BENZODIAZEPINES

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines

Introduction

Benzodiazepines are used in medicine as a sedative and hypnotic, and relieve muscle spasms. In general, benzodiazepines act in small therapeutic doses as a sedative, in moderation as protivotrevozhnoe tool, and large doses acts as a powerful remedy for insomnia. Currently, these groups of drugs are the most commonly prescribed, and, accordingly, the most frequently used of all the legal means of affecting the central nervous system functions. They were originally in the anesthesia and medical applications are now used in medicine for symptoms such as anxiety, depression, agitation, delusions, hallucinations and insomnia. Unlike barbiturates they do not suppress the REM (dream state) or leave a Hangover (weakness after sleep), which means that they are now among the most commonly prescribed sedatives. Benzodiazepines are usually traded in the form of tablets that are swallowed, sniffed, and can be injected (Royal College of Psychitrists, 1997).

Discussion

Benzodiazepine drugs appeared in 1961 and were considered safe drugs, but later revealed serious adverse effects associated with their long-term use. Most problems occur is due to the long, not short-term use of benzodiazepines. Studies have shown that long-term use of these drugs is causing serious harm to the body, especially in high doses. UK Department of Health recommends that patients taking benzodiazepines for a long period of time to pass a special examination at least once every three months. Long-term effects of taking benzodiazepines are very similar to the long-term effects of alcohol dependence and other sedatives and sedation: the symptoms of dependence and symptoms when you stop taking almost identical. Report of the Royal Institute of Psychiatry in 1987 showed that the negative effects of long-term benzodiazepine in most cases far exceed any positive effects (Goff, 2001). Despite this, benzodiazepines are still widely prescribed. Sociological and economic studies have shown that the negative effects of their long-term use have a significant negative impact on society and the economy (Ashton, 2005, 249).

Applications of benzodiazepines

The applications of benzodiazepines are diseases of the mind and the brain. They comprise a relatively wide area. The following list provides an overview of the applications of benzodiazepines:

Anxiety disorders

Transitional therapy at the onset of depression

Unrest

Psychosomatic symptoms (physical disorders, but the psychologically induced)

Sleep disorders in which the active ingredients are because of their tired-making (sedative) effect application

Epilepsy, which are due to the hyper excitability of certain areas of the brain, benzodiazepines are used both the treatment of acute epileptic seizure (and in infants of the so-called "fever convulsion") such as the prevention of repeated epileptic seizures.

Convulsants and pain relief for muscle tension

Sedative and anxiety before anesthesia or diagnostic procedures

Violent excitement, such as acute myocardial infarction

Alcohol withdrawal, the drugs dampen symptoms such as anxiety, convulsions, confusion, and insomnia. However, it must be treated here only briefly, not a new dependency, this time to give rise to the benzodiazepines.

Benzodiazepines in the treatment of anxiety disorders

Benzodiazepines are the most famous and widely used anti-anxiety agents (for review see table below). Lack of alternatives they formerly used too often and are not ...