CBC, Mar. 14/17: "Opioid overdose risk rises with use of anti-anxiety drugs..."

This CBC article states, "A study published in the British Medical Journal Tuesday found 30 per cent of fatal opioid overdoses in the U.S. also involved benzodiazepines, a class of drugs used to treat anxiety and sleep problems."

 

Later, it states, "The study found rising use of the painkillers in combination with anti-anxiety drugs in the period from 2001 to 2013."

 

This issue has been in the news before, and in my research on PubMed, I've come across numerous studies that reflect this trend. My concern -- and something that isn't mentioned in the article -- is that both types of medications carry a risk of serious withdrawal symptoms, and should anyone be abruptly cut off from either one of these types of medications, the repercussions could be quite serious.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/opioid-benzodiazepine-combination-study-1.4024904

 

 

Glad to see this on the Ceeb and that they have not shied away from shining a light on the role doctors have played in the opioid crisis and the role benzos are playing in these deaths, as we have known for some time.

 

One of the two articles linked at the bottom of this one you've posted-"Many prescription opioid accicts engage in doctor shopping...", talks about tapering and withdrawal and that withdrawal from opioids can be "extremely troubling" etc.  The young man was cut off.  It would be great to see all of this important information in one CBC article, including benzo w/d.

 

Thank you for this Lapis. 

Yes, I know the focus is currently on the opioid crisis, but benzodiazepines really warrant some attention too. I'm not sure what will bring the issue to the fore, and I hope it's not something terrible, but it really IS time that the media blasts the issue wide open.

My concern -- and something that isn't mentioned in the article -- is that both types of medications carry a risk of serious withdrawal symptoms, and should anyone be abruptly cut off from either one of these types of medications, the repercussions could be quite serious.

 

This is my concern, also, Lapis. Doctors as a whole certainly know how to prescribe these pills, but tapering - NO. If a doctor said something careless like, "Just stop taking it," all hell might break loose. These studies are very important, but without proper knowledge of how to taper off a patient from drugs, there's a lot of risk involved, not to mention polydrugging a patient because the doctor doesn't understand benzo wd or opioid withdrawal.