It is one of the most common medications for these conditions, and it belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, or benzos. Xanax works by increasing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain.
This is a neurotransmitter that increases feelings of calmness. This article looks at how long the effects of Xanax last, the timeline for withdrawal, and the various factors that affect this timing. It also describes when Xanax expires and how to safely dispose of old medication. Experts use a measurement called half-life to determine how long a drug stays in the body.
The half-life of Xanax is 8—16 hours in a healthy person, with a mean half-life of 11 hours. This is shorter than that of many other benzodiazepines. This is because it takes four to five half-lives for the body to completely eliminate a drug.
This means that it may take an average of 44—55 hours, or about 2 days, for Xanax to leave the body. Peak levels in the blood occur 1—2 hours after taking a dose. However, the person will feel the effects before levels peak. One study , which examined the effects of Xanax in 14 healthy people, found that participants felt the effects of the medication in under 1 hour, with an average onset time of 49 minutes.
The half-life of Xanax can vary from person to person. Several factors can affect how quickly the body processes it. All of these factors can increase the time that it takes for the body to eliminate Xanax completely.
Some medications reduce the activity of CYP3A, which is a liver enzyme that helps process Xanax and eliminate it from the body. These medications are called CYP3A inhibitors.
This can cause Xanax to build up in the blood and increase the risk of serious side effects. Opioids are prescription pain relievers that block pain signals in the brain. If no drug take-back options are available near you, some medications can be thrown away in the trash. Putting the unused medicine mixed with an unappealing substance such as coffee grounds into a plastic bag before throwing it away with the other garbage is recommended.
Avoid crushing pills when mixed with the coffee grounds or other substance. Submit a new comment. Contact Alice! Originally Published:. All materials on this website are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Does Xanax Alprazolam Expire? Facebook Email Twitter Copy Link. Question I'd like to know if Xanax expires and if it does, is it safe to take Xanax after the expiration date? Asked by Lee On May 06, On May 06, Hi Lee and thanks for reaching out to us.
Was this article helpful? About the Pharmacist Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD Dr. Still Confused? All medications contain active and inactive ingredients. Even more specifically, certain ingredients determine how effective the remedy is in treating a medical condition. These ingredients also determine how long the medicine can be stored without deteriorating. In other words, the shelf life is the time for which the medicine will work safely and as expected. The shelf life, therefore, indicates the lifespan of a medication.
Please note that drug manufacturers have no financial incentive to prolong the shelf life. Manufacturers are, therefore, permitted to choose an arbitrary time frame to test the stability of a drug which can be anywhere from 12 to 60 months and stamp the expiration date on the bottle accordingly.
The actual shelf life of medications may therefore be longer than indicated by the expiration date. However, some medications have been proven to deteriorate over time, and these medicines should never be taken past their expiration dates examples include Epipen , insulin, oral liquid antibiotics, and nitroglycerin. The U. This was done to ensure people were informed about the product being safe and effective. Today, drug expiration dates are indicated on the carton, bottle, or label for every medication sold in U.
This is a legal requirement for pharmaceutical manufacturers because using expired medications can be risky and harmful to the health of patients. Pharmaceutical companies estimate the expiration date of medication by performing stability testing under conditions determined by the FDA.
Most medications marketed in the U. However, once the original packaging is opened, the expiration date, which was determined under ideal conditions in the laboratory, can no longer be relied upon. The reason for it is that, in the real world, people may not store medicine under ideal conditions.
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