What You Need to Know About Benzodiazepine Overdose
People take benzodiazepines for profound anxiety and mood disorders. But due to their highly addictive nature, even when taken as directed, there is a risk of becoming addicted. Unfortunately, this addiction increases the risk of an overdose.
If you’re concerned that you or a loved one might be dependent on benzodiazepines and, therefore, at risk of an overdose, call Zinnia Health at (855) 430-9439. We will help you get back on the right track and reduce your risk of an overdose.
Can You Overdose on Benzodiazepines?
Several risk factors make overdosing on benzodiazepines likely.
People who use this drug in excess, use it without a prescription, or use it in combination with another substance (polydrug use) are at risk of a benzodiazepine overdose.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, benzodiazepines are Schedule IV Controlled drugs due to their naturally addictive nature.
People who abuse benzodiazepines usually do so by taking them with other drugs. This can result in an overdose.
Prescription drugs that fall under the benzodiazepine category are:
- Diazepam
- Xanax
- Valium
- Clonazepam
What to Do in an Emergency?
If you suspect someone close to you is overdosing on benzodiazepines, call 911 immediately.
Please call 911 right away to get help and advice for a person who is overdosing.
What Are the Treatment Options for a Benzodiazepine Overdose?
A person who has overdosed on a benzodiazepine may be unconscious.
Flumazenil is given to the patient to reverse the sedative effects of the benzodiazepine. However, emergency room physicians will incrementally increase the dose of flumazenil to prevent benzodiazepine withdrawal seizures. These seizures are triggered by a sudden depletion of benzodiazepines from the bloodstream.
If the person has taken an opioid with benzodiazepine, the physician will administer naloxone to reverse the opioid’s adverse effects.
As a central nervous system depressant, benzodiazepines, in large doses, can cause difficulty breathing.
To re-establish a normal breathing pattern, the emergency room physician will provide a breathing apparatus such as an oxygen mask or respirator to help. In some cases, a person may require intubation to open an airway.
Other overdose treatment options include:
- IV fluids
- Emergency medicine to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital functions
- Detox in an inpatient treatment center
Is a Benzodiazepine Overdose Dangerous?
Benzodiazepines depress the central nervous system, which is the system that controls all vital organs, including the lungs and heart.
Taking too much benzodiazepine can cause irreversible damage to your vital organs resulting in organ failure and even death.
How Much Benzodiazepine Does It Take to Overdose?
It isn’t clear how much benzodiazepine it takes to cause an overdose because each drug has a different level of potency. Also, other substances can increase the likeliness of a benzodiazepine overdose.
However, what is known is that taking the medication as prescribed will not result in an overdose, but taking more than prescribed increases the risk of a benzodiazepine overdose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that most cases of benzodiazepine overdose include the use of an opioid.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Benzodiazepine Overdose?
A person who has taken too much benzodiazepine may appear extremely drowsy and sleepy. When speaking, they may have slurred speech and seem disoriented.
Other signs and symptoms of a benzodiazepine overdose include:
- Uncoordinated muscle movements
- Altered mental status
If the person has taken another drug along with a benzodiazepine, they may also experience the following symptoms:
- Respiratory distress (caused by respiratory depression)
- Stupor state
- Comatose state
- Seizure
- Tremors
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Are you struggling with stress and medicating with non-prescribed benzodiazepines? If so, you could be at risk of a drug overdose.
Call Zinnia Health at (855) 430-9439 to find out how our inpatient and outpatient clinics reduce this risk.
What Increases the Risk of a Benzodiazepine Overdose?
A person is at an increased risk of overdosing on benzodiazepines if they have taken another medication that causes CNS depression.
They are also at greater risk if they have taken an opioid or used a sedative.
Some medications make it harder for the body to eliminate benzodiazepines. These medications are listed in the leaflet that came with your prescription.
Taking them while using a benzodiazepine increases the time it takes to leave your bloodstream, resulting in toxicity.
Why Does a Benzodiazepine Overdose Occur?
The liver is responsible for eliminating benzodiazepines from your bloodstream. However, when too much is taken too quickly, the liver cannot remove it.
This causes too much of it to bind to receptors in the central nervous system, resulting in profound sedation.
This is the start of a potentially fatal overdose.
How to Tell Someone Is on Benzodiazepines?
A person who is on benzodiazepines will display the following common side effects:
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Slurred speech
This person won’t feel like doing anything but sleeping. If they take too much benzodiazepine, they may miss work or school due to oversleeping.
Why Would Someone Take Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines are often prescribed for people with severe anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Other prescription uses for benzodiazepines are: insomnia, seizures, and hyperactivity. There are also many off-label prescribed uses for benzodiazepines.
When a person uses benzodiazepines without a prescription, they are seeking to enhance the effects of other drugs, such as cocaine or methadone.
On their own, benzos can produce a euphoric effect, which some may seek to relieve stress.
In some circumstances, an individual may purposely use pure benzodiazepines to induce an overdose.
How to Help Someone With a Benzodiazepine Use Disorder?
A healthcare professional monitors people taking benzodiazepines while the doses are gradually reduced.
Coming off a benzodiazepine abruptly can result in withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can push a person to use benzodiazepines again, increasing the risk of benzodiazepine abuse.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the risk of benzodiazepine use disorder is less than one percent on its own. However, most benzo overdoses include the use of other drugs.
Substance use disorder is an epidemic that affects people of all ages and all walks of life.
Many people abuse substances for recreational reasons, but some abuse substances to escape stress or cope with an undiagnosed mental health condition.
Talking to your loved one in a non-confrontational way may be the first step in helping them open up about their substance use disorder. However, it isn’t uncommon for someone to feel too embarrassed to talk about it.
In this case, you could use the help of a professional.
If you or someone you know has a benzodiazepine addiction or suffers from substance abuse, call Zinnia Health at (855) 430-9439. We are happy to answer any questions you have about benzodiazepine use disorder or addiction treatment.
We know how hard it is to combat this issue alone, and you are not alone. Our inpatient facilities offer detoxification in a medically supervised environment. We also provide comfortable inpatient accommodations with plenty of holistic programs to get you back on track.
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