This is what happens to your brain when you take Xanax

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March 8, 2017 9:17 PM

A psychopharmacologist explains what happens to someone's brain when they take Xanax as well as the long-term effects.

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Dr. Samoon Ahmad is a practicing psychopharmacologist and psychiatrist. He explains what happens to someone's brain when they take Xanax. He also discusses some of the long-term side effects of using Xanax.

It works on a receptor, which is called the GABA receptor. GABA usually keeps a sense of calmness. It has sedativeproperties. It has muscle relaxant properties. You feel a good feeling in that way.

One may feel the effects for approximately I would say three to four hours. And then one may need to repeat it at that time to get the effect again. And it lasts in your system approximately eight hours or so. So it washes out pretty quickly. Benzodiazepines, including Xanax, can cause cognitive problems. Over a period of months to years people can have memory problems.

You become psychologically and physically addicted to the medication. If you don't take it you can develop severe withdrawal. You'll become restless, you will become irritable, you will become edgy, you won't be able to sleep. You may start to have gastric problems, you may feel sweaty. You start to lose all of the positive effects of the medication. And because it has a short half-life, you need to increase it and you need to take it more frequently.

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