.

In other words, BMR is another important factor to determine the speed at which your body gets out of Xanax completely.

Weight and fat content in your body

As mentioned above, metabolism plays a crucial role in the eradication of Xanax. And undeniably, the amount of fat, or your weight, is vital as well.

Your weight and height have direct impacts on the metabolism rate. When the same dose is given to two groups – short/lightweight and tall/obese, it is reasonable that the process finishes more quickly in the second group.

The reason is that larger bodies will clear the drug much more easily.

The well-being of your kidneys and liver

According to some evidence, if you have problems with liver, the likelihood is that you will clear Xanax more slowly. Liver problems will extend the time it takes to eliminate all Xanax from your body.

On the other hand, impairment with the kidney does not show the direct association with Xanax withdrawal symptoms. But it does not mean that renal diseases have no effect on the Xanax clearance.

Genetics

There is no denying that genetic factors determine the rate of metabolizing some drugs. Rapid metabolism already exists in many people since their birth, while some others suffer from poor one.

How much drug you have used

It is reasonable to believe that high dosage will finally result in a longer time to excrete Xanax from our body. And it is true, according to scientific studies.

Normally, doctors will prescribe between 0.25 to 4 mg of Xanax for patients who would like to deal with anxiety problems.

However, there are times when people use more than 4 mg, known as dependence, tolerance and addiction. As a result, they will suffer in the efforts to get rid of Xanax.

To prevent this scenario, doctors usually give their patients minimal dosage which still guarantees the effectiveness. In most cases, Xanax serves as a therapeutic relief only.

When your body ingests more Xanax, it has to eliminate more drug later. Therefore, if you want to control the excretion of Xanax, do pay attention to the dose right at the beginning.

The total amount of time you use the drug

In addition to the dose, the frequency has significant effects on the issue “how long does it take for xanax to leave your system”. If you are used to the drug for a long time, you will lose more time to get out of it.

The reason is behind the rapid tolerance which frequent users have to this drug.

The tolerance urges the users to use more and more Xanax. It means a higher dosage as well as frequency. Your body does not metabolize Xanax enough quickly, which might lead to the concentration in your body.

Tips to Excrete Zanex in System Safely

Because Xanax half-life is dependent on individual factors, it is possible to do something to promote the elimination of Zanex in system.

Stop Using It

The decision of giving up Xanax needs a series of careful steps and the consultation from professionals. As mentioned above, Xanax withdrawal symptoms are the real danger to our health.

But you should think about it as soon as possible. Although Xanax might be helpful for your anxiety, it is not good to use the drug in the long term. Try some other ways to relieve your stress, instead of depending heavily on drugs.

Exercise

do exercise

Undeniably, this is an ideal way to cope with stress and anxiety. Even more importantly, it has crucial effects on your well-being.

Exercises on a regular basis will enhance your metabolism speed, blood circulation and even the functionality of organs, such as liver or kidney.

You do not need to choose intense physical activities. Instead, the recommendation is jogging or meditation. But the key is to maintain this habit so as to stimulate the eradication of Xanax from your system.

Diet

In addition to exercise, diet plays a vital role in the excretion of Xanax. A balanced diet consists of different types of foods which give your body a huge amount of nutrients.

Fruits and vegetables are always the top foods that should be in your daily diet. They supply your body with antioxidants as well as vitamins, minerals for the best functionality of all organs.

On the other hand, processed or junk foods should never appear in your mind. They are bad to your health and weaken some organs, such as your liver.

Besides, protecting yourself against dehydration is important. Therefore, always remember to supply your body with water regularly every day.

Questions and Answers

1. How long can Xanax be detected in a drug test?/How long does it take to pass a drug test for Xanax?

Different methods of testing drug are available, and each of them has a different time frame to help you detect Xanax.

For blood test, it happens only within 6-48 hours after the moment you use Xanax. Meanwhile, urine test takes more time, up to 6 weeks.

In saliva test, the maximum time is around 2.5 days. But if you select hair test, it is much longer because hair needs around 1 month to grow.

2. Who Usually Needs Xanax Drug Test?

In fact, Xanax drug tests are not necessary in the case of most ordinary people. You will need them if you are one of these following examples:

  • Athletes: It is entirely illogical to assume that athletes use Xanax. The reason is that it has negative impacts on their performance. Though, Xanax drug test is one of many compulsory ones for professional athletes. If the result is positive, they will get trouble, such as suspension or even complete banning.
  • Military: Alertness is a crucial quality that military personnel has to possess. However, Xanax will damage this quality and cause you to make even deadly mistakes in the battle. Thus, Xanax drug test is necessary in the army as well.
  • Patients: Doctors usually carry out many tests at the hospital to test drug toxicity. Therefore, you will expect them to use the blood test to check whether you are addicted to Xanax or not.
  • Employees: Not only military personnel but also a series of other occupations require alertness. Otherwise, they may cause severe accidents or damage in the end. Truck drivers or machinists should take part in Xanax for their safety and others too.

3. How long does it take to get Ambien out of your system?

Ambien is also a commonly prescribed drug that allows you to cope with their sleeping difficulties. However, like Xanax, it is not a good choice in the long term. In particular, it might lead to some side effects, namely, memory problems [4].

Our body absorbs this drug very quickly. Its half-life is estimated at around 2 hours, for ordinary healthy adults. It might be longer, up to 4 hours, in elderly people.

Blood, urine, or hair tests are possible to detect Ambien in your body as well. But blood test seems not really helpful because the drug has a quick absorption. In this case, we highly recommend hair tests.

4. What is Xanax Shelf Life?

Normally, Xanax shelf life is between 2 and 3 years. But experts claim that this drug might be still powerful after its expiration date [6].

It is important to note that the manufacturer creates the expiration date to indicate the time it works best. It does not mean that the drug will become harmful once its expiration date is over.

5. How to Store Xanax?

Once you buy Xanax under the prescription, you should keep it in the room temperature. In addition, do not store it with any other medications. Xanax should stay in its bottle since the beginning.

If you notice any problems with Xanax, do not hesitate to contact pharmacist. It is not worth getting any risks.

Conclusion

Overall, the birth of Xanax is due to the increasing stress and anxiety in modern society. But after finding out how long does Xanax stay in your system and its side effects, you might not want to use this drug any longer.

It is better to find some other ways to relieve your anxiety, such as unwinding at gymnastics or communicating with your company.

If you find our article use, please LIKE and SHARE it to spread the information on Xanax to as many people as possible. It is time to make a change in the conventional way of using drugs.

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