What is Benzodiazepine Withdrawal? For the treatment of several stress related conditions a drug called benzodiazepine has been widely used. But according to various medical findings this drug has been characterized to be a habit forming drug. In other words we can say that when patient takes the drug for a longer period of time then they are likely to develop a potential tolerance for it. As the tolerance increases the need for a higher dose also increases. This leads to serious withdrawal symptoms being seen in many. This is the reason many doctors are hesitant in prescribing the drug to their patients. But in situations where they are bound to prescribe the medical practitioners also provide you with proper benzo withdrawal help to conquer the symptoms and lead a healthier life.
What are the withdrawal symptoms?
The symptoms are known to be more psychological than less physical. During this phase the patients have been reported to experience symptoms like excessive seating, head ache, dizziness, panic attacks, nausea and irritability. In some cases the patients have been seen to experience hallucinations and have suicidal tendencies as well. Under such serious circumstances it is imperative to seek benzo withdrawal help from your doctor or any rehabilitation centre.
The Three Withdrawal Phases
The withdrawal phase is differentiated into three called the early withdrawal, acute withdrawal and protracted withdrawal. The time within few hours of stopping the medication is referred to as the early withdrawal phase. During this phase one can see the relapse of symptoms that the drug had worked on earlier. These mainly include anxiety and insomnia.
The acute withdrawal phase beings after a few days of stopping the benzo dosage. During this phase the patient has been reported to experience more serious symptoms like the tension, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, hallucinations, short term memory impairments, and acute insomnia, loss of concentration and mood swings.
In severe cases people have been reported to experience something called the protracted withdrawal syndrome. This phase has been seen to last for several months to many years even after the patient has stopped the drug completely. Symptoms during this phase include muscle pain, gastro intestinal distress, disruption of normal mental functions, altered nerve sensations such as tingling and burning in the lower and upper extremities. Other than this acute depression and mood swings are also known to occur which are difficult to manage. The primary difference between the acute and the post acute phase are the risk of serious medical complications. The risk is considered to be more in the acute withdrawal phase than the post acute one. Similarly the urge to abuse the drug is more in the acute phase is more as compared to the other.
