Benzodiazepine

Benzodiazepine, as its name suggests is a formed by the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. The result is a psychoactive drug that can be used as a sedative, anxiolytic, amnesic, muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant. This group of drugs is used to treat anxiety, agitation, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms, etc. However, Benzodiazepine has its side effects including paradoxical effects and cognitive impairments. The psychological and physical effects due to long-term use can be even more adverse. It can lead to tolerance, a dependence on the drug and can show withdrawal symptoms if the drug is stopped.

Benzodiazepine Side Effects
 
Benzodiazepine has a long list of side effects but the most common ones can be attributed to its properties of sedation and muscle-relaxation. These side effects would include dizziness and decrease in the levels of alertness, drowsiness, and concentration. It can also lead to lack of coordination which on its turn can cause some serious problems such as falls and resulting injuries, ataxia, etc. The side effect of lack of coordination is particularly risky in the elderly as they tend to have less strength and balance to prevent falls. Exposure to Benzodiazepine can also affect your driving skills and many road accidents have been attributed, if not wholly then partially, to the use of Benzodiazepine. In patients with psychological problems, Benzodiazepine can cause further depression. At times it can lead to disinhibition and a certain fearlessness that can translate to suicidal tendencies among depressed patients. People have also complained of decreased libido and erection problems. Some of the other side effects include tiredness, insomnia and blurred vision.
 
Paradoxical Effects: Paradoxical effects are those which are exactly the opposite to what the drug has been administered for. So instead of bringing down the levels of aggression, impulsivity, irritability and violence, sometimes Benzodiazepine can lead to an increased state of such problems. Most of these problems occur when a patient, already suffering from psychological illness, are prescribed the drug in high dosage. Dosage of Benzodiazepine is critical and more than the required amount can cause more harm than good. Many of the paradoxical effects subside with the reduction of dosage and they can also disappear over a period of time.
 
Cognitive Impairments: One of the major issues with Benzodiazepineis its effect on the cognition abilities of the patient. It has been observed that over a short-term period the patient undergoes effects of amnesia. It is one of the more basic states of amnesia and mostly creates problems for the patient to remember new things that he learns. The long-term effect of the drug on the memory is not yet certain. While one theory is that the issues with amnesia increase over time, effects getting more serious, another theory suggests that the patient’s mind becomes tolerant of the drug and the effects amnesia are greatly reduced over time.
 
The Long-Term Effects: There are several adverse effects of Benzodiazepine on the body and the mind if the drug is administered over a longer period of time. There is an increasing risk of drug dependency and can lead to addiction. On forceful cessation of the use of the drug patients can exhibit withdrawal syndrome. Other side-effects that might be induced by long term use of the drug are aggression, agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, dizziness, emotional clouding, headaches, irritability, lethargy, memory impairment, nausea, panic attacks, personality changes, sleep disorders and social deterioration. Since the symptoms are a result of the drug, many of these can actually be tackled by just withdrawing the drug. However, the results will be evident only after three to six months.

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