Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms: Signs, Duration & Recovery

Practices such as drug tapering or using other drugs to help ease withdrawal may make early withdrawal symptoms milder and more manageable. One woman had a medical abortion, as she felt she could no longer cope, and another woman used alcohol in a bid to combat the withdrawal symptoms from benzodiazepines. For example, abrupt withdrawal of benzodiazepines or antidepressants has a high risk of causing extreme withdrawal symptoms, including suicidal ideation and a severe rebound effect of the return of the underlying disorder if present. This may suggest a role for flumazenil in treating protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. Doctors may use certainmedications to manage drug cravingsand withdrawal symptoms during medical detox.

At 24 weeks, significant improvements were found, including accuracy of information processing improved, but a decline was seen in those who remained on benzodiazepines.
Common benzo withdrawal symptoms can be anxiety, panic, insomnia, and restlessness.
Dependence appears to occur in a similar way to how it does with other addictive drugs.
Benzodiazepines with a half-life of less than 24 hours include alprazolam, bromazepam, brotizolam, flunitrazepam, loprazolam, lorazepam, lormetazepam, midazolam, nitrazepam, oxazepam, and temazepam.
Although not everyone will experience the same symptoms, some are more common.

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Every 1 to 4 weeks after that, they’ll reduce your dose by another 5% to 25% of the original dose.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be managed with a gradual dose reduction, which will cause milder symptoms that come and go in waves.
Among respondents whose symptoms lasted months or years, over half said caffeine or alcohol worsened their PAWS symptoms.
Acute withdrawal begins after the initial withdrawal symptoms, generally within a few days.
Long-term use raises your risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the medication.

Those who remained on benzodiazepines experienced a 5% decline in cognitive abilities, which seemed to be faster than that seen in normal aging, suggesting the longer the intake of benzodiazepines, the worse the cognitive effects become. A study of the elderly who were benzodiazepine dependent found withdrawal could be carried out with few complications and could lead to improvements in sleep and cognitive abilities. Spontaneous abortions may also result from abrupt withdrawal of psychotropic medications, including benzodiazepines.

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Symptoms will be milder than acute withdrawal and they can disappear for weeks at a time. However, some people find they last for several weeks. Withdrawal symptoms can occur after as little as one month of use, even on small, therapeutic doses. The primary difference between these drugs is the length of time they stay active in the body.

Short-term symptoms

Protracted withdrawal is a long-term withdrawal syndrome that may come and go for several months. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be managed with a gradual dose reduction, which will cause milder symptoms that come and go in waves. Withdrawing from benzodiazepines can be a difficult, even dangerous process. In 2016, estimates suggest that about half a million people in the United States misused sedative drugs. From 1996 to 2013, the number of people filling benzodiazepine prescriptions increased by 67%. Several types of benzodiazepines are sold under popular brand names like Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), and Klonopin (clonazepam).

Cognitive behavioral therapy improved discontinuation success rates for panic disorder, melatonin for insomnia, and flumazenil or sodium valproate for general long-term benzodiazepine use. Inpatient drug detox or rehabilitation facilities may be inappropriate for those who have become tolerant or dependent while taking the drug as prescribed, as opposed to recreational use. Some people may not fully stabilize between dose reductions, even when the rate of reduction is slowed. Anecdotally, a slow rate of reduction may reduce the risk of developing a severe protracted syndrome.

Home tapering without medical oversight can leave you vulnerable to life-threatening symptoms. Your benzo withdrawal symptoms timeline isn’t set in stone. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines typically begins within 24 hours after your last dose and can last from a few days to many months, depending on several factors . A popular way to begin a benzodiazepine detox is through tapering, which involvesgradually weaning off of benzo usage. Physical symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal are slurred speech, impaired vision, vomiting, and flu-like symptoms.

Understanding Benzos and Their Impact

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be dangerous when not handled properly. To cope with these breakthrough symptoms, it helps to have a backup plan for dealing with anxiety. This can happen after each dose reduction. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be risky, so it is best to work with a doctor. Protracted withdrawal rarely lasts longer than one year.

Difficult tapers

Benzo withdrawal syndrome starts when a person abruptly stops or rapidly reduces benzodiazepine intake after developing dependence. Benzo withdrawal symptoms range from mild to life-threatening, based on health, dosage, and duration of use.1 Abruptly stopping use triggers an overactive nervous system, causing severe withdrawal symptoms. Benzo withdrawal occurs when an individual decreases or stops consuming benzodiazepines after physical and mental dependency forms. Tree House Recovery in Wilmington, NC, offers safe, compassionate, evidence based benzodiazepine withdrawal management.

A healthcare professional should supervise benzo withdrawal to help monitor and manage the symptoms. More severe reactions or withdrawals may also be more likely when taking strong drugs either for long periods or alongside other types of medications. The main cause of the symptoms of benzo withdrawal is the sudden reduction of dopamine in the brain. Research indicates that physical dependence may begin in just a few weeks, even while taking the drugs in low therapeutic doses.

What is certain is that surface GABAA receptor protein levels are altered in response to benzodiazepine exposure, as is receptor turnover rate. Withdrawal symptoms occur during dose reduction and may include insomnia, anxiety, distress, weight loss, dizziness, night sweats, shaking, muscle twitches, aphasia, panic attacks, depression, numbness, dissociation, paranoia, indigestion, diarrhea, and photophobia. Knowing which symptoms are likely to appear can help you track your progress and alert you to warning signs. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.

Acute withdrawal phase

Protracted benzo withdrawal is when symptoms continue for weeks or even months after acute withdrawal ends. Addiction counselor Rob Mo breaks down benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms and what to expect. After the acute withdrawal phase, many people face lingering symptoms of benzo withdrawal—known as protracted or post‑acute benzo withdrawal.

Benzodiazepine Detox Treatment Options

If you experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms during your taper, your care team can help you explore options to address those symptoms and get relief. People with benzodiazepine how long does fentanyl stay in your body for tolerance may take supratherapeutic doses because the recommended range no longer provides relief for their symptoms. These factors don’t guarantee you’ll have severe withdrawal symptoms, but they can increase your vulnerability. That’s what makes it essential to stop taking benzodiazepines slowly, with support from a medical professional.

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Learn the detox duration, withdrawal phases, and what happens after detox. Quitting benzos proves a nightmare, and rehab is worse; do not even think about detoxification. On the other hand, the post-acute or protracted phase can sometimes last months or even years. The amount you take to detox from the drug depends on these factors. Withdrawal symptoms last depending on your health and the time you used the drug, among several other factors.

This way, your body has a chance to rid itself of benzos slowly, and the withdrawal symptoms will not be as intense. Some people may only go through detox for a few weeks, while others may have to go through the process for a few months. Uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms can result if a person suddenly stops using benzos or drastically reduces use. The best way to detox from a benzodiazepine is under medical supervision and in the care of addiction specialists. Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms start within one to six hours, and the drug can stay in the body up to 28 days. However, some people experience protracted withdrawal that can last for several months.

But if you remove the drug all at once, your brain doesn’t have enough time to prepare, and you can develop life-threatening symptoms like seizures. But when you start removing benzodiazepines from your system, suddenly your clogged neurons become an open freeway with no traffic lanes. When benzodiazepines attach to your neurons, they invite a bunch of chloride ions inside. Short-term withdrawal symptoms happen shortly after you discontinue your medication.

Attempting to quit benzodiazepines on your own can expose you to severe complications. Snorting or injecting benzodiazepines causes faster onset and more intense withdrawal compared to oral use . Withfacilities locatedin Florida, Ohio, Maryland, Colorado, New Jersey, and Washington, The Recovery Village offers different programs to help treat benzodiazepine addiction and get you on the path to a drug-free life.

Sometimes altering your tapering schedule can reduce withdrawal symptoms. The higher dose may help ease your symptoms, but it can also increase your risk of overdose and severe withdrawal symptoms. When tapering off benzodiazepines, you’ll always want to work with a trained healthcare professional who can monitor you for side effects and adjust your pace accordingly. Tapering may not prevent benzodiazepine withdrawal, but it can help minimize the symptoms you experience. In addition to the immediate health risk, benzodiazepine withdrawal can seriously affect your quality of life. If you take an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine, like alprazolam, or a long-acting benzodiazepine, like diazepam, it may take longer for withdrawal symptoms to appear.