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Benzodiazepine overdose (BZD OD) describes the ingestion of one of the drugs in the benzodiazepine class in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. The most common symptoms of overdose include central nervous system (CNS) depression, impaired balance, ataxia , and slurred speech.
Because benzodiazepines in general may be associated with increased suicide risk, care should be taken when prescribing, especially to at-risk patients. [ 59 ] [ 60 ] Depressed adolescents who were taking benzodiazepines were found to have a greatly increased risk of self-harm or suicide , although the sample size was small.
The injection was a concern in this survey due to increased health risks. The main problems highlighted in this survey were concerns of dependence, the potential for overdose of benzodiazepines in combination with opiates and the health problems associated with injection of benzodiazepines. [46]
Benzodiazepines are associated with an increased risk of suicide due to aggression, impulsivity, and negative withdrawal effects. [10] Long-term use is controversial because of concerns about decreasing effectiveness, physical dependence, benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, and an increased risk of dementia and cancer.
Benzodiazepines can be addictive and induce dependence even at low doses, with 23% becoming addicted within 3 months of use. Benzodiazepine addiction is considered a public health problem. Approximately 68.5% of prescriptions of benzodiazepines originate from local health centers, with psychiatry and general hospitals accounting for 10% each.
Benzodiazepines are not intended for long-term use because of the potential for addiction. ... there is a risk of serotonin syndrome when you increase the dose of certain medications or start ...
For example, the risk associated with benzodiazepines increases significantly when taken with alcohol, [18] [19] [20] depressants, [18] opiates, [19] [21] [22] [20] [23] or stimulants [24] when compared with being taken alone. Therapeutic index also does not take into account the ease or difficulty of reaching a toxic or lethal dose.
Benzodiazepine use with opioids increases the risk of overdose death by four-fold, whereas concomitant use with gabapentintoids such as gabapentin or pregabalin increases the risk of overdose death by nearly two-fold. [24] Higher doses of prescription opioids, as well as long-acting formulations, are associated with an increased risk of ...