What happens if you take benzos for years?

Benzodiazepines increase the risk of addiction, withdrawal, cognitive decline, motor vehicle crashes, and hip fracture. The risk of overdose is particularly great when combined with sedative drugs such as opioids or alcohol.

What happens if you take benzodiazepines long-term?

The long-term use of benzodiazepines may have a similar effect on the brain as alcohol, and is also implicated in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mania, psychosis, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, delirium, and neurocognitive disorders.

How long can you stay on benzodiazepines?

You should only be prescribed benzodiazepines for the shortest amount of time possible. Taking benzodiazepines regularly for a few weeks or more can lead to addiction. Doctors recommend that you only take them for 2-4 weeks. Intermittent use may help to avoid addiction.

Can benzos be used long-term for anxiety?

Anxiety disorders. have strongly cautioned against the long-term use of benzodiazepines for anxiety disorders, commenting that these drugs only act acutely, lead to relapse after discontinuation, and are associated with dependency.

Do benzos affect long-term memory?

Abstract. Benzodiazepines, shown to affect memory, can produce anterograde amnesia (i.e., a loss of memory for events occurring forward in time). Following the ingestion of a benzodiazepine, short-term memory is not affected, but long-term memory is impaired.

2-Minute Neuroscience: Benzodiazepines

Can you take benzos for life?

Although it is advised to use benzodiazepines for only a short period, it appears that one of three users takes benzodiazepines chronically. 3–5 Long-term use is not desirable because of the risk of dependence, a higher risk of accidents and falls especially in the elderly and cognitive impairment.

Do benzos damage your brain?

But when benzodiazepines are consumed for long periods of time, they can actually harm the brain. Taking benzodiazepines recreationally or in larger doses than prescribed can cause mental confusion, memory issues, permanent brain changes, and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Can you take Klonopin for life?

Klonopin can be a short-term or long-term treatment. Keep in mind that the long-term effectiveness of Klonopin hasn't been studied for longer than 9 weeks. Because of this, it's important that you and your doctor discuss from time to time whether you need to continue Klonopin treatment.

Which benzodiazepine is best for long term use?

With sustained levels of anxiety, long-acting benzodiazepines such as diazepam and clorazepate are usually preferred, while episodic anxiety normally responds best to shorter-acting drugs such as oxazepam or lorazepam.

Does Klonopin damage your brain?

Psychological impacts of Klonopin abuse include: Increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Milder forms of memory impairment. Depression.

How often can you safely take benzos?

According to the Mayo Clinic, adults taking Xanax for anxiety are typically encouraged to take up to 0.5 mg (milligrams) three times per day to keep symptoms under control. Adults with panic disorder might take up to 1 mg once per day for their symptoms.

Can benzodiazepines cause dementia?

Even for younger people, benzodiazepines cause acute cognitive impairment, among other risks. Increased risk of dementia is another major concern with long-term use of benzodiazepines. In a meta-analysis, heavy cumulative doses of benzodiazepines were associated with a risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Can long term use of Xanax cause dementia?

3, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Taking one of a class of anti-anxiety pills that includes Ativan, Valium or Xanax does not increase older adults' risk of dementia, a new study finds.

Can memory loss from Xanax be reversed?

People taking Xanax as prescribed usually have only mild memory loss. It's important to remember that this loss is reversible. All you need to do is stop taking the medication. However, you can't stop taking Xanax all at once.

What is serotonin syndrome?

Serotonin syndrome is a serious drug reaction. It is caused by medications that build up high levels of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a chemical that the body produces naturally. It's needed for the nerve cells and brain to function.

How long can I safely take diazepam?

People are not normally prescribed diazepam for more than four weeks as people can become dependent on it if they take it for longer. They may also get withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it.

Does diazepam damage your brain?

Addiction and Withdrawal. Chemical dependency and addiction are two of the most serious effects of Valium on the brain. Once the central nervous system has adjusted to the use of diazepam to regulate electrical activity, the user may need higher doses of the drug to achieve the same positive effects.

Is Xanax Stronger Than Ativan?

In many cases, people may take larger doses of Ativan, at 2–6 milligrams (mg) per day, compared with Xanax, which people usually take at less than 4 mg per day. People taking Xanax for panic disorder may take higher doses.

What happens if you take clonazepam everyday?

Benzodiazepines may produce emotional and/or physical dependence (addiction) even when used as recommended. Physical dependence may develop after 2 or more weeks of daily use. The risk of withdrawal reactions when stopping therapy with clonazepam is increased with prolonged use of the medication.

Is Klonopin hard to get off of?

Withdrawal symptoms start to fade in three to four weeks. It is still common to have symptoms like anxiety during this time. Some days may be harder than others, but the worst of Withdrawal is usually over at this point. Mild withdrawal symptoms are still possible up to three months after quitting Klonopin.

What are the long term effects of taking clonazepam?

Long-term misuse or abuse of Klonopin can also cause a condition called benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome (BWS). This condition causes prolonged withdrawal symptoms, especially psychiatric struggles like cravings, mood swings, irritability, and exhaustion.

Do Benzos affect intelligence?

Among the most controversial of these side effects are cognitive effects. Long-term treatment with benzodiazepines has been described as causing impairment in several cognitive domains, such as visuospatial ability, speed of processing, and verbal learning.

Can Xanax mess up your brain?

Xanax has been shown to cause memory loss, spatial awareness issues, lowered IQ, and difficulty concentrating. A lack of research confirms whether these effects may become permanent or persist while Xanax is used. However, we can be sure that long-term effects involve the brain's production of a GABA chemical.

What is a brain zap?

Brain shakes are sensations that people sometimes feel when they stop taking certain medications, especially antidepressants. You might also hear them referred to as “brain zaps,” “brain shocks,” “brain flips,” or “brain shivers.”

Can benzos cause heart problems?

Benzodiazepines like Xanax affect your heart by slowing down the heart rate and blood pressure. When GABA levels increase in the brain, communication between nerves is reduced, which impacts functions like breathing and heart rate. Thus, heart failure and permanent heart damage are common risks of Xanax abuse.