Plugging Xanax | Dangers Of Rectal Alprazolam Use

Xanax (alprazolam) is one of a number of benzodiazepines that works as a central nervous system depressant that is prone to abuse. People that use Xanax recreationally seek the feelings of calm and wellbeing that it provides.

Benzodiazepines can cause physical dependence even when taken as prescribed, particularly with long-term use. Misuse, including taking higher doses, using without a prescription, or using alternative administration methods, significantly increases the risk of dependence and use disorder.

People may resort to alternative methods of intake like snorting or rectal administration (plugging). Oftentimes, people will take Xanax with alcoholic beverages, amphetamines, or opioids to enhance or counteract the desired effects. Alternative intake methods like plugging increase the intensity of Xanax’s effects, but carry serious risks and side effects.

Reasons People Plug Drugs Like Xanax

People choose to plug drugs like Xanax because this method allows the medication to be absorbed very quickly through blood vessels in the rectal wall, causing the effects to happen much faster than taking pills by mouth. While the drug reaches peak effects more quickly through plugging, the effects also wear off sooner.

Plugging Xanax is extremely dangerous and comes with serious risks. People who use this method face increased chances of physical injury from inserting drugs rectally, and they may experience much stronger side effects. Most importantly, plugging Xanax increases the risk of overdose, which can be deadly.

Side Effects Of Xanax Abuse

Xanax works to depress the central nervous system in a similar manner as alcohol, but without the immediate cognitive effects. Xanax is typically prescribed as a treatment for anxiety disorders and insomnia. It creates a feeling of well-being by flooding the neurotransmitter receptors impacted by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When misused, Xanax may cause a range of physical and mental side effects.

Xanax side effects may include:

• lowered blood pressure
• slowed respiration rate
• drowsiness
• irritability
• dizziness
• insomnia
• coordination problems
• nausea and vomiting
• poor balance
• foggy memory
• concentration problems

Although Xanax is an effective treatment for mental health symptoms, it slows down vital systems like breathing and heart rate. One of the most common effects of Xanax is an increased incidence of people hurting themselves from falls and poor decision-making.

Risks Of Plugging Xanax

In addition to the adverse effects that come along with Xanax use and misuse, plugging the drug has particularly jarring effects on the gastrointestinal system. It also presents a dangerous additional risk of overdose and death.

Tissue Damage From Plugging Xanax

When doctors prescribe suppositories for medical use, they come with sterile applicators and proper lubrication to prevent injury. However, people who misuse Xanax by plugging it rarely take these same safety precautions, which greatly increases the risk of serious tissue damage. Without sterile equipment and proper lubrication, inserting drugs rectally can cause tears, infections, and other complications.

Plugging benzodiazepines like Xanax is especially risky for people with certain health conditions, including anorectal disorders, poor blood circulation, ongoing diarrhea, or low platelet counts. The chemical makeup of Xanax can irritate the sensitive tissues inside the rectum, leading to bleeding and permanent damage. The more someone uses this method, the more severe the tissue damage becomes.

Greater Probability Of Xanax Overdose

People believe that it is safe to take drugs by plugging. Many people believe that because the drug doesn’t enter the digestive system, and thus doesn’t impact any organ systems.

Rectal administration partially bypasses hepatic first-pass metabolism, meaning more of the drug reaches the bloodstream more quickly compared to oral ingestion. The key danger is not whether the liver is involved, but that the faster, more intense onset makes it difficult to gauge how much is too much. This dramatically increases the overdose risk.

While Xanax enters the bloodstream and bypasses the digestive system, it affects the liver. The difference is that plugged Xanax has entered the system very quickly through the bloodstream, which causes intense effects that fade more quickly than through oral ingestion.

When Xanax is combined with Adderall or alcohol, people that take Xanax rectally may continue to take more drugs when they stop feeling any effects. This is dangerous. People may feel that because the effects of a drug have worn off, then it is no longer in the body. With downers like Xanax (and especially when combined with alcohol or opioids) overdose can happen suddenly, causing respiratory failure and death.

Increased Risk Of Fatal Overdose

Xanax depresses vital nervous system functions. When taken alone or with other CNS depressants, an overdose that occurs from plugging may overwhelm the body. Plugging Xanax can create overdose conditions in the same way as injecting or snorting the drug.

Xanax overdose symptoms include:

• heart failure
• coma
• blurred vision/dizziness
• shortness of breath
• inability to breathe (respiratory depression)
• low blood pressure
• tremors
• bodily weakness
• loss of coordination

Orally ingested drugs or alcohol can be pumped from the stomach or neutralized by charcoal in some cases. Xanax overdose symptoms can be mitigated by flumazenil if detected early enough. Still, a fatal overdose may occur when Xanax is rectally ingested.

The Added Danger Of Fentanyl

An additional and growing danger is fentanyl contamination in counterfeit benzodiazepine pills. Fake Xanax tablets are often pressed with illicitly manufactured fentanyl and are indistinguishable from legitimate prescriptions.

Given that plugging accelerates absorption, a fentanyl-contaminated counterfeit pill administered rectally dramatically increases the risk of rapid fatal overdose. Fentanyl test strips can detect its presence before use. Naloxone should be on hand for anyone using pills obtained outside of a licensed pharmacy.

Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms

Xanax is addictive and may cause physical symptoms of chemical dependency. Chemical dependency symptoms don’t involve any mental or emotional association with the drug. These symptoms happen from the body’s physiological response to not having the drug for a period of time. In essence, the body begins to need the drug to function.

Xanax withdrawal symptoms may include:

• erratic behavior
• heart palpitations
• irritability
• hallucinations
• seizures
• excessive sweating

Xanax withdrawal is one of the most medically dangerous forms of withdrawal and is comparable to alcohol withdrawal in severity. Abruptly stopping Xanax after physical dependence has developed can cause life-threatening seizures, delirium, and cardiovascular instability.

Anyone who has been using Xanax regularly, especially through plugging, which accelerates dependence, should never stop abruptly without medical supervision. A gradual, medically supervised taper is the standard of care. If seizures, severe confusion, or hallucinations develop after stopping, call 911 immediately.

Getting Treatment For Xanax Drug Abuse

Many people continue drug or alcohol use in order to avoid uncomfortable or painful withdrawal symptoms. Xanax misuse through methods like plugging makes it difficult to stop taking the drug. Benzodiazepines like Xanax should only be used as prescribed for medical conditions like anxiety. Even when taken according to a doctor’s direction, Xanax is addictive.

Reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for more information about addiction recovery.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff