Typically prescribed as an anti-anxiety medication, Xanax is the most widely prescribed of all benzodiazepines as a method to alleviate anxiety and treat panic disorders. Unfortunately, it has also become one of the most abused recreational drugs on the market, infiltrating homes and communities with little regard to race, age, gender, creed or color.
Today, ”benzos” are the most commonly used anti-anxiety drugs and, among the lot, Xanax is the most popular. A Xanax bar contains two to four times the dose of medicine typically required to treat anxiety.
XANAX BARS EFFECTS
Alprazolam is a depressant whose effects include anxiety suppression, sedation, disinhibition, and muscle relaxation. Alprazolam has a fast onset of action and symptomatic relief. Ninety percent of peak effects are achieved within the first hour of using in preparation for panic disorder and full peak effects are achieved in 1.5 and 1.6 hours respectively.
DANGER OF XANAX BARS
Alprazolam is capable of producing strong sedation and can lead to a lethargic state. At higher levels, this causes users to suddenly feel as if they are extremely sleep deprived and need to fight to stay awake. This sleep deprivation increases proportionally to dosage and eventually becomes powerful enough to force the user into a deep state of unconsciousness. This is usually preceded by loss of motor skills and coordination with the effect ranging from motor impairment and difficulty moving at lower doses to complete lethargy or inability to stand up or move at high doses.
When mixed with alcohol, Alprazolam (as with other benzos) usually leads to memory loss or dangerous “blackouts”.
What Color Xanax Bars Are The Strongest?
Xanax, which is the name brand of alprazolam manufactured by Pfizer, comes in several different strengths. The term “Xanax bars” usually refers to the 2-milligram-strength tablets of the drug; these are white and rectangular tablets imprinted with the word “XANAX” on one side and the number “2” on the other side. These pills are scored (indented) in three places, so that one pill can be broken into four 0.25-mg pieces.
The company called Par Pharmaceuticals distributes pale green Xanax bars. These 2-mg rectangular pills are different in that they have the imprint “S 90 3” and have two scores (instead of three) and can be broken into three equal 0.66 doses.
A Yellow version of the drug is manufactured by Actavis Pharma. These particular 2-mg tablets are often referred to a “school buses” on the street.
As is apparent, different manufacturers use different colors for their formulations. The lowest dose of alprazolam is 0.25 mg, and it usually comes as an oblong white pill that is scored down the middle. The highest strength dose of Xanax, however, is a 3-mg extended-release tablet. Unlike others, this pill is triangular (not bar-shaped) and green. Manufacturers often give their medications different shapes and colors in an attempt to make them seem separate or unique.
Familiarizing yourself with the various colors and strengths can be useful in identifying suspected alprazolam addiction in a loved one.
By prescription, alprazolam (Xanax) is available as a:
Green Xanax Bar
Green pills are similar in strength to White and Yellow Xanax bars and typically contain 2 mg of the drug. The effects of the green pills are, therefore, the same as those seen with yellow and white Xanax bars. Green pills are available in rectangular, oval, triangular, and round shapes, usually in doses of 2 mg to 3 mg. In the oval shape, they are known as green football Xanax with a strength of 1 mg. Other street names include green oval Xanax and green monster Xanax. Hulk Xanax is a slow-release form with lower sedation effects. The triangular green pills have a strength of 3 mg and this is the strongest dose available. In general, the green pills are considered stronger than the white ones. The price of green Xanax bars on the street varies according to demand and supply, but typically one bar costs about $6.
Pink Xanax Bar
This is a common dosage form of alprazolam with a maximum strength of 0.5 mg, which is a dose suitable for the treatment of panic and anxiety disorders. These round or oval-shaped pink pills resemble a football. This type of alprazolam is not widely produced. Pink alprazolam is legally available by physician-authorized prescription only, but many people with a benzodiazepine addiction purchase it on the street or obtain it from friends and family members.
White Xanax Bar
These are Rectangular Bars that contain 2 mg of active alprazolam. It is important to note that the maximum dose of alprazolam is 4 mg per day, so white Xanax bars of 2 mg is a very high dose of the drug. This form of the drug produces strong sedation within minutes of being consumed. The bar is typically marked with scores or grooves to make it easy for the user to split into smaller portions. The bar shape of alprazolam in any color (white, yellow, or green) usually contains a 2-mg dose. Because white Xanax bars have such a high strength, it is not advisable to quit them cold turkey because this can produce severe and dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Each manufacturer puts their own unique imprint on the bars (for example, G 372 2 or X ANA X 2). White pills are also available in round, rectangular, oval, and triangular shapes with strength varying from 0.25 mg to 2 mg.
Yellow Xanax Bar
This type of alprazolam pill is the generic form of the drug and sometimes has the number 039 imprinted on it. The strength of yellow Xanax bars is 2 mg and they are similar in effect to the white-colored ones. The difference in color is due to the tablets being manufactured by different companies. The street name for this type of alprazolam is yellow school bus on account of the color and shape. A four-sided 1-mg pill and yellow oval Xanax are the other shapes and strengths that are available. The 2-mg yellow bars typically cost $4.00 each on the street and are considered stronger than the green or white bars.
Blue Xanax Bar
This is a 1-mg strength of alprazolam that is available in an elliptical or oval shape. Users can break the pills in half to consume a 0.5 mg dose. These pills are schedule 4 controlled substances available by prescription only. The round blue Xanax pills of 1 mg strength are imprinted with 031 R by manufacturer Actavis. On the street, the price of 1 mg Xanax is approximately $2.00 per pill.
Peach Xanax Bar
Also known as Orange Xanax, this is a lower dose of the drug and is usually oval or football-shaped. It contains 0.5 mg of active drug and sometimes has the number 257 imprinted on the tablet. Pfizer manufactures elliptical/oval alprazolam in orange-colored pills of 0.5 mg strength. It is widely produced in doses ranging from 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg and is typically prescribed for patients with less severe anxiety symptoms.
Purple Xanax Bar
This is a popular form of the medication manufactured by Pfizer. These round or elongated pills contain 1 mg of alprazolam and have the name of the drug and 1.0 imprinted on them. For anxiety disorders, the commonly prescribed dose is 0.25 or 0.5 mg. The maximum dose corresponds to about 4 purple Xanax footballs.
HOW LONG DO XANAX BARS STAY IN YOUR SYSTEM?
Since Xanax has a half-life of around 12 hours, most users will have the drug out of their systems after 4 days. A half-life is defined as the amount of time it takes for the concentration of the drug to be reduced by 50% (in other words, after one half-life, the concentration of the drug in the body will be half of the starting dose). Urine tests can detect Xanax for up to 5-7 days after the last use. Saliva tests can detect Xanax for up to 2.5 days after the last use. Blood tests can detect Xanax for up to 1-6 days after the last use.
ARE XANAX BARS POPULAR WITH TEENS?
The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that young adults were the most likely to have ever used alprazolam or the closely related drug lorazepam for non-medical purposes. The rate of abuse for those aged 18-25 (10.3%) was nearly double that for people aged 26 or over (5.7%).
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Xanax is currently the tranquilizer drug most commonly used by 12th graders. Additionally, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that young adults were the most likely to have used for non-medical purposes.
XANAX ABUSE TREATMENT
Upwards of 47 million prescriptions for Xanax are written every year making it the most popular psychiatric medication in the United States. These numbers contribute to the fact that up to 40% of people who take benzodiazepines like Xanax will develop an addiction to those pills. Treatment for this kind of debilitating addiction has to be two-pronged: physical and psychological.
A medical detox is necessary to circumvent the hazards of benzo withdrawal and remain comfortable and safe as the body becomes accustomed to the absence of Xanax. Rehab, itself, however, is also vital for skill-building and relapse-prevention planning while learning to understand and defy core issues that may have led to addiction in the first place.
If you or a loved one is struggling with Xanax addiction or are addicted to benzos or benzodiazepines, THERE IS A SOLUTION. Please feel free to call us anytime, day or night, at 1-877-837-2393. We’re here to help.
