Does Xanax Make you Lose Weight?
The most common reasons for weight loss associated with Xanax are either appetite changes like a suppressed appetite, gastrointestinal reactions that can result in diarrhea due to poor food absorption, water loss, and poor energy storage.
Xanax is a kind of benzodiazepine that creates psychoactive, central nervous system depressants that are used to treat many different medical conditions. This can include panic disorders like PTSD, anxiety disorders, seizures, and even alcohol withdrawal. Xanax works on the body by acting on a specific receptor in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid- A, or GABA – A, receptors. As a result, it makes your brain less sensitive to outside stimulation.
Does Xanax Cause Weight Loss?
Weight loss can be a side effect of Xanax use. The most common reasons for weight loss associated with Xanax are either appetite changes like a suppressed appetite, gastrointestinal reactions that can result in diarrhea due to poor food absorption, water loss, and poor energy storage. It can also cause changes in body composition, fluctuation of energy levels, and a shift in your metabolic rate that can cause some people’s metabolism to speed up, causing weight loss.
Weight loss is much more common with withdrawal from Xanax. When you abuse Xanax and become addicted to it, your body literally becomes physically dependent on having it in your system. Your body now needs it to function normally. Once it does not have it in your system, you will go into withdrawal. This can lead to decreased appetite and, therefore, weight loss. Withdrawal’s other common side effects include muscle cramps, diarrhea, mood swings, panic attacks, vomiting, and headaches. All of these symptoms can directly or indirectly lead to weight loss during withdrawal as well.
How Does Xanax is Related to Weight Gain?
Weight gain during Xanax use is much more common than weight loss. This is because Xanax can cause extreme drowsiness, especially when taken at high doses. When you are tired, you will likely sleep much more, resulting in less physical activity and weight gain.
Also, just like with weight loss, many of the same side effects of Xanax can have the opposite effect. An increased appetite is very common, causing you to eat much more. Many people even report taste changes when using Xanax. The taste of food is enhanced, causing you to eat excessively. It can also shift your metabolism and slow down your resting metabolic rate, meaning you burn fewer calories.
Dangerous and Highly Addictive Xanax Dependence
While Xanax is a very effective medication for the disorders it treats, it can also be pretty dangerous. A Xanax addiction can happen in one of 2 ways. Firstly, even a person prescribed this medication for an actual reason can develop an addiction to it. This happens after long-term use, so benzos should only be prescribed for short-term use. The second way is through recreational use. It might be fun to get high on this at first, but addiction can creep in without you even knowing it. In addition, it is often used as a party drug and mixed with other drugs, making it that much riskier.
A Xanax addiction should be taken very seriously because it can be a difference of life or death. As with any other drug addiction, the person will need to participate in a medical detox so that the drugs can be rid of their system in a safe and supportive environment. This will include doctors, medical staff, addiction specialists, and even fellow addicts who can help one another through a difficult time.
Stay Drug Free And Be The Best You Could Be at Evoke Waltham
After detox, you should get involved in comprehensive drug treatment to understand your addiction better, what caused it, and how to avoid it in the future. Your life does not need to end because of a Xanax addiction. Get help today and see what sobriety looks like.
