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A study found that of 42 patients treated with alprazolam, up to a third of long-term users of the benzodiazepine drug alprazolam develop depression. [40] Studies have shown that long-term use of benzodiazepines and the benzodiazepine receptor agonist nonbenzodiazepine Z drugs are associated with causing depression as well as a markedly raised ...
[citation needed] For example, the equivalent dose of diazepam in an elderly individual on lorazepam may be half of what would be expected in a younger individual. [7] [8] Equivalent doses of benzodiazepines differ as much as 20 fold. [9] [10] [11]
[32] [35] Nevertheless, benzodiazepines are still prescribed for long-term treatment of anxiety disorders, although specific antidepressants and psychological therapies are recommended as the first-line treatment options with the anticonvulsant drug pregabalin indicated as a second- or third-line treatment and suitable for long-term use. [36]
A box of Lorazepam Orion (Lorazepam) tablets. Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan among others, is a benzodiazepine medication. [14] It is used to treat anxiety (including anxiety disorders), trouble sleeping, severe agitation, active seizures including status epilepticus, alcohol withdrawal, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. [14]
Vistaril (hydroxyzine) – an antihistamine for the treatment of itches and irritations, an antiemetic, as a weak analgesic, an opioid potentiator, and as an anxiolytic; Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) – a pro-drug stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and binge eating disorder; Vyvanse is converted into Dexedrine in vivo
Improved reaction times were noted at 52 weeks in elderly patients free from benzodiazepines. This is an important function in the elderly, especially if they drive a car due to the increased risk of road traffic accidents in benzodiazepine users. [136] At the 24-week follow-up, 80% of people had successfully withdrawn from benzodiazepines.
In the elderly a lower dose is recommended due to more pronounced effects and a significant impairment of standing up to 11 hours after dosing of 1 mg of loprazolam. The half-life is much more prolonged in the elderly than in younger patients. A half-life of 19.8 hours has been reported in elderly patients. [4]
Supportive care is the mainstay of treatment of benzodiazepine overdose. There is an antidote, flumazenil, but its use is controversial. [2] Deaths from single-drug benzodiazepine overdoses occur infrequently, [3] particularly after the point of hospital admission. [4]