Combining benzos with opioid painkillers, cough medicines and other central nervous system depressants can lead to profound sedation, breathing trouble and death.Ī 2018 editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine noted that approximately three quarters of deaths involving benzodiazepines also involved an opioid. Mixing benzos and alcohol significantly increases the risk of an overdose. That’s because they tend to use larger amounts of the drug, and they often combine them with other substances.Ī number of other factors, including a person’s weight, genetics and age can also affect their risk of experiencing an overdose. Individuals who misuse benzos or have a benzo addiction also have a higher overdose risk. Most fatal overdoses involve a combination of drugs. Risk Factors for a Benzo OverdoseĪ benzo overdose rarely results in death when it’s the only substance consumed. This occurs in 90 percent of pediatric patients who overdose on benzos. The primary symptom of an overdose in children is ataxia, which is characterized by a loss of balance and unsteady or uncoordinated movements. This is referred to as a “paradoxical,” reaction, and occurs in less than 1 percent of patients. Some people exhibit mental confusion and slurred speech, but vital signs are often normal.Ī person suffering from a benzo overdose might exhibit signs and symptoms opposite of the drug’s intended effect, such as excitement, agitation and talkativeness. They may also have trouble standing or fall down. A person who has overdosed on a benzo may be very hard to rouse or waken. The key sign of a benzo overdose is excessive sedation. Of particular concern is an increase in deadly overdoses among patients aged 65 and older. That’s a 500 percent increase since the late 1990s. In 2013, benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium were involved in 31 percent of nearly 23,000 of the nation’s fatal prescription drug overdoses. But taking large doses of benzodiazepines or mixing the drugs with other central nervous system depressants can lead to coma, respiratory depression and death.īenzo overdoses have been on the rise.
That’s one reason they’re so widely prescribed. Benzodiazepines, or “benzos” as they’re often called, produce these effects by slowing the central nervous system.īenzos are relatively safe drugs when used as directed.
You can also call the national toll-free Poison Help hotline at 1-80 for instructions on how to help an overdose victim.īenzodiazepines are sedatives that are often used to relieve anxiety, induce sleep and prevent seizures. If you believe someone has overdosed on a benzodiazepine, call 911 immediately.
0 kommentar(er)
