Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Current benzodiazepine issues

Current benzodiazepine issues 213 118 118 2 2 James H. Woods Gail Winger Department of Pharmacology University of Michigan Medical School 48109 Ann Arbor MI USA Abstract This article deals with some of the recent evidence bearing on the issues of the liability of benzodiazepines to lead to abuse, dependence, and adverse behavioral effects. Reviews of epidemiological, clinical and experimental literature indicated that the previous conclusion about abuse of these drugs still holds: the vast majority of the use of benzodiazepines is appropriate. Problems of nonmedical use arise nearly exclusively among people who abuse other drugs. Nevertheless, there are reasons for concern about patients who take benzodiazepines regularly for long periods of time. These drugs can produce physiological dependence when taken chronicaly, and although this does not appear to result in dose escalation or other evidence of “psychological dependence,” physiological dependence can result in patient discomfort if drug use is abruptly discontiniued. Also, physicians are currently prescribing shorter-acting benzodiazepines in preference to longer-acting benzodiazepines. The shorter-acting drugs can produce a more intense withdrawal syndrome following chronic administration. Furthermore, rates of use of benzodiazepines increase with age, and elderly patients are more likely than younger ones to take the drug chronically. The clearest adverse effect of benzodiazepines is impairment of memory. This, too, may be particular concern in older patients whose recall in the absence of drug is typically impaired relative to younger individuals, and who are more compromised following drug administration. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Psychopharmacology Springer Journals

Current benzodiazepine issues

Psychopharmacology , Volume 118 (2) – Mar 1, 1995

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/current-benzodiazepine-issues-Gc6Tcjsdx0

References (83)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Biomedicine; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Psychiatry
ISSN
0033-3158
eISSN
1432-2072
DOI
10.1007/BF02245824
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

213 118 118 2 2 James H. Woods Gail Winger Department of Pharmacology University of Michigan Medical School 48109 Ann Arbor MI USA Abstract This article deals with some of the recent evidence bearing on the issues of the liability of benzodiazepines to lead to abuse, dependence, and adverse behavioral effects. Reviews of epidemiological, clinical and experimental literature indicated that the previous conclusion about abuse of these drugs still holds: the vast majority of the use of benzodiazepines is appropriate. Problems of nonmedical use arise nearly exclusively among people who abuse other drugs. Nevertheless, there are reasons for concern about patients who take benzodiazepines regularly for long periods of time. These drugs can produce physiological dependence when taken chronicaly, and although this does not appear to result in dose escalation or other evidence of “psychological dependence,” physiological dependence can result in patient discomfort if drug use is abruptly discontiniued. Also, physicians are currently prescribing shorter-acting benzodiazepines in preference to longer-acting benzodiazepines. The shorter-acting drugs can produce a more intense withdrawal syndrome following chronic administration. Furthermore, rates of use of benzodiazepines increase with age, and elderly patients are more likely than younger ones to take the drug chronically. The clearest adverse effect of benzodiazepines is impairment of memory. This, too, may be particular concern in older patients whose recall in the absence of drug is typically impaired relative to younger individuals, and who are more compromised following drug administration.

Journal

PsychopharmacologySpringer Journals

Published: Mar 1, 1995

There are no references for this article.