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Information for Healthcare Professionals
Dosing

Convenient, Once-daily Dosing

Dosing Recommendations

STARTDosing Recommendations
*A longer titration interval may be advisable in some patients.

In elderly patients, patients with advanced liver disease, or patients with debilitating disease, the usual starting dose is 0.5 mg once daily, increased gradually if needed and tolerated.

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Milligram-for-Milligram Conversion

Milligram-for-Milligram Conversion

Equivalency Table of Selected Benzodiazepines

Equivalency Table of Selected Benzodiazepines

Adapted from Ciraulo, in Kaplan & Sadock, 2000.

Therapeutic equivalencies stated are approximate and not intended to replace clinical judgment. As with any medication, individual patient response will vary.

† Klonopin is a registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. Tranxene is a registered trademark of Sanofi-Sythelabo. Valium is a registered trademark of Roche Products Inc. Ativan and Serax are registered trademarks of Wyeth.

Taper

Slow Tapering and Careful Supervision are Necessary for Discontinuation

  • Patients should NOT be discontinued faster than 0.5 mg every 3 days
  • Some patients may require an even slower taper, especially during the second half of the discontinuation. 9
  • A patient's previous dose may need to be reinstated if panic symptoms recur or significant discontinuation symptoms emerge
  • Because of the potential for discontinuation symptons, instruct patients not to stop taking XANAX XR or decrease the dose without consulting their physicians

References >>

Important Safety Information: XANAX XR is contraindicated in patients with known sensitivity to this drug or other benzodiazepines, in patients with acute narrow-angle glaucoma, and in patients taking potent CYP3A inhibitors, such as ketoconazole and itraconazole.

Certain adverse clinical events are a direct consequence of physical dependence to alprazolam. These include a spectrum of discontinuation symptoms, the most important being the possibility of seizure.

The most commonly observed adverse events in patients treated with XANAX XR in controlled clinical trials (≥5% and at least twice the incidence observed for placebo) were: sedation (45.2% vs 22.6%), somnolence (23.0% vs 6.0%), memory impairment (15.4% vs 6.9%), dysarthria (10.9% vs 2.6%), abnormal coordination (9.4% vs 0.9%), ataxia (7.2% vs 3.2%), and decreased libido (6.0% vs 2.3%).

Please see full prescribing information for more information.


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The product information provided in this site is intended only for residents of the United States. The products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.