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Cited by 3Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient OutcomesOpioid Use Disorder TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Surviving Benzodiazepines: A Patient’s and Clinician’s Perspectives

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Silvernail, Carrie M., Wright, Steven L.·2022·Advances in Therapy
DOI 10.1007/s12325-022-02055-yPMC PMC9056465
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Abstract

Although benzodiazepines have been used for 6 decades, many questions remain unanswered by research. The lived experiences of those adversely affected long term can provide insights into how these agents might be more thoughtfully prescribed. Here, perspectives of one such experience encompassing benzodiazepine initiation, ongoing use with adverse consequences and difficult discontinuation are presented through the eyes of an affected individual and a clinician. This experience highlights the importance of limited initiation and duration of use (2-4 weeks) as well as a supported, slow tapering process led by patients. Because researched evidence about deprescribing benzodiazepines is insufficient and because individual experiences vary so widely, it is the patient's expertise-that of her or his lived experience-that should assume a primary role in determining the course and pace of discontinuing these medications.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s12325-022-02055-y

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  • The most common indications for benzodiazepine use in the retrieved studies were insomnia, generalized anxiety disorder, and anxiety with or without panic attacks.

    “The most common indications for benzodiazepine use in these studies were insomnia [30,36,40,55,59,67], generalized anxiety disorder [32,34,45,50,54,65,68], and anxiety with or without panic attacks [30,36,48,54,59,65]”

    From Long-term neurological consequences following benzodiazepine exposure: A scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [50]

    In A Clinician’s Perspective (page unavailable), the paper says benzodiazepines are most frequently prescribed for insomnia and anxiety. A Patient’s Perspective (page unavailable) describes alprazolam prescribed for anxiety and panic. The paper does not identify generalized anxiety disorder as a common indication or assess which indications were most common across the citing document’s retrieved studies. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Following the acute withdrawal period, de novo symptoms including akathisia, pelvic pain, tinnitus, suicidal ideation, reduced appetite, weight loss, perceptual disturbances, paresthesia, depersonalization, derealization, numbness, and involuntary movements have been reported.

    “Following the acute withdrawal period, the emergence of de novo symptoms, including akathisia, pelvic pain, tinnitus, suicidal ideation, reduced appetite, weight loss, perceptual disturbances, paresthesia, depersonalization, derealization, numbness, and involuntary movements have been reported [30,31,50,52,61].”

    From Long-term neurological consequences following benzodiazepine exposure: A scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [50]

    The Introduction’s Table 1 lists several claimed symptoms as benzodiazepine discontinuation symptoms, including suicidality, tinnitus, depersonalization, derealization, sensory alterations and pain. But the paper does not report this full list as de novo symptoms emerging after acute withdrawal: the Patient’s Perspective places pelvic pain, tinnitus and paresthesia before regular benzodiazepine treatment, while Table 3 lists akathisia and movement abnormalities as adverse reactions. Reduced appetite and weight loss were not found in the passages searched. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In Silvernail 2022, variable symptoms of dizziness, generalized pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, paresthesia, tinnitus, exercise intolerance, and hyperacusis occurred along with life consequences.

    “Variable symptoms of dizziness, generalized pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, paresthesia, tinnitus, exercise intolerance, and hyperacusis along with life consequences”

    From Long-term neurological consequences following benzodiazepine exposure: A scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [50]

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Research works printed but not linked: 21

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Authors
Silvernail, C. M., & Wright, S. L.
Corresponding author
Wright, Steven L.
ORCID
Wright, Steven L.
Venue
Advances in Therapy
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-03-03
Volume
39
Issue
5
Pages
1871-1880
ISSN
  • 0741-238X (ISSN-L)
  • 1865-8652
DOI
10.1007/s12325-022-02055-y
PMC
PMC9056465
OpenAlex
W4214936674
Cited by
3
References
12
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1
FWCI
0.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Advances in Therapy (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords
benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine withdrawal, deprescribing, benzodiazepine tapering, patient lived experience, patient involvement in treatment decisions
MeSH terms
Benzodiazepines, Female, Humans, Male, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

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