Xanax is a prescription medication for things like anxiety disorders and PTSD. It releases more GABA in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and calmness. Under normal circumstances, it is what gets released before bed in larger doses to help you sleep. If you have an anxiety disorder or PTSD, GABA levels can be low, but Xanax can help.
However, many people ask: Can Xanax cause anxiety attacks?
How Xanax Works
The main ingredient in Xanax is alprazolam. It is alprazolam that increases GABA. However, it is also an addictive drug, which means the more you use it, the more likely you are to develop a tolerance and subsequent addiction.
According to the FDA, it is this addiction and withdrawal that often leads to increased anxiety or anxiety attacks.
Can Xanax Cause Anxiety Attacks?
Many people who are considering medication for anxiety or PTSD worry about the potential side effects. Some medications can actually make the issue they are trying to solve worse. But can Xanax cause anxiety attacks?
Current Research
When you look at current research, some of it has found that Xanax can cause anxiety attacks in specific cases.
Worsening Anxiety
One of the ways Xanax has been found to cause anxiety attacks is when prescribed for the treatment of PTSD in particular.
Research indicates that when clients used Xanax for panic disorders related to PTSD, twenty-seven percent had rebound anxiety. Thirty-five percent had new problems sleeping, which exacerbated anxiety levels.
But can Xanax cause anxiety attacks when prescribed for other conditions? The current literature is limited and older, but no current studies have conclusively determined Xanax directly causes anxiety attacks.
However, what it can cause is what is called ‘rebound anxiety,’ which can often take the same form as anxiety attacks.
Rebound Anxiety from Withdrawals
Rebound anxiety is one of the main perpetrators of what seems like anxiety attacks caused by Xanax. What happens here is that a client is given medication, and after they taper or change medication, they experience minor withdrawals, which make anxiety levels rise.
For example:
Chris has severe generalized anxiety. He is given Xanax as treatment. Chris, however, does not participate in any type of therapy or learn to control his environment, his stressors, or his triggers.
So, when Chris starts to feel that his medication has worked, his doctor takes him off it. During the weeks that Chris uses less and less Xanax, he notices his anxiety coming back. He has also developed a tolerance to Xanax, so his anxiety seems worse in the weeks that he is using lower doses and then none at all.
Once Chris is no longer on Xanax, his anxiety rises to his original levels. So now Chris believes that the Xanax caused his anxiety attacks.
What happened to Chris was rebound anxiety from the addictive ingredients in Xanax and his old sources of stress and triggers coming back.
Sleep Problems
Sleep problems are some of the most common side effects reported by those taking Xanax, and such problems can lead to hormone imbalances, mood swings, and heightened anxiety.
For example:
Christine was prescribed Xanax for anxiety. Once she started taking it, she began to experience several sleep disturbances where she was unable to sleep through the night and had nightmares.
Some nights, Christine hardly slept. She woke up tired, emotional and stressed. On those days, her anxiety was much higher, and it seemed as though Xanax caused her anxiety attacks.
For Christine, the issue was related to Xanax, but indirectly. The Xanax caused sleep problems, which led to higher anxiety.
Getting Treatment with Multi-Concept Recovery
At Multi-Concept Recovery, we offer several levels of care to help with underlying mental health issues and addiction to Xanax. If you are asking, “Can Xanax cause anxiety attacks?” then you have probably experienced some of the side effects of Xanax.
Our intensive outpatient program can help you find the care you need with individual and group therapy combined with holistic treatment.
Can Xanax cause anxiety attacks? Xanax can lead to sleep problems, rebound anxiety, and withdrawal symptoms, all of which can make anxiety worse in some people. If you are dealing with an addiction to Xanax from an anxiety prescription, we can help.
Contact Multi Concept Recovery today to learn more about our programs.
