Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Alprazolam as follows:
Central nervous system side-effects
- Alprazolam use can result in episodes of confusion, hallucinations, dizziness, and light-headedness.
- Individuals taking Alprazolam can also present compromised memory and forgetfulness. Individuals taking Alprazolam can develop anterograde amnesia, which is a compromised ability to form new memories after the intake of medication.
- Alprazolam use, especially in individuals with history of anxiety and bipolar disorder, can result in exacerbation of depressive symptoms, changes in behavior, irritability, compromised sexual drive, and provoke thoughts of suicide.
- Discontinuing or significant reduction of Alprazolam dose intake abruptly, after prolonged use, can result in exacerbation of anxiety, relapse and rebound of the panic episodes, precipitation of seizure episodes, muscle spasms, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms of insomnia and behavior changes. Discontinuing the medication should be gradual, using tapering doses, and only as recommended by your physician.
Other constitutional side-effects
- Individuals taking Alprazolam can also present with sexual dysfunctions, such as, compromised interest in sex, difficulty attaining and maintaining erection, and/or difficulty having an orgasm.
Tolerance
- Individuals develop tolerance to the dose of Alprazolam with diminished therapeutic response over time. Report to your physician regarding any blunting of therapeutic response, with diminishing control or reverting of anxiety episodes, seizures, muscle cramps, nervousness, irritability, restlessness and insomnia. Your physician could consider a change in the plan of care to provide the desired therapeutic relief.
- Increasing the dose of alprazolam to derive the same therapeutic benefit can increase the risk for addiction.
- The risk for addiction is even more in individuals with history of substance/drug abuse, as the craving for the desired effect in these individuals will be high.
