To understand the negative effects of prescription Xanax, you have to understand how it works. There are connections in the brain that make a natural sedative that the body needs during times of stress and anxiety. This sedative is called gamma amino butyric acid or GABA for short. This can be found in over three quarters of the nerve receptors in the brain. Some people do not produce enough GABA and are more prone to anxiety because of it. This GABA is supposed to level out thinking, but without it, that does not happen. Xanax works with what little GABA someone with anxiety may be making on their own to balance them out.

One drawback of taking Xanax for some people is that they have problems when they decide to come off of it. This pill can be addictive and is not something someone can stop taking cold turkey. Because it helps with the little GABA a person is making, the brain may feel that it does not have to make as much, and then a person is left with even less GABA. If this pill is stopped too quickly, the brain does not have enough time to adjust and make more of its own GABA. When that happens, the effects of stopping Xanax quickly can be quite painful and terrifying for the patient.

Some of the major negative effects of taking Xanax are the side effects. Some tolerate them well but others feel they are too strong and outweigh any benefit they get from taking this prescription drug. Some of the stronger side effects that come with Xanax for some patients are dizziness and sleepiness. Some feel that they are unusually clumsy when taking this pill, leaving them afraid to care for young children or drive a car. For some, headaches are a very common side effect that comes with taking Xanax. Some other side effects can be excitability, restlessness, problems with urination and bowel movements, changes in normal sex drive, and blurry vision. In some severe cases, patients have problems with involuntary muscular motions, memory loss, strange behaviors, and depression.