18 Facts About Benzodiazepines

1.

Benzodiazepines, sometimes called "benzos" or "blues", are a class of psychoactive drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring.

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2.

Benzodiazepines are depressants that enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid at the GABAA receptor, resulting in sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant properties.

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3.

Benzodiazepines are generally viewed as safe and effective for short-term use—about two to four weeks—although cognitive impairment and paradoxical effects such as aggression or behavioral disinhibition can occur.

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4.

Benzodiazepines are associated with an increased risk of suicide due to aggression, impulsivity, and negative withdrawal effects.

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5.

Benzodiazepines are commonly misused and taken in combination with other addictive substances.

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6.

Benzodiazepines possess psycholeptic, sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, and amnesic actions, which are useful in a variety of indications such as alcohol dependence, seizures, anxiety disorders, panic, agitation, and insomnia.

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7.

Benzodiazepines can have serious adverse health outcomes, and these findings support clinical and regulatory efforts to reduce usage, especially in combination with non-benzodiazepine receptor agonists.

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8.

Benzodiazepines have robust efficacy in the short-term management of generalized anxiety disorder, but were not shown effective in producing long-term improvement overall.

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9.

Benzodiazepines are the preferred choice in the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, in particular, for the prevention and treatment of the dangerous complication of seizures and in subduing severe delirium.

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10.

Benzodiazepines are often prescribed for a wide range of conditions:.

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11.

Benzodiazepines should be prescribed to the elderly only with caution and only for a short period at low doses.

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12.

Benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed to treat behavioral symptoms of dementia.

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13.

Benzodiazepines have a reputation with patients and doctors for causing a severe and traumatic withdrawal; however, this is in large part due to the withdrawal process being poorly managed.

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14.

Benzodiazepines bind at the interface of the a and ? subunits on the GABAA receptor.

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15.

Benzodiazepines have binding sites in the periphery, however their effects on muscle tone is not mediated through these peripheral receptors.

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16.

Benzodiazepines have been found to mimic protein reverse turns structurally, which enable them with their biological activity in many cases.

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17.

Benzodiazepines have been detected in plant specimens and brain samples of animals not exposed to synthetic sources, including a human brain from the 1940s.

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18.

Benzodiazepines are used in veterinary practice in the treatment of various disorders and conditions.

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