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Benzodiazepines Paul M. Kim, M. Nemeroff CB. Anxiolytics: past, present, and future agents. J Clin Psychiatry. Issues in the clinical use of benzodiazepines: potency, withdrawal, and rebound. Benzodiazepine exposure in pregnancy and risk of major malformations: a critical overview. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. Clinical pharmacokinetics of alprazolam. Therapeutic implications.

Clin Pharmacokinet. Clinical pharmacokinetics of chlordiazepoxide. Pharmacokinetics of the anticonvulsant drug clonazepam evaluated from single oral and intravenous doses and by repeated oral administration.

Eur J Clin Pharmacol. Protein binding of oxazepam and its glucuronide conjugates to human albumin. Biochem Pharmacol. Bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of oxazepam. Efficacy and tolerability of benzodiazepines versus antidepressants in anxiety disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychother Psychosom. Use of benzodiazepines in social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Benzodiazepines is a sample topic from the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. Johns Hopkins Guide , www. Accessed November 11, Kim, P. Benzodiazepines [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. AU - Weinstein,Sujin,Pharm. Your free 1 year of online access expired. Log in to Johns Hopkins Guides. Benzodiazepine medications are sedative-hypnotics, meaning they create calming or tranquilizing effects. Because of this, these drugs are prescribed to treat anxiety, insomnia, panic and seizure disorders, and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Certain ones may also be used as muscle relaxants. The same actions which make these medications valuable within treatment also make them enticing to drug abusers.

Benzodiazepines take several forms, including as an extended-release long-acting capsule, liquid, tablet, or orally-disintegrating tablet. Any of these forms may be abused to create a sedated effect or euphoria. When abused, benzodiazepines are taken orally in doses larger and more frequent than would be prescribed. The medication may also be crushed so that it can be snorted, smoked, or injected. No matter how benzodiazepines are abused, the potential for dependence and addiction runs high.

Aside from addiction, benzodiazepine abuse carries with it a host of adverse health effects and dangers. These include:. Like all forms of drug abuse, individuals who abuse benzodiazepines frequently experience an extreme loss of quality of life. Benzodiazepine abuse has been linked to increased risks of suicide and suicidal ideation thoughts of suicide.

Prolonged benzodiazepine abuse can cause some very problems the drugs are designed to treat. When a physically-dependent person quits benzodiazepines, withdrawal can set in. In certain cases, withdrawal may last for several months. This is called post-acute withdrawal syndrome PAWS.

No difficulties in drug discontinuation or differences in impairing adverse events were observed with either drug. Conclusions: With the treatment schedule used in this study, lorazepam is as effective as the more traditional drug chlordiazepoxide in attenuating uncomplicated alcohol withdrawal.

Lorazepam, therefore, could be used with confidence when liver disease or the inability to determine liver function status renders chlordiazepoxide therapy problematic. The absence of clinically significant withdrawal complications with lorazepam in this large study contrasts with findings from previously published studies and suggests that higher doses of lorazepam than those formerly used may be necessary during alcohol withdrawal.