The benefits and the disadvantages with benzodiazepines have been vividly discussed, often not with the best of the patients in focus. The WPA Task Force on Benzodiazepines has agreed that there are some risks but also advantages with this group of drugs. The use must refer to what other ...
When benzodiazepine treatment is stopped abruptly, patients may develop withdrawal symptoms. Factors that increase the risk and severity of withdrawal symptoms include high doses and long-term benzodiazepine use. Additionally, withdrawal symptoms tend to occur earlier with benzodiazepines with short eliminati...
Long-Term Side Effects Dependence and Withdrawal Interactions Overdose Precautions Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs known as central nervous system depressants, used to treat a variety of mood disorders and other health conditions including seizures, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal. While they...
It is important to remember that benzodiazepines are generally safe and effective when used as directed. Tolerance and dependence may result, and may even be expected, with long-term use. But, this is not the same thing as addiction. If you think you have an addiction problem, remember that...
However, with long -term use, tolerance, dependence and withdrawal effects become major disadvantages. This leads to their continuing use without accepted medical indications and is more appropriately labeled benzodiazepine abuse. In most cases, this can be treated with gradual dose reduction along ...
Benzodiazepine anxiolytics and hypnotics have undoubted efficacy, although it can be difficult to distinguish between a substantial nonspecific (placebo) effect and true pharmacodynamic drug effects. Response to benzodiazepines is prompt. However, in the long term, efficacy wanes and becomes difficult to...
Rosenberg HC, Tietz EI, Chiu TH (1989) Tolerance to anticonvulsant effects of diazepam, clonazepam, and clobazam in amygdala-kindled rats. Epilepsia 30:276–285 PubMed CAS Google Scholar Roussounis SH, Rudolf NM (1977) A long term electroclinical study of clonazepam in children with intractab...
This drug is best reserved for situations in which rapid onset is not essential and long-term sedation is anticipated. Midazolam has the shortest t1/2 of the commonly used BZs, generates few active metabolites, and is water soluble at physiologic pH. Thus, it is well suited for continuous ...
Psychiatric Annals | This month's issue of Psychiatric Annals, guest edited by Norman Miller, MD, is entitled "Benzodiazepines: Efficacy and Liability." It examines the dark side of benzodiazepine use, ranging from abuse and addiction to possibilities of long-term withdrawal symptoms and possi...
Benzodiazepine (BZD) was first introduced in the 1960s, which has become one of the most widely used medications in the world since then. Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), the first BZD, was synthesized by Dr. Leo Sternbach, an Austrian scientist who worked at Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley. This wa...