TITLE:
Original and Simple Protocol for Withdrawal of Benzodiazepines to Achieve Sustained Remission
AUTHORS:
Granato Philippe, Shreekumar Vinekar, Fontaine Audrey, Paradis Philippe, Danel Thierry, Cottencin Olivier
KEYWORDS:
Benzodiazepine, Withdrawal, Success
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.6 No.2,
April
29,
2016
ABSTRACT: Benzodiazepines are psychotropic
medications for effective management of anxiety. However, after over 50 years
of unrestrained prescription use, prescribers realize the severity of side
effects in select patients. The most challenging of these side effects is the
emergence of a physiological dependence that explains virtual impossibility of
successful withdrawal that can ensure sustained abstinence. We propose a method
for successful withdrawal using substitution and innovative downward tapering
of diazepam oral solution for all benzodiazepines to attain sustained
remission. Our protocol reported here allowed not only successful withdrawal
for all of 20 patients included in this pilot study but also helped in totally
weaning them off of benzodiazepines demonstrating absence of relapse even 2
years after the total discontinuance.