Benzodiazepines

Name: Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepine side effects

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Is it OK to drink alcohol or take similar drugs to benzodiazepines together (drug interactions)?

No. Combining alcohol with a benzodiazepine is very dangerous. People who drink alcohol while taking this medicine will feel the effects of alcohol faster. It's not safe to drink alcohol or take other drugs that have similar effects on the central nervous system (CNS) at the same time because these drugs or substances interact with oral benzodiazepines by causing additional depression of the brain and respiratory depression. Respiratory depression can lead to breathing that's inadequate for supplying oxygen to the body. This can cause death. Examples of these drugs and products that increase sedative side effects or the risk of respiratory depression from benzodiazepines include:

Pain medications called opioids that also cause respiratory depression, for example:

  • morphine (MScontin)
  • fentanyl (Duragesic)
  • oxycodone (Oxycontin)
  • hydrocodone (Zohydro ER)
  • acetaminophen/hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco, Lorcet)

Sedatives (for example, insomnia medicine) and other medicine that cause sedation, for example:

  • zolpidem (Ambien, ZolpiMist)
  • Intermezzo
  • zaleplon (Sonata)
  • eszopiclone (Lunesta
  • phenobarbital
  • many other drugs

List of examples of generic and brand names for benzodiazepines

Examples of oral benzodiazepines are:

  • alprazolam (Xanax, Xanax XR)
  • clobazam (Onfi)
  • clonazepam (Klonopin)
  • clorazepate (Tranxene)
  • chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
  • diazepam (Valium, Diastat Acudial, Diastat)
  • estazolam (Prosom is a discontinued brand in the US)
  • lorazepam (Ativan)
  • oxazepam (Serax is a discontinued brand in the US)
  • temazepam (Restoril)
  • triazolam (Halcion)

Is it safe to take benzodiazepines if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding my baby?

  • The FDA classifies benzodiazepines as pregnancy category D, which means that benzodiazepines can potentially cause fetal harm if administered to pregnant women. If benzodiazepines have to be used in pregnant women or if the patient may become pregnant while taking benzodiazepines, the patients must be informed of potential risks to the fetus.
  • Benzodiazepines enter breast milk and can cause lethargy and weight loss in the newborn. Therefore, they should not be used in nursing mothers.

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Reviewed on 3/13/2017 References REFERENCES:

CESAR, Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland. "Benzodiazepines."
<http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/benzos.asp>

Drug Enforcement Administration. "Drug Fact Sheet; Benzodiazepines."
<https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Benzodiazepines.pdf>

Drug Enforcement Administration. "Drug Schedules."
<https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml>

FDA Prescribing Information.

National Institute on Drug Abuse; Advancing Addiction Science. "Like opioids and cannabinoids, diazepam and other benzodiazepines take the brakes off activity of dopamine-producing neurons.." Updated Apr 19, 2012.
<https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2012/04/well-known-mechanism-underlies-benzodiazepines-addictive-properties>

National Institute on Drug Abuse; Advancing Addiction Science. "Heroin." Updated: Jan 2017
<https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin>

Petursson, H. "The benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome." Addiction. 1994 Nov;89(11):1455-9.
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7841856>
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