Things you need to know about benzos before you take them

Within ten minutes of revealing a sleepless night to his doctor, Georges Marcou had a small white pill in his hand.

His doctor in Shediak, NB, prescribed him the sleeping pill, oxazepam.

“I got the prescription, that's it. No one was asking. I wasn't asking.”

However, 35 years later, Marcou realized that he was taking the same medication to help him sleep every night.

After seeing the story in a paper about a study Long-term correlation Benzodiazepines were used to risk cognitive impairment, and he knew it was time to stop.

These pills are part of a class of drugs called benzodiazepines and are around Since 1955. Their use and misuse have been portrayed in songs, movies and, more recently, in television series White lotus and pit.

a The 2024 study is published in the Journal Sleep Medicinesurveyed around 4,000 Canadians, with 15% of all respondents saying they used sleeping pills.

The study also found that one in four people over the age of 65 and about one in ten people, between 36 and 49, were using sleeping pills prescribed in the past 12 months.

According to study Published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health in 2023, there are various studies pegging the prevalence of benzodiazepine use in 5-10% of the Canadian and US population between 1996 and 2019.

However, there are serious risks associated with taking benzodiazepines, and health professionals say the drug is being overprescribed.

Dr. Paxton Bach, an addiction medicine expert at St. Paul Hospital in Vancouver, told CBC Podcast host Dr. Brian Goldman dose, Once drug dependence develops, it takes a lot of effort to stop it.

What is a benzodiazepine?

Benzodiazepines are prescription drugs that are primarily used for the short-term treatment of certain medical conditions such as acute anxiety, panic attacks, and severe situational stress.

Doctors can stop or prevent seizures, temporarily relieve sleep disorders, relieve them as muscle relief, and manage symptoms of alcohol use.

Taking benzodiazepines involves risks, said Bach, who is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia.

“It's important to understand that these drugs are intended for very simple use — usually only a few days to a week, but they can quickly lead to physical dependence.”

What are the risks of taking benzodiazepines?

Within days or weeks of regular use, patients can develop habits, Bach said.

“Breakdown symptoms range from increased chances of anxiety and calming to potentially life-threatening complications such as seizures and coma.”

He said side effects of taking the drug include sedation, decreased cognitive function, impaired reflexes, and an increased risk of falls.

“Long-term use can lead to resistance, requires higher doses to achieve the same effect, and can be more difficult to discontinue than opioid drugs.”

He said that when combined with other substances such as opioids and alcohol, benzodiazepines dramatically increase the risk of overdose.

Look | Warnings regarding overprescription of benzodiazepines:

Warnings regarding overprescribing benzodiazepines

Radio Canada's research into the use and side effects of benzodiazepines such as Ativan and Xanax reveals that drugs are often overprescribed and do not adequately educate doctors and patients about the risks of falls, fractures, addiction, and more.

Why are doctors worried about benzodiazepines?

Dr. Camille Gagnon, assistant director of Canadian drug therapy adequacy and deprescribing network, said there are serious problems with the benzodiazepines being prescribed.

While benzos may be useful for patients with eligible symptoms, Gagnon said doctors should recognize that “these are not the best approaches for patients and are not particularly long-term.”

Gagnon recommends other alternatives to insomnia treatment, such as psychotherapy, but said there are barriers to accessing these options. High cost and lack of Publicly funded psychotherapist.

She said access to medications is often an accessible option, whether from a pharmacist or not.

Bach said he noticed that some of his patients were prescribed benzodiazepines without proper communication of risk. He said that is an important factor that doctors should consider to prevent addiction.

“We hope that patients who are long-term with one of these drugs are communicating with prescribers about risks and benefits,” Bach said.

“It's certainly possible that long-term use of benzodiazepines will be required, but in general, these are primarily drugs intended for very short-term use,” he said.

12 people I spoke to Radio Canada Survey They said they had been prescribed medication by doctors, but most people said they were not warned of side effects, including life-changing withdrawal symptoms.

How can I stop taking benzodiazepines?

Stopping benzodiazepines can suddenly become extremely dangerous, Bach said.

It can cause serious withdrawal symptoms. This ranges from mild symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and restlessness to severe complications such as seizures, delirium, coma and even death.

“If you think of a benzodiazepine as a kind of blanket or a break in brain activity, if it's very suddenly retracted, you can imagine things kicking overdrive.”

Bach said it would take months to years to quit, but he believes that anyone can make plans with a doctor to stop using these medications.

“In my experience, anyone, everyone, can finally get away with these drugs, and that is to make sure we take the time to deliver that level of engagement in a careful and thoughtful way.

Gagnon said it's not easy to quit, but it can be done with the help of a primary care provider.

“The goal is to make it collaborative. It's completely changeable. It evolves with people and can be made with certainty.”

Marcou has been out of benzodiazepines for two years, but he says it wasn't easy.

“I was a little scared and had withdrawal symptoms… but I'm much happier without it.”

He made plans with his family doctor to reduce the benzodiazepine dosage every three months.

“I questioned the choice to stop frequently when I was trying to cut it off, but I knew I had to give it a try,” Marcou said.

He said he created and stuck to his personal goal of trying to pull his medicine away within a year.

“Now I'm 80 years old and I'm feeling better in the morning, blew my mouth whispers. That's something I've never felt before.”