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Review: Adjunctive pharmacologic approaches for benzodiazepine tapers
Justine W Welsh1, Valeria Tretyak2, R Kathryn McHugh3
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr. NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|June 16, 2018
Summary
Discontinuing benzodiazepines is challenging due to withdrawal symptoms and limited medication options. More research is needed for effective benzodiazepine cessation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Benzodiazepine discontinuation is often necessary due to decreased efficacy, sedative use disorder, or side effects.
- Discontinuation presents challenges for clinicians, including withdrawal symptoms and potential relapse of psychiatric conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on medications that facilitate benzodiazepine discontinuation and withdrawal symptom relief.
Main Methods:
- A PubMed literature search was performed using "benzodiazepines" combined with terms related to discontinuation and substance use disorders.
- Twenty-one studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for the review.
Main Results:
- Few medications have demonstrated efficacy in facilitating benzodiazepine discontinuation or alleviating withdrawal symptoms.
- Medications for insomnia showed mixed results, and agents for anxiety had inconsistent effects on withdrawal and completion rates.
Conclusions:
- Carbamazepine shows potential in small case reports for aiding benzodiazepine taper completion and reducing withdrawal severity.
- Significant heterogeneity exists across studies, highlighting the need for further research into optimal benzodiazepine tapering strategies.
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