Clinical management of withdrawal from benzodiazepine anxiolytic and hypnotic medications
Clinical management of withdrawal from benzodiazepine anxiolytic and hypnotic medications
Benzodiazepines continue to be prescribed widely in the management of patients with insomnia or anxiety disorders, despite the availability and acceptability of alternative pharmacological and psychological treatments. Many patients will experience adverse effects during treatment and considerable distress when the dosage is reduced and stopped. Management of benzodiazepine withdrawal includes measures to prevent the development of dependence, careful attention to underlying medical conditions, medication consolidation and gradual dosage reduction, accompanying psychological interventions, occasional prescription of concomitant medication, and relapse prevention with on-going support to address psychosocial stressors. There are needs for easier patient access to services with refined expertise and for further research to optimise strategies for preventing dependence and facilitating withdrawal.
Anxiolytic, benzodiazepine, dependence, hypnotic, management, withdrawal
1472-1482
Baldwin, David S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
4 April 2022
Baldwin, David S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Baldwin, David S.
(2022)
Clinical management of withdrawal from benzodiazepine anxiolytic and hypnotic medications.
Addiction, 117 (5), .
(doi:10.1111/add.15695).
Abstract
Benzodiazepines continue to be prescribed widely in the management of patients with insomnia or anxiety disorders, despite the availability and acceptability of alternative pharmacological and psychological treatments. Many patients will experience adverse effects during treatment and considerable distress when the dosage is reduced and stopped. Management of benzodiazepine withdrawal includes measures to prevent the development of dependence, careful attention to underlying medical conditions, medication consolidation and gradual dosage reduction, accompanying psychological interventions, occasional prescription of concomitant medication, and relapse prevention with on-going support to address psychosocial stressors. There are needs for easier patient access to services with refined expertise and for further research to optimise strategies for preventing dependence and facilitating withdrawal.
Text
21-0583-DSB-020921
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 22 August 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 October 2021
Published date: 4 April 2022
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Society for the Study of Addiction.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Anxiolytic, benzodiazepine, dependence, hypnotic, management, withdrawal
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 482234
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/482234
ISSN: 0965-2140
PURE UUID: 0eb589a9-ac31-4fb0-a775-101d32937a23
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Date deposited: 21 Sep 2023 16:55
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:41
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