Benzodiazepines

General Information

Classification: Downer/Sedative/Anxiolytic

History

The first benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (Librium), was discovered accidentally by Leo Sternbach in 1955, and made available in 1960 by Hoffmann–La Roche, which has also marketed diazepam (Valium) since 1963.

Source: Shorter E (2005). "Benzodiazepines". A Historical Dictionary of Psychiatry. Oxford University Press. pp. 41–2. ISBN 0-19-517668-5.

Dosage

Comparison of benzodiazepines

Chemical name (brand name)	Half-Life [Active Metabolites]	Dose Equiv. of 10mg Diazepam (Oral)	Class
Alprazolam (Xanax)	6 - 12 hours	0.5 mg	Anxiolytic
Bromazepam (Lexotan, Lexomil)	10 - 20 hours	5 - 6 mg	Anxiolytic
Chlordazepoxide (Librium)	5 - 30 hours [36 - 200 hours]	25 mg	Anxiolytic
Clobazam (Frisium)	12 - 60 hours	20 mg	Anxiolytic
Clonazepam (Klonopin)	18 - 50 hours	0.5 mg	Anxiolytic
Clorazepate (Tranxene)	[36 - 200 hours]	15 mg	Anxiolytic
Diazepam (Valium)	20 - 100 hours [36 - 200 hours]	10 mg	Anxiolytic
Estazolam (ProSom, Nuctalon)	10 - 24 hours	1 - 2 mg	Hypnotic
Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol)	18 - 26 hours [36 - 200 hours]	1 mg	Hypnotic
Flurazepam (Dalmane)	[40 - 250 hours]	15 - 30 mg	Hypnotic
Halazepam (Paxipam)	[30 - 100 hours]	20 mg	Anxiolytic
Ketazolam (Paxipam)	30 - 100 hours [36 - 200 hours]	15 - 30 mg	Anxiolytic
Loprazolam (Dormonoct)	6 - 12 hours	1 - 2 mg	Hypnotic
Lorazepam (Ativan)	10 - 20 hours	1 mg	Anxiolytic
Lormetazepam (Noctamid)	10 - 12 hours	1 - 2 mg	Hypnotic
Medazepam (Nobrium)	36 - 200 hours	10 mg	Anxiolytic
Nitrazepam (Mogadon)	15 - 38 hours	10 mg	Hypnotic
Nordazepam (Nordaz)	36 - 200 hours	10 mg	Anxiolytic
Oxazepam (Serax)	4 - 15 hours	20 mg	Anxiolytic
Prazepam (Centrax)	[36 - 200 hours]	10 - 20 mg	Anxiolytic
Quazepam (Doral)	25 - 100 hours	20 mg	Hypnotic
Temazepam (Restoril)	8 - 22 hours	20 mg	Hypnotic
Triazolam (Halcion)	2 hours	0.5 mg	Hypnotic

Non-benzodiazepines commonly referred to as Z-drugs

Chemical name (brand name)	Half-Life [Active Metabolites]	Dose Equiv. of 10mg Diazepam (Oral)	Class
Zaleplon (Sonata)	2 hours	20 mg	Hypnotic
Zolpidem (Ambien)	2 hours	20 mg	Hypnotic
Zopiclone (Imovane)	5 - 6 hours	15 mg	Hypnotic
Eszopiclone (Lunesta)	6 hours	3 mg	Hypnotic

Oral

Onset:

Alprazolam IR : 8-25 minutes

Alprazolam XR : 25-75 minutes

Diazepam : Rapid

Clonazapam : 1 hour

Lorazepam : 1-2 hours

Peak Benefit:

Diazepam : 1.6 hours

Alprazolam IR : 90 minutes

Alprazolam XR : 25-75 minutes

Diazepam : 2-4 hours

Clonazapam : 1-4 hours

Half/Life and Duration

Triazolam : 2.5 Hours

Lorazepam : 10-20 hours - 6-12 hour duration

Alprazolam IR : 11 hour half life - 5 hour duration

Alprazolam XR :11-16 hour hour half life, 11 hour duration

Diazepam : 20-100 hour half life - 6-8 hour duration

Clonazepam : 18-50 hour half life - 12+ hours

Dosages Depend on tolerance.

Potentiators:

Grapefruit juice

Avoid:

Excessive drinking (you will die)

Do not smoke, inject, or snort benzos.

Positive

• Stress Relief
• Anxiety Relief
• Social Anxiety
• PTSD
• Sedative
• Worries drift away
• That "sink into the couch" feeling

Negative

• High addiction potential
• Killer withdrawals
• Risk of blackout
• Inability to drink
• Inability to dirve
• Loss of balance
• Memory Loss
• Procrastination

After effects

• "Hangover"?

• Afterglow

• Long term effects

• High addiction potential

Harm Reduction

• Avoid driving and operating machinery

• Recommended time (pauses) between using the substance

• Addiction potential - High

• Risk of blackouts

• Risk of death when mixed with alcohol or other drugs. An extremely high percentage of drug-related deaths are due to mixing benzos with other drugs, especially opiates and alcohol.

• Mental illness

• Heart issues

• CNS depressant when mixed with other drugs

Chemistry and Pharmacology

The term benzodiazepine is the chemical name for the heterocyclic ring system, which is a fusion between the benzene and diazepine ring systems. Under Hantzsch–Widman nomenclature, a diazepine is a heterocycle with two nitrogen atoms, five carbon atom and the maximum possible number of cumulative double bonds. The "benzo" prefix indicates the benzene ring fused onto the diazepine ring. Benzodiazepine drugs are substituted 1,4-benzodiazepines, although the chemical term can refer to many other compounds that do not have useful pharmacological properties. Different benzodiazepine drugs have different side groups attached to this central structure. The different side groups affect the binding of the molecule to the GABAA receptor and so modulate the pharmacological properties. Many of the pharmacologically active "classical" benzodiazepine drugs contain the 5-phenyl-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-2(3H)-one substructure. Nonbenzodiazepines also bind to the benzodiazepine binding site on the GABAA receptor and possess similar pharmacological properties. While the nonbenzodiazepines are by definition structurally unrelated to the benzodiazepines, both classes of drugs possess a common pharmacophore , which explains their binding to a common receptor site

• 2-keto compounds:

chlordiazepoxide, clorazepate, diazepam, flurazepam, halazepam, prazepam, and others.

• 3-hydroxy compounds:

lorazepam, lormetazepa,oxazepam, temazepam

• 7-nitro compounds:

clonazepam, flunitrazepam, nimetazepam, nitrazepam

• Triazolo compounds:

adinazolam, alprazolam, estazolam, triazolam

• Imidazo compounds

climazolam, loprazolam, midazolam

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Sources

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