Is xanax good for seizures?

Are you feeling a little twitchy lately? Have sudden, unexpected movements been interrupting your day-to-day activities like making coffee or walking your dog? Though the cause of this could be anything from stress to restless leg syndrome, there’s a chance that it might just be…seizures. Alarming though it may sound, if you’re asking yourself whether Xanax is an effective remedy for seizures, then don’t worry friend. You’ve come to the right place!

What are Seizures?

First things first: let’s get into what exactly seizures are. For those who aren’t already familiar with ’em and haven’t spent the last 10 years endlessly binging medical dramas, allow me break it down in layman’s terms: A seizure occurs when there is abnormal electrical activity in someone’s brain. Often times they can lead to involuntary muscle movement or convulsions.

Luckily most people only experience one seizure their entire life but those that have them repeatedly fall under epilepsy.

How Does Xanax Work for Seizures?

Now onto our main question at hand: “Is xanax good for seizures?” Firstly – let’s gather some background on Xanax itself; It falls under anti-anxiety medication category and works by calming down the central nervous system.^1

While known primarily as a treatment method for panic disorder and anxiety disorders such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), according to The Epilepsy Foundation ^[2] research has shown that benzodiazepines like Xanax, which act as GABA antagonists (not letting neurotransmitters send signals)helps in terminating prolonged seizures by increasing GABA activity.

Hence its prescription history states that alprazolam contributes towards treating symptoms of panic attacks because being highly sedative helps controlling spinal neurons but not having any effect over cardiovascular or respiratory systems.^[3]

What is the Effect of Xanax for Seizures?

Now that we’re more clued up to what Xanax does, let’s get into whether it’s a good option as far as seizure medication goes. As aforementioned, this kind of medicine would be prescribed for someone who experiences frequent seizures or those whose attacks last longer than normal.

A study conducted on patients with epilepsy in 1992 proved that three oral doses of alprazolam can alter important recordings and even cause cognitive impairment ^[4]. However, one reason why doctors don’t recommend Benzodiazepines like Xanax when it comes to long-term usage for treating seizures could be due to tolerance getting built too quickly in The Central Nervous System(CNS).

What does all that science babble mean? Essentially if you use any type of relaxing sedative drug for an extended period of time your body gets used to its contents renderingit less effective over time – requiring higher dosage amounts which will lead directly towards addiction^5

The Pro’s and Con’s Of Using Xanax For Seizures

Still curious as to whether or not taking xanax is the best course of action ? Let me sprinkle ya with some pros and cons regarding choosing Xanax:

Pros:

1) As already mentioned earlier benzodiazepine class drugs like diazepam treat short term symptoms fast because they act quickly by calming down particular nerve impulses within central zone

2)Being highly permissible can provide immediate relief from stress/anxiety-based epileptic triggers whenever treatment similar options are absent^[6]

Cons:

1) Because cessation must occur gradually together after acute convulsions control measures have been difficult back then.

2)Lackluster effectiveness unless specifically tailored (with prescription)doses according to shorter-acting durations than general relaxation-inducing medication would reduce chances being known^^7

Let’s Sum This Up

So, what’s the final say? Is Xanax good for seizures or not? Well friend, it all depends on the specific case. Benzodiazepine medications like Xanax do help control and stop prolonged seizure activity in patients with epilepsy but because of their sedative properties which affect Central Nervous System rapid development of tolerance is more commonplace.

To boil this down – while it may be an alternative approach to curing your seizures you should always consult a physician before consumption!

In closing: Rest easy folks; we’ve determined that benzodiazepines like xanax are known to provide immediate relief if you experience any stress or anxiety-based epileptic issues. But remember that as most anti-anxiety medication tolerance levels increase over time making its effectiveness limited so never forget: consultation from a medical professional should always be rule number one.

drops mic

Basta!

[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263490

[2]https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/non-epileptic-seizures-and-benzodiazepines

[3] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.634.9775&rep=rep1&type=pdf#page=65

[4] https://bpac.org.nz/BPJ/2008/August/docs/bpj_11_epilespy_pages_33-37.pdf

^[6]: Br J Psychiatry 1999 Apr;174(4):282–6
^[7]. Cochrane Epilepsy Group Review 21 November, 2019

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