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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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Sleep Disorders |
Alprazolam Overdose08/28/2006 |
Can a massive overdose of 50 pills at one time be lethal? I am concerned about a friend of mine who is depressed.
The bottom line is yes!
Alprazolam (the drug you mention in the title of your question and also known as Xanax) is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines that work primarily as sedatives, or medicines that calm, relieve anxiety and put individuals to sleep. Overdosing on any benzodiazepine can lead to significant health problems and potentially even death.
The main problems encountered with overdosing on a benzodiazepine have to do with the profound sedative effect they have on the breathing and heart control centers of the brain. Large doses of any benzodiazepine can depress breathing to the point of stopping breathing altogether. Overdosing can also lead to low blood pressure. Either of these effects can be lethal.
How individuals respond to a given drug taken in large quantities will depend upon the specific drug taken, the drug dose, number of pills taken, time over which the pills are taken, the size of the individual and the individual's ability to clear the drugs from their system.
If your friend took the dose of alprazolam that you mention, then they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. He or she should discontinue use of the alprazolam until they can be evaluated. Delay in seeking help could lead to severe health problems.
If you would like information regarding sleep, sleep disorders or sleep medications, please do not hesitate to ask or, alternatively, you can obtain it on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine website at www.aasmnet.org. This website also contains a list of Sleep Centers across the country so you can locate one near you if need be.
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