摘要
Benzodiazepines are psychotropic medications for effective management of anxiety. However, after over 50 years of unrestrained prescription use, prescribers realize the severity of side effects in select patients. The most challenging of these side effects is the emergence of a physiological dependence that explains virtual impossibility of successful withdrawal that can ensure sustained abstinence. We propose a method for successful withdrawal using substitution and innovative downward tapering of diazepam oral solution for all benzodiazepines to attain sustained remission. Our protocol reported here allowed not only successful withdrawal for all of 20 patients included in this pilot study but also helped in totally weaning them off of benzodiazepines demonstrating absence of relapse even 2 years after the total discontinuance.
Benzodiazepines are psychotropic medications for effective management of anxiety. However, after over 50 years of unrestrained prescription use, prescribers realize the severity of side effects in select patients. The most challenging of these side effects is the emergence of a physiological dependence that explains virtual impossibility of successful withdrawal that can ensure sustained abstinence. We propose a method for successful withdrawal using substitution and innovative downward tapering of diazepam oral solution for all benzodiazepines to attain sustained remission. Our protocol reported here allowed not only successful withdrawal for all of 20 patients included in this pilot study but also helped in totally weaning them off of benzodiazepines demonstrating absence of relapse even 2 years after the total discontinuance.
作者
Granato Philippe
Shreekumar Vinekar
Fontaine Audrey
Paradis Philippe
Danel Thierry
Cottencin Olivier
Granato Philippe;Shreekumar Vinekar;Fontaine Audrey;Paradis Philippe;Danel Thierry;Cottencin Olivier(Pole de Psychiatrie, Centre Psychothérapeutique de Maubeuge, Centre Hospitalier Sambre Avesnois (CHSA), Maubeuge, France;Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, USA;Pole de Santé Publique de Maubeuge, Centre Hospitalier Sambre Avesnois (CHSA), Maubeuge, France;Fédération Régionale de Recherche en Santé Mentale (F2RSM), Lille, France;Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Department, CHU-Lille, Lille, France;SCALab, PsyCHIC Team, CNRS UMR 9193, University of Lille, Lille, France)
