Rebound Anxiety and Insomnia This is called the rebound effect. Rebound effects from benzo withdrawal, such as anxiety or insomnia, typically last 2 to 3 days.

Grand mal seizures can lead to coma and death. While seizures and other withdrawal symptoms typically occur due to high doses or extended use of Xanax, some people have experienced symptoms and seizures after just 15 days of use at the prescribed dosage.

Blending over from physical effects that Xanax has on the brain to psychological effects, individuals run the risk of actually damaging brain cells when they are used or abused for several months or more. Persistent use or abuse of Xanax changes the way the brain operates.

Yaffe, Boustani and Fairbanks (1) commented on a carefully conducted study that showed that exposure to benzodiazepines doubled the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. They found it likely that use of benzodiazepines lead to permanent brain damage, which they called neurodegenerative disease.

While benzodiazepines are highly effective in the short term, adverse effects associated with long-term use, including impaired cognitive abilities, memory problems, mood swings, and overdoses when combined with other drugs, may make the risk-benefit ratio unfavourable.

Long-term use and abuse of Xanax can lead to overdose, dependence and addiction, as well as adverse effects on an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing. Xanax is the brand name of alprazolam, a benzodiazepine drug prescribed to treat anxiety and panic disorders.

Benzodiazepines, shown to affect memory, can produce anterograde amnesia (i.e., a loss of memory for events occurring forward in time). Following the ingestion of a benzodiazepine, short-term memory is not affected, but long-term memory is impaired.

Long-term use of Xanax may lead to memory problems. Studies showed that people taking Xanax have more memory problems compared to people not using the drug. Doctors found that people who stopped Xanax use have memory problems that last four months. These memory problems may be permanent in some cases.

Last year, a widely publicized study again found that benzodiazepines–Ativan, Valium, and Xanax–which are often used to treat anxiety and sleep problems, were linked to increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease in elderly people.

Benzodiazepines most commonly used to treat anxiety disorders are clonazepam (Rivotril)*, alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan). Also used are bromazepam (Lectopam), oxazepam (Serax), chlordiazepoxide (once marketed as Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene) and diazepam (Valium).