If someone is experiencing these symptoms during or after Benzodiazepine discontinuation, seeking medical guidance is essential for proper management. The elimination half-life of diazepam and chlordiazepoxide, as well as other long half-life benzodiazepines, is twice as long in the elderly compared to younger individuals. Many doctors do not adjust benzodiazepine dosage according to age in elderly patients. When potentiation is sustained by long-term use, neuroadaptations occur which result in decreased GABAergic response. What is certain is that surface GABAA receptor benzodiazepine withdrawal protein levels are altered in response to benzodiazepine exposure, as is receptor turnover rate.

• Stimulants include Ritalin and Adderall, often prescribed to manage symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• When benzodiazepines attach to your neurons, they invite a bunch of chloride ions inside.
• While they can quickly relieve symptoms of anxiety and panic, these drugs pose a high risk of dependence.
• Physical and neurological examinations may be conducted to evaluate the individual’s overall health status and neurological functioning.
• It’s incredibly important to follow your doctor’s guidance when you stop taking benzodiazepines.

Difficult tapers

Dr. Harrison serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Eleanor Health with more than 15 years experience practicing medicine. She is a double-board certified physician with specialties in general adult psychiatry and addiction medicine. Dr. Harrison has spent her career as a physician treating individuals from marginalized communities with substance use and other psychiatric disorders. As a physician executive, she has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Halfway house Medical Officer roles committed to creating and improving systems-based delivery of psychiatric and substance abuse care. She is a vocal advocate for stigma reduction, and is passionate about the necessity for whole-person care as individuals and communities seek to recover from and prevent substance use disorders. It is crucial to emphasize that these symptoms may not be universally experienced by all individuals, and their intensity can greatly differ depending on factors such as the specific Benzodiazepine dosage, the duration of use, and an individual’s overall health.

Signs and Symptoms

Tapering down methods or other medications to aid with withdrawal symptoms can make early symptoms milder and more manageable. Withdrawal from prescription drugs doesn’t always end when the these symptoms subside. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is a collection of related symptoms, including mood swings, sleep disturbances and intense cravings that can persist for weeks or even months. For people wanting to withdraw from prescription drugs, such as opiates, benzodiazepines or stimulants, the detox process can feel overwhelming. You might experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms  when you’re detoxing from prescription drugs, which can vary in severity and duration, depending on the drug you’re addicted to, how long you’ve been using it for, and how much you’ve been taking. Benzodiazepines, commonly prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders, offer relief to millions.

Signs and symptoms

• Signs of a disconnect between the widespread prescribing of drugs approved only for short-term (2–4 week) use and their rarely studied long-term consequences underline the importance of the survey, especially on the prevalence and severity of protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal.
• The study reported physicians generally are not aware of the severe consequences of abrupt withdrawal of psychotropic medications such as benzodiazepines or antidepressants.
• Patients typically need a lot of support from family, friends, and ideally, peer coaching.
• If you have been using benzodiazepines for longer than six months, suddenly stopping your dose can cause grand mal seizures and delirium—this is why it’s best to involve your doctor or healthcare professional in your withdrawal process.

This strategy, however, is not recommended for benzodiazepines because of a central nervous system process called kindling. Development of physical dependence and the resulting withdrawal symptoms, some of which may last for years, may result from taking the medication as prescribed. Further, these symptoms are notable for the manner in which they wax and wane and vary in severity from day to day or week by week instead of steadily decreasing in a straightforward monotonic manner. If not already using a long half-life benzodiazepine like clonazepam or diazepam, transitioning to an equivalent dose (see Table) of either of these agents prior to tapering often allows for a smoother tapering process. When undergoing a taper, patients often experience an increase in symptoms after each reduction in dosage. Sequential reductions can be made periodically as long as the patient has a pause in the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms between reductions.

• A withdrawal syndrome is seen in about 20% of paediatric intensive care unit children after infusions with benzodiazepines or opioids.
• If you only use them once every few days, you may be able to take them for up to 4 weeks.
• By Corinne O’Keefe OsbornCorinne Osborn is an award-winning health and wellness journalist with a background in substance abuse, sexual health, and psychology.

Instances are also reported within the high-dosage category of more serious developments such as seizures and psychotic reactions. Withdrawal from normal dosage benzodiazepine treatment can result in a number of symptomatic patterns. The most common is a short-lived “rebound” anxiety and insomnia, coming on within 1-4 days of discontinuation, depending on the half-life of the particular drug. The second pattern is the full-blown withdrawal syndrome, usually lasting days; finally, a third pattern may represent the return of anxiety symptoms which then persist until some form of treatment is instituted. Physiological dependence on benzodiazepines can occur following prolonged treatment with therapeutic doses, but it is not clear what proportion of patients are likely to experience a withdrawal syndrome.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be managed with a gradual dose reduction, which will cause milder symptoms that come and go in waves. During the first week, you can also expect physical symptoms like headaches and hand tremors. The risks of benzodiazepine withdrawal can be considerably decreased with the intervention of a physician or an addiction specialist. However, safe, effective treatment options are available to make the withdrawal and detox process as comfortable as possible, avoiding the risks of stopping without medical supervision.