Benzodiazepines: risks and benefits. A reconsideration
- PMID: 24067791
- DOI: 10.1177/0269881113503509
Benzodiazepines: risks and benefits. A reconsideration
Abstract
Over the last decade there have been further developments in our knowledge of the risks and benefits of benzodiazepines, and of the risks and benefits of alternatives to benzodiazepines. Representatives drawn from the Psychopharmacology Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Association for Psychopharmacology together examined these developments, and have provided this joint statement with recommendations for clinical practice. The working group was mindful of widespread concerns about benzodiazepines and related anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs. The group believes that whenever benzodiazepines are prescribed, the potential for dependence or other harmful effects must be considered. However, the group also believes that the risks of dependence associated with long-term use should be balanced against the benefits that in many cases follow from the short or intermittent use of benzodiazepines and the risk of the underlying conditions for which treatment is being provided.
Keywords: Benzodiazepines; benefits; pharmacology; risks; withdrawal.
Similar articles
-
[Benzodiazepines to people with substance abuse problems?].Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2010 Mar 25;130(6):610-2. doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.09.0687. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2010. PMID: 20349006 Norwegian.
-
Remimazolam (Byfavo) for short-term procedural sedation.Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2022 Feb 21;64(1644):26-28. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2022. PMID: 35171895 No abstract available.
-
Perceptions of German GPs on benefits and risks of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs.Swiss Med Wkly. 2013 Jan 17;143:w13745. doi: 10.4414/smw.2013.13745. eCollection 2013. Swiss Med Wkly. 2013. PMID: 23348819
-
What's wrong with prescribing hypnotics?Drug Ther Bull. 2004 Dec;42(12):89-93. doi: 10.1136/dtb.2004.421289. Drug Ther Bull. 2004. PMID: 15587763 Review.
-
New regulations regarding e-prescriptions may increase the risk of acute withdrawal syndromes in patients dependent on benzodiazepines or non-benzodiazepine hypnotics.Psychiatr Pol. 2020 Apr 30;54(2):351-358. doi: 10.12740/PP/115555. Epub 2020 Apr 30. Psychiatr Pol. 2020. PMID: 32772065 Review. English, Polish.
Cited by
-
The role of benzodiazepines in common conditions: a narrative review focusing on lormetazepam.Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2024 May 1;39(3):139-147. doi: 10.1097/YIC.0000000000000529. Epub 2024 Feb 13. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2024. PMID: 38277240 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Aralia continentalis Root Enhances Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep by Activating GABAA Receptors.Nutrients. 2023 Dec 6;15(24):5020. doi: 10.3390/nu15245020. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 38140279 Free PMC article.
-
Prevalence and risk factors for misuse of prescription psychotropic drug in patients with severe mental illness: A systematic review.Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2023 Sep;51(5):229-240. Epub 2023 Sep 1. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2023. PMID: 38117263 Free PMC article.
-
Prescription drugs with potential for misuse in Irish prisons: analysis of national prison prescribing trends, by gender and history of opioid use disorder, 2012 to 2020.BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Oct 6;23(1):725. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05195-9. BMC Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37803285 Free PMC article.
-
Management of sleep disorder by preceptors in a family medicine residency program in Calgary, Alberta: a mixed-methods study.CMAJ Open. 2023 Jul 25;11(4):E637-E644. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20220080. Print 2023 Jul-Aug. CMAJ Open. 2023. PMID: 37491048 Free PMC article.
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
