Learn the Dangers of Fake Xanax
Legacy Healing Center Blog
The Unknown Risks and Dangers of Fake Xanax
In recent years, an alarm trend has emerged: counterfeit drugs. While the cheaper prices and greater availability may be enticing for someone who is addicted to drugs such as Xanax, the apparent dangers far outweigh the small benefits. But just what are the dangers of fake Xanax?
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Some of the first signs of fake drug that looked like Xanax appeared in 2015 with reports of fake Xanax tablets. Users took what they thought was Xanax but were soon met with something else entirely, leading to heart attacks and heart failure among other side effects.
So, what is the difference between fake vs real Xanax? In this article, the dangers of using counterfeit Xanax will be explored to better understand the risks involved.
What is a Xanax Bar?
A common question for someone just learning about Xanax has is “what is a Xanax bar?”. A Xanax bar refers to the shape of the strongest tablet that Xanax comes in, which looks like a bar that can be broken into smaller pieces to help manage correct dosages.
Fake vs Real Xanax
Real Xanax is manufactured under strict control, meaning that you know exactly what goes into each tablet. The list of ingredients is accurate and dosage can be controlled in a medical setting with precise accuracy. This allows for overdose and addiction risk to be better managed, too.
Fake Xanax, however, is not an exact copy of its real counterpart as far as ingredients goes; these counterfeit drugs have been found to be “cut” with fentanyl, an opioid, in order to cheaply improve potency and effectiveness. The fake drug may appear to look exactly the same as the original Xanax – bearing the same markings, color and size and bar shape of Xanax. This fact means that it can be near impossible to tell them apart without sending it to a lab to be tested.
Why is Fake Xanax so Dangerous?
Buying drugs from unlicensed providers, or illicitly, carries great risk because the manufacturers of the fake drugs take shortcuts to maximize their profits with no care for the users, and there are no regulations that they must adhere to.
Fentanyl, the drug used to increase the potency of counterfeit Xanax, is the most powerful opioid there is. It is as much as 50 times higher in potency than heroin, and dosage cannot be measured effectively with the naked eye. Fentanyl is the leading cause of opioid deaths in the opioid epidemic. Having such a powerful opioid in any drug greatly increases the risk of overdose because there is no way to ensure that a non-fatal dose is taken.
Overdose risk increases with counterfeit Xanax cases because the person buying the drug expects the potency of the pill to be what they are used to. Therefore, the user will take the same number of tablets or section of a Xanax bar that they normally take, which is affected by the tolerance levels for those who abuse the drug. However, with the added fentanyl, the person may unknowingly take far too much or not be prepared for the effects of the added opioid.
Avoiding a Dangerous Outcome
By only taking Xanax that was prescribed by a medical professional in the correct amounts, you can easily avoid counterfeit drugs. However, when a person has been abusing Xanax and becomes addicted, their supply of prescription Xanax can quickly deplete. They may turn to illegal alternatives and run the risk of fake drugs cut with other powerful drugs.
By getting help for a Xanax addiction, you can rid yourself of the desire to keep abusing a drug that is chipping away at everything in your life. You can also avoid falling victim to illegal drug manufacturers trying to increase their profits by adding dangerous ingredients. Get help today through a Legacy Healing Center program.
Sources
https://archives.drugabuse.gov/emerging-trends/fake-prescription-drugs-laced-fentanyl