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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Take more of the medication in order to make it work. Dependence means that you develop withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the medication.Research has found that among people who take benzodiazepines for longer than six months, 40% will experience moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms. Talking to your doctor before you stop taking your medication is essential since benzodiazepine withdrawal can be dangerous. Potential for Misuse or Abuse There is also a risk that some anti-anxiety medications will be misused or abused. This risk is greater with benzodiazepines, especially alprazolam (which is commonly known by its brand name Xanax). Research published in 2020 found that benzodiazepine misuse occurs in 17% of users. A 2014 study involving 2,700 students in high school and middle school found that the risk of benzodiazepine abuse was 12 times higher in teens who had been prescribed these drugs. Anxiety Medication Withdrawal Many people who take medication over a long period of time can become dependent. When they go off the drug, they need to do so gradually to avoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Antidepressant drug withdrawal can occur within days of stopping the medication and symptoms generally resolve within a couple of weeks. Ironically, many withdrawal symptoms are similar to anxiety symptoms, including: AnxietyConcentration issuesHeadacheInsomniaSweating Some drugs can cause more severe withdrawal symptoms than others. For instance, discontinuing benzodiazepines after long-term use can lead to severe or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, such as seizures, delirium, and even death.Talk with your healthcare provider before discontinuing any medication. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, they may taper your medication dose, reducing it gradually. Anxiety Medication Interactions Some anti-anxiety medications negatively interact with other drugs. For example, if benzodiazepines are taken in combination with an opioid medication, it can result in difficult or slowed breathing and death. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any other medications. Abstaining from alcohol when taking benzodiazepines is also important because the interaction between these drugs and alcohol can lead to serious, possibly life-threatening complications.
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