benzodiazepine

Examples of benzodiazepine in the following topics:

• Depressants

  • Barbiturates have been largely replaced by benzodiazepines, because the latter have fewer side effects and less potential for lethal overdoses.
  • Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the GABA receptor, resulting in sedative, hypnotic (sleep-inducing), anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), anticonvulsant, and muscle-relaxant properties.
  • Amnesic-dissociative actions are also seen in the applied pharmacology of high doses of many shorter-acting benzodiazepines.
  • These properties make benzodiazepines useful in treating anxiety, insomnia, agitation, seizures, muscle spasms, alcohol withdrawal, and as a premedication for medical or dental procedures.
  • Some of the most common benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety medications, such as clonazepam (Klonopin), alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and zolpidem (Ambien).

• Introduction to Anxiety Disorders

  • Caffeine, alcohol, and benzodiazepine dependence can worsen or cause anxiety and panic attacks.
  • Benzodiazepines are also sometimes indicated for short-term or "as-needed" use.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

  • Long-term use of benzodiazepines can worsen underlying anxiety, with evidence that reduction in benzodiazepine use can in turn lead to a lessening of anxiety symptoms.

• Pharmacotherapy (Medication)

  • The hypnotic medications benzodiazepine and nonbenzodiazepine also have a number of side effects such as daytime fatigue and cognitive impairments.
  • However, benzodiazepines are often preferred over SSRIs for the treatment of anxiety disorders because they act more quickly and require a lower dose in order to be effective.
  • Then with the 1950s came the establishment of chlorpromazine for psychoses, lithium carbonate for mania, and then in rapid succession, the development of tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and benzodiazepines, among other antipsychotics and antidepressants.

• Intellectual Disabilities

  • However, use of psychotropic medications such as benzodiazepines in people with intellectual disability requires vigilant monitoring, as side effects are common and are often misdiagnosed as behavioral and psychiatric problems.

• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

  • Other commonly used medications include beta blockers and benzodiazepines.