Pregnancy is a miracle. It is a remarkable time when a woman is prepared to nurture another human being in her body. When a woman is pregnant, her medical decisions can have an impact on her unborn child. Drugs like Xanax have been demonstrated to pass the placenta, directly affecting the developing fetus. Pregnant women who use this medication run the risk of having absconding babies or babies who experience withdrawal symptoms. Xanax is the most commonly prescribed and misused benzodiazepine for treating uneasiness and agitation. It is also extremely addictive and can lead to physical dependence. This means that pregnant women who take it may become addicted to the drug, and their unborn child may be exposed to it.
Xanax: An Introduction
Is Xanax an opioid, you might wonder? Xanax, the commercial name for the benzodiazepine alprazolam, is a physician-recommended prescription for anxiousness and frenzied difficulties that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The drug works by calming the central nervous system and reducing strange fervor in the cerebrum.
While the medication can cause drowsiness, alprazolam also has euphoric effects that can cause a high, leading to widespread abuse. It is the most commonly recognized benzodiazepine associated with emergency hospital admissions, including drug abuse, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Does Taking Xanax Have Side Effects During Pregnancy?
Indeed. Using Xanax while pregnant can lead to dependency, fixation, maternal and neonatal withdrawal, and birth cancellation. According to a study, it can cause birth abnormalities and neonatal abstinence syndrome. While pregnant, up to 33% of women take psychotropic drugs like Xanax. This medicine is frequently prescribed to treat a condition that occurred before the pregnancy. While pregnant, no medicine should be taken without first receiving competent medical advice. The health of the unborn child may be negatively impacted by any drugs used while pregnant.
Is It Safe If Someone Takes Xanax When Pregnant?
Taking Xanax while pregnant is not advised. It’s a pregnancy classification D drug, which means it could harm your baby. The effects of Xanax on pregnancy are dependent on when you take it during your pregnancy. However, you should abstain from it throughout each of the three trimesters of your pregnancy because it can lead to issues. Xanax addicts who are pregnant must not abruptly stop using the medication. When battling addiction, abruptly stopping a substance can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms in users. Consult a doctor about your issue rather than giving up everything at once. He or she will probably devise a strategy for gently weaning off the drug, lowering the possibility of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
FDA Warnings
There are warnings against taking this drug. The Food and Drug Administration has issued the following legitimate warnings (FDA). Discovery alerts doctors and patients to potentially dangerous drug side effects.
Combining benzodiazepines with narcotic drugs increases your chances of experiencing severe lethargy, respiratory distress, trance, and even death. Xanax should only be combined with a narcotic if no other treatment options are available. Even when used as directed, benzodiazepines can cause physical dependence and withdrawal if you stop taking them suddenly. Withdrawal has the potential to destroy one’s life.
Xanax Addiction in Infants
Alprazolam is a drug that can lead to addiction. Abusing medication, such as taking large amounts of it, can lead to long-term drug usage. While substance abuse has a substantial impact on a mother’s health, it can also have an impact on the infant.
Taking Xanax from the fourth to the ninth month of pregnancy increases the risk of having a baby who is benzodiazepine sensitive. If a mother who is dependent on Xanax gives birth to a newborn child, she may go through painful withdrawal. each trimester.
Infants may be able to cope when weaning themselves off benzodiazepines like Xanax:
- Lack of hydration
- Breathing issues
- Inconvenience taking care of
- Skin staining (cyanosis)
- Breath-holding spells
Look For Xanax Alternates
Taking Xanax throughout the first one to three months of pregnancy could increase the chance of birth abnormalities. Cleft palate, cleft lip, and other severe birth defects that can have a negative impact on long-term health are examples of these malformations.
The consequences of prenatal alprazolam exposure during the first trimester were investigated in a study written up in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. 13 kids with congenital abnormalities and 47 miscarriages were born among the 411 patients whose data was collected. Late-pregnancy Xanax use can also cause your baby to have floppy infant syndrome, which causes its muscles to be weak at birth. For up to three weeks following delivery, newborns with this illness are unable to control their arms, legs, or heads. Additionally, a baby’s body temperature, breathing, and heart rate might be impacted by the floppy newborn syndrome.
If you’re pregnant or preparing your body to fall pregnant, talk to your primary care physician about other options for treating your anxiety besides Xanax.
Your primary care physician may recommend a prescription from a different drug class.
Specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), for example, are safer during pregnancy than other antidepressants. Escitalopram (Lexapro) and fluoxetine are examples of SSRIs (Prozac).
It’s crucial to keep in mind that Lexapro and Prozac, together with their conventional counterparts, are categorized as class C drugs. Class C medications should only be taken when the advantages outweigh the hazards.
Options For Xanax Addiction Treatment
Whether a woman is pregnant while abusing Xanax, addiction to the drug is hazardous. Fortunately, addiction treatment is readily accessible. Some addiction programs are even created exclusively for pregnant and parenting women. There are many different types of treatments for Xanax addiction. You just have to choose the one that meets your requirements. Some of the Xanax addiction treatment programs include;
- residential treatment
- partial hospitalization programs
- individual therapy
- behavioral therapy
- Telehealth addiction treatment
- medical detox
- medication-assisted treatment
Xanax addiction is mostly covered by insurance, so make sure you contact your provider.
Don’t Delay Treatment
Popular prescription drug Xanax is most frequently used to treat anxiety conditions like panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Both using the drug as prescribed for a mental health issue and misusing it are examples of this.
If a woman is using Xanax while expecting, she should talk to her doctor about alternatives and make a strategy for safely stopping the medication. The lady and the unborn child both run the risk of dying if they stop taking Xanax abruptly. Additionally, because hazardous quantities of Xanax have been discovered in breast milk, it is not advised to use it during the postpartum period while breastfeeding.
The commercial name for a class of medication known as benzodiazepines is Xanax. Although the medication is safe when used as directed, there is a substantial risk of addiction and a variety of negative effects. Abusing Xanax results in increased health risks and side effects, some of which can be harmful to a pregnant woman and her unborn child. If you see that your usual Xanax use has turned into an addiction, you should seek help from ChoicePoint, a New Jersey alcohol and drug rehab. To assist you to manage the Xanax withdrawal symptoms, Xanax addiction recovery begins with detox. Detox is followed by an intensive outpatient program that is tailored to your needs to help you commit to a full recovery.
