Since recent sleep research indicates that certain stages of sleep (REMS and SWS) are important for memory functions, it is likely that the dreams and the memories are connected. In both cases the phenomena may herald the beginning of benzodiazepine withdrawal a return in normal memory functions and, although sometimes disturbing, can be welcomed as a sign of a step towards recovery. If you’ve taken benzodiazepines at high doses for an extended period, you may experience long-term withdrawal symptoms, also called post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) or protracted withdrawal. In rare cases, alcohol dependent patients may experience severe complications such as seizures, hallucinations, dangerous fluctuations in body temperature and blood pressure, extreme agitation and extreme dehydration.

Overall effects on everyday life

It is not uncommon for a widow or widower, first prescribed benzodiazepines on the death of the spouse, to go through the grieving process for the first time after withdrawal, even though the bereavement had occurred many years previously. Apart from their therapeutic effects in depression and anxiety, some antidepressants have a sedative effect which patients who are particularly plagued with insomnia have found helpful. Low doses (10-50mg) of amitriptyline (Elavil) or doxepin (Sinequan) are remarkably effective in promoting sleep if taken at bed-time. These can be taken for short periods of a few weeks and stopped by reducing the dosage stepwise or taking the drug every other night. Withdrawal is not a problem when small doses are taken for short periods or intermittently. The need for sleep is so powerful that normal sleep will eventually reassert itself.

What is the most important information I should know about benzodiazepine withdrawal?

• If this does not adequately calm the patient, it may be necessary to sedate him or her using diazepam.
• During withdrawal, the patient’s mental state should be monitored to detect complications such as psychosis, depression and anxiety.
• Although I refer to protracted withdrawal as drug neurotoxicityemphasis added, it is still a bad idea to give the doctor a diagnosis rather than to present symptoms.
• This syndrome is clearly not a disease entity; it probably represents an amalgam of pharmacological and psychological factors directly and indirectly related to benzodiazepine use.

Some symptoms may appear without warning and can be a significant source of distress. The best resource in your quest to quit benzodiazepines is your prescribing doctor. If you prefer someone else, any primary care physician or psychiatrist can help you taper your dose. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be managed with a gradual dose reduction, which will cause milder symptoms that come and go in waves.

Are There Recommended Treatments for Managing Withdrawal Symptoms?

All the evidence shows that a steady decline in symptoms almost invariably continues after withdrawal, though it can take a long time – even several years in some cases. Most people experience a definite improvement over time so that symptoms gradually decrease to levels nowhere near as intense as in the early days of withdrawal, and eventually almost entirely disappear. All the studies show steady, if slow, improvement in cognitive ability and physical symptoms.

• Motor symptoms that may persist include muscle tension, weakness, cramps, jerks, spasms and shaking attacks.
• There is at present no clear scientific evidence on these topics, though as mentioned before, benzodiazepine receptors are present in the gut and benzodiazepine use or withdrawal may affect immune responses.
• There are many symptoms that can be experienced during benzodiazepine withdrawal.
• The extra sleep time that benzodiazepines provide is spent mainly in light sleep, termed Stage 2 sleep.
• They generally do not want to see a lot of printed off pages, as there is no time to really read them during the office visit.

Benzodiazepine concentrations in the blood have been measured and shown to reach undetectable levels in 3-4 weeks after cessation of use in people withdrawn from clinical doses. Information on benzodiazepine concentrations in the brain and other tissues is difficult to obtain, especially in humans. Benzodiazepines certainly enter the brain and also dissolve in all fatty (lipid-containing) tissues including fat deposits all over the body. It is possible that they linger in such tissues for some time after blood levels have become undetectable. However, most body tissues are in equilibrium with the blood that constantly perfuses them, and there is no known mechanism whereby benzodiazepines could be “locked up” in tissues such as the brain. There is no data on how long benzodiazepines remain in bones, which have a lower fat content but Sober living house also a slower rate of cell turnover.