XANAX TABLETS (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peen). Alprazolam affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety.
Xanax is considered an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine drug. After taking Xanax in pill form, peak levels are found in your blood 1 to 2 hours later. The average half-life of Xanax in the blood is 11.2 hours in healthy adults, meaning that half of the drug has been metabolized and eliminated in the urine in that time frame. It takes five to seven half-lives for 98 percent of a drug dose to clear the body, so Xanax takes at least four days to be fully eliminated from the body.
The half-life is longer for the geriatric population, obese people, those with alcoholic liver disease, and people with Asian genetics. This means that Xanax takes more time to metabolize and clear out of your system. Meanwhile, the concentration of Xanax in the blood is up to 50 percent less in smokers.
Detection Windows
Xanax is detectable in your blood, urine, saliva, and hair, but how long it’s detectable depends on a variety of individual factors. Your age, weight, body fat, other medications, dose, length of time taking Xanax, hydration level, and metabolism all affect how long it takes for the drug to be eliminated from your system.
Here are the approximate detection window times for Xanax:
- Urine: A urine drug screen, such as those that are done for employment, will test positive for benzodiazepines for five days and up to a week after a dose. For populations who metabolize Xanax more slowly—elderly, obese, Asian, and those with alcoholic liver disease—that time maybe even longer.
- Saliva: Xanax can be detected in saliva for up to 2.5 days.
- Hair: As with all drugs, XANAX TABLETS be detected in your hair starting two to three weeks after and for up to 90 days after your last dose.