Transcript Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

Barbiturates and
Benzodiazepines
Prescription Medication Drugs
• These drugs are often prescribed for pain,
insomnia, depression, anxiety.
• They slow brain functioning by increasing
activity of the neurotransmitter GABA
which decreases brain activity and causes
drowsiness and calmness.
• They also decrease heart rate and blood
pressure.
Prevalence
• People who abuse these drugs have
usually either been prescribed the drug
and began abusing it, or had a family
member who was prescribed the
medication
• Most commonly mixed with alcohol and or
opiates such as heroin or Oxycontin.
Use:
• “There has been a decline in the lifetime use of
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sedatives from a peak of 10.5 percent in 2005 to
9.3 percent in 2007. Past year use of
sedatives/barbiturates declined from a peak of
7.2 percent in 2005 to 6.2 percent in 2007 .“
(www.nida.nig.gov)
The death rate from overdose is 10% complications which can arise from an overdose
is coma and damaged fetuses in pregnant
women.
More than half of all overdoses are a result from
mixing barbiturates and benzodiazepines.
Short-term effects
• These drugs induce state of intoxication that is
•
identical to that of being intoxicated with
alcohol.
Symptoms such as impaired judgment, slowed
speech, lack of coordination, disinhibition,
shallow breathing, staggering and aggressive
impulses.
Long-term effects
• Sometimes when an individual stops abusing the
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•
drug, the symptoms they were taking the drug
for in the first place come back even stronger
(anxiety for example).
Withdrawal symptoms are also present:
irritability, paranoia, muscle tension, perceptual
disturbance, etc.
Serious usage and sudden withdrawal can cause
seizures.
Possible Research Solution:
• Melatonin, a hormone that is produced at night
•
by the pineal gland, promotes normal sleep in
humans. Can counter benzodiazepine addiction.
A number of studies in elderly insomniacs,
children, and patients with delayed sleep phase
syndrome when receiving melatonin therapy did
not develop a tolerance to the hormone during
prolonged periods of use and experienced no
withdrawal effects upon discontinuation. (1999)
Sources:
• www.nida.nig.gov
• www.nih.gov
• www.sfn.org
• http://archinte.ama-
assn.org/cgi/reprint/159/20/2456.pdf