The fatigue that comes from long hours of commuting, getting stuck in traffic, or shopping all day is an experience most people are familiar with. Sometimes it can be due to lack of nutrients in the body which cannot generate energy and makes one feel groggy all the time.
Fatigue can also be one of the side effects of drug use. When a person stops using sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines (benzos), an overwhelming feeling of lethargy ensues, accompanied by body aches and drowsiness. Withdrawal from benzos can have a debilitating impact. Reactions may develop slowly and there is a chance that they may be ignored due to overlapping symptoms of insomnia and anxiety.
Serious ramifications of benzo misuse
When a person uses a CNS drug or a tranquilizer, which is the class of drugs that benzodiazepines belong to, one feels calmer. Mainly, benzos act on the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) which has inhibitory properties. When the transmitter is activated in response to benzodiazepines, the brain and nervous system slow down and the person feels relaxed. Some of the more common benzos include Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and Restoril.
In addition to being used to treat anxiety disorders, benzodiazepines are also used to treat spasms and seizures. For older people, benzodiazepines are used to improve sleep. Generally prescribed short-term, if one continues to use benzos for a long time, addiction can set in. A person who has developed a tolerance to a certain amount of the drug over a period of time will require more to satisfy the craving.
The impact of benzos is more acute in older people, since they have a much slower metabolism. They require considerably more effort to clear benzodiazepines from your system. Therefore, they are more likely to face a buildup of toxins that could exacerbate their physical symptoms. In older people, benzodiazepines can also cause permanent memory changes. They may lose their memory and have difficulty learning new things, leading to general cognitive decline. In certain cases, due to their sedative properties, benzodiazepines can cause falls and serious injuries. This can be serious in the case of older people with a poorer sense of balance and visual impairment.
Mixing benzodiazepines with another class of drugs and alcohol can be catastrophic. Many cases of overdose and deaths are attributed to the concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines. Since alcohol intensifies the side effects of benzodiazepines, patients are advised not to consume alcohol when taking benzodiazepines.
Alternatives to benzos
For insomnia, which is usually treated with benzodiazepines, there is an alternative at hand. There are medications known as benzodiazepine receptor agonists, or ARBs. Most ARBs are more selective in how they affect the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Because they act on select receptors and not all, they do not have many of the side effects of traditional benzodiazepines.
While ARBs can be helpful in treating insomnia, antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are a good replacement for benzodiazepines to treat generalized anxiety and panic attacks. Experts believe that antidepressants are less likely to create dependency or addiction. Since antidepressants work slowly, benzos doses are gradually reduced.
Another useful alternative for people who suffer from anxiety and insomnia is exercise. Exercise is uplifting as it leads to the release of feel-good hormones. Therapeutic practices like tai chi, meditation, and yoga have a positive impact on both mind and body. Studies have also shown the long-lasting effects of cognitive behavioral therapy in relieving anxiety.
The road to recovery
Benzos remain the preferred forms of treatment for acute anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures. Only time can tell if they can be completely replaced by another drug that has fewer or no side effects and has the same potential benefits as benzodiazepines. For people seeking treatment for benzo withdrawal, detoxification is the only requirement, as long as they are not addicted to other substances. Detoxification can be natural, medicated or nutrition-based and is essential to cleanse the system of accumulated toxins.