There are many drugs in this group and some, such as diazepam (Valium), are prescribed as medicines in the UK. Benzodiazepines can help treat some mental health and neurological conditions, but it is essential to use them with care. This article looks at how benzodiazepines work, their uses, and the related side effects and risks. Zestril can cause hyperkalemia (high levels of potassium in the blood). If you become pregnant while taking Zestril, stop taking the drug and contact your doctor right away.
- People who use them in the long term may need to withdraw their use over a 3–12 month period that their doctor should oversee.
- Benzodiazepines are effective for sedation and anxiolysis; they also have the potential to cause harm.
- For some older adults, instead of having a calming effect, diazepam may have the opposite effect, causing mental/mood changes (such as agitation, hallucinations, restlessness).
- Finally, insomnia can be treated with trazodone, doxepin, or ramelteon (Rozerem) without risk of rebound insomnia.
Panic disorders
Benzodiazepines have properties that make them useful in treating a number of health conditions. They can act as a muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant and also have sedative (relaxing), hypnotic (sleep-inducing), and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects. While they’re effective in treating these conditions for a short time, benzodiazepines may cause frustrating side effects like drowsiness, loss of libido, and lack of coordination. Benzodiazepines are a powerful medication class with a wide variety of indications and off-label uses, such as anxiety disorders, epileptic seizures, and insomnia, and for initiating anesthesia. Benzodiazepines are often prescribed for conditions like anxiety and insomnia, even though other treatments exist that show equal or better results with fewer risks and side effects. View the pregnancy section of each individual drug monograph to determine pregnancy risk or benefit.
Is Valerian Root Good for Anxiety?
- In recent years, a number of benzodiazepine-type new psychoactive substances (NPS) have emerged.
- They found that the hazard of death was doubled in patients prescribed BZD compared to control patients [47].
- Catatonia presents in populations suffering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or a variety of medical conditions.
- Tell your doctor if you have a history of angioedema that occurred for any reason.
- These medications are tightly regulated and are only available with a prescription.
Long-term use is defined as two or more months at a therapeutic dose and when used long-term, BZDs pose potential harmful effects. Some additional side effects of concern include aggressive behavior and expressing anger towards others in between 1% and 20% of users [17]. The main driving factor for dependence is the development of tolerance, causing users to need increasing doses for the same symptom relief [18].
A Visual Guide to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. If directed by your doctor, take this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. When this medication is used for a long time, it may not work as well.
Their sedative effect aids in sleep and insomnia disorders by reducing sleep onset latency. Their CNS depressant effects potently reduce anxiety and abort acute-onset panic and anxiety attacks [4]. Benzodiazepines are also incredibly effective at rapidly aborting convulsant activity in those with epilepsy or other seizure disorders [5]. According to certain 2019 recommendations, people with severe anxiety or panic attack disorder should be prescribed the lowest effective dose of benzodiazepines for no more than 2 to 4 weeks. People with insomnia should be prescribed low doses of benzodiazepines for up to 1 week.
What can I do to avoid dangerous events related to benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines have the advantage of taking effect quickly but are not recommended for long-term or routine use. Off-label drug use means a drug that’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one purpose is used for a different severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome purpose that has not yet been approved. You’ll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Taking precautions is one of the best ways to protect yourself from unknowingly taking these drugs.
Adverse effects
Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that nerves in the brain use to send messages to one another. Gamma-aminobutyric acid reduces the activity of nerves in the brain and increasing the effect of GABA with a benzodiazepine, reduces brain activity. The dosage is based on your medical condition, age, and response to treatment. Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects will increase. Descriptions of studies performed on specific treatments of benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
- Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and seizures.
- Naloxone will not reverse a benzodiazepine-only overdose but it will do no harm if you administer it when it’s not needed.
- Drowsiness, sleepiness, or dizziness are the most commonly reported side effects with this drug class.
- Chronic use of BZD leads to a small but significant change in fluid intelligence, while long-term use of BZD correlates with worse cognitive decline when compared to the effects of using a high dosage [21].
Interestingly, a lower prevalence of withdrawal symptoms was noted in the experimental group without any change in pharmacologic treatment from control group [73]. However, this study included a small sample size, so a larger study using this standardized counseling method would increase the validity of the results of this study [73]. More studies will need to be carried out on the non-pharmacologic treatment of BZD withdrawal, as it is showing some promise for the successful discontinuation of the drugs.
