Multiple Medications Associated With Poorer Outcomes

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Research from Germany finds that people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective diagnoses given multiple medications - an antipsychotic plus a benzodiazepine or more than one...

Antidepressants Tied To Increased Risk of Homicide “Only Modestly”; Benzodiazepines More So

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Taking antidepressant or benzodiazepine medications increases the risks that a person will commit a homicide, according to a study from Finland published in a World Psychiatry letter.

World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day 2020

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This week on MIA Radio, we present the second part of our podcast to join in the events for World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day 2020...

Benzodiazepines Linked to Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s: Causation or Not?

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According to a study in the British Medical Journal, benzodiazepine use is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Some experts...

No Support for Antidepressants Over Benzodiazepines for Anxiety

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A review of all the relevant research comparing benzodiazepines (BDZ) to antidepressants (AD) for the treatment of anxiety was published Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics this Friday....

Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Adults Used in Rural and Low Income Areas

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Benzodiazepine prescription practices may be in response to an epidemic of distress, rather than being used to treat specific mental health diagnoses.

Fish “Flourish” On Anxiety Drug

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"Fish that have been exposed to a common anti-anxiety drug are more active and have better chances of survival than unexposed fish," reports Nature....

Overprescribing of Benzodiazepines

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Norwegian researchers found that 14.6% (27,861) of patients who were prescribed benzodiazepines used two simultaneously, despite the fact that all benzodiazepines have essentially the...

Hypnotic Medications Linked to Suicide Risk

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A recent review found that hypnotic medications are associated with risks of suicide and suicidal ideation.

Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Dementia and Memory Loss

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A recent review of the research found that benzodiazepine use may have long-term effects on memory and increase the risk for dementia. The study,...

Prescribing Benzodiazepines As-Needed Leads to Abuse

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A new study reported on in Medscape, examined risk factors for misuse of benzodiazepines (drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin). The researchers found that patients who had been prescribed the medication on an as-needed basis were more likely to end up abusing it than those who had been prescribed a standing dose.

Researchers Identify Patterns in Antidepressant and Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use

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The researchers found that, of those who were initially prescribed both antidepressants and benzodiazepines, approximately 12% went on to engage in long-term benzodiazepine use.

Antidepressants Associated With Increased Driving Risk

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Researchers from the Taiwan and the United States find through a study of 5,183 subjects with motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) and 31,093 matched controls...

Benzodiazepine Prescriptions Increase with Overdose Deaths

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A recent article in the American Journal of Public Health calls for policy level interventions to reduce the use of benzodiazepines, drugs commonly prescribed...

Psychotropics Significantly Increase Falls in the Elderly

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Psychotropic medications, including short-acting benzodiazepines, strongly increase the frequency of falls in the elderly, according to research from the Netherlands published in Maturitas: The...

Benzo Rx Increasing Dramatically in U.S., Often With Opiods

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Research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine finds that 12.6% of primary care visits in the U.S. involved...

Some Common Psychiatric Medications Associated With Pneumonia

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Pneumonia cases in the elderly are strongly associated with use of anticholinergic medications, including benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants.

Benzos May Increase Cancer Risk

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Researchers in Taiwan found in a retrospective analysis of data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance system concerning 59,647 patients from 1996 to 2000 that...

Withdrawal from Benzodiazepines

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A review of the scientific literature related to withdrawal from benzodiazepines, including studies of protracted withdrawal symptoms and risk of relapse related to tapering procedures.

Benzos & Brain Tumors

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Researchers in Taiwan found a 3.33x greater risk of benign brain tumors in patients who had been prescribed benzodiazepines for at least 2 months....

Bereaved Parents Prescribed Meds Quickly, Stay on Meds Long-Term

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MiA blogger Jeffrey Lacasse's study of psychiatric prescribing in response to perinatal/neonatal death (co-authored with Joanne Cacciatore) finds that 37% of participants in an...

Benzodiazepine & SSRI Addiction and Withdrawal

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The May issue of Addiction includes a review of pharmacological and phenomenological issues around benzodiazepine (BZD) and SSRI discontinuation.  Definitions, perceptions and management of the...

Nonclinical Factors are Associated with Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults

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White race and size of initial prescription, along with poor sleep quality, are associated with long-term benzodiazepine use in older adults.

Preventing Long-term Benzodiazepine Use

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Researchers Identify risk factors for long-term benzodiazepine use to prevent harmful effects.

Do Benzos Deserve a Major Role in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders?

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Researchers at the University of Milan and King's College, London thoroughly reviewed the literature available on Medline and Cochrane regarding the use of benzodiazepines...