Benzodiazepines such as diazepam may also be used short-term as a muscle relaxant. These are generally used to relieve acute painful skeletal muscle spasms, such as what might occur with acute lower back muscle spasm. They are added as an adjunct to rest, physical therapy and / or heat and ice.
What conditions do benzodiazepines treat?
But if a use disorder does arise, there are different ways people go about getting the volume they need (discussed below). It is very difficult to recover from benzodiazepine addiction because these drugs change the chemistry of the brain. Contact a drug addiction treatment center if you or a loved one are suffering from a addiction. Quitting cold turkey is not likely to be successful and can be dangerous because of symptoms of withdrawal. Doctors and other health care professionals that treat addiction will formulate a taper schedule to slowly wean off the medication to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms during treatment. Benzodiazepine drugs (also called benzos) are habit forming and can lead to addiction.
How Quickly Does Tolerance for Benzos Develop?
To see a list of Zestril’s serious side effects, see the “Serious side effects of Zestril” section. Here are some frequently asked questions about the drug’s side effects and their answers. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed. Grapefruit may interact with diazepam and lead to unwanted side effects.
- Diazepam may harm an unborn baby, but having a seizure during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby.
- All benzodiazepines work in a similar way but there are differences in the way individual benzodiazepines act on different GABA-A receptor sub-types.
- A study of over 2000 older adults assessed the effects of chronic BZD use on cognition [21].
- Since these are prescription drugs, it is critical to note that some individuals may initially have a legitimate medical reason to use them, but over time, they develop a use disorder.
Benzodiazepine Overdose & Abuse Symptoms
Lorazepam, oxazepam and temazepam are less likely to have this risk due to fewer liver enzyme interactions. Potent benzodiazepines with shorter elimination half-lives (triazolam, alprazolam, lorazepam) may be the most prone to causing problems with tolerance and dependence. Next day drowsiness and «hangover effect» is a concern with benzodiazepines that have long duration, for example, with diazepam or flurazepam. The sedative side effects can carry into the next day and impair driving and other daily activities; this is a particularly concerning risk in the elderly. Nayzilam (midazolam) and Valtoco (diazepam) are nasal sprays now approved for the treatment of seizure clusters (also known as acute repetitive seizures).
- A 2018 study in Psychiatric Services, a journal by the American Psychiatric Association, found evidence of increasing use — and misuse — of benzodiazepines in the United States.
- All of these drugs can depress breathing, resulting in an increased risk of overdose or death if mixed.
- The A1 subunit is believed to be responsible for the sedative effects and anterograde amnesia, and some of the anticonvulsive impacts of diazepam [1].
- This allows chloride ions to enter the neuron cells, which results in CNS depression.
Which Color Light Helps Anxiety?
Psychotherapy and antidepressants are the treatments of choice for anxiety disorders. Short-term medications that can be used for anxiety without risk of addiction include propranolol, anticonvulsants, or major tranquilizers. Finally, insomnia can be treated severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome with trazodone, doxepin, or ramelteon (Rozerem) without risk of rebound insomnia. Regular use of BZDs has been shown to cause serious, harmful psychological and physical dependence, leading to withdrawal symptoms similar to that of alcohol withdrawal.
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Using these drugs in higher doses or more often than a doctor prescribes is dangerous and can result in injury or death. Some also break down into other drugs that are active and can therefore have a longer duration of action. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
