What Are The Treatments For Benzodiazepine Withdrawal?

Benzodiazepines are common medications that include diazepam, brand name Valium, and lorazepam, or Ativan. They belong to the sedative-hypnotic medication category, and physicians prescribe them for anxiety, restlessness and insomnia, along with other less common conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal can be similar to those of alcohol withdrawal, and include restlessness, anxiety, tremors, delirium, increased blood pressure and seizures. People taking those medications regularly should consult their physician prior to stopping, as the side effects can be quite severe.

Benzodiazepine Taper

The most important factor in the safe discontinuation of benzodiazepines is to do it at a slow pace, according to the "Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine." Side effects of withdrawal are most common in people who take the medications for a long time and then quit abruptly. Therefore, the most common treatment for benzodiazepine withdrawal is to continue taking the medication but gradually reduce the dose. The duration of the taper depends on how long a person has been taking the medication, with longer tapering periods required for people who have been on the drug for a long time.

Long-Acting Benzodiazepines

Long-acting benzodiazepines, such as Valium, can be an effective treatment for benzodiazepine withdrawal. According to the American Academy of Family Practitioners, physicians use long-acting benzodiazepines to treat benzodiazepine withdrawal because they can relieve the symptoms of withdrawal while providing a gradual and smooth transition to benzodiazepine abstinence.

Antipsychotic Medications

Antipsychotic medications, such as haloperidol, or Haldol, can effectively relieve some of the psychiatric symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal without prolonging the patient's exposure to benzodiazepines. According to the "Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine," physicians commonly use those medications to relieve the delirium of benzodiazepine withdrawal patients. Antipsychotic medications have the advantage of not exposing the withdrawal patient to more benzodiazepines. Those medications, however, tend to have more side effects, and are only effective for very specific side effects of benzodiazepine withdrawal.