Benzodiazepines dosing guidelines

In this chapter, we discuss the pharmacology of medications that are classified as anxiolytic, sedative, or hypnotic—primarily the benzodiazepines, buspirone, zolpidem, eszopiclone, and zale-plon. Subsequently, we present diagnosis-specific treatment guidelines (outlined in Table 3-1). The commonly used anxiolytics and hypnotics, together with their usual doses, are shown in Table 3-2. Many antidepressant medications are also effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The pharmacology of antidepressants is discussed in Chapter 2 their clinical use in anxiety disorders is addressed in the diagnosis-specific sections later in this chapter. 

Flumazenil is used as a benzodiazepine antagonist in the treatment of poisoning or the reversal of benzodiazepine effects in anesthesia 1,2) or in neonates (3). Guidelines for its use have been summarized (4). The problems in its use are those of dose adjustment, the risks of panic anxiety, seizures, or other signs of excessively rapid benzodiazepine withdrawal, and pharmacokinetic problems due to the short half-life of flumazenil (about 1 hour) compared with the longer half-lives of most benzodiazepines (5). Its use is also commonly associated with vomiting and headache, and rarely with psychosis or sudden cardiac death (SEDA-17,... 

Minor tranquilizers and sedative-hypnotics are widely used in general medical practice and psychiatry. Although the benzodiazepines as a class are much safer than earlier medications (there is less risk of dependency and abuse, and withdrawal symptoms are generally much less dangerous than with barbiturates), problems do exist when patients begin to reduce doses, especially if they discontinue rapidly or "cold turkey." Benzodiazepine withdrawal sjmdromes are encoimtered frequently. They cause considerable patient distress, can be dangerous at times, and are almost always avoidable if the clinician follows the discontinuation guidelines carefully. 

Recommendation of doses of relevant benzodiazepines in different patients can be found in various publications, for example, the guidelines issued by the Department of Health, UK (2005) on pre-hospital emergency treatment of deliberate release of OP nerve agents and Rotenberg and Newmark (2003) and Marrs (2004). 

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