What are Benzos or Benzodiazepines?

Safe Haven Recovery Team
Apr 15, 2016
2 min read

What are benzodiazepines, and how do they work?

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs primarily used for treating anxiety, but they also are effective in treating several other conditions. The exact mechanism of action of benzodiazepines is not known, but they appear to work by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain, chemicals that nerves release in order to communicate with other nearby nerves. One of these neurotransmitters is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitterthat suppresses the activity of nerves. Scientists believe that excessive activity of nerves may be the cause of anxiety and other psychological disorders, and benzodiazepines reduce the activity of nerves in the brain and spinal cord by enhancing the effects of GABA. (According to rxlist)

For what conditions are benzodiazepines used?

Benzodiazepines are used for treating:

anxiety,
seizures (convulsions), and
insomnia or trouble sleeping.

They also are used for:

general anesthesia,
sedation prior to surgery or diagnostic procedures,
muscle relaxation,
alcohol withdrawal and drug associated agitation,
nausea and vomiting,
depression, and
panic attacks.

What are the side effects of benzodiazepines?

The most common side effects associated with benzodiazepines are:

sedation,
dizziness,
weakness, and
unsteadiness.

Other side effects include:

transient drowsiness commonly experienced during the first few days of treatment,
a feeling of depression,
loss of orientation,
headache,
sleep disturbance,
confusion,
irritability,
aggression,
excitement, and
memory impairment.

All benzodiazepines can cause physical dependence. Suddenly stopping therapy after a few months of daily therapy may be associated withwithdrawal symptoms which include a feeling of loss of self-worth, agitation, and insomnia. If benzodiazepines are taken continuously for longer than a few months, stopping therapy suddenly may produce seizures, tremors, muscle cramping, vomiting, and sweating. In order to avoid withdrawal symptoms, the dose of benzodiazepines should be tapered slowly.

With which drugs do benzodiazepines interact?

All benzodiazepines cause excessive sedation when combined with other medications that slow the brain's processes (for example, alcohol, barbiturates, narcotics, and tranquilizers). The elimination of some benzodiazepines (for example, alprazolam [Xanax] and diazepam [Valium]) is reduced by drugs that slow elimination of drugs in the liver (for example, ketoconazole [Nizoral,Xolegel], valproic acid [Depakene,Stavzor], cimetidine [Tagamet], and fluoxetine [Prozac]). Reduced elimination may result in increased blood concentrations and side effects from the affected benzodiazepines. Antacids may reduce the rate of absorption of benzodiazepines from the intestine. Separating the administration ofantacids and benzodiazepines by several hours may prevent this interaction.