Prescription Drugs Classed as Benzodiazepines Deadly If Abused
Benzodiazepines: Xanax, Valium, Librium, Halcion Facts
Valium Addiction
Recently there have been many news stories regarding the abuse of prescription drugs, in many cases benzodiazepines such as Librium, Xanax and Valium.
Benzodiazepines were first marketed in the 1960s. Touted as much safer depressants with far less addiction potential than barbiturates, today these drugs account for about one out of every five prescriptions for controlled substances.
Benzodiazepines are a class of central nervous system depressant drugs commonly prescribed for short-term treatment of anxiety or insomnia.
Proprietary names for drugs in this group include Valium, Xanax, Librium, and Halcion.
Unfortunately, prolonged use can lead to physical dependence even at doses recommended for medical treatment.
“If you are taking Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, or any other benzo, you run the risk of becoming physically and psychologically dependent on them,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia. “Unfortunately, we see many people who have combined benzo abuse with other drugs, getting so dependent on them that, in many cases, medical withdrawal, under medical supervision, is required.
“The reason this is important is because withdrawing from benzo addiction without proper medical care can be deadly.”
Benzodiazepine Addiction
Although benzodiazepines produce significantly less respiratory depression than barbiturates, it is now recognized that benzodiazepines share many of the undesirable side effects of the barbiturates.
A number of toxic central nervous system effects are seen with chronic high-dose benzodiazepine therapy, including headaches, irritability, confusion, memory impairment and depression. The risk of developing over-sedation, dizziness, and confusion increases substantially with higher doses of benzodiazepines.
Unlike barbiturates, large doses of benzodiazepines are rarely fatal unless combined with other drugs or alcohol.
Xanax Addiction
Although primary abuse of benzodiazepines is well documented, abuse of these drugs usually occurs as part of a pattern of multiple drug abuse. For example, heroin or cocaine abusers will use benzodiazepines and other depressants to augment their “high” or alter the side effects associated with over-stimulation or narcotic withdrawal.
Short-acting benzodiazepines are generally used for patients with sleep-onset insomnia (difficulty falling asleep) without daytime anxiety.
Shorter-acting benzodiazepines used to manage insomnia include estazolam (ProSom®), flurazepam (Dalmane®), temazepam (Restoril®), and triazolam (Halcion®).
Midazolam (Versed®), a short-acting benzodiazepine, is utilized for sedation, anxiety, and amnesia in critical care settings and prior to anesthesia. It is available in the United States as an injectable preparation and as a syrup (primarily for pediatric patients).
Benzodiazepines with a longer duration of action are utilized to treat insomnia in patients with daytime anxiety. These benzodiazepines include alprazolam (Xanax®), chlordiazepoxide (librium®), clorazepate (Tranxene®), diazepam (Valium®), halazepam (Paxipam®), lorzepam (Ativan®), oxazepam (Serax®), prazepam (Centrax®), and quazepam (Doral®). Clonazepam (Klonopin®), diazepam, and clorazepate are also used as anticonvulsants.
Source: DEA.gov
“Be aware that benzodiazepines are addictive, and abuse can be deadly. Get help with benzo addiction by calling us.”
For more information on drug addiction rehabilitation or drug education, call Narconon Drug Rehab Louisiana at 
(877) 905-5772
1 Comment
perhaps if the US Gov. and the AMA changed their tune, and actually tried to help the people on this medication, instead of dolling out the prescriptions like candy, along with Oxycotin and other mood stabilizing and pain removing drugs, then perhaps we could succeed and progress as a neighbor to the north.
Its no wonder why a billion people that ARE NOT addicted to prescription medications can make the twin towers fall.
Americas addiction to hard drugs, and their policy on “soft Drugs” like marijuana is in effect, the demise of the society..
You cant even remove possession of handguns from your citizens. How can you ever win your “war” on drugs??
Its about money, and profit, and those that gain, and those that suffer.
Glaxo SC, Apotex, these are the true drug dealers that keep this nation in, not only addiction, but most of all Shame.
The US is a country made up of drug dealers and criminals.
But however in Suits. Who’s to know?
I am glad I am a Canadian citizen. At least here, the Government, and its lobby and its people try to help out, out those in need of needing it, instead of over prescribing these medications, and making profit for them all.
The shame of it all is standing on the Highway, the 401, Highway of heroes, watching OUR dead soldiers come home, one by one, for the USA, and their insatiable need for Opiate drugs.
My best friend died in Afghanistan fighting for something even he didn’t understand on deployment….
But the american government throws all the money and the lives of poor soldiers, so the rest of the citizens, unknowingly to them, can get hooked on Opiates from Australia instead of breaking the supply chain from the Middle East.
I am shamed, and I am tortured and I am sickened by this mess that the AMA and the government has sworn to protect its own people from…..
PS: instead of sending your own people overseas and having them slaughtered for your so called war on drugs, instead of printing off more money from the treasury then you could ever afford
..instead of wreaking havoc on every other nation to sequester your own, perhaps you can do something useful to this world, like paying back China the Trillions of dollars you owe them, and bring back manufacturing jobs to save the ones lost… And having a little dignity for once, and stop policing the world for your drug money and policies..
Man, there are so many people, with addiction and mental health problems in this world.
Thank god for Canada, England and France, and Cuba too.
At least socialized medicine gives us a chance to save ourselves for free, instead of profiting off the the poor and disabled, stealing from Peter to pay Paul, and shaming our country in the face of the rest of the people that have to share in different cultures and different ways than that of the god damn USA.
Each day i wake up, i breath and I pray, for those that die everyday, senselessly and painfully for the pleasure above, I talk about candidly here.
But I don’t $ Pay $ for it, and its what makes us all instinctively different than those in the the USA government and policy writing procedures.
Regards
Anthony Prussky
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA