Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 24, 2025

Author Spotlight: Overcoming Challenges in Drosophila Sleep Measurement Using DAM System
Published on: October 20, 2023
Severe Benzodiazepine Use Disorder in a 16-Year-Old Adolescent: A Rapid and Safe Inpatient Taper
Camille Fournier1, Olivier Jamoulle2, Alexandre Chadi3
1Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and nicholas.chadi@umontreal.ca.
Abstract:
We describe the case of a 16-year-old boy with a 1-year history of severe benzodiazepine misuse. After being denied access to several treatment programs and hospital centers that felt unprepared to manage benzodiazepine use disorder and withdrawal in an adolescent, the patient was admitted to a tertiary pediatric unit for rapid inpatient tapering and detoxification. The patient was hospitalized for 13 days and received decreasing doses of diazepam under close monitoring of withdrawal symptoms. The taper was well tolerated, and the patient was transferred to a youth residential substance use treatment center, where he completed a successful 2-month placement. This case highlights the lack of adolescent-friendly facilities allowing safe tapering of rapid-acting benzodiazepines in North America. Given high rates of benzodiazepine misuse among youth and the risks associated with benzodiazepine misuse and withdrawal, there is a critical need for more research, provider training, and dedicated resources in this area.
More Related Videos
07:54Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy DISE with Target Controlled Infusion TCI and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Published on: December 6, 2016
05:52Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Related Concept Videos
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic...
Management of Insomnia