Despite the fact that combining Xanax and cocaine is extremely dangerous – and can be deadly – this combination is fairly common. Xanax, a prescription medication used to treat anxiety disorders and panic disorders, is known to be habit-forming – and extremely potent. Xanax is the brand-name for the drug alprazolam, and, like all other prescription medications, it should only be taken as prescribed.
Because of its depressant effects, doctors advise that Xanax is never mixed with alcohol. Still, it is a drug that is commonly used alongside other chemical substances, illicit and otherwise. Because cocaine is a stimulant, people will frequently take Xanax to combat the “high” that cocaine provides. Most who mix the two drugs aren’t aware of just how dangerous it can be.
Cocaine and Xanax Abuse
Cocaine is a popular illicit substance used by a reported 40 million Americans in the year 2017 alone. Roughly 15 percent of the population over the age of 12 reported using cocaine at least once in their lifetime. Cocaine can be used in several different ways – it can be snorted, injected directly into the veins, or smoked. More recently, recreationally used cocaine has become less and less pure, and users are generally unaware of the dangerous additives that dealers are cutting their drugs with.
Cocaine is commonly cut with amphetamine, as well as powerful and dangerous synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. The rates of overdose-related deaths have increased dramatically since cocaine’s decrease in purity. Short-term health effects of cocaine include extreme bursts of energy, restlessness, hypersensitivity, increased alertness, irritability, and paranoia. By itself, cocaine can be extremely dangerous.
Xanax was first developed in the late 1960s and was used as a muscle relaxant and sleep aid for those suffering from insomnia. The drug alprazolam is part of the benzodiazepine family, and it suppresses the central nervous system. Because of this, it was approved to be used as an anti-anxiety drug in the early 1980s. Medical professionals are generally cautious when they prescribe the drug, seeing as it has very addictive properties, and it can be extremely dangerous when misused.
The Dangers of Mixing Xanax and Cocaine
Ingestion cocaine and Xanax greatly increases the risk of overdose – even mixing the drugs one time can result in fatality. Each drug affects the brain in a different way. While cocaine affects dopamine, leading to increased feelings of euphoria, Xanax affects a neurotransmitter, commonly known as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA leads to feelings of increased relaxation. Because each drug affects the brain in such different ways, chances of overdose are increased.
Coming off of a cocaine high may result in feelings of melancholy, disillusionment, and fatigue. Those who are ‘coming down’ may turn to Xanax as a way to combat these symptoms. However, combining drugs can lead to a dangerous build-up, which is likely to result in a host of other, even more uncomfortable, and dangerous symptoms. The symptoms may include increased heart rate, severe paranoia, and risk of heart attack and stroke. Build up also leads to an increased propensity towards addiction.
Are You Addicted?
We at Recreate Life Counseling understand that addiction is a highly personalized disease and that each individualized program of recovery must be customized to best suit the needs of the patient at hand. If you have been struggling with Xanax addiction, you may not be struggling with cocaine addiction and vice versa. However, mixing drugs at all – even once – can indicate a serious problem.
Those who understand the dangers of mixing Xanax and cocaine and do so anyways are putting their lives in immediate danger, and those who use drugs ‘recreationally’ will typically not engage in such risky behavior. If you believe that you have a problem and you need help to stop, or if you aren’t sure whether or not you have a problem and you’d like more information, we at Recreate Life Counseling are available to help.