James Dixon does the leg work to find out which are the best natural Xanax alternatives – some of which are lifestyle choices, and some that can be obtained through diet and supplementation. He also offers his all-in-one solution…
Xanax serves an often necessary function. It’s a common prescription medication used to treat anxiety related mental health concerns, including anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Its active ingredient is Alprazolam, a benzodiazepine that was first brought to market in the early eighties, since which time it has gone on to become incredibly popular.
Alprazolam modulates GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, neurotransmission in your central nervous system, or CNS. In doing so, it brings about a sedative, almost hypnotic effect which is very good for moderating and diminishing symptoms of anxiety and stress.
However, there are good reasons that it’s only available with a prescription. As a pretty harsh pharmaceutical, it brings with it a pretty long list of possible side effects and even symptoms of withdrawal. These can include xerostomia (dry mouth), dizziness, digestive discomfort, mood swings and irritability, brain fog, and disinhibition.
It almost isn’t worth these side effects in many cases. It arguably certainly isn’t in less extreme cases of anxiety. For this reason, it may be better to turn to natural Xanax alternatives that don’t give such a strong effect, but which also don’t come with this kind of laundry list of side effects.
There are plenty of natural alternatives to Xanax to choose from, from standalone ingredients to fully mixed, potent nootropic or stress relieving supplements made from dozens of different ingredients.
Quick Verdict: Top Natural Xanax Alternative
Xanax is not for everyone, and with a wide range of potential negative side effects, it is quite rightly a prescription only medication.
Luckily, there are plenty of natural alternatives to Xanax that can bring about similar benefits – without the nasty side effects.
We list the whole range of natural Xanax alternatives, but if you want our no.1 all in one solution then go for Xanapril. It is a dedicated Xanax alternative and uses natural ingredients that are proven to relieve stress and anxiety whilst promote good deep sleep.
Xanax 101
Alprazolam plays a key role in moderating GABA in your CNS. An allosteric modulator, it binds to the GABA-A receptor complex to increase the receptor’s affinity for GABA.
When it does this, chloride channels associated with it open up and chloride ions flow across the neuronal membrane, leading to hyper-polarization, or a polar moment. This in turn inhibits further action potential whilst reducing neuron excitability. In short, GABA is an inhibitory neuron. It brings a calming effect to your CNS.
Benzodiazepines like Xanax basically boost GABA’s effective role within your body. This reduces stress and anxiety, allowing for greater calm and relaxation. It is essentially the reverse of caffeine, which works to stimulate the CNS, including increasing symptoms of anxiety, in addition to limiting the effect of adenosine in the brain.
Xanax is a very good medication for treating stress, anxiety, and panic disorders. Benzodiazepines do work very well.
Xanax can also be very effective for treating sleep disorders. It alters your sleep-wake cycles and overall wakefulness by better regulating brainwave activity.
It has been proven to decrease the length of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep stages by a significant degree, as well as reducing the frequency of REM burst activity. This is where you typically dream. Somewhat paradoxically, it is where your brain shows similar neurophysiology to your waking hours.
The energy you use during the REM stage is proportionate to energy use when awake. Decreasing REM frequency and duration may lead to more deep sleep, which is where you will build most of your energy reserves for the day ahead.
Natural Xanax Alternatives
Xanax is therefore very useful. How