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Essay / Benzodiazepine Essay - 2040
BENZODIAZEPINES: USE, ABUSE, WITHDRAWAL AND DEPENDENCEINTRODUCTION: Benzodiazepine is considered a drug with high addictive potential. Dependence develops with long-term use, even at therapeutic doses. Because benzodiazepines are widely prescribed for a variety of conditions, including insomnia and anxiety, therapeutic dose dependence constitutes the largest category of people dependent on benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are one of the most prescribed and abused medications. Careful attention should be paid to the patient's history of dependence before these agents are prescribed. Understanding the pattern of abuse and alternative anxiolytic and hypnotic agents can help healthcare providers maximize treatment outcomes and reduce medicolegal liability. Mechanism of action It acts as follows: • Benzodiazepine receptors are mainly linked to γ amino butyric acid (GABA) receptors, which sensitize benzodiazepines. receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA, the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. • Accentuates the affinity of the recognition site for GABA by inducing conformational changes that make GABA binding more efficient. • Activation of the ionophore complex benzodiazepine-GABA-chloride is responsible for producing the therapeutic anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines and mediating many side effects and, eventually, dependence and withdrawal from these drugs. Clinical Use Here is the use of benzodiazepines • Amnesia before or after surgery • Anxiety disorders Generalized anxiety disorder Panic disorder Phobias (social, simple) Post-traumatic stress disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder • Insomnia • Disorder somatoform• Seizure disorders• Tetanus• Parapleg...... middle of paper ......cts or side effects. Clonazepam is a very potent benzodiazepine with a long half-life. It is widely prescribed for various psychiatric and neurological conditions. Although clonazepam is perceived as "safe," addiction experts have found that it is also frequently abused as a street drug. On the other hand, oxazepam (Serax), clorazepate (Tranxene), and chlordiazepoxide appear to have lower reinforcing effects than other benzodiazepines. CONCLUSION: Benzodiazepine remains one of the most prescribed agents for various anxiety and sleep disorders. Keeping the highly abusive potential clinician in mind, careful consideration should be given to the patient's dependence and medication history before prescribing these agents. Good patient education, regular monitoring and the use of alternative therapies can reduce the risk of benzodiazepine dependence...