Is it safe to take a benzo every day?
Taking benzodiazepines regularly for a few weeks or more can lead to addiction. Doctors recommend that you only take them for 2-4 weeks. Intermittent use may help to avoid addiction. Intermittent means that you don’t take it regularly.
Is benzodiazepine safe for long-term use?
While benzodiazepines are highly effective in the short term, adverse effects associated with long-term use, including impaired cognitive abilities, memory problems, mood swings, and overdoses when combined with other drugs, may make the risk-benefit ratio unfavourable.
Do Benzos cause long-term damage?
But when benzodiazepines are consumed for long periods of time, they can actually harm the brain. Taking benzodiazepines recreationally or in larger doses than prescribed can cause mental confusion, memory issues, permanent brain changes, and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
What happens to your body when you stop taking benzos?
The anxiety and panic experienced by people stopping benzos is usually much worse than the anxiety and panic that initially led to their use. Other common symptoms are irritability, insomnia, tremors, distractibility, sweating, and confusion.
What are benzos and how do they work?
Benzo’s popularity derives from their ability to quickly relieve anxiety, reduce worry, help people to relax, and lubricate social anxiety—kind of like drinking alcohol but in a convenient pill form. Doctors love prescribing benzos because it’s the most efficient way to get a complaining patient out of the office in the shortest possible time.
Can benzodiazepines be prescribed for anxiety?
During that time, if anxiety is severe and debilitating, benzodiazepines may be prescribed for temporary use. Benzos are also prescribed for occasional situations of high anxiety, such as that caused by phobias. The main treatment of phobias, such as excessive fear of animals, places, and social interactions, is psychotherapy.
What are the long-term risks of benzodiazepines?
There has been increasing attention into long-term risks of benzodiazepines, including potential for addiction, overdose, and cognitive impairment. The overdose death rate among patients receiving both benzodiazepines and opioids is 10 times higher than those only receiving opioids, and benzo misuse is a serious concern.