Benzodiazepines Vs. Pain Killers for Withdrawal

Addiction affects millions worldwide. Prescription drugs and alcohol are two of the leading substances abused by people who purposely or inadvertently become addicted. Withdrawal is a period when the body, which has become accustomed to a substance, adjusts to life without the substance it is addicted to, be it painkillers, tranquilizers, street drugs or alcohol.

Benzodiazapines

• Benzodiazapines were first founded by a chemist named Leo Sternbach in 1955. The first benzodiazepine was Librium, generic name chlordiazepoxide. It was made available by Hoffman LaRoche in 1960 and shortly followed by the well-known Valium, generic name diazepam.

  Since then many derivations of these drugs, including so-called "date rape" drugs such as Halcion, temazepam and Rohypnol have followed. They are highly addictive and tolerance and addiction result rapidly, particularly with the fast acting drugs such as lorazepam (Ativan), alprazolam (Xanax) and of course the date rape drugs when taken recreationally, such as Rohypnol, Halcion and Temazepam.

  Benzodiazepines affect a neurotransmitter known as GABA which is the same chemical in the brain that alcohol affects. GABA is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. In humans, GABA is also directly responsible for the regulation of muscle tone which is why one feels a sense of relaxation when they take these.

Benzodiazepines and Withdrawal

• Benzodiazepines are the only substance other than alcohol that can cause death during withdrawal. Benzodiazepines are highly addictive and not well understood by the many doctors who freely prescribe them over much longer periods than recommended and at increasingly high doses. The resource section has a link to the Ashton Manual which is a comprehensive manual and research on withdrawing from benzodiazepines and has comparative charts which can show you how to gradually withdraw with little discomfort. It is a great resource for doctors who often are ignorant about how addictive benzodiazapines can be to human beings.

Benzodiazepines and Alcohol Withdrawal

• Benzodiazepines cross tolerance on the affect of GABA in the brain make them ideal for alcohol withdrawal. Usually a "loading dose"---a dose high enough to alleviate obvious autonomic and physical symptoms of withdrawal---is administered upon admission. Once the dose has been given over a 5 to 10 day period, the dosage is tapered. Some doctors prefer that the ,alcoholic "feel" the withdrawal while others try to make detoxification as comfortable as possible. Because of their long half lives, the most commonly used drugs are Librium and Valium. These allow for slow and easy withdrawal as the drug half-life allows for a smoother and more stable blood level. Occasionally other benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam (Ativan) or alprazolam (Xanax) will be used or supplementally given.

  Ironically, alcohol and barbiturates are equally good for benzodiazapine withdrawal, though these are rarely used.

Painkiller Withdrawal

• Withdrawal from painkillers, even the most severe addictions, are not necessarily treated at all. While the withdrawal can be excruciating, it is not deadly. On some occasions a slow taper may be implemented but this is rare. For some street drugs, particularly heroin, methadone or suboxone are used to do a slow taper. Most prescription pain pills require an in-patient detox for severe addiction and occasionally benzodiazepines may be used to treat some of the autonomic symptoms. That said, while painful, one cannot die from painkiller withdrawal though they may become psychotic or violent and need careful observation.

Benzodiazapine Vs. Painkillers for Withdrawal

• Though painkillers like suboxone and methadone are used for withdrawal from severe painkiller addiction they are not really comparable to benzodiazapine withdrawal. The substances are not generally used to withdraw from similar substances since one is an opiate and the other is a tranquilizer.