Does Xanax Cause Weight Loss?

Does Xanax Cause Weight Loss?

Xanax (alprazolam) is a type of medication that is primarily used for the acute management of panic disorder and other types of anxiety disorders. When Xanax is administered, it crosses the brain-blood-barrier and modulates GABAA receptor alpha-1 subunit activation. Neurons are hyperpolarized by the GABAergic modulation via an influx of chloride ions, which results in negative membrane potentials being induced.

When negative membrane potentials are induced, it makes it less likely that neurons will secrete or fire neurotransmitters throughout the brain. It basically reduces neuronal activation from Xanax action to decrease activity inside of the central nervous system, which produces effects such as drowsiness, cognitive impairment, myorelaxation, slowed thought speed, and/or psychological relaxation.

Also, since Xanax is a type of rapid-acting medication, many people consider Xanax to be among the most drugs for treating unexpected panic. Although Xanax is highly effective at managing many people’s anxiety disorder, there are some prospective users who might be concerns about the possible side effect of changing their weight.

Xanax (Alprazolam) and Weight Loss vs. Weight Gain (Potential Causes)

Randomized controlled trials have produced data that indicates that it is unlikely that Xanax will cause weight gain that is clinically significant (characterized to be a 7% increase in body weight from the baseline). However, the results from 8-week multiple randomized trials indicated that the ongoing administration of Xanax (at moderate doses) might cause modest levels of weight loss in some recipients.

It is important to understand that despite the fact that clinical trials have reported average incident rates for side effects (such as weight change) what you experience could be inconsistent with findings from the research. There is a chance you could be an abnormal responder or outlier so that you end up losing or gaining a lot more weight than other users of Xanax.Can Xanax Help You Lose Weight?

Potential reasons why someone may experience weight change when taking Xanax include the following: changes in their metabolic rate; fluctuation in energy level; body composition change; and/or appetite change. It is also necessary to emphasize the fact that the underlying cause(s) of any weight changes among users of Xanax can be subject to significant levels of variation between individuals; what might case one use to experience weight change might not explain another person’s weight change.

Appetite change: It has been suggested by several studies that one side effect of Xanax might be appetite change. The British Medical Journal published a study done by O’Sullivan et al. (1994) that reported a loss in appetite due to taking Xanax.  Noyes et al. (1988) conducted a study that showed increased appetite as a Xanax side effect.

However, in the study, an increase in appetite was accompanied by weight loss, which is counterintuitive. Other studies by Haney et al. (1997) and Evans et al. (1999) reported increased appetite from taking Xanax.  If you experience either a slight decrease or increase in appetite while you are taking Xanax to be aware, that could respectively lead to weight loss or weight gain.

Food cravings: For certain users, induced food cravings could be one reason why taking Xana could cause weight gain. It was discovered in a study that involved women who had a premenstrual syndrome that when Xanax was administered at an acute level (0.75 mg), it caused food cravings – for fatty foods specifically, which result in the taking of increased calories.

Although food carvings have not been reported in men or non-PMS women, Xanax might possibly induce food cravings by modulating activity in certain regions of the brain such as the ventral tegmental area and hypothalamus.

600 Calories A Day Weight Loss Results

600 Calories A Day Weight Loss Results

When you are aiming to lose weight, you might be looking to go on a caloric restriction-based diet. The truth is, calorie restriction is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. In this article, we will be going over some of the pros and cons associated with a caloric restriction diet.

1. It’s Effective

One of the biggest strengths this type of dieting has going for it is the fact that it is extremely effective. You are not going to be able to fail when you are implementing this kind of diet because it adheres to the principles of losing weight. By taking in fewer calories than you are using on a daily basis, you are going to be able to experience successful weight loss.

2. It’s Easy

Another good thing about this type of diet is the fact that it is incredibly easy to implement. Because you are going to be able to strictly count calories and not have to worry about anything else, it makes it very easy to not only implement but to comprehend.

1. Lower Energy

The biggest issue that you might have with this type of diet is the low energy levels that you are likely to have. Because this type of diet forces you to work with much fewer calories, you are going to have a lot less energy when you are on this type of diet. This can make it difficult for you to get in very effective workouts.

2. Lose Muscle

Another negative associated with this type of diet is the fact that you are likely to lose muscle while you are on it. Unfortunately, when you are eating so few calories, you are likely not going to get sufficient intake of protein. Because of this, you are likely to lose muscle when you are executing this type of diet. This can be a major negative depending on the type of weight loss you are looking to achieve.

3. You’ll Be Hungry


Unfortunately, you are going to be hungry for the beginning stages of a diet like this. It can be difficult to stick to and sustain because your body is going to have a very difficult time adjusting to the limited calories that you will be taking in.

Overall, this is a diet that can be effective and help you achieve your weight loss goals. As long as you are willing to lose muscle along with the bodyfat that you will be able to take off, you are going to be satisfied with the results that you are able to achieve.

Keep in mind, this is not the most sustainable diet to go on because you are going to be constantly hungry and you are not going to have a lot of energy that you can work with. Because of this, you are going to likely want to switch to a much more sustainable diet once you achieve your desired weight loss goals in the future.