Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take Xanax as follows:

1. Take the medication dose at the same time, every day, for the duration prescribed, to avoid forgetting the intake of medication.
2. Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication.
3. Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
4. Xanax can induce some nausea and vomiting, when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with a glass of water and some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
5. Take the regular tablet as a whole. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the whole regular tablet, you may cut the pill and swallow it in pieces with a glass of water. You may also crush the pill and sprinkle the powder on a spoonful of soft jelly or applesauce and swallow the jelly or sauce along with the medication.
6. If you are prescribed Xanax extended-release tablet, swallow the tablet as a whole and do not cut or crush the pill. Cutting or crushing the extended-release tablet can result in rapid absorption of the drug into the blood stream, thus resulting in toxicity and compromised therapeutic effects.
7. Xanax could also be prescribed as an orally disintegrating tablet. This orally disintegrating tablet must not be swallowed as a whole or chewed upon. Allow this tablet to dissolve in your mouth and swallow the dissolved tablet completely using some water.
8. When taking Xanax as an oral syrup/suspension, use a measuring spoon/cup/dropper to measure the correct dose being taken, in order to avoid risk for over/under dosing. This oral suspension can be concentrated and likely to precipitate unpleasant nausea and vomiting sensations. Mixing the liquid medication into a salad or snack and consuming it after gentle stirring for a few seconds can help avoid the unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
9. Xanax can induce some dizziness and make one drowsy. Starting the medication at a low dose and gradually increasing the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. If the unpleasant side-effects becomes bothersome, report them to your physician and other health care personnel, for any change in plan of care to be considered.
10. Do not take Xanax with alcohol. Both alcohol and Xanax depress the respirations. When taken together, their effects on respirations can get added up and lead to severe respiratory depression and can even be fatal.
11. Xanax can take some time, about 2 – 3 weeks, to fairly adjust to your body, before any relief with your complaints and easing of side-effects is experienced. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the desired result immediately after taking the medication.
12. Continue taking Xanax as ordered, even if you experience relief from the symptoms of anxiety, muscle pain and spasms, seizures, and insomnia, depending on the reason for which it is prescribed. Discontinuing the medication abruptly can result in exacerbation of anxiety episodes, precipitation of seizures, muscle spasms and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms of insomnia and hallucinations. Discontinuing the medication should be gradual and only as recommended by your physician.
13. Individuals develop tolerance to the dose of Xanax with diminished therapeutic response over time. Report to your physician regarding any blunting of therapeutic response, with 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.
14. Your physician could change the dose of Xanax, based on the response you show. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
15. Notify your doctor of any unresolving anxiety, muscle spasms, worsening muscle pain and discomfort, episodes of seizures, insomnia, or continuing unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
16. If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose, to avoid toxicity with Xanax. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.