Posted by Mr.Scott on November 18, 2002, at 16:14:53
In reply to What do Benzo's do exactly?, posted by catmint on November 18, 2002, at 14:24:05
> I have read a lot on this board about benzodiazipenes and I have no idea what they do, what the side effects are, what are the differences between say, Klonopin and Valium, and why they are addictive, etc.
>
> Any comments appreciated,
>
> AmyHello Amy,
Benzodiazepine drugs bind to a specific receptor in the brian called (believe it or not) the Benzodiazepine receptor. The Benzodiazepine receptor sits adjacent to the GABA receptor and its ionophore channel. It is believed that benzodiazepines alter GABA receptor sensitivity, and so the receptors are more sensitive their own GABA. GABA is the brains main inhibitory neurotransmitter and is present at 40% of all synaptic junctions in the brain (places where neurons meet eachother). Most of the benzodiazepines available with the exception of Ambien and the other new sleeping pill of which I cannot remmber it's name are full benzodiazepine agonists. Ambien and the other new pill are partial benzodiazepine agonists. As it turns out there are subtle differences among the benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. Some are more reponsible for inducing sleep, some more for anxiety, others still for anticonvulsant effects, some for muscle relaxation. Others still are involved in learning and memory. Each of the marketed full agonist benzodiapines has slightly different affinities for these recptors. Valium is touted as the best for muscle relaxation. Klonopin for Anti-convulsant, etc. Restoril for sleep. At equal dosing however they can all substitute fairly well for one another. Ambien only hits the benzodiazepine sleep receptor and not the others. Benzodiazepines are not really addictive in the sense of say cocaine. Almost no one develops an intense preoccupation with benzodiazepines where they need more and more of them to get the desired effect. The are habituating in the sense that they do relieve stress and emotions that are unpleasant so that people can get into the habbit of taking them innappropriately. More important however is that they cause physical dependence. The body gets used to their presence and attempts in part to compensate. Withdrawing benzodiazepines results in an abstinence syndrome of which the severity is dependent mainly on two criteria. 1)how powerful the drug binds to the receptors and 2)the drugs half life.
Drugs like Xanax and Ativan are the hardest to withdraw from because they have short half-lives and very tight receptor binding. Drugs like Tranxene and Valium which are weakly bound to recptors and have a very long-half life are easier to taper off of. Finally, a third criteria exists when taking into account benzodiazepines and their abuse potential. That is 3)How euphoric they are. In this category Valium and Xanax are far favored over the others amongst addicts while others such as Klonopin, Tranxene and Serax, are not sought after by addicts with the same tenacity. Benzodiazepines are far from perfect drugs. However, long-term use can be effective for many people suffering from several disorders including anxiety and other disorders worsened by stress. I would definately think of benzos as a third line med. I would try antidepressants, anticonvulsants first such as Neurontin, and therapy first. In the end however doctors who believe science has advanced so far as to never prescribe benzodiazepines for people who suffer are foolish and unwise. Not wanting to create a second problem is understandable, however unwillingness to treat the initial problem effectively is not.
poster:Mr.Scott
thread:128143
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021116/msgs/128163.html