Xanax Hangover: What Does It Feel Like and How Long Does It Last?

This medicine includes boxed warnings. These represent the FDA’s most serious cautions. Boxed warnings inform clinicians and patients about drug effects that can be dangerous.

• Combining benzodiazepines with opioids increases the chance of profound drowsiness, respiratory depression, coma, and even death. Xanax should not be used with an opioid unless no safer alternatives exist.
• Using benzodiazepines, even as directed, can cause physical dependence and withdrawal if the medication is stopped abruptly. Withdrawal can be life-threatening.
• Use of this medication can also lead to misuse and addiction. Misusing Xanax raises your risk of overdose and death.
• Only take this medication exactly as prescribed. Discuss any safety concerns with your healthcare provider.

What is a Xanax hangover?

Xanax, the brand name for alprazolam, is part of the benzodiazepine family. Benzodiazepines rank among the most frequently misused prescription drugs because many of them, including Xanax, carry a high potential for dependence.

When benzodiazepines such as Xanax wear off, a person may experience mild withdrawal-like symptoms. With Xanax, this phenomenon is commonly called a “Xanax hangover.”

Although people who misuse or abuse the drug are more prone to hangover effects, anyone taking the medication can experience them.

If your clinician prescribed Xanax for an anxiety or panic disorder, you might notice hangover symptoms while your body adapts to the medication. It can also occur after a dose change.

Below we cover typical symptoms, how long they last, ways to ease them, and strategies to prevent recurrence.

What does it feel like?

Symptoms of a Xanax hangover resemble those of an alcohol hangover. A Xanax hangover can produce both physical and cognitive or emotional effects.

Common physical symptoms include:

• difficulty falling asleep (insomnia)
• fatigue
• faster heart rate
• elevated blood pressure
• raised body temperature
• excessive sweating
• rapid breathing
• blurred vision
• headache
• reduced appetite
• diarrhea
• nausea
• stomach cramps
• muscle tightness and tremors
• breathing difficulties

Mental or emotional effects include:

• memory problems
• trouble concentrating
• clouded thinking
• low motivation
• sensitivity of the senses
• irritability
• depressive symptoms
• heightened anxiety
• suicidal thoughts

If you often have symptoms like these, speak with your doctor. They might change your dose or recommend a different medication.

What can you do to find relief?

Time is the only sure remedy for a Xanax hangover. Symptoms generally ease as the medication is metabolized and eliminated from your body.

In the meantime, you might get some relief by:

• Exercising. A gentle walk can boost energy and endorphins. Avoid intense exertion; light movement is sufficient. Exercise also naturally reduces stress and can help lower anxiety.
• Eating. Xanax is processed through your gastrointestinal tract, so consuming fiber, protein, and fats may help your body clear the drug more quickly.
• Sleeping. If possible, getting extra sleep is one of the best ways to ride out a Xanax hangover. Sleep can allow you to bypass the worst symptoms and wake up when less of the drug remains in your system.

How long does it last?

Immediate-release Xanax has an average half-life of about 11 hours, though it can range from roughly 6 to 27 hours in some people. It takes several additional half-life cycles for the drug to be fully cleared. Symptoms typically fade before the medication is totally eliminated.

Most symptoms should diminish within 24 hours of your last dose. Minor effects, such as decreased appetite, may persist for a day or two after your final dose.

Will you have a hangover every time you take it?

Anytime you take Xanax there is a possibility of experiencing a hangover as the medication wears off.

You’re at greater risk of having a Xanax hangover if:

• it’s your first time using the medication
• you use it infrequently
• you’ve used it for a while but recently changed your dose
• you’ve used it for a while but have recently missed one or more doses

With ongoing use, your body may become more tolerant and side effects could lessen.

However, prolonged or high-dose use can produce physical dependence. Only take Xanax as directed by your clinician.

How to reduce your risk for future symptoms

Helping your body adapt to the medication can lower your chance of side effects. Consider these steps:

• Get enough sleep. Being well rested reduces emotional reactivity and improves cognitive clarity. Both are harder to maintain without sleep, and a Xanax hangover can make them nearly impossible. Go to bed earlier the night you take Xanax and allow yourself extra sleep so you can rest through some hangover effects.
• Use Xanax as directed. Don’t alter your dose without consulting your provider. Never combine Xanax with other medications, recreational substances, or alcohol. This medicine has a high potential for dangerous interactions.
• Limit caffeine. Your instinct might be to reach for coffee or an energy drink, but caffeine can provoke jitters and anxiety, counteracting Xanax’s intended effects. Cut back on caffeine until your body adjusts.

Talk to your doctor

If you have frequent Xanax hangovers, consult your clinician. They may be able to modify your dosing to reduce side effects.

They might suggest taking smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day instead of a single larger dose, or they may lower your overall dose.

Never discontinue Xanax without medical supervision. If you need to stop the medication, your doctor will guide you through a gradual taper. Abruptly stopping increases the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms.