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Benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome (BZD withdrawal) is the cluster of signs and symptoms that may emerge when a person who has been taking benzodiazepines as prescribed develops a physical dependence on them and then reduces the dose or stops taking them without a safe taper schedule. Typically, benzodiazepine withdrawal is characterized by ...
The condition gradually improves over a period of time which can range from six months to several years in more severe cases. [29] [30] Flumazenil was found to be more effective than placebo in reducing feelings of hostility and aggression in patients who had been free of benzodiazepines for 4 to 266 weeks. [31]
Benzodiazepines can be addictive and induce dependence even at low doses, with 23% becoming addicted within 3 months of use. Benzodiazepine addiction is considered a public health problem. Approximately 68.5% of prescriptions of benzodiazepines originate from local health centers, with psychiatry and general hospitals accounting for 10% each.
When discontinuing an antidepressant with a short half-life, switching to a drug with a longer half-life (e.g., fluoxetine or citalopram) and then tapering, and eventually discontinuing, from that drug can decrease the severity of symptoms in some cases. [11]
Generally, tapering is done is to avoid or minimize withdrawal symptoms that arise from neurobiological adaptation to the drug. [1] [2] Prescribed psychotropic drugs that may require tapering due to this physical dependence include opioids, [3] [4] [5] selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, [6] antipsychotics, [7] anticonvulsants, [8] and ...
Repeated benzodiazepine withdrawal episodes may result in similar neuronal kindling as that seen after repeated withdrawal episodes from alcohol, with resultant increased neuro-excitability. The glutamate system is believed to play an important role in this kindling phenomenon with AMPA receptors which are a subtype of glutamate receptors being ...
However, withdrawal from certain drugs (barbiturates, benzodiazepines, alcohol, glucocorticoids) can be fatal. [2] [3] While it is seldom fatal to the user, withdrawal from opiates (and some other drugs) can cause miscarriage, due to fetal withdrawal.
Although benzodiazepines can put people to sleep, while asleep, the drugs disrupt sleep architecture, decreasing sleep time, delayed and decreased REM sleep, increased alpha and beta activity, decreased K complexes and delta activity, and decreased deep slow-wave sleep (i.e., NREM stages 3 and 4, the most restorative part of sleep for both ...