Xanax (alprazolam) is a prescription medication that’s part of the benzodiazepine drug class. Also known as benzos, these drugs act as central nervous system (CNS) sedatives to promote relaxation. Benzos like Xanax are normally prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, alleviating symptoms like excessive worrying and nervousness. Because certain medications are expensive in the U.S., many people go to Mexico to buy as much Xanax as they want. But while buying Mexican Xanax bars can be easier on your wallet, it can end up costing you more if the drug is laced with impurities.
What Are Mexican Xanax Bars (Farmapram)?
Mexican Xanax bars refer to the benzodiazepine alprazolam, which is better known by its brand name: Xanax. Xanax is a short-acting tranquilizer of the benzo drug class that acts on the brain and CNS to produce side effects like sedation, relaxation, calm, and reduced anxiety.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xanax in October 1981, and it has since become one of the most popularly prescribed and abused drugs in the United States. Xanax is a Schedule IV drug because it has both a medical purpose and a potential for abuse and addiction.
However, while known in the U.S. as alprazolam, Mexican Xanax bars go by the name of Farmapram. Farmapram is a brand of alprazolam that’s produced in Mexico by Ifa Celtics with registration number 420M2001 SSA II.
Farmapram usually comes in a brown glass bottle with a white cap and contains 30 rectangular bars. Each Mexican Xanax bar usually contains 2 mg of the active ingredient alprazolam.
Mexican Xanax bars, including Farmapram, have no imprints. Other presentations of the drug include 0.25 mg boxes with 30 and 90 slotted tablets and 50 mg boxes with 30 and 90 tablets.
Due to its side effects and potential for physical and psychological dependence, Xanax is usually prescribed for short-term treatment. Side effects of Mexican Xanax bars include:
- Drowsiness
- Sedation
- Lightheadedness
- Low energy
- Depression
- Confusion
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Nervousness
- Fainting
- Restlessness
- Impaired coordination
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Impaired memory
- Abnormal involuntary movement
- Decreased libido
- Rash
- Tachycardia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hypotension
- Chest pain
- Blurred vision
- Tinnitus
- Sweating
- Weakness
- Fear
These are only some of the many adverse side effects that can occur, many of them mostly in extreme cases. The risk of adverse Xanax effects is higher in people who take the drug without a prescription or misuse the drug. If you or someone you know is showing signs of Xanax abuse, reach out to our Stuart rehab center to find out how our benzo detox can help.
How Many Xanax Can You Bring Back From Mexico?
Several companies in Mexico produce Xanax, the most popular brand of Mexican Xanax bars being Farmapram. The U.S has the highest prescription drug cost in the world, prompting many people to travel to Canada and Mexico to purchase their medications.
Mexican Xanax bars prices on the streets can range from $3 to $5 for 0.25 mg to 1 mg pills, and $5 for a single 2mg pressed tablet. People are allowed to bring FDA-approved medications back into the United States for personal use, along with some stipulations. In general, people can bring back up to 50 Mexican Xanax bars (Farmapram) without a prescription.
To bring more than 50 dosage units of Xanax bars from Mexico, you need a prescription from an FDA-approved U.S. physician. A prescription from a Mexican physician is no longer acceptable in the U.S.
U.S. Customs agents may prohibit a supply of Mexican Xanax bars that is for more than 60 to 90 days. All medications, including Farmapram, must also be declared upon arrival and be in their original containers.
Drugs that aren’t approved by the FDA may not be accepted. It’s also against the law to not properly declare medication with U.S. Customs.
Risks of Buying Xanax Bars from Mexico
In addition to the side effects we mentioned earlier, buying Xanax bars in Mexico also comes with the risk of ingesting a laced pill. There are many fake versions of Xanax sold in Mexico that are laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and can easily cause an overdose.
Mexican cartels are making fake versions of Xanax using fentanyl because it’s a cheaper and quicker way of making their products more addicting and increasing their clientele. This is especially risky when people take the drug without knowing that it’s laced with fentanyl, which increases the risk of addiction and overdose.
Additionally, no one should ever buy these blank white Mexican Xanax bars without a doctor’s prescription. Legitimate pharmacies always ask for prescriptions.
Similarly, many patients are surprised to learn that it’s illegal for a Canadian pharmacist to dispense medication to an American without a prescription from a Canadian physician.
However, prescription medication can be bought in Mexico without a prescription from a physician. This means that U.S. residents living along the border have access to dangerous medications and can simply cross the border and buy them in Mexico.
Many sites offering Mexican Xanax pills are not pharmacies at all. Instead, they’re uncertified “online pharmacies” that are led by large criminal organizations that make money selling fake drugs with little or no active ingredient.
These pharmacies are widely advertised via email and have convincing names like “Trust Pharmacy Co” to look authentic. These are not really pharmacies but rather organizations that reside in countries with limited abilities to enforce fraud and counterfeit laws.
Abusing Mexican Xanax Bars
People often abuse Xanax for the fast-acting, relaxed high it produces. According to research, the number of people seeking benzo addiction treatment almost tripled from 1998 to 2008.1
Long-term alprazolam abuse is associated not only with addiction but also with depression, psychosis, and aggressive and impulsive behavior. In 2011 alone, there were over 1.2 million emergency room (ER) visits linked to non-medical use of prescription drugs, 10% of which were attributed to Xanax.1
The number of ER visits linked to non-medical use of Xanax doubled from 57,419 to 124,902 between 2005 to 2010.1 The most common drug combinations that healthcare professionals noted in people in ER visits were Xanax with alcohol and Xanax with prescription opioids like hydrocodone and oxycodone.3
Moreover, a major risk of Xanax abuse is addiction. Benzos are addictive because they affect the chemical balance in the brain, mainly through a neurotransmitter called GABA. This chemical is responsible for the relaxation that benzos like Xanax produce. Physical dependence can develop in anyone taking this medication for long periods, which is why the drug is mainly used for short-term treatment.
When medically-assisted detox or tapering with a physician isn’t done, individuals who are physically dependent on Xanax are more likely to continue using the drug to avoid withdrawals and eventually become addicted. The low cost and accessibility of Mexican Xanax can enable someone struggling with alprazolam abuse to continue using the drug.
Health problems, financial problems, legal issues, and broken relationships are only a few of the many things that can go wrong because of addiction.
Call Us for Xanax Addiction Treatment
It can be difficult and dangerous to recover from benzo addiction without help. If you or someone you care about is struggling with Xanax abuse, our benzo addiction treatment can help.
Our Banyan Stuart rehabilitation center offers detox as the first step of the client’s program to help them safely get through the withdrawal phase of recovery. Withdrawal symptoms can be tough to overcome without medical support, which can, in turn, increase the risk of relapse.
Our Stuart, FL, rehab programs also incorporate psychotherapy modalities to help clients recover from the psychological impact of substance abuse to support long-term sobriety. We’re here to help you.
For more information about our addiction services, call Banyan Treatment Centers today at 888-280-4763.
Sources:
- National Library of Medicine - Polydrug abuse: A review of opioid and benzodiazepine combination use
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