FDA Label for Alprazolam
View Indications, Usage & Precautions
Alprazolam Product Label
The following document was submitted to the FDA by the labeler of this product Advanced Rx Pharmacy Of Tennessee, Llc. The document includes published materials associated whith this product with the essential scientific information about this product as well as other prescribing information. Product labels may durg indications and usage, generic names, contraindications, active ingredients, strength dosage, routes of administration, appearance, warnings, inactive ingredients, etc.
Medication Guide Section
MEDICATION GUIDEALPRAZOLAM TABLETS, USP CIV(AL PRAY ZOE LAM)
What is the most important information I should know about alprazolam tablets?
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Alprazolam tablets are a benzodiazepine medicine. Taking benzodiazepines with opioid medicines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) can cause severe drowsiness, breathing problems (respiratory depression), coma and death.
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Alprazolam tablets can make you sleepy or dizzy, and can slow your thinking and motor skills.
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Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how alprazolam tablets affect you.
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Do not drink alcohol or take other drugs that may make you sleepy or dizzy while taking alprazolam tablets without first talking to your healthcare provider. When taken with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness, alprazolam tablets may make your sleepiness or dizziness much worse.
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Do not take more alprazolam tablets than prescribed.
What are alprazolam tablets?
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Alprazolam tablets are a prescription medicine used:
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to treat anxiety disorders
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for the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety
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to treat panic disorder with or without a fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment (agoraphobia)
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Alprazolam tablets are a federal controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep alprazolam tablets in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away alprazolam tablets may harm others, and is against the law. Tell your healthcare provider if you have abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs.
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It is not known if alprazolam tablets are safe and effective in children.
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Elderly patients are especially susceptible to dose related adverse effects when taking alprazolam tablets.
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It is not known if alprazolam tablets are safe and effective when used to treat anxiety disorder for longer than 4 months.
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It is not known if alprazolam tablets are safe and effective when used to treat panic disorder for longer than 10 weeks.
Do not take alprazolam tablets if:
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you are allergic to alprazolam, other benzodiazepines, or any of the ingredients in alprazolam tablets. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in alprazolam tablets.
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you are taking antifungal medicines including ketoconazole and itraconazole.
Before you take alprazolam tablets, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
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have or have had depression, mood problems, or suicidal thoughts or behavior
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have liver or kidney problems
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have lung disease or breathing problems
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are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Alprazolam tablets may harm your unborn baby. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you should take alprazolam tablets while you are pregnant.
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are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Alprazolam passes into your breast milk and may harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take alprazolam tablets. You should not breastfeed while taking alprazolam tablets.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Taking alprazolam tablets with certain other medicines can cause side effects or affect how well alprazolam tablets or the other medicines work. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider.
How should I take alprazolam tablets?
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See "WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ALPRAZOLAM TABLETS?"
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Take alprazolam tablets exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take them. Your healthcare provider will tell you how many alprazolam tablets to take and when to take them.
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If you take too many alprazolam tablets, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
What should I avoid while taking alprazolam tablets?
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Alprazolam tablets can cause you to be drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate heavy machinery until you know how alprazolam tablets affect you.
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You should not drink alcohol while taking alprazolam tablets. Drinking alcohol can increase your chances of having serious side effects.
What are the possible side effects of alprazolam tablets?
Alprazolam tablets may cause serious side effects, including:
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See "WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ALPRAZOLAM TABLETS?"
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Abuse and dependence. Taking alprazolam tablets can cause physical and psychological dependence. Physical and psychological dependence is not the same as drug addiction. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the differences between physical and psychological dependence and drug addiction.
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Withdrawal symptoms. You may have withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking alprazolam tablets suddenly. Withdrawal symptoms can be serious and include seizures. Mild withdrawal symptoms include a depressed mood and trouble sleeping. Talk to your healthcare provider about slowly stopping alprazolam tablets to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
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Seizures. Stopping alprazolam tablets can cause seizures and seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).
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Mania. Alprazolam tablets may cause an increase in activity and talking (hypomania and mania) in people who have depression.
The most common side effects of alprazolam tablets include drowsiness and light-headedness. These are not all the possible side effects of alprazolam tablets. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store alprazolam tablets?
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Store alprazolam tablets between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C)
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KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN
General information about the safe and effective use of alprazolam tablets.
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Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide.
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Do not use alprazolam tablets for a condition for which they were not prescribed.
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Do not give alprazolam tablets to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. They may harm them.
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You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about alprazolam tablets that is written for health professionals.
What are the ingredients in alprazolam tablets?
Active ingredient: alprazolam
Inactive ingredients: docusate sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, and sodium benzoate. Additionally, the 0.5 mg also contains FD&C Yellow #6 Aluminum Lake, and the 1 mg also contains FD&C Blue #2 Aluminum Lake.
This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Manufactured by
Sandoz Inc.
Princeton, NJ 08540
46225044
Rev. 04/2019
Dosage And Administration Section
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Dosage should be individualized for maximum beneficial effect. While the usual daily dosages given below will meet the needs of most patients, there will be some who require doses greater than 4 mg/day. In such cases, dosage should be increased cautiously to avoid adverse effects.
Anxiety Disorders and Transient Symptoms of Anxiety
Treatment for patients with anxiety should be initiated with a dose of 0.25 to 0.5 mg given three times daily. The dose may be increased to achieve a maximum therapeutic effect, at intervals of 3 to 4 days, to a maximum daily dose of 4 mg, given in divided doses. The lowest possible effective dose should be employed and the need for continued treatment reassessed frequently. The risk of dependence may increase with dose and duration of treatment.
In all patients, dosage should be reduced gradually when discontinuing therapy or when decreasing the daily dosage. Although there are no systematically collected data to support a specific discontinuation schedule, it is suggested that the daily dosage be decreased by no more than 0.5 mg every 3 days. Some patients may require an even slower dosage reduction.
Panic Disorder
The successful treatment of many panic disorder patients has required the use of alprazolam at doses greater than 4 mg daily. In controlled trials conducted to establish the efficacy of alprazolam in panic disorder, doses in the range of 1 to 10 mg daily were used. The mean dosage employed was approximately 5 to 6 mg daily. Among the approximately 1700 patients participating in the panic disorder development program, about 300 received alprazolam in dosages of greater than 7 mg/day, including approximately 100 patients who received maximum dosages of greater than 9 mg/day. Occasional patients required as much as 10 mg a day to achieve a successful response.
Dose Titration
Treatment may be initiated with a dose of 0.5 mg three times daily. Depending on the response, the dose may be increased at intervals of 3 to 4 days in increments of no more than 1 mg per day. Slower titration to the dose levels greater than 4 mg/day may be advisable to allow full expression of the pharmacodynamic effect of alprazolam. To lessen the possibility of interdose symptoms, the times of administration should be distributed as evenly as possible throughout the waking hours, that is, on a three or four times per day schedule.
Generally, therapy should be initiated at a low dose to minimize the risk of adverse responses in patients especially sensitive to the drug. Dose should be advanced until an acceptable therapeutic response (ie, a substantial reduction in or total elimination of panic attacks) is achieved, intolerance occurs, or the maximum recommended dose is attained.
Dose Maintenance
For patients receiving doses greater than 4 mg/day, periodic reassessment and consideration of dosage reduction is advised. In a controlled postmarketing dose-response study, patients treated with doses of alprazolam greater than 4 mg/day for 3 months were able to taper to 50% of their total maintenance dose without apparent loss of clinical benefit. Because of the danger of withdrawal, abrupt discontinuation of treatment should be avoided (see WARNINGS,PRECAUTIONS, DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE).
The necessary duration of treatment for panic disorder patients responding to alprazolam is unknown. After a period of extended freedom from attacks, a carefully supervised tapered discontinuation may be attempted, but there is evidence that this may often be difficult to accomplish without recurrence of symptoms and/or the manifestation of withdrawal phenomena.
Dose Reduction
Because of the danger of withdrawal, abrupt discontinuation of treatment should be avoided (see WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE).
In all patients, dosage should be reduced gradually when discontinuing therapy or when decreasing the daily dosage. Although there are no systematically collected data to support a specific discontinuation schedule, it is suggested that the daily dosage be decreased by no more than 0.5 mg every three days. Some patients may require an even slower dosage reduction.
In any case, reduction of dose must be undertaken under close supervision and must be gradual. If significant withdrawal symptoms develop, the previous dosing schedule should be reinstituted and, only after stabilization, should a less rapid schedule of discontinuation be attempted. In a controlled postmarketing discontinuation study of panic disorder patients which compared this recommended taper schedule with a slower taper schedule, no difference was observed between the groups in the proportion of patients who tapered to zero dose; however, the slower schedule was associated with a reduction in symptoms associated with a withdrawal syndrome. It is suggested that the dose be reduced by no more than 0.5 mg every 3 days, with the understanding that some patients may benefit from an even more gradual discontinuation. Some patients may prove resistant to all discontinuation regimens.
Dosing in Special Populations
In elderly patients, in patients with advanced liver disease or in patients with debilitating disease, the usual starting dose is 0.25 mg, given two or three times daily. This may be gradually increased if needed and tolerated. The elderly may be especially sensitive to the effects of benzodiazepines. If side effects occur at the recommended starting dose, the dose may be lowered.
Indications And Usage Section
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Anxiety Disorders
Alprazolam tablets are indicated for the management of anxiety disorder (a condition corresponding most closely to the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [DSM-III-R] diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder) or the short-term relief of symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety or tension associated with the stress of everyday life usually does not require treatment with an anxiolytic.
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by unrealistic or excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) about two or more life circumstances, for a period of 6 months or longer, during which the person has been bothered more days than not by these concerns. At least 6 of the following 18 symptoms are often present in these patients: Motor Tension (trembling, twitching, or feeling shaky; muscle tension, aches, or soreness; restlessness; easy fatigability); Autonomic Hyperactivity (shortness of breath or smothering sensations; palpitations or accelerated heart rate; sweating, or cold clammy hands; dry mouth; dizziness or light-headedness; nausea, diarrhea, or other abdominal distress; flushes or chills; frequent urination; trouble swallowing or ‘lump in throat’); Vigilance and Scanning (feeling keyed up or on edge; exaggerated startle response; difficulty concentrating or ‘mind going blank’ because of anxiety; trouble falling or staying asleep; irritability). These symptoms must not be secondary to another psychiatric disorder or caused by some organic factor.
Anxiety associated with depression is responsive to alprazolam.
Panic Disorder
Alprazolam is also indicated for the treatment of panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia.
Studies supporting this claim were conducted in patients whose diagnoses corresponded closely to the DSM-III-R/IV criteria for panic disorder (see CLINICAL STUDIES).
Panic disorder (DSM-IV) is characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks, ie, a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which four (or more) of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes: (1) palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate; (2) sweating; (3) trembling or shaking; (4) sensations of shortness of breath or smothering; (5) feeling of choking; (6) chest pain or discomfort; (7) nausea or abdominal distress; (8) feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint; (9) derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself); (10) fear of losing control; (11) fear of dying; (12) paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations); (13) chills or hot flushes.
Demonstrations of the effectiveness of alprazolam by systematic clinical study are limited to 4 months duration for anxiety disorder and 4 to 10 weeks duration for panic disorder; however, patients with panic disorder have been treated on an open basis for up to 8 months without apparent loss of benefit. The physician should periodically reassess the usefulness of the drug for the individual patient.
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