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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.
The mental health and physical health symptoms induced by long-term benzodiazepine use gradually improved significantly over a period of a year following completion of a slow withdrawal. Three of the 50 patients had wrongly been given a preliminary diagnosis of multiple sclerosis when the symptoms were actually due to chronic benzodiazepine use.
Patients wanting to withdraw from benzodiazepines typically receive little advice or support, and such withdrawal should be by small increments over a period of months. [ 51 ] Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed only short-term for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, as there is little justification for their prescribing long-term. [ 52 ]
Where risks or harms is the reason for withdrawal, this will usually have been prompted by unexpected adverse effects that were not detected during Phase III clinical trials, i.e. they were only made apparent from postmarketing surveillance data collected from the wider community over longer periods of time.
The severity of the benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome has been described by one benzodiazepine drug misuser who stated that: [14] I'd rather withdraw off heroin any day. If I was withdrawing from benzos you could offer me a gram of heroin or just 20mg of diazepam and I'd take the diazepam every time – I've never been so frightened in my life.
Over-rapid withdrawal from benzodiazepines increases the severity of the withdrawal syndrome and increases the failure rate. A slow and gradual withdrawal customised to the individual and, if indicated, psychological support is the most effective way of managing the withdrawal.
Deyhimy says that he’s seen patients who try to stop taking kratom experience symptoms similar to opioid withdrawal, such as elevated blood pressure, heart rate, sleep disturbances, muscle aches ...
Slow reduction of the dosage over a period of months at a rate that the individual can tolerate greatly minimizes the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Individuals who are benzodiazepine dependent often cross to an equivalent dose of diazepam to taper gradually, as diazepam has a longer half-life and small dose reductions can be achieved ...