15 Sep Withdrawal & Post Withdrawal Symptoms Benzodiazepine Information Coalition
Benzodiazepines can produce severe physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms when used for a prolonged period. Because of this, tapering, medical detox, and addiction treatment is strongly recommended for those who struggle with benzodiazepine abuse or dependence. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants ” prescription medications that suppress brain activity related to anxiety, panic and benzodiazepine withdrawal stress. About one in 20 Americans between the ages of 18 and 80 were prescribed a benzodiazepine medication in 2008, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported.
This action produces the calming and sedative effects for which benzodiazepines are known. When the use of the drug is decreased or stopped, the sudden reduction in GABA activity leads to an imbalance, causing the nervous system to become hyperactive, a state manifesting as the myriad symptoms of withdrawal. When someone abruptly stops or reduces their dose, the brain reacts with withdrawal symptoms—ranging from mild anxiety to seizures. If you or a loved one is struggling with benzodiazepine addiction, know that you’re not alone.
Medications That Can Ease Withdrawal Symptoms
Understanding benzodiazepine withdrawal is crucial not just for those consuming the drug but also for their close ones and healthcare providers. Recognizing the signs and ensuring adequate support can make the withdrawal process more manageable. It’s essential to remember that, given the potential severity of some of these symptoms, any attempt at discontinuation should be made under the supervision of a healthcare professional. A minority of people who have withdrawn from benzodiazepines seem to suffer long-term effects – protracted symptoms that just don’t go away after months or even years.
Avoiding Alcohol during Benzo Withdrawals
- Understanding the benzodiazepine withdrawal timeline is crucial for individuals and healthcare providers alike to prepare for and navigate the journey towards recovery.
- It is during this early withdrawal time that the brain may experience the rebound effect with heightened stress, panic, and anxiety levels as well as trouble sleeping.
- There has been increasing interest in the question of diet in benzodiazepine withdrawal, particularly in North America.
A popular way to begin a benzodiazepine detox is through tapering, which involvesgradually weaning off of benzo usage. It is recommended to conduct this method alongside a doctor so that safe amounts are removed each week. This way, your body has a chance to rid itself of benzos slowly, and the withdrawal symptoms will not be as intense. Benzodiazepines are habit-forming prescription drugs used to treat several stress-related conditions, such as anxiety disorders, insomnia, epilepsy and even alcohol withdrawal.
Reset Your Mind: Benefits of Inpatient Mental Health Care
PAWS isn’t as intense as acute withdrawal, but it can make sustained recovery difficult without proper support. This phase usually begins within a few Twelve-step program hours to a day after the last dose, especially for short-acting benzos like Xanax. Some clinics adopt a policy of refusing all requests for BZDs from patients not known at their practice. Another approach for after-hours emergency presentations would be to prescribe enough BZDs to maintain the patient until their regular practitioner is able to review them. The latter approach reduces the risk of seizures and while discouraging doctor shopping. You may also consider reaching out to an addiction helpline if you have further questions.
Their development may be blocked for a period of years during which benzodiazepines are taken. After withdrawal the ex-user is left in a vulnerable state with a decreased ability to deal with stressful situations. Full recovery may require many months of learning new stress-coping strategies to replace the years when this facility was blanketed by pills. The need for sleep is so powerful that normal sleep will eventually reassert itself.
Protracted withdrawal, also known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), refers to a subset of withdrawal symptoms that persist for months, or even years, after stopping benzodiazepines. While acute withdrawal symptoms are intense and predominantly physical, protracted withdrawal symptoms can be more subtle, chronic, and often more psychological in nature. The benzodiazepine withdrawal timeline is a testament to the drug’s potent impact on our brain and body. It underscores the importance of medically supervised discontinuation and the need for comprehensive aftercare, including therapy and counseling, to navigate the challenges of withdrawal. With the right support and understanding, individuals can successfully transition to a benzodiazepine-free life.
Treating a dual diagnosis with integrated care methods can improve symptoms overall as well. Counseling, support groups, family training and education, and individual therapy all help maintain and sustain long-term recovery. Benzodiazepine withdrawal refers to the range of symptoms that occur when a person who has been taking benzodiazepines (a class of medications used to treat conditions like anxiety and insomnia) reduces or stops their use. It’s a process that can lead to various physical and psychological symptoms due to the body’s dependence on the drug.
The switch-over process needs to be carried out gradually, usually in stepwise fashion, substituting one dose at a time. Many people have suffered because they have been switched suddenly to a different, less potent drug in inadequate dosage because the doctor has not adequately considered this factor. Equivalent potencies of benzodiazepines are shown in Table 1 (Chapter I), but these are only approximate and differ between individuals. It depends on many factors including the dose and type of benzodiazepine used, duration of use, personality, lifestyle, previous experience, specific vulnerabilities, and the (perhaps genetically determined) speed of your recovery systems. Usually the best judge is you, yourself; you must be in control and must proceed at the pace that is comfortable for you.
Withdrawal from benzodiazepines is an uncomfortable process with the potential to last for several weeks (or longer). Just like the intensity or severity of symptoms, the duration of withdrawal can vary as well. For some, the withdrawal can take weeks or months—and for some it will last for years or never fully resolve. The largest factor that might predict the length of the harm is how the patient discontinued the drug (slow, controlled taper or over-rapid or cold-turkey withdrawal). Apart from tapering rate, there are no other known predictors for the severity of the withdrawal syndrome. Slowly reducing the dose, less than 5 to 10% of the current dose monthly, can minimize the severity of the withdrawal symptoms and is the recommended way to discontinue benzodiazepines safely.
- Often the help of a clinical psychologist, trained counsellor, or other therapist is valuable, especially for teaching relaxation techniques, deep breathing, how to deal with a panic attack etc.
- The last phase, protracted withdrawal, is thought to affect less than 15 percent of those in benzodiazepine withdrawal.
- Hence the patient needs a careful assessment including an evaluation of the reasons for and against use prior to embarking on the management outlined below.
Compounding pharmacies can be used to obtain very small doses near the end of the taper. Factors such as the half-life of the specific benzodiazepine, the length of time it was used, and whether it was taken for therapeutic purposes or misused all play a significant role in shaping the withdrawal experience. Continue reading to learn more about benzodiazepine addiction, withdrawal symptoms, and how to get help if you or a loved one is struggling with benzo addiction. At a cellular level, benzodiazepines work by enhancing the efficacy of GABA, a neurotransmitter responsible for inhibiting brain activity. By potentiating GABA’s effects, benzodiazepines effectively ‘slow down’ the brain, leading to the calming and sedative effects characteristic of these drugs. Benzodiazepines, often referred to simply as ‘benzos,’ are a class of psychoactive drugs that have been a significant part of the therapeutic arsenal for over half a century.