In 1955, the chemist Leo Sternbach discovered the sedative and hypnotic substance chlordiazepoxide, the first of a class of psychoactive prescription drugs now accredited with a wide range of medical applications, from the treatment of anxiety and seizures to serving sedative purposes for surgeries. Substances under this class, belonging to a family of minor tranquilizers, are known as benzodiazepines, sometimes referred to as benzos or depending on the use, sleeping pills.
Jellies, moggies, downers, and roofies are other street names for these drugs.
At their core, benzodiazepines have for their chemical structure a fusion between a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. Medications under this category stimulate the secretion of gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA), neurotransmitters that can slow down nerve activities by inhibiting the generation of action potential. This mechanism produces sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects.
The role of benzodiazepines in managing excessive neural communication processes make this class plausible players in the treatment of mental disorders that induce intense neural activities.
Benzos are available in tablet, capsule, and liquid forms, generally taken orally. They may also be dissolved under the tongue, such as the case with Ativan. Versed (generic name: midazolam) is an example of benzodiazepines that can be taken intravenously. Prescription drugs under this class vary depending on the onset of action and common applications.
Chlordiazepoxide, known by the brand name Librium is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Other benzodiazepines used for their anxiolytic effect are Xanax (generic name: alprazolam) and Valium (generic name: diazepam). To avoid dependence, they are often only prescribed within 2 to 4 weeks for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Meanwhile, Klonopin (generic name: clonazepam) and Ativan (generic name: lorazepam) are benzodiazepines used for seizure disorders. Klonopin tends to be the stronger anticonvulsant while Ativan has a more lasting effect.
The sedative-hypnotic function of this class makes it useful in the treatment of insomnia and other sleep disorders, hence the term sleeping pills are often linked to such medication. The prescription drug Halcion (generic name: triazolam) has such an application, as do Dalmane (generic name: flurazepam) and Prosom (generic name: estazolam). This same effect allows benzodiazepines to be used as calming agents for patients who will be undergoing a surgical procedure.
Benzodiazepines, How They Work
Gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA) are the chief neurochemicals that inhibit nerve action. Benzodiazepines target the GABA-A receptors in the brain and work to depress the central nervous system (CNS). They do this by opening GABA-activated chloride pathways, thereby allowing the entry of chloride ions to the neuron. This leaves the nerve cells negatively charged and therefore resistant to stimulation, relaxing the user’s mind and muscles.
Benzodiazepines can be highly reactive with grapefruit and oral contraceptives. Takers may also be wary of the drugs’ reaction with other sedatives and anticonvulsants, as well as with antihistamines, antidepressants including herbal remedies like St. John’s Wort, cough medicines, some antibiotics, and some calcium channel blockers.
Classified a Schedule IV controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), benzodiazepines have lower abuse potential relative to Schedule III drugs but nonetheless have a high risk of being misused and causing dependence.
Excessive enzyme elevations are an atypical side effect to benzodiazepine use, thus acute kidney diseases are not normally a cause for concern associated with the use of these drugs. However, heart and lung failure are possible issues, especially when benzodiazepines interact with other substances. Expansion of coronary blood vessels and paralysis are likewise severe side effects linked to intravenous intake of the substances.
The onset of action of these medicines varies, with diazepam and clorazepate being able to start working within 30 to 60 minutes and oxazepam having a slower onset effect. Some have a more intermediate effect, such as in the case of lorazepam, alprazolam, and clonazepam. Meanwhile, half-lives of benzodiazepines can be as short as only two hours or as long as a hundred hours. For example, triazolam has a shorter effect, from two to five hours while for flurazepam, the half-life can be between forty to a hundred hours.
Benzodiazepines can be detected in hair tests up to 90 days after intake, in blood tests up to 3 days, and in urine tests, up to 28 days, depending on the amount taken and other physiological factors. Saliva tests may also reflect benzodiazepine use as much as 3 days after intake, though aren’t always advisable for this purpose.
Dangers and Downers
Due to their sedative-hypnotic effects, drowsiness, confusion, and impaired motor skills are possible short-term side effects of benzodiazepine use. Digestive disturbances like diarrhea and constipation may also be anticipated, as well as mood alterations, including a brief period of depression. Meanwhile, long-term use of the drug may lead to impaired memory, decreased libido, anxiety, and agoraphobia.
Reactivity of benzodiazepines to other substances can also have severe adverse effects, including seizures and hypotension.
Addiction and overdose are among the detrimental side effects, brought about by the high abuse potential of prescription drugs. Some benzodiazepines are taken with alcohol and illicit substances like cocaine and heroin for recreational purposes, and this increases the risk of an overdose. Individuals who use the drugs for more than 2 to 4 weeks without the advice from a qualified medical practitioner are more prone to developing tolerance and therefore dependence.
An overdose can be marked by the aforementioned side effects of benzodiazepine use, as well as appetite loss, fatigue, and dry mouth. Flumazenil is the medicine commonly used to counteract the effects of such overdose through competitive inhibition.
Withdrawal symptoms for benzodiazepine can occur as fast as a few hours after the last intake of the substance and can last a week and in some cases months. Individuals detoxifying from these drugs may experience spasms, abdominal cramps, excessive sweating, seizures, convulsions, increased heartbeat, and increased photosensitivity.
Watching out for the signs of overdose and withdrawal can aid in the prompt prevention or treatment of addiction, which is important considering the high dependence liability of many drugs under the benzodiazepine class.
Addressing Addiction
Medication and therapy are both available options for those seeking to treat addiction, though, in this regard, patients need to heed the prescription and counsel of medical personnel. While a benzodiazepine itself, clonazepam is used to minimize the symptoms of short-acting substances, giving it applications in the treatment of substance addiction. With controlled intake, clonazepam can minimize seizures and anxiety. Phenobarbital has the same effect.
Carbamazepine like Tegretol is used to calm the brain and reduce anxiety. Meanwhile, buspirone stimulates the production of serotonin; the neurotransmitter primarily linked to feelings of happiness, earning it the moniker “the happy chemical”.
Recovery groups, contingency management plans such as reward systems, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are remedies that aim to address the needs of the individual in such a way that helps patients manage behavioral and circumstantial triggers of substance abuse. It is important that individuals trying to recover from an addiction acknowledge and accept the need for outside assistance in dealing with their dependence on prescription drugs.
Benzodiazepines enjoy a wide array of medical applications that aid not only in the facilitation of surgical procedures through their anesthetic function but also in the treatment of mental disorders that affect thousands of individuals across the world.
As such, utmost care and responsibility are needed in dispensing and consuming these drugs. Adequate patient education can be the key to the effectivity of these substances and to the treatment or best yet, prevention of potentially detrimental effects.
In 1955, the chemist Leo Sternbach discovered the sedative and hypnotic substance chlordiazepoxide, the first of a class of psychoactive prescription drugs now accredited with a wide range of medical applications, from the treatment of anxiety and seizures to serving sedative purposes for surgeries. Substances under this class, belonging to a family of minor tranquilizers, are known as benzodiazepines, sometimes referred to as benzos or depending on the use, sleeping pills.
Jellies, moggies, downers, and roofies are other street names for these drugs.
At their core, benzodiazepines have for their chemical structure a fusion between a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. Medications under this category stimulate the secretion of gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA), neurotransmitters that can slow down nerve activities by inhibiting the generation of action potential. This mechanism produces sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects.
The role of benzodiazepines in managing excessive neural communication processes make this class plausible players in the treatment of mental disorders that induce intense neural activities.
Benzos are available in tablet, capsule, and liquid forms, generally taken orally. They may also be dissolved under the tongue, such as the case with Ativan. Versed (generic name: midazolam) is an example of benzodiazepines that can be taken intravenously. Prescription drugs under this class vary depending on the onset of action and common applications.
Chlordiazepoxide, known by the brand name Librium is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Other benzodiazepines used for their anxiolytic effect are Xanax (generic name: alprazolam) and Valium (generic name: diazepam). To avoid dependence, they are often only prescribed within 2 to 4 weeks for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Meanwhile, Klonopin (generic name: clonazepam) and Ativan (generic name: lorazepam) are benzodiazepines used for seizure disorders. Klonopin tends to be the stronger anticonvulsant while Ativan has a more lasting effect.
The sedative-hypnotic function of this class makes it useful in the treatment of insomnia and other sleep disorders, hence the term sleeping pills are often linked to such medication. The prescription drug Halcion (generic name: triazolam) has such an application, as do Dalmane (generic name: flurazepam) and Prosom (generic name: estazolam). This same effect allows benzodiazepines to be used as calming agents for patients who will be undergoing a surgical procedure.
Benzodiazepines, How They Work
Gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA) are the chief neurochemicals that inhibit nerve action. Benzodiazepines target the GABA-A receptors in the brain and work to depress the central nervous system (CNS). They do this by opening GABA-activated chloride pathways, thereby allowing the entry of chloride ions to the neuron. This leaves the nerve cells negatively charged and therefore resistant to stimulation, relaxing the user’s mind and muscles.
Benzodiazepines can be highly reactive with grapefruit and oral contraceptives. Takers may also be wary of the drugs’ reaction with other sedatives and anticonvulsants, as well as with antihistamines, antidepressants including herbal remedies like St. John’s Wort, cough medicines, some antibiotics, and some calcium channel blockers.
Classified a Schedule IV controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), benzodiazepines have lower abuse potential relative to Schedule III drugs but nonetheless have a high risk of being misused and causing dependence.
Excessive enzyme elevations are an atypical side effect to benzodiazepine use, thus acute kidney diseases are not normally a cause for concern associated with the use of these drugs. However, heart and lung failure are possible issues, especially when benzodiazepines interact with other substances. Expansion of coronary blood vessels and paralysis are likewise severe side effects linked to intravenous intake of the substances.
The onset of action of these medicines varies, with diazepam and clorazepate being able to start working within 30 to 60 minutes and oxazepam having a slower onset effect. Some have a more intermediate effect, such as in the case of lorazepam, alprazolam, and clonazepam. Meanwhile, half-lives of benzodiazepines can be as short as only two hours or as long as a hundred hours. For example, triazolam has a shorter effect, from two to five hours while for flurazepam, the half-life can be between forty to a hundred hours.
Benzodiazepines can be detected in hair tests up to 90 days after intake, in blood tests up to 3 days, and in urine tests, up to 28 days, depending on the amount taken and other physiological factors. Saliva tests may also reflect benzodiazepine use as much as 3 days after intake, though aren’t always advisable for this purpose.
Dangers and Downers
Due to their sedative-hypnotic effects, drowsiness, confusion, and impaired motor skills are possible short-term side effects of benzodiazepine use. Digestive disturbances like diarrhea and constipation may also be anticipated, as well as mood alterations, including a brief period of depression. Meanwhile, long-term use of the drug may lead to impaired memory, decreased libido, anxiety, and agoraphobia.
Reactivity of benzodiazepines to other substances can also have severe adverse effects, including seizures and hypotension.
Addiction and overdose are among the detrimental side effects, brought about by the high abuse potential of prescription drugs. Some benzodiazepines are taken with alcohol and illicit substances like cocaine and heroin for recreational purposes, and this increases the risk of an overdose. Individuals who use the drugs for more than 2 to 4 weeks without the advice from a qualified medical practitioner are more prone to developing tolerance and therefore dependence.
An overdose can be marked by the aforementioned side effects of benzodiazepine use, as well as appetite loss, fatigue, and dry mouth. Flumazenil is the medicine commonly used to counteract the effects of such overdose through competitive inhibition.
Withdrawal symptoms for benzodiazepine can occur as fast as a few hours after the last intake of the substance and can last a week and in some cases months. Individuals detoxifying from these drugs may experience spasms, abdominal cramps, excessive sweating, seizures, convulsions, increased heartbeat, and increased photosensitivity.
Watching out for the signs of overdose and withdrawal can aid in the prompt prevention or treatment of addiction, which is important considering the high dependence liability of many drugs under the benzodiazepine class.
Addressing Addiction
Medication and therapy are both available options for those seeking to treat addiction, though, in this regard, patients need to heed the prescription and counsel of medical personnel. While a benzodiazepine itself, clonazepam is used to minimize the symptoms of short-acting substances, giving it applications in the treatment of substance addiction. With controlled intake, clonazepam can minimize seizures and anxiety. Phenobarbital has the same effect.
Carbamazepine like Tegretol is used to calm the brain and reduce anxiety. Meanwhile, buspirone stimulates the production of serotonin; the neurotransmitter primarily linked to feelings of happiness, earning it the moniker “the happy chemical”.
Recovery groups, contingency management plans such as reward systems, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are remedies that aim to address the needs of the individual in such a way that helps patients manage behavioral and circumstantial triggers of substance abuse. It is important that individuals trying to recover from an addiction acknowledge and accept the need for outside assistance in dealing with their dependence on prescription drugs.
Benzodiazepines enjoy a wide array of medical applications that aid not only in the facilitation of surgical procedures through their anesthetic function but also in the treatment of mental disorders that affect thousands of individuals across the world.
As such, utmost care and responsibility are needed in dispensing and consuming these drugs. Adequate patient education can be the key to the effectivity of these substances and to the treatment or best yet, prevention of potentially detrimental effects.
