Author: Alex Thompson

A Secret Weapon for Stopping Benzodiazepines Safely

Some people who are prescribed benzodiazepines become dependent on them and end up misusing them. Others get them illegally and intentionally misuse them to get high. That means you need higher and higher doses to get the same effect. Three-quarters of the group getting support were able to stop at four weeks, and almost half of the sample was still off the medications at long-term follow-up.

Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. This medicine may cause respiratory depression, a serious breathing problem that can be life-threatening, when used together with opioid pain medicines. Check with your doctor right away if you have pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin, difficult or trouble breathing, or irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.

Benzodiazepines Uses

This effect may last for a few days after you or your child stop using this medicine. Check with your doctor before taking any of the above while you or your child are using this medicine. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Using this medicine during the later pregnancy may cause problems in your newborn baby (eg, sedation or withdrawal symptoms). If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Can I become addicted to benzodiazepines?

These drugs act on the 5-HT1A receptor, a type of serotonin receptor. Today, the first-line medications for anxiety are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Because of this, it’s important for people with anxiety to have alternatives to benzodiazepines. Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects.

Benzodiazepine Abuse

In fact, many people can reduce their symptoms with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) alone. Propranolol (Inderal) belongs to a group of medications called beta-blockers. These drugs block the effects of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. SSRIs are effective for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, and panic disorder. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.

  1. It’s no wonder that many people who make an attempt to stop quickly give up the fight, resigning themselves to being on them long-term.
  2. In some areas, providers can’t prescribe these medications without first seeing you for a follow-up visit.
  3. Midazolam, in particular, is one of the most lipophilic benzodiazepines, meaning it rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier (to enter your CNS).
  4. They may prescribe them only for use as needed, not daily, and they may prescribe lower doses or pick benzodiazepines that aren’t as strong.

Side Effects

If you suspect that someone you love has a prescription drug addiction, there are ways that you can help. One reason that Ritalin and other prescription stimulants are commonly misused is their availability. According to the DEA, more than 13 million prescriptions for methylphenidate were filled in 2012. Fentanyl is also illegally manufactured and sold as an illicit recreational drug. In October 2017, the CDC reported that fentanyl is involved in over half of opioid-related overdose deaths across 10 states.

Professional resources

Like Xanax, these drugs are often misused for their sedative effects. They produce “highs” that can feel similar to the effects of alcohol. For example, they can cause feelings of drunkenness, talkativeness, and relaxation. Additional signs and symptoms of alprazolam misuse include trouble sleeping, swelling of the hands or feet, and tremors. These medications treat conditions based on which effect they cause. While there are separate types because they have different primary effects, there’s a lot of overlap between them.

Not only do they affect your judgment, but these drugs can keep you from remembering what happened. Benzodiazepines are used recreationally for their mood-boosting effects. But some people crush them and smoke, snort, or even inject the drug. One type of benzodiazepine that’s legally manufactured in other countries but illegal in the U.S. is flunitrazepam (Rohypnol).

Valium may be used occasionally to relieve anxiety and some other conditions such as acute muscle spasms and alcohol withdrawal. However, it is addictive and withdrawal symptoms can be severe. The metabolites of the drug may have much longer half-lives as well. Valium also accumulates when people take multiple doses over a period of time, which can slightly prolong the total half-life of the substance.

Valium: 7 things you should know

How long they take to start working, and how long their effects last, can vary from drug to drug. Benzodiazepine drugs are also sometimes used as “date rape” drugs because they impair the functions that normally allow a person to resist sexual aggression or assault. The drug is usually added to alcoholic drinks or even soft drinks in powder or liquid forms and can be hard to taste. To do so, researchers pooled results from several published clinical trials and performed a metanalysis. Benzodiazepines have both advantages and disadvantages to their use. While effective, they can come with potentially serious side effects and require some precautions when taking them.