Contents:
- Medical Video: Top 10 Most Abused Prescription Drugs
- How does alprazolam work?
- What side effects might occur due to alprazolam abuse?
- Can alprazolam cause addiction?
Medical Video: Top 10 Most Abused Prescription Drugs
Alprazolam is a sedative that is often used in the medical world to treat patients with anxiety, depression and panic disorders.
This medicine for people with mental disorders (ODGJ) includes benzodiazepine drugs. Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that work by suppressing the central nervous system. Misuse of benzodiazepines is already common among teenagers, even adults. In general, alprazolam is one of the benzodiazepine drugs which is often misused.
How does alprazolam work?
This drug works by suppressing the central nervous system so it slows down the nervous system's work. The dosage used by health professionals to treat anxiety symptoms is 0.5 mg to 4 mg per day. This medicine will work 10-18 hours after drinking.
This drug can treat anxiety symptoms because it also has an antidepressant effect. Another advantage of this drug is that it eliminates anxiety symptoms more quickly than other drugs.
What side effects might occur due to alprazolam abuse?
This drug can cause respiratory depression, which is a respiratory disorder that can endanger the life. Especially if used in excessive doses or when combined with other narcotics.
In addition, this drug can also cause drowsiness and can trigger a desire to commit suicide, so the use of this drug must be under the supervision of a doctor in a tight manner.
In people who are pregnant, this drug should not be used because it can cause congenital abnormalities or congenital notes in infants in the womb. Therefore, make sure you are not pregnant before taking this medicine.
While the long-term effects that can be caused by prolonged use are aggressive behaviors that can develop along with the use of this drug.
Another long-term effect that can occur is the effect on the central nervous system and human cognitive function. The long-term effects on the central nervous system that can occur include drowsiness, confusion and headaches. While the effect on cognitive function is related to long-term use, namely problems with coordination and memory.
Can alprazolam cause addiction?
Any user of alprazolam or other benzodiazepine groups for more than 3 to 4 weeks can experience the effects of dependence or addiction if you stop taking the drug suddenly.
Dependence symptoms that can be experienced include headaches, sweating, insomnia, trembling, and dizziness. Not to mention the emergence of various psychological disorders such as anxiety and decreased concentration. Therefore, the use of this drug is usually only limited to one to two weeks to prevent dependence on patients.
Although there are many side effects that can occur, these drugs remain effective for use in treating anxiety disorders and some other psychological disorders. However, the use of these drugs must still use a doctor's prescription and must be under the supervision of a doctor. You are also not allowed to change the dosage (reduce or add to) this drug without your doctor's knowledge.
