Drug interactions benzodiazepines

Although many patients believe that dietary supplements will not interact with medications, recent literature suggests otherwise. Recently, many St. John s wort-drug interactions have been reported in the literature. Cases of patients developing symptoms of serotonin syndrome have been reported with St. John s wort alone and in concomitant therapy with other antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and venlafaxine. St. John s wort may exacerbate the sedative effects of benzodiazepines, alcohol, narcotics, and other sedatives. St. John s wort may decrease the levels of protease inhibitors, cyclosporine, digoxin, and theophylline. 

TABLE 68-11 Pharmacokinetic Drug Interactions with the Benzodiazepines ... 

AUC, area under the plasma concentration cuive BZ, benzodiazepine Cl, clearance t, elimination half-life Vd, volume of distribution. Data from Benzodiazepines. Fads and Comparisons 4.0 Online. Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. 2005, http //online.factsandcomparisons.com and Madabushi R, Frank B, DrewelowB, etal. Hyperforinin St. John s wort drug interactions. Fur J Gin Pharmacol 2006 62 225-233. 

Compared to the benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics, secobarbital is more lethal in overdosage, has a higher tendency for abuse and addiction, and is more likely to cause drug interactions via induction of hepatic microsomal enzymes few advan-fages if any in safety or efficacy over benzodiazepines... 

Moody, D.E., Drug interactions with benzodiazepines. In Handbook of Drug Interactions A Clinical and Forensic Guide, Mozayani, A. and Raymon, L.P., Eds., Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2004. 

In CONCLUSION, evidence has been presented to show that the benzodiazepines produce their variety of pharmacological effects by activating specific receptors that form part of the main inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor system, the GABA receptor, in the mammalian brain. Different classes of benzodiazepine receptor ligands have been developed which can alleviate anxiety or produce anxiety according to the fine structural changes that occur when the drugs interact with the benzodiazepine receptor. 

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