Current Status of Benzodiazepines

Abstract

Clinical Use of BenzodiazepinesAnxietySince 1977, several new benzodiazepines have been marketed in the United States for the treatment of anxiety syndromes^{67 68 69 70 71} (Table 1). These drugs may offer some subtle clinical options. Prazepam, for example, may cause less drowsiness after single doses than do comparable doses of other benzodiazepines because of the slow appearance of desmethyldiazepam in the blood.⁷² Some clinical studies suggest a reduced incidence of sedation during treatment with lorazepam and alprazolam — benzodiazepines that have an intermediate half-life — possibly because the extent of drug accumulation is reduced; however, this is not a consistent finding.^{69 , 70} In . . .