What is it?
Benzodiazepines (also called “benzos”) are a type of medication that depresses or slows down your central nervous system. In the medical world, benzodiazepines may be used for several reasons: as sedatives, anti-anxiety agents, to stop or prevent seizures (anticonvulsants), to reduce the effects of alcohol withdrawal, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and several other uses.
There are three types of benzodiazepines: short-acting, medium- acting and long-acting. This relates to the length of time the drug affects your body.
Usually benzodiazepines look like prescription medications that come from a pharmacy. Benzodiazepines usually come in the form of pills or tablets and are either swallowed, dissolved under the tongue or administered as a suppository. They also come in liquid form and can be injected. A wide variety of benzodiazepines are manufactured by drug companies and sold in many countries around the world. Some of the most well-known types (and their brand names) are:
• alprazolam (Xanax®)
• clonazepam (Rivotril®)
• diazepam (Valium®)
• flunitrazepam (Rohypnol®)
• lorazepam (Ativan®)
• oxazepam (Serax®)
How does it work?
When benzodiazepines reach your brain, they increase the calming effects of a naturally occurring brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). GABA’s natural function is to slow things down in the body.
Because benzodiazepines decrease activity in the central nervous system, they affect your emotional reactions, mental skills and physical abilities. For this reason, they are useful in treating anxiety disorders, insomnia, seizures and muscle spasms.
What are the associated risks and health effects?
The way benzodiazepines affect you depends on your weight, age, mood and method of administration. With the proper dosage, benzodiazepines can stop seizures or movement disorders. You may also experience a feeling of relaxation and contentment, reduced symptoms of panic or agitation, and reduced symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Doctors prescribe benzodiazepines to people who need help coping with anxiety or sleeping problems. These disorders are often the result of social or personal problems, such as grief, sexual assault, domestic violence, stress or mental health issues.
Benzodiazepines are also prescribed to people who suffer from headaches, high blood pressure, menstrual problems, skin conditions and injuries related to accidents. Benzodiazepines have proven effective in helping people through severe alcohol and other substance withdrawal.
Benzodiazepines are meant to be a temporary solution to a mental or physical health problem. When you take them for longer periods, they become less effective. This can cause you to start using higher amounts of the drug in order to get the desired effect. Over time, repeated use of higher and higher doses can lead to dependency. Long-term use of benzodiazepines to soothe anxiety is likely to produce the opposite effect. This is because long-term use creates dependency, and dependency brings about withdrawal symptoms. Ultimately, you may become anxious about not taking your anxiety medication. People who understand the risks involved with extended or excessive dosages stand to benefit the most from these medications.
Some of the side effects of taking a benzodiazepine that may occur include: feeling drowsy and having no energy, becoming confused or dizzy, slurring words or stuttering and blurred, double vision, or memory problems.
Benzodiazepines that are used to treat difficulty sleeping are only effective for one or two weeks. Longer use may cause an increase in the number of times you wake up in the night and a decrease in the amount of deep sleep you get.
If you have a seizure disorder or have taken high doses of benzodiazepines for a long time, you should speak with your doctor first before stopping benzodiazepines. In this case, slow careful reduction of the benzodiazepine dosage over time is often required for you to safely stop using benzodiazepines..
People with age-related problems are most likely to use benzodiazepines. These problems may include arthritis, muscle pain, menopausal problems, sleeping difficulties and dementia.
Some people use benzodiazepines for recreational reasons. They may steal or borrow from someone else’s prescription because they like experiencing the feeling of extreme calmness or near sedation. For older people, using benzodiazepines comes with special risks. Age-related changes in their bodies can make short- and medium-acting medication last longer. This can increase a person’s risk of overdosing. Other problems include: impaired balance, impaired blood pressure regulation, memory loss, emotional changes and worsening symptoms of depression, respiratory problems in people with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Using benzodiazepines can be especially dangerous if you are:
• Suffering from breathing problems. Because benzodiazepines slow down breathing, people with emphysema and sleep apnea are at increased risk of accidental death.
• Mixing substances. When you mix benzodiazepines with alcohol, opioids and other depressants, you can become dangerously sedated or fall into a coma.
• Pregnant. Babies born to mothers who regularly used benzodiazepines during pregnancy can develop learning and behavioural problems. A baby with large quantities of benzodiazepines in its system at birth may suffers from severe withdrawal symptoms.
• Operating a vehicle. Driving under the influence of any drug, including prescription medications that are used illegally, is dangerous and against the law. Having high levels of benzodiazepines in your body can impair your ability to drive carefully.
Acknowledgments
[2014] This fact sheet was produced by the
Centre for
Addictions Research of BC
on behalf of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information. An excerpt
has been reproduced here with permission. To read the full fact sheet and for more
helpful substance use and mental health resources, please visit
www.heretohelp.bc.ca