SEDATIVE, HYPNOTIC, OR ANXIOLYTIC WITHDRAWAL

In DSM-IV-TR, typical withdrawal syndrome, possibly critical, that occurs after termination of (or decrease in) extended, excessive ingestion of sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drugs. Symptoms can include autonomic hyperactivity; amplified hand tremor; sleeplessness; queasiness or throwing up; transient visual, tactile, or auditory hallucinations or illusions; psychomotor restlessness; apprehension; possibly a transient deterioration (rebound) of the anxiety condition that triggered therapy or a recurrence of that ailment; and tonic-clonic seizures. Hazards of physiological dependency and deprivation exist with ongoing consumption of all benzodiazepines and similarly functioning anxiolytics. Short-acting benzodiazepines present specific deprivation hazards, and individuals consuming excessive doses of short-acting agents have to be cautiously withdrawn over a prolonged interval to prevent negative effects.