The question of how long does Xanax stay in your system has many different answers depending on who you talk to. Xanax also known as alprazolam is in the Benzodiazapines (Benzo’s) family and most experts say that it stays in your system for 24 to 72 hours. It is stored in your liver and released in much of the same way sugars are. Three to four days is much safer if you are going to be tested for employment, longer if you are going be tested with more accurate and expensive machines that the government or parole officers use. The Urine Tests that a lot of employers use are a cheap test strip that don’t pick up on stored benzo’s in the liver.
So the the effects of How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your System will vary depending on who you talk to, the amount of time you have been taking it and your metabolism. If you have a prescription for these meds then you don’t need to worry about these tests.
On a personal note of someone who was on Xanax for over 9 years, I highly advise anyone from taking any Benzodiazapines. You do not want to get hooked on Xanax, Valium or Librium as they will mess up your life and brain with lasting effects. It took me approx. 1 year to quit Xanax and it was hell. In my personal opinion the effects of xanax on my brains have lasted approx. 1 year after I quit or stopped my prescription. Meaning I haven’t functioned normally untill just recently and it has been just over a year since I quit using Xanax.
I hope that I have answered your questions on How Long Does Xanax Stay in Your System. Leave me a post if you have any questions about xanax and I will be glad help as I have been through the whole process. Choose the natural ways to stop Stress and Anxiety Attack Symptoms.
What was your dosage on xanax? I have been on it for approx. 7 years. My prescribed dosage is 1mg. tid. I cant ever remember taking that much in a day. Lately the most I take is 1/4 of a tab for the day. My problem is that I am so caught up in the thought of getting off of it, the more I think of it, I work myself up, then have to take 1/4 of a pill. Some days I dont take any. Any suggestions about how to get hte thought out of my mind.
Lorenza
I was prescribed 3mg. per day and some days I took only 3mg., others i took 5 to 6mg. I also drank alcohol everyday with the xanax. Xanax addiction isn’t really about the amount of Xanax take. The Addiction is about how long you take xanax. Its good that you only take 1/4 of a tab or .25mg of xanax. I think it will cut down your time of quitting. I think the thought is there because you are addicted to xanax, once you are completely off it, you wont even think about it again. Quitting was very hard for me, exspecially when I got down to .25mg. I actually used a razor blade to shave it down. My last week on xanax I was only taking a piece a little bigger than a coarse grain of sand. Every time I did a cut back, I stayed on that dose for 1 to 2 weeks or until i felt ready to cut back again. When I started to quit Xanax I was cutting by .25mg. I hope this helped. Good luck you can do it.
Hi i have stopped taking Xanax. I was prescribed 3mg per day and one day i just stopped it . it was hell i was taking about 2 years and now i am clean about 60 days i dun know what to do with my Anxiety Attack that some time comes and also i feel some problem in my body please let me know how long this site effect stays and what to do but i dun feel that i need to take xanax again i am full of it thanks
Hi I’m not perscribed them.however I took 4 1mg xanaxs and I have to take a probation test in 4 days how can I get them outta my system quick? I’m so ashamed I’m jus goin threw alot
ihad been on xanax for a year and my obgyn says that it to addictive i took 1/2 of .5 mg aday and went cold turkey off of it and went to prozac took it for seven daysand it felt like my head was not connected so i went to zoloft taht i had took in the past and about 10 days into it in the middle of the night i started getting this weird numb and tingling feeling from my chest to the top of my head. one crazy feeling that i did not like went to the emergency room and they cave me hyroxyzine to help with the anxiety. so now i am to weeks out i have been taking the xanax again and some days i take 1/2 in the morning and the other at bed time but i hope i can get me to a level place again.i thought i was going crazy.
I agree with you that the Urine Tests that a lot of employers use are a cheap test strip that don’t pick up on stored benzo’s in the liver.
My husband was off of Xanax for 1 year and then he got into a fight with his dad. His doctor put him back on them last week. He got the RX filled on Thursday (60 pills) and on Friday there were 49 left. Today is Monday and I counted them this morning and there are only 26 left. This weekend was terrible. He was angry and no matter what I said to him I was trying to pick a fight. Yesterday (Sunday) he was working on a basketball goal for our son and fell of the extension ladder and hit his head on his car and was knocked out for a long time. Then last night he was talking with our oldest son and threatening to go break my mothers stuff and sue her and all kinds of stuff. He also called his mom and got into with her about his dad, he said that if his dad died today that none of my husbands family (my husband, me and the kids) would be at his funeral.
I think that my husband is abusing the Xanax but he won’t listen to me. He says that I am making it up and that he doesn’t treat people like that. He said that people enjoy being around him when he is high on Xanax. What should I do???
ok my story might be a little diferent im not or never been addicted to xanax but my case start now!!! im very familiar with this pills and took them before in the past as recreational maybe 3 to 5 times in a yr but due to a methodone program i was the pills mix with the meathodone use to increase very high so i was totally fu….k….pppp!!! i never had reasons to take them just did it to get a extra buzz!! ok i really respected this pill and stop using it for a very long time. now remember i said i was in the methodone program i did 4 yrs and now today im going on a full 1 1/2 week that i decided to leave the meth program and wanted to get clean i feel very good and im able to eat but is been over 1 week that i can”t sleep so im getting a little anxious so a friend told me and gave me xanax!!!i took about 5 of them out of 5 i have been cutting small pieces and have been taking 4 two or 4 days and now im able to finally get some sleep so this is my problem did i do the right thing? it is helping me on my detoxication proccess but im now afraid to get hook now on xanax all all trying is to relax my self out the withdraws of meth!!! now my question is how long will it take me to get hooked on this pills so far i have only taken about 3 pills but cutting them in little halfs before bedtime? to tell ya the truth i was thinking that taken them in a week and stop i should be fine? im just looking for a relief from leaving this meth any one who reads this post please help me im a little confused none of my friends do drugs so they wouldnt know how to help me? thanx very much im 30 yrs old from ny bronx, any help is apreciated!! xoxoxox
Oklahoma wife: Your husband is an addict. Anyone who abuses medication by taking 5-10 times the amount prescribed is an abuser. If I were in your situation I would keep a log and document his everyday use. (as I am sure you are already doing.) But be sure to keep pics of the amount of pills left after each use as well as detailed documentation. Then I would tape his outburts, rants, and drug induced spells. I would have each member of the family write down how his addiction is affecting them in the following ways. Once all of these tasks have been done, I would sit him down and have him watch your recording, see your pics, documentation, and stage an intervention. This will give him a chance to see first hand how out of control the situation is. The proof will be in your documentation, so make sure you do your homework correctly. Hopefully you can catch him in a sober state once his meds have ran out. I don’t see how he will be able to refill the script as it would be considered a “refill to soon” and his PC will catch on to the abuse. I would try and hold out until his meds are gone before pursuing any kind of intervention. Hope all goes well and the best of luck.
I have been taking xanax 4 about 6 yrs now, on a good day i may take only 4 .5mgs but on a bad day I have taken as many as 10 blue 1mg ones just to get me thru the day. When i wake up in the mornings i try 2 go as long as i can without taking one but within a few hours my hands shake and my insides feel all jumbled up and it’s all I can thing about! I am an addictand really not sure i would know how to live without them!
I was taking xanax for 10+ years as prescribed. I reduced for 1 year and have been off it for a few days short of 1 month. It is hell! The comment above stating it takes perhaps a year plus is very helpful. I have a very hard time functioning and thought that may be the problem. I am not employed and have a supportive husband of course this helps greatly. I hate the stuff and will persevere.
I take Klonopin and Suboxone daily and sometimes i will take a xanax instead of klonopin because of it acting faster. I also work out in a gym at least 5 to 6 days a week and take all kinds of supplements and protein. I had an accident at work yesterday and was drug tested for it and was wondering if the xanax will show up by itself because i dont have a script for it. its been at least 3 days since i took it but i hope that the kl;onopin will be the only thing showing up. can u give me any answers
Xanax is a very addictive drug one of my friends just od’d on 15 the other day and wound up in rehab the next day. It makes you blackout so thats why your husband is saying he doesnt treat people like that. Withdrawls are not fun at all i got the shakes and chills real bad andthrew up alot i would suggest zoroloft. BecAuse its not an adictive or rehab
I have been suffering with panic attacks since I was 16 I am now 45. In June 2007 I was going through some real stressful time in my life and my panic got worse in and out of the hospital where they gave me alprazolam and I have been on it ever since. I have been on 1.5mg a day sometimes 2mg. Everything was fine until more stress in my life caused me to have bad panic again back in Oct 2010 and the alprazolam stopped working for me and Dr felt I had built up a tolerance to them so prescribed me clonazepam 2mg a day but I felt worse was too tired almost falling asleep but got down to 0.25mg of the alprazolam but started to feel way worse which I think were withdrawals..so my Dr stopped the clonazepam and said start taking the alprazolam again and ever since then I have felt terrible, withdrawals, you name I have had and reverse effects, in and out of the hospital, pretty much feel like I am dying with all the horrible symptoms I am having. I finally did some research and found a website called http://www.benzo.org.uk and found a schedule to taper off by using diazepam..as a slow taper..my dr agreed with this so am trying this out and have only been on it for 4 days but am not feeling any better yet! please help me I feel terrible and am very scared…I am now on my 5th week am taking 0.25mg alprazolam 4 times a day and 5mg of diazepam 4 times a day which is making me feel very sedated which is really scaring me I will be cutting down the alprazolam every week and keep on the diazepam until I am of the alprazolam then will have to taper of the diazepam does this taper sound right as I feel I am taking too much right now but I just want of these meds! I am still having panic attacks and feel like this is never going to end! any help out there please.
Update 3/18/11
I am still on my taper I am down to 125mg of Alprazolam twice a day which is only 0.25mg and I am on 5mg of diazepam 3 times a day. I started this on Tuesday 3/15/11 and I am doing okay except my muscles feel really funny and are really stiff the worst is in the morning until I take my 5mg of diazepam and the 125mg of alprazolam. Then starting next Tuesday 3/22/11 I will be down to 125mg of the alprazolam a day and 5mg three times a day of the diazepam. I’m hoping I’m going to be okay as this is starting to scare me as I don’t know if my body will be able to take and will I be okay? Is this safe? Once I am off the alprazolam I will be tapering off the diazepam and hopefully be benzo free!! Please give me any advice that this is all safe I am going through a Dr but I suggested this taper from the website http://www.benzo.org.uk and she agreed to it but had never heard of this taper so any feedback will help as I’m so scared I’m going to die or have a seizer and don’t really feel like I’m getting the support I need I’m on my 9th week of my taper so far.
Update 3/24/11
I am on my 10th week of my taper and it is hell my body hurts, I’m jittery, tightness in chest jaw all over my body, I’m in the USA and am from the Uk but don’t feel like any of these Dr’s really understand these meds and what I’m going through? Am I going to die from this and once I’m off this am I going to be ok?
Update 3/28/11
I’m on my last week, just took 125mg of Alprazolam today at 5pm which my last dose. I am still on 5mg of the diazepam 4 times a day. I have had a good few days but am scared at what is going to happen as I won’t be on the Alprazolam anymore after today! Then it’s time to taper of the diazepam, am I going to be ok???
I took Xanax 2mg 3-4x/day. When I found out I was pregnant with my son I quit cold turkey. I had no problems, no shaking, no hell. I began taking it again after I finished breast-feeding my son as it really does help my PTSD panic attacks. I again got pregnant, this time with my daughter and stopped. Again, no problems at all. My daughter is 15 now. I have been taking the xanax since I stopped breast-feeding her. A few months ago, we went on a vacation with friends and I accidentally forgot to pack it. Other than some PTSD panic attacks I was fine. I don’t really get the big deal here.
I don’t usually take xanax I just couldn’t sleep and a friend gave me 2 5mg and I go to the doctor in 8 days will they be out of my system be for then god I hope .
well im 16 and i have to get tested bc my mom thinks im doing drugs two days ago i took 4mg of alprazolam what do i do too get it out of my system before tomorrow
If you only take xanax once, and just a small dose like .5 or under, id wait 4 full days to be sure it is out of your urine.For a larger dose, 6 or 7. Moderate doses daily for extended amount of time?Give it a month.
xanax is for very serious anxiety disorders and from what i’ve been reading, i’m inclined to believe that the prescribing physicians or psychiatrists were very reckless. I have had anxiety disorders for as long as i can remember. i have been taking xanax for over 6 years, ranging in doses from 6 mg to 10 mg per day as well as vicodin. Before starting this very potent regiment I was unable to maintain employment nor have the patience to continue my education. Xanax changed my life and has allowed me to perform to the best of my ability. what many individuals lack in today’s society is the willingness to conduct research on the chemicals they put into their bodies. It took me a little over 9 months to understand the chemistry behind alprazolam, diazepam, clorazepam, triazolam and lorazepam and to make the educated descision to self-medicate until i found a psychiatrist who understood and ultimately acknowledged my dependency on the substance.
the root of addiction is to escape reality, i simply wanted to be able to cope with reality and take advantage of my potential. Xanax is dangerous, but ignorance can prove to be deadly.
What are the natural ways you talk about. I am breast feeding and stopped taking Xanax when I found out I was pregnant. I had been prescribed Xanax for 8 years and was taking 1.5 mg daily. I still wake up in panic attacks quite often and am going through a rough spot right now. Of course I would never dream of taking it while breast feeding so I was wondering what the natural ways are.. I know certain herbs induce calming effects.. Please help if possible. Oh and kudos to you for quitting.. High five**
I’ve taken Xanax on and off for the past 3 years to sleep due to divorce, menopause, job and residence change – it seemed benign enough to me. I was only taking .5mg at night and never during the day. Well lately I’ve had awful side effects – blurred vision, weight gain, terrible dry mouth, inability to focus. I am now decreasing my dosage and hope to be off of it completely in another week. I feel horrible and cannot believe that such a miniscule dosage can do this much harm. I work out, eat right and live simply so I hope that this stuff will be out of my system soon. If I can’t sleep I’ll just stick to a glass of wine and a melatonin. No more pharmaceuticals for me!!!
I have read all the comments on this sight and it has helped me not feel so alone. I am curranty detoxing from xanax and it is horrible. I am lucky enough to have spent the past 8 days in a detox
facility to get started. I came home today and it is hell! I know that this will be rough ride but I have to do it. I started using xanax because my doctor gave me a perscription. How can any doctor, in their right mind, give out this stuff? I have been on it for almost 10 years. I am now in my 50′s and feel that this drug h as robbed me of my mind for the past several years. I was only taking up to 3 mg a day but because I was on it for so long this detox will most likely last at least several months. I have only slept for 3 hours in the past 2 days, I can’t drive and I am facing the fact that this is reality for me for some time. Anyone reading this comment- hang in there, life on xanax is not
living, but being dead and not having the peace that perhaps death brings.
Sounds like your doing great besides the withdrawal. It does rob you of your life and what you could of done had you not been on it. I made a lot of stupid mistakes when I was on xanax. It took me almost a year to feel 100% like my self again. It is great! Keep up the good work. You still have a lot of good years ahead of you.
I know that exercise works the best for me. Good job on quitting Xanax. I hope you can stay off it forever. Life is so much better without it.
I’m prescribed xanax 3 x per day, but only take it as needed. I’m an addict and was told that alcohol and benzos are the only drugs you can die from while withdrawing in the wrong way. I’m trying to ween, yet I need to ween from the alcohol first and am using the xanax to curb that. Does anyone know suggestions of how to safely ween from Xanax?
I was on colonopin but I hated being medicated, and my mother always took it from me. Now she is struggling with Xanax addiction, I hope I can convince her to do what you did. But I am left wondering should I take her pills away from her? So I can Wean her off in a controlled environment? Or should I allow her to access them? I really can’t deal with the stress of controlling them anymore, but I don’t know what else to do.
Katherine, sorry to hear that. I wouldn’t take her xanax pills away from her. That could be dangerous to her. She needs to take control of her life and wean off the drug by herself with the care of a doctor. If she stays on xanax too long she will loose out on living a great life without it. Good luck to your family.
I need To know what is the average time for .5 mg of xanex to leave your system I hAd a really horrible anxiety attack on sundAy and a friend gave me a .5 and I had to take a drug test today for pre employment I drink lots of water everyday since I work in an uncooled shop…I have never been concerned or ever worried about drug test in the past this is a first for me….thanks for any info you can give me
I was on Xanax for 2 years along with venalfaxin..didn’t like the side affects so doc takes me off with no tapering…been off the venalfaxine for 1 year…oh what he’ll that was..now been off the Xanax for a month..another hellish ride in Progress…have had panic attacks, which I never had prior this bad stuff…am also quitting ambien …another hell ride in progress…more panic attacks..think these meds kicked brain in the ass…will it ever get back to normal..brain that is? Go all natural if you can stay away from benzos,ssri,and nonbenzos..bad bad bad
I have been prescribed to xanax i have been taking it for a while and the last time i took something was today and i have a drug test in november dont know when in november it could be november !st do you think it would be out of my system by then please help me i really need help!
im 5’6 128 lbs real cut hardly any body fat work out everyday and took half a xanax and have a drug test in 3 days will i be cleAN??
its for parole off.
I am currently weaning off of xanax .25 3x a day. I was put on this horrible medicine after the loss of my unborn son, and havent been able to get off since. I finally decided to take control of my life because this medicine almost cost me my marriage!!!!! I have educated myself and I am going to fight this, I can feel the changes in my brain everyday everything looks a little brighter each day I just pray when I feel anxious or cry whatever helps me not to take one of those pills I will do wish me luck everyone. I thought being a mother was hard, that is nothing compared to getting off this medicine!!!!!!!
I was presribed 4 blue xanax a day, and I was forced to quit cold turkey because of hospitalization. It took me over a year to be able to remember things correctly and not be confused about everything.
I have been taking Xanax for somewhere between 15 and 20 years. I really only take it at night to help me sleep. Usually .25 to .5 mg. Currently I am only taking .25 mg. But I have felt like crap for years. I always feel tired and have no energy. Even on this small dosage, is it possible that it is causing me to feel this way? I didn’t take any last night and don’t plan on taking it anymore. I would just really like to find out if Xanax can be causing my fatigue? Thanks!
I have a family member who is currently in rehab due to a Xanax addiction. He is 20 years of age and has been addicted for a little over 2 years. He indicated that as many as 20 1mg pills were taken each day. He’s in his second week and is doing well according to my personal observations and feedback from his counselor. Yesterday I attended a family group session, which is required should you wish to see a patient. The session included approximately 10 different families. It was such an experience to hear what other families have/are going through with their loved one. Most of which were young adults ages 17-20 who were abusing alcohol and prescription drugs. I can’t understand how our society and medical industry prescribes drugs with very little monitoring of abuse.
From what I am hearing, this could take longer than the 30-60 days he anticipates being in the rehab. I only hope that is not the case for my nephew so that he can get his life back and experience life without an addiction. I am so angry and currently investigating what can be done in an effort to stop doctors from easily prescribing addictive medication.
I welcome any insight on how I can assist my nephew in coping with this and some of the short-term effects he may experience. Prescription drugs and the medical field in general are a business like no other, but I believe our society will be pleasantly surprised if they understood how many cases of prescription drug abuse currently exist. I didn’t think much of it until it effected my family. First and foremost, I want to help my nephew recover. Secondly, I want to do something about to either send a message or prevent those from experiencing addiction. Thanks for listening and I wish those of you trying to rid of an addiction a quick and safe recovery. God bless you.
I took one blue xanax on newyears day which was sunday an i have a drug test tomm which is wednesday do anyone kno if it would be out of my system do you think i’m going to pass the test HELP thanks!!
My mom has been on Xanaxs for 15 yrs.she. has bad anxiety attacks do to finding her husband deceased in the bed beside her.why is it that if she don’t have any just one day she vomits her stomach hurts am she has seizures why is it she goes thru all that if it’s just been one day if she don’t have anything for that day
Hi all, I’ve been prescribed Zanax for over 20 yrs. If I didn’t have it I am sure I wouldn’t be alive today. With an extreme anxiety disorder since childhood due to brutality by my mother. I couldn’t concentrate in school and barely graduated from high school. As an adult I knew something was very wrong with me but in the 70′s and 80′s you just didn’t talk about things like that. At about the age of 30 I finally got up the nerve to seek help from a psychiatrist. He prescribed zanax and imipramine (an antidepressant). I was so afraid to try drugs but a friend finally helped get my courage up. For people who wouldn’t be able to function normally, to now being able to be a productive member of society, it is a Godsend! I expect to be on it for the rest of my life and take it on a as needed basis only.
I was taking xanax’s for about 2 to 3 years just to get messed up. I was taking 12 to 14 mg a day. I don’t know how I am alive today and I thank god that I was able to kick the habbit. I did it without help except the support of friends and family. When I stopped taking the pills I have the craziest and scariest dreams. I was tired all the time and it was terrible. If you are or know somebody who is abusing any type of pills I strongly urgue you to get help for yourself or whoever because it is a big deal. Trust me when I say that.