Xanax has been on the market for several decades. It is a popular drug that is used primarily as an anti-anxiety drug, but can also be used to help treat insomnia (especially in older patients) and bi-polar disorder. The drug falls into the class of benzodiazepines (BZDs); a group of drugs that has recently been discovered to cause dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.

What Are BZD’s?

BZD’s drugs are a large group of drugs that help the way the brain sends and receives signals. The drugs actually work to help open up the receptors within the brain, so that the calming chemicals that are naturally produced are more easily received. This means that the person who takes the drug isn’t given a synthetic calming agent, but rather an agent that helps the naturally existing calming chemicals do their job more efficiently.

How Do BZD’s Cause Alzheimer’s?

But scientists now believe that these drugs never fully wear off. After a person takes the drug, they feel disconnected, as though they are floating and nothing really matters. Those who take it shortly before bed often wake up with a hazy feeling, as though they can’t fully remember what happened the evening before. The idea is that drugs like Xanax open up those receptors, but they don’t fully close again. So the individual, especially one who has taken the drug long term, feels more and more disconnected. Two studies, one from 2012 and one from 2014, came to this conclusion.

Contact a Dangerous Drug Attorney

Despite the fact that Xanax (and other BZD drugs) are incredibly popular, and despite the fact they have been on the market for decades, they are still dangerous to many people. The makers of these drugs never warned about the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and over the years countless victims slipped away from reality because they needed calming or sleeping medication.

If you have used Xanax, or another BZD drug, and you have been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia, you may be able to file a Xanax lawsuit. Contact a dangerous drug attorney today to schedule your free case review.