Benzodiazepines can be useful as a short term treatment of insomnia or anxiety, but should be used as part of a broader treatment plan involving lifestyle measures, psychological strategies or other treatments, not as the first-line or only treatment. Benzodiazepines can be helpful drugs when used intermittently or for a short period of time only two to four weeks.
If taken for a long period of time months or years , benzodiazepines can become less effective and there is also a high risk of becoming physically dependent on these drugs. A person who has become dependent on benzodiazepines may experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to cut down or stop taking benzodiazepines.
These symptoms include insomnia and anxiety — often the very reason that the benzodiazepines were prescribed for in the first place. Because of the high risk of dependency, prescribing guidelines for benzodiazepines recommend no longer than two to four weeks of continuous daily use. Research shows that psychological therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy CBT are the most effective in helping people with anxiety conditions.
It involves teaching people about their condition, providing relaxation strategies, as well as helping people to think realistically about common difficulties. This helps them to change their thought patterns and the way they react to certain situations. Behavioural therapy approaches, such as exposure therapy, have also been shown to be very helpful for many anxiety conditions.
If medication is required, specific antidepressants can be more appropriate than benzodiazepines in helping reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Antidepressants do not carry the same risk of dependency as benzodiazepines. However, they are only effective in some anxiety conditions and generally, are less effective than psychological treatments. In addition to the risks of dependency, when older people take benzodiazepines long-term, they are vulnerable to problems including:.
Because of these risks and the concern about interactions with other medications, benzodiazepines should rarely be used for older people over 65 years.
Benzodiazepines can be useful, occasionally, to induce sleep, but they have a limited role in helping people with established sleep problems. People who have taken sleeping pills for long periods of time actually have worse sleep patterns, with less time spent in the deep phase of sleep and more frequent waking during the night.
Zolpidem and zopiclone are newer sleeping pills are available on prescription that are not benzodiazepines. Short-term use no longer than two to three weeks is also recommended for these drugs because of the risk of dependency. Over-the-counter sleeping pills should also be used only for a short period of time.
The cause of insomnia needs to be assessed accurately by a general practitioner GP. Most chronic insomnia is the result of poor sleeping patterns that have developed over a number of years. Research shows that for common sleep problems, behavioural treatment strategies are more effective long-term than any sleep medication.
For more information visit sleeping well. Benzodiazepines are generally safe to use. However, like all medications they can produce unwanted effects. Benzodiazepines can reduce alertness and affect coordination and reaction time, so the person may take longer to complete tasks or be at increased risk of falls or accidents. Benzodiazepines can also lower inhibitions and make some people more impulsive and likely to take risks, particularly if these medications are mixed with alcohol or drugs.
It's generally best to avoid or limit the use of benzodiazepines during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and use them intermittently or for short periods under medical supervision if they're necessary — for example for the treatment of severe anxiety during pregnancy. While recent studies have found no evidence of an increase in birth defects resulting from the use of benzodiazepines during pregnancy, no conclusions have been drawn regarding long-term brain development of the baby.
Furthermore, the use of benzodiazepines during pregnancy may increase the risk of pre-term birth and low birth weight. Looking to contact us?
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Use your postcode to search your area. Need more information? Become a campaigner. This section gives information about benzodiazepine medication. Your doctor may prescribe benzodiazepines if you have severe anxiety or if you are very distressed.
Benzodiazepines are a type of sedative. They are usually a short-term treatment given for weeks. Benzodiazepines will usually be taken through your mouth by table or solution. In rare situations they can be injected to help control panic attacks. You may be given benzodiazepines for the short-term relief of severe anxiety. You should not be given them for long term relief. Benzodiazepines can be used to treat insomnia. Insomnia means that you find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
You should only be offered benzodiazepines to treat insomnia if it is severe, disabling or is causing you a lot of distress. You should stay in hospital during withdrawal if you have severe alcohol dependence.
Withdrawal without medical support can cause dangerous side effects such as seizures. Not everyone who takes benzodiazepines will get side effects. Talk to your doctor if you are worried about side effects. You should only be prescribed benzodiazepines for the shortest amount of time possible. Taking benzodiazepines regularly for a few weeks or more can lead to addiction. Doctors recommend that you only take them for weeks.
Intermittent use may help to avoid addiction. The risk of addiction is higher if you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse. Or if you have a personality disorder. You have an increased risk of falls and associated fractures if you are elderly and use benzodiazepines. Withdrawal symptoms from benzodiazepines can happen if you have been taking the medication regularly for weeks. Talk to your doctor about stopping if you have been taking benzodiazepines regularly for more than weeks.
They will be able to help you stop taking them. This is because your body will be used to the medication and you might experience withdrawal symptoms. Your withdrawal side effects will usually stop after a few weeks. But they can last longer for a small amount of people. You may not get withdrawal side effects when you stop your benzodiazepine medication.
You should talk to your doctor or local pharmacist if you are worried about the withdrawal effects of benzodiazepines. Antidepressant and mood stabilizing drugs may help with the withdrawal effects of benzodiazepines.
If you have a panic disorder you may benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy whilst you are coming off the medication. Tell your doctor about any medicines you are taking before you start to take benzodiazepines. This includes any supplements or herbal medicines you take. Benzodiazepines can react with other types of medication and cause more side effects such as extra tiredness or low blood pressure.
Medication that can react with benzodiazepines includes:. Alcohol can increase the sedative effect of benzodiazepines. If you drink alcohol whilst taking benzodiazepines you are likely to feel more tired. It is illegal to drive if you are affected by drugs such as benzodiazepines. Taking too much of a benzodiazepine can be dangerous, and mixing it with alcohol or other substances can be fatal. This article looks at how benzodiazepines work, their uses, and the related side effects and risks.
Benzodiazepines alter the activity of the neurons that trigger stress and anxiety reactions. The type of benzodiazepine will determine the potential uses. Doctors may also prescribe these drugs off-label for various other conditions and issues, including:.
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effect of a neurotransmitter known as gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that communicate messages between brain cells.
These messages can have either a stimulating or a calming effect. GABA is a neurotransmitter that sends calming messages to the body. When a person feels anxious, overstimulation occurs in the brain. When people take benzodiazepines, the brain will send messages to counter this overstimulation.
This activity can reduce the symptoms of anxiety. There are many different benzodiazepines. They differ in terms of potency, how quickly the body absorbs them, and their uses. This table shows some examples and their uses:.
The side effects of benzodiazepine use may include :. More serious effects include:. A wide range of withdrawal symptoms can occur when stopping benzodiazepines. They include:. Experts do not recommend using benzodiazepines for more than 2 weeks. A person who uses them for 3—4 weeks and then stops suddenly is likely to experience withdrawal symptoms.
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