What are benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines are a class of medications that work in the central nervous system and are used for a variety of medical conditions.
Benzodiazepines are depressant drugs. This means they slow down the activity of the central nervous system and the messages travelling between the brain and the body. They do not necessarily make a person feel depressed. Other depressants include alcohol, cannabis and heroin.
Benzodiazepines, also known as minor tranquillisers, are most commonly prescribed by doctors to relieve stress and anxiety and to help people sleep.
As a drug class, benzodiazepines work in similar ways in the brain but have different potencies, durations of action and receptor site affinities. Because of this, some benzodiazepines work better than others in treating particular conditions.
There is increasing concern among medical professionals about the risks of using these drugs, particularly when they are used for a long time. Some people use benzodiazepines illegally to become intoxicated, or to help with the ‘come down’ effects of stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine.
Benzodiazepine uses
- sedative-hypnotics for sleep
- adjuncts to anaesthesia, to induce relaxation and amnesia (procedural memory loss)
- to reduce anxiety (anxiolytic)
- panic disorders
- to treat or prevent seizures
- alcohol withdrawal
- muscle relaxant.
How are they used?
Benzodiazepines are usually swallowed. Some people also inject them.
Effects of benzodiazepines
There is no safe level of drug use. Using any drug always carries some risk, and it is important to be careful when taking any type of drug. Benzodiazepines affect everyone differently, but the effects may include:
- depression
- confusion
- feelings of isolation or euphoria
- impaired thinking and memory loss
- headache
- drowsiness, sleepiness and fatigue
- dry mouth
- slurred speech or stuttering
- double or blurred vision
- impaired coordination, dizziness and tremors
- nausea and loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or constipation.
If a large amount is taken, a person may also experience:
- over-sedation or sleep
- jitteriness and excitability
- mood swings and aggression
- slow, shallow breathing
- unconsciousness or coma
- death, which is more likely when taken with another drug such as alcohol.
Injecting benzodiazepines may also cause:
- vein damage and scarring
- infection, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS
- deep vein thrombosis and clots causing loss of limbs, damage to organs, stroke and possibly death.
Injecting drugs repeatedly and sharing injecting equipment with other people increases the risk of these effects.
Long-term effects
Regular use of benzodiazepines may cause:
- impaired thinking or memory loss
- anxiety and depression
- irritability, paranoia and aggression
- personality change
- weakness, lethargy and lack of motivation
- drowsiness, sleepiness and fatigue
- difficulty sleeping or disturbing dreams
- headaches
- nausea
- skin rashes and weight gain
- addiction
- withdrawal symptoms.
Using benzodiazepines with other drugs
The effects of taking benzodiazepines with other drugs can be unpredictable and dangerous. Benzodiazepines used with alcohol or opiates (such as heroin) can cause breathing difficulties and an increased risk of overdose and death.