Anxiolytics:  Therapeutic Monitoring

Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepine dosing is generally titrated to maximize symptom relief while minimizing side effects and the potential for abuse. No routine monitoring is required; although serum drug levels can be obtained, they are not of great clinical use. Care must be taken in prescribing benzodiazepines because of their ability to cause physiologic dependence. They cannot be discontinued abruptly due to the risk of a withdrawal syndrome that may include seizures.

Buspirone
No routine monitoring or drug levels are required when using buspirone.

Side Effects and Adverse Drug Reactions

Benzodiazepines
The major side effects ofbenzodiazepines are related to the CNS. The primary side effect of benzodiazepines is sleepiness or a general groggy feeling.

Although benzodiazepines are often used to treat agitation, they may produce disinhibition (and therefore worsen agitation) in some patients (i.e., the elderly). Benzodiazepines are minimally depressive to the respiratory system in healthy individuals but can lead to fatal carbon dioxide retention in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In healthy individuals, death after overdose on benzodiazepines alone is rare but does occur when benzodiazepines are taken with alcohol and other CNS depressant medications.

Buspirone
Buspirone does not tend to cause sedation, nor does it produce a significant withdrawal syndrome or dependence. The major side effects are dizziness, nervousness, and nausea.

RELATED STORIES:
As Antidepressants Begin to Work, Hopelessness Can Linger   Antidepressants Help Men Decrease Alcohol Consumption, but Not Women   Drug Approval Processes May Have Delayed Safety Warnings for Antidepressants   New findings on antidepressants during pregnancy are reason for caution, not alarm   Use of Antidepressants Linked to Improvement in Fibromyalgia Symptoms   Antidepressants may affect fetus   Marijuana-like brain chemicals work as antidepressant   European drug watchdog backs Prozac for children   Link between genetic variation and outcome of antidepressant treatment   Treating SSRI-Resistant Depression   Jury out on antidepressants for kleptomania   Mood Stabilizers in psychiatric practice   Anesthetic Agent May Have Rapid Antidepressant Effects   Study contradicts USA warning that an antidepressant can cause congenital abnormalities   Lexapro® curbs risk of recurrent depression

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]

Interactive Quiz:

I have a decreased need for sleep. yes no