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Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: outcome in 50 patients
Author(s) -
ASHTON HEATHER
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1987.tb01529.x
Subject(s) - benzodiazepine , medicine , referral , psychiatry , pediatrics , family medicine , receptor
Summary Clinical outcome was assessed in SO consecutive patients who completed a course of supervized benzodiazepine withdrawal following referral to a Clinical Pharmacology Unit. The patients had been taking prescribed benzodiazepines regularly for 1–22 years and all wished to stop. On presentation, all had many symptoms which they attributed to benzodiazepines. The outcome 10 months to 3.S years later was judged as excellent (fully recovered) in 48%, good (much better) in 22%, moderate (better) in 16% and poor (no better) in 6%. One patient failed to withdraw and three relapsed onto benzodiazepine use after withdrawal. Younger age was significantly associated with a favourable outcome, but outcome was not related to duration or dosage of benzodiazepines, type of benzodiazepine, rate of withdrawal, symptom severity, psychiatric history, marital status, or sex.