To prevent potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms, it’s important that you do not suddenly stop taking benzodiazepines. Talk with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about safely taking benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines should not be combined with alcohol or other substances that inhibit the central nervous system either. Alcohol can increase side effects such as drowsiness, and it also increases the risk of an accidental overdose. According to a 2016 study in the American Journal of Public Health, the number of U.S. adults filling prescriptions for benzodiazepines increased by 67 percent from 1996 to 2013. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Adverse effects

Currently, a gradual taper with clonazepam is used as maintenance therapy for BZD-dependent patients. However, it still carries the risk for abuse and dependence since this is also a BZD, albeit a slow-acting one [67]. There are pharmacological options for treatment in those suffering from withdrawal or wishing to discontinue their chronic BZD use.

• Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.
• Abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions greatly increases with use of this drug class.
• Your healthcare provider can tell you more about what you can do to avoid dependence on these drugs or developing benzodiazepine use disorder.
• Some additional side effects of concern include aggressive behavior and expressing anger towards others in between 1% and 20% of users [17].

How long can I stay on benzodiazepines?

Diazepam is sometimes used with other medications to treat muscle spasms and stiffness, or seizures. Before taking diazepam, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to other benzodiazepines (such as oxazepam, temazepam); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems.

Side Effects

• Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that are primarily used for treating anxiety in children and adults.
• This list doesn’t include all possible mild side effects of the drug.
• In agreeing with some of the studies above, there was also a 4.6-fold increase in the hazard of death in patients on hypnotics over 2.5 years [48].
• Benzodiazepines are a large drug class and have a long history of development, starting with the first FDA-approvals in the 1960s, chloridiazepoxide (Librium) and diazepam (Valium).

In one study, not a single subject diagnosed with a cluster B personality disorder successfully discontinued BZD use [63]. Additionally, younger patients tend to have a decreased success rate of discontinuing BZD use than older patients [66]. Interestingly, those who used alcohol while taking BZD experienced no difference in discontinuation rate from those who did not use alcohol [64]. The risk of falls severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome leading to injuries in elderly BZD users is significantly increased in patients greater than 80 years old, while the increased risk is not significant in patients under 80 [22]. Passaro et al. described an increased risk of falls in elderly hospitalized patients prescribed short-acting BZD [23]. For mothers with BZD use during pregnancy, there is a risk of premature birth and low birth weight.

• To prevent potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms, it’s important that you do not suddenly stop taking benzodiazepines.
• Descriptions of studies performed on specific treatments of benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
• People ages 65 years and older should avoid these medications, according to criteria developed by the American Geriatric Society.
• Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
• In 2018, between 8.3% and 12.8% of BZD users in Switzerland have prescriptions from multiple physicians which resulted in the inability to track the number of prescriptions a patient is given yearly [40].

Anxiety, Stress, Worry, and Your Body

• Studies have shown that treatment for longer periods with high-dosage, short-acting BZD contribute to more severe withdrawal effects [61].
• Benzodiazepines increase gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a neurotransmitter (or chemical messenger) in the brain.
• The authors attribute this to the severity of patients’ dependence on BZD before treatment with propranolol [65].
• Some of these medicines are known as « date rape » drugs, because they’re added to a person’s drink to impair judgement and make him/her susceptible to sexual assault.

What can I do to avoid dangerous events related to benzodiazepines?