What body parts are affected by benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines slow down users' heart and breath rate. Prolonged and excessive use can slow the heart so much that it stops working. These drugs can also increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause a number of cardiovascular issues.

What effects do benzodiazepine have on the body?

Common side effects among all BZDs include drowsiness, lethargy, and fatigue. At higher dosages, impaired motor coordination, dizziness, vertigo, slurred speech, blurry vision, mood swings, and euphoria can occur, as well as hostile or erratic behavior in some instances.

What organs process benzodiazepines?

ALL benzodiazepines are metabolized by the liver.

What part of the brain is affected by benzodiazepines?

The highest densities of benzodiazepine receptors in human brain were localized in cortical and hippocampal areas, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and mammillary bodies. Intermediate densities were found in the basal ganglia and thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei.

Do benzodiazepines cause organ damage?

Benzodiazepine therapy is uncommonly associated with serum enzyme elevations, and clinically apparent liver injury from the benzodiazepines is quite rare.

Substance Abuse: Benzodiazepines Made Simple

What is the most serious adverse effect of benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines increase the risk of addiction, withdrawal, cognitive decline, motor vehicle crashes, and hip fracture. The risk of overdose is particularly great when combined with sedative drugs such as opioids or alcohol.

Are benzodiazepines hard on the kidneys?

Furthermore, propylene glycol is contained in parenteral formulations of benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam, chlordiazepoxide, and diazepam), which may cause acute kidney injury, proximal tubule injury, hyperosmolarity, and sepsis-like syndrome (Cawley, 2001).

What parts of the brain does Xanax affect?

What Does Xanax Do to the Brain? Xanax and other benzodiazepines increase the activity of a neurotransmitter in the brain, known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (aka GABA), at the GABA receptor. With its inhibitory properties, GABA can depress the central nervous system (CNS).

Do benzodiazepines affect memory?

Benzodiazepines, shown to affect memory, can produce anterograde amnesia (i.e., a loss of memory for events occurring forward in time). Following the ingestion of a benzodiazepine, short-term memory is not affected, but long-term memory is impaired.

What part of the brain does lorazepam affect?

Neurotransmitters in the brain, known as gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABA), are partly responsible for regulating sleep and feelings of relaxation and anxiety. Ativan acts on these receptors to slow down the central nervous system (CNS).

What are the long term effects of chronic benzodiazepine use?

Mental and physical health. The long-term use of benzodiazepines may have a similar effect on the brain as alcohol, and is also implicated in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mania, psychosis, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, delirium, and neurocognitive disorders.

What does benzodiazepine target?

Pharmacology. The pharmacological target of benzodiazepines is GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Benzodiazepine binding sites are contained within GABA_A receptor complex in central nervous system neurons.

What are 4 medical uses of benzodiazepines?

Due to their rapid onset and immediate symptom relief, BZDs are used for those struggling with sleep, anxiety, spasticity due to CNS pathology, muscle relaxation, and epilepsy. Their sedative effect aids in sleep and insomnia disorders by reducing sleep onset latency.

Do benzodiazepines lower blood pressure?

Benzodiazepine Consumption Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure in Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM): Retrospective Analysis of 4938 ABPMs. Am J Hypertens.

What happens with too much benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines are also widely abused. Acute overdose is characterised by excessive sedation with impaired mental status and diminished postural stability and reflexes. Although benzodiazepines are relatively safe medications, acute overdose may induce respiratory depression resulting in coma and even death.

What is the best replacement for benzodiazepines?

What are the most frequently found side effects of benzodiazepines?

Which benzo is best for long term use?

For its high-potency and long-lasting effects, the most potent benzodiazepine is Clonazepam, also known as Klonopin.

What does benzodiazepines do to the brain?

Benzodiazepine drugs increase the effects of GABA on your brain and body. This means these drugs can: make you feel relaxed and sleepy (sedation) reduce your anxiety.

What does Xanax do to nerves?

Xanax works by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain to promote calmness and a relaxed feeling. This greatly helps people who suffer from anxiety disorders so that they are able to remain calmer in a particularly stressful situation, help curb panic attacks and calm their body's overactivity.

Does Xanax affect your nervous system?

Xanax is a prescription central nervous system (CNS) depressant. CNS depressants include sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics that slow brain activity. They are prescribed to treat anxiety, panic, acute stress reactions, and sleep disorders.

Do Benzos go through the liver?

All benzodiazepines are metabolized by the liver. However, some benzodiazepines (i.e. - lorazepam, oxazepam, and tamazepam) do not go through cytochrome P450 metabolism (Phase I metabolism), and are only metabolized via glucuronidation (Phase II metabolism).

Do Benzos affect pancreas?

A significant association was observed between BZD poisoning and acute pancreatitis. After adjustment for potential risk factors, the patients with BZD poisoning had a 5.33-fold increased risk of acute pancreatitis compared with the controls without BZD poisoning (HR = 5.33, 95% CI = 2.26–12.60).

Do Benzos cause muscle weakness?

When used as prescribed, benzodiazepines can cause minor side effects, such as drowsiness and impaired muscle coordination. When they're used in high doses or taken with other drugs, benzos can cause severe side effects.

What not to take with benzodiazepines?

Mixing benzodiazepines with alcohol and other depressants like heroin increases their effects and can increase toxicity. They slow down the central nervous system, increasing the risk of overdose. Longer term effects can include: memory loss.