It is common to take medicines for the treatment of health problems. But before taking any kind of medicine we must know about the effect, dosage, potential danger, and their interaction with other drugs. Today we discuss the two most commonly prescribed medicines Xanax and Gabapentin and what will happen when we take them together. First, we must find out what is Xanax and Gabapentin.
What are Xanax and Gabapentin?
Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medicine also known by its brand name Neurontin, Gralise, and Horizant. This medicine is approved by the FDA to treat Epilepsy, Partial seizures, Nerve pain, and Restless leg syndrome (RLS). It blocks the pain signal in the pain.
Xanax is a benzodiazepine class of drugs also known as Alprazolam. It works as a CNS depressant unlike other depressants it is used for short-term treatment. This medicine is FDA-approved and used to treat anxiety and panic disorder. It helps to increase the activity of GABA which leads to claming the brain activity.
Why did Doctors Prescribe Them Together?
Both Xanax and Gabapentin are used for anxiety treatment. Both medicines may enhance the effect of the other medicines. They work on the central nervous system and decrease the activity of the brain, so doctors prescribe these medicines according to the patient’s condition. It can be an effective treatment when used as prescribed by your doctor or healthcare provider after knowing your medical history or all the medicines you have recently taken. But when a person abuses one of the medicines or both medicines then these drugs increase the risk of side effects such as drowsiness, impaired concentration, and dizziness.
Xanax And Gabapentin: Difference
Xanax and Gabapentin are two different medicines only similarity is that both are used for CNS and brain. In some factors, they can be different that are:
Both Xanax and Gabapentin have a high potential for addiction and abuse. Gabapentin is safe enough to prescribe for patients with anxiety or other problems but Xanax has a highly addictive factor.
Gabapentin is used for short-term and long-term treatment of anxiety because it is less sedative than other medicines. Xanax is used for only short-term anxiety treatment, long-term treatment of Xanax can cause medicine addiction.
You can use gabapentin for Co-occurring substance use disorders or substance abuse treatment. Xanax and other Benzo medicines are used for substance abuse treatment or who have a history of medicine abuse and addiction.
Xanax and Gabapentin: Dosage
In the market, Gabapentin is available in different variants such as capsules, tablets, and oral solutions. Initially doctor or healthcare unit provides Gabapentin 300mg -600mg tablet three times a day for adults. The maximum dose for gabapentin is 1600mg per day. Dosage basically depends on various factors like weight, age, health condition, etc.
The starting dose prescribed by the doctor is Xanax 0.25mg – 0.5mg three times on a daily basis. The maximum dose of Xanax is 4mg per day. Above all dosage is generally prescribed by the doctor for anxiety patients. It may be working in your case. So, we advise you that before taking any dose consult with your doctor or contact us.
Dangers of Mixing Xanax and Gabapentin Together
After reading the above information we all conclude that if we take Xanax and Gabapentin combination as prescribed then no conflict occurs between these medicines. There are also some dangerous factors of this combination.
Respiratory Depression:
Both medicines have the potential for respiratory depression. Taking these medicines together can increase the risk of respiratory depression unusually. It means that you have a problem with breathing. Respiratory depression patients avoid these combinations in every possible way because this can be life-threatening.
Heightened Sedation and Dizziness Problem:
Combining Xanax and Gabapentin together can increase sedation and dizziness. Patients always face difficulties in daily life because of this problem and require high alertness to driving and operating machines.
Cognitive Impairment:
Gabapentin and Xanax both have Cognitive Impairment & memory problem side effects. Taken together these medicines lead to intensify these problems. You may be suffering from memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and confusion. It can also affect your daily life.
Raise the Risk of Overdose:
Xanax is one of those who have a higher chance of abuse and medicine overdose. Taking this combination also increases the risk of overdose, It can cause an unpredictable reaction. So, before mixing Xanax and gabapentin together please consult with your doctors or healthcare providers.
Gabapentin and Xanax: Side effects
Both medicines have some mild and severe side effects. Mixing them together can cause a variety of common side effects such as dizziness, double vision, unsteadiness, drowsiness, confusion, Memory problems, Speech problems, respiratory depression, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, loss of consciousness, and slowed heart rate.
Xanax and gabapentin interaction can also cause serious side effects such as Viral infection, suicidal thoughts, constipation, tremors, Seizures, Over-sedation, Overdose, changes in weight, and addiction.
After long use of these suddenly stop taking Xanax can also show withdrawal symptoms insomnia, headaches, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, and sweating.
Precaution For Xanax and Gabapentin
Every patient follow some precautions when taking medicines because it can help them become healthy without trouble. If you take combined medicines then you need to follow every precaution more strictly than other individual medicine. Here we look at some precautions for Xanax and Gabapentin.
- Never Take Xanax and gabapentin combo without a doctor’s precaution.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding situation should avoid taking them together because it may affect the newborn.
- The elderly should avoid taking these medicines together, as it can cause difficulty in judgment, impairment in thinking, confusion, and affect their motor skill which can cause road accidents.
- People can show suicidal thoughts or behavior.
- Never mix other drugs in this mixer because it can increase the risk of medicine overdose. Examples: Antacids, Carbamazepine, Morphine, Alcohol, Opioids, and other benzos.
- Always take dosage according to your prescription because a higher dose of any one medicine can cause patients to sleepiness, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.
- History drug addiction should avoid Xanax and gabapentin combination.
Can I Take Xanax with Gabapentin
If you want to know “Can you take gabapentin with Xanax” then first you know that both are different medicines just one similarity between them that can used to treat anxiety disorder. If you want to take them together then first consult with your doctor.
Without dr. approval of taking them together can increase the side effects of the medicines. Higher doses of medicine also can cause overdose problems. So, you should avoid taking these medicines together but they are effective treatments if you take them separately.
If your doctor or healthcare expert prescribed this medicine together after knowing all your medical history and which medicines you recently used then take these medicines according to the prescription which can help you maintain a healthy and balanced life.
Conclusion:
Above we provide all the information related to Gabapentin and Xanax and what happens if you mix them together. We hope it can help you to know about these medicine combinations. If you need more information then consult with your doctor or healthcare provider. You can also contact us or visit our site we try to give you valid information related to Xanax and Gabapentin which can help you or your loved one to live a happy life.