How Long Does Xanax Stay In Your System? - Healthline

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Alprazolam (Xanax): How Long It Stays in Your System

Medically reviewed by Lindsay Slowiczek, PharmD — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on January 22, 2024

How long before it works
How long does it work
Xanax and drug tests
During pregnancy
In breast milk
Influences
Takeaway

One dose of Xanax reaches its therapeutic peak in about 2 hours and may stay in your body for 1 day or so. The drug can still be detected in the blood and urine for much longer. Your metabolism, dosage, body weight, and overall health may be factors.

This drug has boxed warnings. These are the most serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Boxed warnings alert doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Taking benzodiazepines with opioid drugs increases your risk for severe sleepiness, respiratory depression, coma, and even death. Aplrazolam shouldn’t be taken with an opioid unless there are no other available treatment options.
Using benzodiazepines, even as prescribed, can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal if you stop taking the drug suddenly. Withdrawal can be life threatening.
Taking this drug can also lead to misuse and addiction. Misuse of Alprazolam increases your risk of overdose and death.
Only take this drug as your doctor prescribes. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about safely taking this drug.

Alprazolam (Xanax) is a medication that belongs to the drug class doctors call “benzodiazepines.” People take it to relieve symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders.

The average person eliminates half a Xanax dose from their system in about 11.2 hours, according to the Xanax prescribing information. It can take days before your body fully eliminates Xanax from your system.

Keep reading to find out how long Xanax stays in your body — and how long different testing methods may detect it.

How long does it take for Xanax to work?

Different benzodiazepines work for various amounts of time. For example, midazolam (Nayzilam) is a short-acting benzodiazepine while clonazepam (Klonopin) is a longer-acting one. Xanax is somewhere in the middle.

When you take Xanax, your body absorbs it, and a large part of it binds to circulating proteins. In about 1 to 2 hours, Xanax reaches its peak (maximum) concentration in your body. While doctors don’t know exactly how it works, they do know it depresses the central nervous system to help relieve anxiety.

After that, your body starts breaking it down, and its effects start to lessen.

How long does a dose of Xanax work?

Just because Xanax stays in your system, doesn’t mean that you feel its effects as long. You’ll usually start to feel less anxious within 1 to 2 hours of taking it. If you take it regularly, you may be able to maintain the concentrations of Xanax in your blood so you don’t feel like it’s worn off.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers also make extended-release versions of Xanax. These are made to last longer in your system so you don’t have to take as much each day. These formulations could last longer in your system.

How long will Xanax show up on drug tests?

Doctors can test for the presence of Xanax in a variety of ways. The method may determine how long a test can detect Xanax. These include:

Blood. It can vary how long laboratories can detect Xanax in your blood. Most people have about half the dose of Xanax in their blood within a day. However, it can take several days longer for the body to completely eliminate Xanax, according to the Xanax prescribing information. Even if you don’t feel the anxiety-relieving effects anymore, a laboratory may be able to detect Xanax in the blood for up to 4 to 5 days.
Hair. Laboratories can detect Xanax in head hair for up to 3 months, according to the United States Drug Testing Laboratories. Because body hair doesn’t usually grow as quickly, a laboratory may test a positive result for up to 12 months after taking Xanax.
Saliva. A 2015 study of 25 people using saliva samples found the maximum time Xanax stayed detectable in a person’s oral fluid was 2 1/2 days.
Urine. Not all drug tests can identify benzodiazepines or Xanax specifically, according to an article in the Journal Laboratory Medicine. However, some urine drug screens can detect Xanax for up to 5 days.

These timeframes can vary based on how quickly your body breaks down Xanax and the sensitivity of the laboratory test.

Xanax and pregnancy

Doctors don’t conduct a lot of studies on pregnant women and medications because they don’t want to hurt their babies. This means a lot of medical knowledge comes from reports of or studies that indicate possible problems.

Doctors assume that Xanax does cross the placenta and therefore can affect a baby. Most doctors will recommend stopping taking Xanax at least for the first trimester to try and reduce birth defects.

If you take Xanax while pregnant, it’s possible your baby could be born with Xanax in its system. It’s really important you have an honest discussion with your doctor if you’re pregnant about how much Xanax you take and how it can affect your baby.

Does Xanax pass through breast milk?

Yes, Xanax can pass through breast milk. An older study from 1995 studied the presence of Xanax in breast milk, and found the average half-life of Xanax in breast milk was about 14.5 hours, according to the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Breastfeeding while taking Xanax could cause a baby to be more sedated, affecting their breathing. Xanax also can reduce the risks for seizures, so when a baby withdraws from Xanax, they could have a seizure.

Most doctors won’t recommend taking Xanax while breastfeeding unless absolutely necessary. They can usually prescribe medicines that are shorter acting or have a different action in the body, so they’re less likely to affect a baby.

What things affect how long Xanax stays in your system?

Several factors affect how long Xanax stays in your system. Some make it stay in your system longer while others mean it stays in for less time.

Xanax lasts longer in these circumstances:

Alcoholic liver disease. Because the liver helps break down Xanax, a person whose liver doesn’t work as well will take longer to break it down. The average half-life for Xanax in this population is 19.7 hours, according to the Xanax prescribing information.
Elderly. Older people usually take longer to break down Xanax. The average half-life in an elderly person is about 16.3 hours, according to the Xanax prescribing information.
Obesity. The half-life of Xanax in a person with obesity is 21.8 hours on average — that’s 10 hours more than in a person who is “average sized,” according to the Xanax prescribing information.

Xanax may last a shorter amount of time if a person takes certain medications that speed up the elimination of medicines. Doctors call these medicines “inducers.” They include:

carbamazepine
fosphenytoin
phenytoin
topiramate (Topamax)

Doctors prescribe these medicines to reduce seizure activity.

Other examples that can speed up the elimination of medicines include St. John’s wort, which is a supplement used to improve moods, and rifampin (Rifadin), which is used for infections.

»MORE:Get a refill for your medication in as little as 15 minutes with Optum Now Online Care.

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The takeaway

Xanax isn’t the longest-acting benzodiazepines, but it isn’t the shortest either. Your body will usually metabolize most of the Xanax in a day. The rest you may not feel, but will still be there in detectable levels.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Alprazolam - drug summary. (n.d.).https://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/Xanax-alprazolam-1873.31#topPage
Benzodiazepines. (n.d.).https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-info/drug-book/benzodiazepines.html
FDA requiring Boxed Warning updated to improve safe use of benzodiazepine drug class. (2020).https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-requiring-boxed-warning-updated-improve-safe-use-benzodiazepine-drug-class
Hair drug testing. (n.d.).https://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/Xanax-alprazolam-1873.31#topPage
Jones AW, et al. (2013). Concentration of alprazolam in blood from impaired drivers and forensic autopsies were not much different but showed a high prevalence of co-ingested illicit drugs. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881112471155
Kampfrath T, et al. (2015). Benzodiazepine in a urine specimen without drug metabolites. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1309/LMIG49YDFSUNQ2YS
Nordal K, et al. (2015). Detection times of diazepam, clonazepam, and alprazolam in oral fluid collected from patients admitted to detoxification after high and repeated drug intake. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/FTD.0000000000000174
Oo, C, et al. (1995). Pharmacokinetics in lactating women: prediction of alprazolam transfer into milk. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.1995.tb05778.x
Xanax. (n.d.).https://www.pfizermedicalinformation.com/en-us/xanax/clinical-pharmacology
Xanax: Alprazolam tablets, USP . (2011).https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/018276s045lbl.pdf

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Medically reviewed by Lindsay Slowiczek, PharmD — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on January 22, 2024

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What things affect how long Xanax stays in your system?

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