Benzodiazepines increase the risk of addiction, withdrawal, cognitive decline, motor vehicle crashes, and hip fracture. The risk of overdose is particularly great when combined with sedative drugs such as opioids or alcohol.
Use by adults ages 50–64 now exceeds use by those ages ≥65. Patients also prescribed stimulants or opioids should be monitored for benzodiazepine misuse. Improved access to behavioral interventions for sleep or anxiety may reduce some misuse.
Avoid mixing benzodiazepines with any other drugs (including medicines). The risk is increased by mixing with medicines (both over-the-counter and prescribed drugs) including but not limited to: neuroleptics. anti-depressants.
Benzodiazepines should be avoided in patients with a history of drug abuse. Common benzodiazepines used for GAD include alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, and lorazepam. Mirtazapine (Remeron) and buspirone are also effective in GAD for patients who do not respond to at least two trials of SSRIs or SNRIs.
Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers—common types are diazepam (Valium), alprazolam ( Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan).. Pro: They can give you immediate relief. Cons: You can only use them short-term since you can become dependent on them and build up resistance to them.
Benzodiazepine drugs increase the effects of GABA on your brain and body. This means these drugs can: make you feel relaxed and sleepy (sedation) reduce your anxiety.
Avoid breastfeeding while taking benzos as they can make the baby too drowsy and interfere with effective feeding. Avoid abrupt discontinuation. If benzos are used habitually for an extended period of time, the patient should speak to their MD about tapering off the medication.
Mental and physical health. The long-term use of benzodiazepines may have a similar effect on the brain as alcohol, and is also implicated in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mania, psychosis, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, delirium, and neurocognitive disorders.
Persons over the age of 65 are at the greatest risk for adverse effects from benzodiazepine drugs like Ativan (lorazepam) or Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), Librium (chlordiazepoxide) and Tranxene (clorazepate dipotassium).
Benzodiazepines are also widely abused. Acute overdose is characterised by excessive sedation with impaired mental status and diminished postural stability and reflexes. Although benzodiazepines are relatively safe medications, acute overdose may induce respiratory depression resulting in coma and even death.
Benzodiazepines can impair cognition, mobility, and driving skills in older people, as well as increase the risk of falls.
Common adverse effects of benzodiazepine administration include, but are not limited to: Respiratory depression. Respiratory arrest. Drowsiness.
If they have been maintained on a stable dosage regimen for a prolonged period, benzodiazepines may be doing nothing for their anxiety or actually increasing it. Further, benzos can be the cause of the anxiety being experienced.
However, another common cause of depression is drug abuse. Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers or central nervous system depressants that have been linked to depression.
Adverse events include daytime drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue, agitation, memory loss, impaired coordination and falls [14]. Benzodiazepines may also contribute to cognitive decline in people with dementia [15].
Long-Term Effects of Benzodiazepine Abuse
Apart from the potential physical health complications, over time, continued use and abuse of benzodiazepines has the potential to cause a number of mental health complications, such as: Depression. Suicidal ideation. Irritability.
Abstract. Benzodiazepines, shown to affect memory, can produce anterograde amnesia (i.e., a loss of memory for events occurring forward in time). Following the ingestion of a benzodiazepine, short-term memory is not affected, but long-term memory is impaired.
As mentioned before, benzodiazepines are not meant to be used for long periods of time. By using benzodiazepines for an extended time, there is an increased risk of the development of certain health conditions. The amount of time considered “long-term” in regard to benzodiazepine abuse is around three to six months.
The classic presentation in patients with isolated benzodiazepine overdose will include central nervous system (CNS) depression with normal or near-normal vital signs. Many patients will still be arousable and even provide a reliable history. Classic symptoms include slurred speech, ataxia, and altered mental status.
Avoid operating machinery, driving, or performing tasks that require mental alertness while taking this medicine. Grapefruit juice or grapefruit products may increase blood levels of diazepam; avoid concurrent use.
Indications for benzodiazepines include acute stress reactions, episodic anxiety, fluctuations in generalised anxiety, and as initial treatment for severe panic and agoraphobia.
Benzodiazepines like Xanax affect your heart by slowing down the heart rate and blood pressure. When GABA levels increase in the brain, communication between nerves is reduced, which impacts functions like breathing and heart rate. Thus, heart failure and permanent heart damage are common risks of Xanax abuse.
This meta-analysis pooled ten studies and found that BDZ significantly increases the risk of dementia in the elderly population. This effect was greater in patients using BDZ with a longer half-life (>20 hours half-life) and taking BDZ for a longer duration (>3 years).
You should only be prescribed benzodiazepines for the shortest amount of time possible. Taking benzodiazepines regularly for a few weeks or more can lead to addiction. Doctors recommend that you only take them for 2-4 weeks. Intermittent use may help to avoid addiction.