Benzodiazepine Overdose Treatments

We adhere to strict accuracy guidelines and only reference credible sources when providing information on our website. This means that if a person stops taking the benzo and then relapses, a dose they would have previously been able to take without a problem now puts them at risk of overdose. The risk Oxford House is especially pronounced in those who take relatively high benzo doses and those who use multiple substances. Even if the person is taking benzos without a prescription, you will not get in trouble for seeking help and potentially saving a life.

• Addiction professionals emphasize that without proper monitoring, the risk of seizure or overdose deaths rises significantly.
• On the other hand, most benzodiazepine overdoses are treated through supportive care.
• Additionally, elderly individuals have higher sensitivity in regard to their brain’s benzodiazepine receptors.
• Five male and nine female patients (mean age ± SD 42.5 ± 8.0 years), admitted to the hospital for BZD detoxification, were enrolled in the study (see Table 1 for patients’ characteristics).
• Flumazenil is an antidote for benzodiazepine overdose and can reverse symptoms like severely slowed breathing (respiratory depression).
• However, flumazenil must be administered by emergency healthcare professionals in a medical setting.

Mental Health Treatment

This may trigger seizures, especially in patients with long-term benzodiazepine use or co-ingestion of tricyclic antidepressants. The risk increases with high doses or mixed overdoses involving multiple CNS depressants. Emergency physicians must weigh these potential adverse effects against the life-threatening complications of benzodiazepine toxicity. In some cases, flumazenil, a benzo antidote, may be administered in order to reverse an overdose. However, this medication is only used for individuals who are not physically addicted to benzodiazepines. This is because individuals who are administered flumazenil and are dependent upon benzos can go into immediate withdrawal.

Long term management: depot flumazenil

Blank serum samples, used for the development and validation of the procedure, were obtained from healthy volunteers abstinent from any drug during the week before sampling. A 250-μl aliquot of serum was added to an equal volume of 0.1 M phosphate solution (pH 8.8), and the mixture was spiked with the IS (diazepam-D5) to have a final concentration of 40 ng/ml. The mixtures were added with 1.5 ml of ethyl acetate, then extracted by vortex-mixing for 1 min, and centrifuged at 4,000 rpm for 15 min. The organic phase was then evaporated to dryness under nitrogen stream and the residue dissolved in 50 μl of ultrapure water. Call anesthesia if there is no desired clinical response with the administration of the initial 1 mg.

Flumazenil in benzodiazepine overdose

This reaction is referred to as a “paradoxical” reaction and occurs in less than 1 percent of patients. Benzodiazepines are prescription medications used in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders as well as seizure disorders. Benzodiazepines, or “benzos”, work by slowing down the central nervous system. When a person has been taking a benzo for a long time, their body gets used to the dose, leading to tolerance. When a person is tolerant to a drug, they require higher doses to obtain the same effects. All benzodiazepines have a very high potential for abuse and addiction because of their intoxicating effects on the user.

Benzodiazepine Misuse and Addiction Risk

Elastomeric infusion pumps are feasible to use and less bed bounding for patients, although a little less precise than other pumps. Subcutaneous route of FLU administration was previously described only in three patients (14), suggesting the usefulness of this route for its excellent tolerability, efficacy, and improvement on measure of psychological distress. You have been taking Xanax for a little while under your doctor’s orders.

Patient information

As you continue to increase the amount you take to get high, you also increase the likelihood of experiencing what is called an overdose. The symptoms of a benzo overdose are very dangerous and even life-threatening. Doctors commonly prescribe benzodiazepines to treat conditions like anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and muscle spasms. The presence of other medications, especially tricyclic antidepressants, can affect clearance rates.

Signs of Benzodiazepine Overdose

While benzodiazepines are helpful medications, these drugs have a high potential for abuse. As a result, many individuals take too much of a certain benzodiazepine or mix it with a different substance in order to produce a “high”. In doing so, these individuals are at risk of coma, respiratory depression, and death. In fact, benzodiazepine related overdoses rose from 1,135 in 1999 to 11,537 in 2017.

We use cognitive behavioral therapy to help you recognize and change the thought patterns driving addiction and mental health symptoms, giving you better control over recovery. Unlike naloxone, flumazenil is not considered an antidote that can be given by anyone other than medical professionals with the appropriate training. After flumazenil, the person needs to be https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/benzodiazepine-overdose-signs-symptoms-and-treatment/ carefully monitored for any adverse events or severe respiratory depression. Though benzos are commonly used to treat legitimate medical conditions, they’re also a drug that’s misused for non-medical purposes. People may misuse benzos to get high, to increase the euphoria they get from other drugs like opioids or alcohol, or to relieve withdrawal symptoms from stimulants like cocaine.

What Happens When You Call a Treatment Center

• Moreover, FLU is extensively metabolized by hepatic cytochromes P450 3A4, 3A5, and 2C9 and readily eliminated.
• Recovery.com combines independent research with expert guidance on addiction and mental health treatment.
• Unlike antidotes for other overdoses like naloxone, flumazenil is only given by medical professionals because it can cause seizures and severe allergic reactions.
• Physicians design personalized tapering plans that consider the duration of benzodiazepine use, the total dose consumed, and any underlying conditions.

The cumulative dose effect is particularly concerning with Xanax as a result of its short half-life, which can lead to frequent dosing and increased risk of intentional overdose. Benzo addiction professionals often see complicated cases involving Xanax, especially when combined with tricyclic antidepressants or other medications that can trigger fatal seizures. Unlike other pharmacological interventions, flumazenil https://pawainitiative.org/celebrities-who-died-of-alcoholism-list-of-famous/ works directly as a competitive antagonist—it races to these receptor sites and blocks benzodiazepines from binding. This antidote also targets GABA receptors, which are responsible for the calming and sedating effects of benzodiazepines.

While commonly prescribed, benzos come with some risks – including the potential for misuse, addiction, and fatal overdose. To begin, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) will be administered after medical professionals examine the person’s breathing, airway, and circulation. If the individual suffering from an overdose is unable to breathe, CPR is vital to their survival.