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
| 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 |
| 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
Neutral
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
Sources
Madsen U, Bräuner-Osborne H, Greenwood JR, Johansen TN, Krogsgaard-Larsen P, Liljefors T, Nielsen M, Frølund B (2005). "GABA and Glutamate receptor ligands and their therapeutic potential in CNS disorders". In Gad SC. Drug Discovery Handbook. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley-Interscience/J. Wiley. pp. 797–907. ISBN 0-471-21384-5.
^ a b Panico, R.; Powell, W. H.; Richer, J. C., eds. (1993). A Guide to IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Compounds. IUPAC/Blackwell Science. pp. 40–3. ISBN 0-632-03488-2.; Moss GP (1998). "Nomenclature of fused and bridged fused ring systems (IUPAC Recommendations 1998)". Pure Appl Chem 70 (1): 143–216. doi:10.1351/pac199870010143.
Olsen RW, Betz H (2006). "GABA and glycine". In Siegel GJ, Albers RW, Brady S, Price DD (eds.). Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular and Medical Aspects (7th ed.). Elsevier. pp. 291–302. ISBN 0-12-088397-X.
Zavala F (1997). "Benzodiazepines, anxiety and immunity". Pharmacol Ther 75 (3): 199–216. doi:10.1016/S0163-7258(97)00055-7. PMID 9504140.
Narimatsu E, Niiya T, Kawamata M, Namiki A (2006). "[The mechanisms of depression by benzodiazepines, barbiturates and propofol of excitatory synaptic transmissions mediated by adenosine neuromodulation]". Masui (in Japanese) 55 (6): 684–91. PMID 16780077.
Juergens, MD, Steven M. "Understanding Benzodiazepines". California Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
Carlo, Pia; Renata Finollo, Anna Ledda, Giovanni Brambilla (January 1989). "Absence of liver DNA fragmentation in rats treated with high oral doses of 32 benzodiazepine drugs". Fundamental and Applied Toxicology 12 (1): 34–41. doi:10.1016/0272-0590(89)90059-6. PMID 2925017.