Comparison of short and long half-life benzodiazepine hypnotics: Triazolam and quazepam
Abstract
Two benzodiazepine hypnotics, triazolam, 0.25 mg, with a short elimination t1/2, and quazepam, 15 mg, with a long t1/2, were evaluated in 22-night sleep laboratory studies. Quazepam improved sleep significantly during both short- and intermediate-term use. Daytime sleepiness, which decreased with continued use, was the side effect most often associated with quazepam dosing. In contrast, triazolam dosing did not significantly improve any of the major sleep efficiency parameters, and there was a rapid development of tolerance for the drug's slight initial effectiveness. In addition, there were a number of behavioral side effects including amnesia, confusion, and disinhibition. Withdrawal of triazolam was associated with sleep and mood disturbances (rebound insomnia and rebound anxiety), whereas quazepam exerted carryover effectiveness. Thus the data in this study show that the 0.25 mg dose of triazolam, which is being prescribed increasingly, has a profile of side effects that is similar to that of the 0.5 mg dose.
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New withdrawal symptoms appear more frequently and are more severe with high-potency benzodiazepines with short to medium elimination half-life.
“They appear more frequently [37, 44, 48] and are more severe [49] with high-potency benzodiazepines with short to medium elimination half-life.”
From Acute and Persistent Withdrawal Syndromes Following Discontinuation of Psychotropic Medications (2020) · cites this paper as [49]
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- Authors
- Kales, A., Bixler, E. O., Vela-Bueno, A., Soldatos, C. R., Nikiaus, D. E., & Manfredi, R. L.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kales, Anthony
- Venue
- Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1986-10
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 378-386
- ISSN
- 0009-9236 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-6535
- OpenAlex
- W2064238127
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 3.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Anesthesia and Sedative Agents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- triazolam, quazepam, benzodiazepine hypnotics, half-life, sleep efficiency, daytime sleepiness, drug tolerance, rebound insomnia, behavioral side effects, drug withdrawal
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Benzodiazepines, Clinical Trials as Topic, Double-Blind Method, Drug Evaluation, Half-Life, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Middle Aged, Sleep, Anti-Anxiety Agents, Triazolam
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