Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline, and Effects

At first the withdrawal was a process of mutual trial (and sometimes error), but through this experience some general principles of withdrawal – what works best for most people – emerged. When they are removed, the brain may experience a rebound as GABA and dopamine levels decrease. Therefore, stopping a benzodiazepine medication suddenly without medical help is not recommended and could be dangerous. While there are commonalities in withdrawal symptoms across various substances, benzodiazepine withdrawal is characterized by its potential for seizures, intense rebound anxiety, and insomnia. Its protracted withdrawal phase, which can last for months to years, is also relatively unique.

EXTRA MEDICATION DURING BENZODIAZEPINE WITHDRAWAL

When tolerance develops, “withdrawal” symptoms can appear even though the user continues to take the drug. Thus the symptoms suffered by many long-term users are a mixture of adverse effects of the drugs and “withdrawal” effects due to tolerance. As described in Chapter 1, long-term use of benzodiazepines can give rise to many unwanted effects, including poor memory and cognition, emotional blunting, depression, increasing anxiety, physical symptoms and dependence. All benzodiazepines can produce these effects whether taken as sleeping pills or anti-anxiety drugs. The social and economic consequences of chronic benzodiazepine use are summarised in Table 3 (Chapter 1). While generally not considered life-threatening, withdrawal from benzodiazepines is best managed through medical detox, which can offer both physical and mental health support and supervision.

• If withdrawal symptoms become severe, doctors may prescribe other medications.
• Using these drugs for an extended time period drastically increases the risk of tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
• Some people complain of an “inner trembling” or a sense of vibration, and some have described bizarre sensations as of water or slime running over the body or a serpent-like writhing on the scalp.

What is it like to experience benzodiazepine withdrawal?

Withdrawal symptoms may be mild in people who take the drugs for short periods. However, there is still a possibility of severe reactions and withdrawal symptoms. There is a risk that people who quit benzodiazepines without a taper may experience a life-threatening grand mal seizure. If you go into withdrawal without tapering, you also risk experiencing delirium and hallucinations that cause you to lose touch with reality—a terrifying and dangerous experience.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Some people in benzodiazepine withdrawal take small doses of these drugs (10-20mg Inderal three times daily) regularly, while others reserve them to take only if the physical symptoms of a panic attack seem uncontrollable. They are not a cure, but can sometimes help people through a difficult situation. In larger doses, beta-blockers are used for raised blood pressure and angina, but such doses are not advised in benzodiazepine withdrawal. They should not be taken by anyone who has asthma as they can drug addiction cause constriction of the bronchial tubes. If beta-blockers have been used regularly for any length of time, they should be withdrawn slowly by tapering the dosage, as they too can cause a withdrawal reaction of increased heart rate and palpitations. Several other drugs have been tested in clinical trials of benzodiazepine withdrawal to see if they could speed the process, prevent or alleviate withdrawal symptoms, or improve the long-term success rate.

• Withdrawal from benzodiazepines is an uncomfortable process with the potential to last for several weeks (or longer).
• It is a good idea to make out a dosage reduction schedule for the initial stages (see below) and to give your doctor a copy.
• Withdrawal symptoms may vary from person to person, although there are some common symptoms.
• Benzodiazepine withdrawal is a series of physical, emotional and behavior changes experienced when a person tries to reduce its dose or cease taking a benzodiazepine like Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, Diazepam, Librium or Onfi.
• Diazepam, a long-acting benzodiazepine, is the most common choice for dose tapering.

Longer-acting benzodiazepines like Klonopin (clonazepam) can stay in the system longer, which https://ecosoberhouse.com/ means it can be one to two days or even longer before withdrawal symptoms start. Benzodiazepines are a group of central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. Benzodiazepines are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. Several types of benzodiazepines are sold under popular brand names like Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), and Klonopin (clonazepam).

These factors don’t guarantee you’ll have severe withdrawal symptoms, but they can increase your vulnerability. So, your doctor may recommend a slower taper schedule as a safety precaution. In fact, if you take your medication every other day, you may notice rebound symptoms on the day between doses. It’s incredibly important to follow your doctor’s guidance when you stop taking benzodiazepines. If you stop taking them “cold turkey,” or all at once, you may experience severe, even life threatening, withdrawal symptoms. If you take benzodiazepines infrequently, such as once a week or once every few weeks to treat panic attacks, you can take them for a longer period of time.

They do not herald the onset of madness; they are simply instances of benzodiazepines playing tricks on the brain which will right itself abrupt withdrawal of benzodiazepines in time. A good mentor can usually reassure and “talk down” a person suffering from benzodiazepine withdrawal-induced hallucinations. Return of SWS seems to take longer after withdrawal, probably because anxiety levels are high, the brain is overactive and it is hard to relax completely. Benzo withdrawals can be severe, and life threatening complications can occur. A healthcare professional should supervise benzo withdrawal to help monitor and manage the symptoms. Research in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology notes that an estimated 10–25% of people who use benzos for extended periods experience withdrawal symptoms that last for 12 months or longer.