The orally disintegrating tablet can be taken with or without water. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about https://corporateeducationcenter.com/2022/12/how-to-help-a-high-functioning-alcoholic-how-to/ refilling your prescription. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.
Before taking alprazolam,
- BZDs were encouraged for anyone wanting to calm their nerves and ease their sleep, causing them to rapidly attain favor in society 6.
- As a result, many individuals take too much of a certain benzodiazepine or mix it with a different substance in order to produce a “high”.
- Oftentimes, attending addiction treatment for benzodiazepine abuse can lead to the development of a healthy, happy, and drug-free life.
- Manconi et al. explored the effects of long-term BZD use on sleep architecture and microstructure in those with insomnia.
Benzodiazepine toxicity can result from accidental alcoholism or intentional overdose, misuse, or drug interactions. Treatment options may involve supportive care, antidote medication, and hospitalization in severe cases. Prevention strategies can help reduce the risk of benzodiazepine toxicity. Successful deprescribing of benzodiazepines for patients who use them long-term is complex and time consuming. Patient education on the potential benefits of tapering (e.g., improved cognition and psychomotor functioning) can increase the likelihood of successful deprescribing by enhancing patient motivation and self-efficacy.
- Benzodiazepines are some of the most widely prescribed psychiatric drugs that are designed to treat anxiety and panic disorders, insomnia, seizure disorders, and muscle tension.
- This specialized approach can reduce the duration of treatment while maintaining safety for BZD-dependent patients.
- Do not take a larger dose, take it more often, or for a longer time than your doctor tells you to.
- Benzodiazepine overdose risk becomes much more dangerous when combined with alcohol or opioids.
- Liu, Stephen; O’Donnell, Julie; Gladden, R. Matt; et al. “Trends in Nonfatal and Fatal Overdoses I…olumbia, 2019–2020.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 27, 2021.
Mental Health and Loneliness
The prescribing information for Xanax warns that overdose deaths from alprazolam have been reported, both due to alprazolam alone and in combination with alcohol. The antiepileptic oxcarbazepine has also shown potential to ameliorate withdrawal symptoms more than older-generation antiepileptics such as carbamazepine 71. Oxcarbazepine has a better side effect profile and is a more tolerable anticonvulsant than older antiepileptic drugs 71.
What to do if you think you are overdosing on benzos
In emergency departments, doctors typically administer an initial dose of 0.2 mg flumazenil for acute overdose, sometimes followed by additional benzodiazepine overdose doses (maximum 3 mg) if needed for a full reversal of toxic effects. The antidote restores normal breathing and consciousness, but its duration of action (1–3 hours) is often shorter than the benzodiazepines remaining in the system. At the molecular level, benzodiazepines bind to specific sites on GABA-A receptors, specialized chloride channels that regulate neuronal activity. This binding changes the receptor’s shape, making it more receptive to GABA molecules in the brain. When benzodiazepine levels exceed therapeutic doses, they supercharge the GABA system and flood neurons with chloride ions, creating a strong electrical barrier that prevents normal neuron firing.
- Given concerns for use dependence and withdrawal, SSRIs and antidepressants have been made mainstay therapy for these conditions.
- If a patient with a chronic dependence on benzodiazepines is given flumazenil, it can lower their seizure threshold and potentially cause life-threatening seizures.
- They found a 35% increased chance of developing a new non-melanoma cancer in users of hypnotics 48.
Many countries, including the U.S., classify benzodiazepines (sometimes known by the slang term “benzos”) as controlled substances. It’s illegal to have or obtain them (depending on the laws where you are) if you don’t have a prescription. This comprehensive risk assessment shapes a personalized clinical management plan that addresses your challenges. For many patients, benzodiazepine toxicity is complicated by polydrug use—we account for these interactions in developing your treatment protocol.
