Xanax

Xanax is a prescription drug that is used for the treatment of anxiety and panic disorder. By enhancing the effects of a naturally calming brain chemical, the medication can help reduce anxiety, relax muscles, and stop seizures. Xanax comes in tablet form and is generally taken two or three times a day. Side effects of Xanax may include fatigue, coordination problems, and drowsiness.

 

What Is Xanax?

Xanax® (alprazolam) is a prescription medication that is used to treat the following conditions:
 
(Click Xanax Uses for more information on what the drug is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes Xanax?

Xanax is made by Pfizer, Inc. Generic Xanax is made by several different manufacturers.
 

How Does Xanax Work?

Xanax is part of a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. These drugs have several effects on the body, including:
 
  • Reducing anxiety
  • Causing sleepiness
  • Relaxing muscles
  • Stopping seizures
  • Impairing short-term memory.
     
All medicines in this category can have these effects to some degree, depending on the specific benzodiazepine that is being taken. They work in the brain by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a brain chemical that is naturally calming. GABA can slow down or stop certain nerve signals in the brain. This is why Xanax and other benzodiazepines are known as mild tranquilizers, sedatives, or central nervous system depressants (CNS depressants).
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;