Study, Oct/17: "Benzodiazepines Do Not Cause Suicide or Suicide Attempts"

I'm sorry to say that this one is just a headline without an abstract. I thought I'd post it, though, in case anyone might have access to a medical library and can search for it. Sometimes, it takes awhile for it to become available.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29022652 

With a definitive statement like that, who needs to read the study? "Case closed"! 

Righty-ho! Darn tootin'!

I'm sorry to say that this one is just a headline without an abstract. I thought I'd post it, though, in case anyone might have access to a medical library and can search for it. Sometimes, it takes awhile for it to become available.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29022652

 

Here it is.  It's a Letter to Editor (The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders) in response to the following article:

 

Prescribed Benzodiazepines and Suicide Risk: A Review of the Literature

Tyler J. Dodds, MD,

http://www.psychiatrist.com/PCC/article/Pages/2017/v19n02/16r02037.aspx

 

Letter to Editor:

Benzodiazepines Do Not Cause Suicide or Suicide Attempts

https://www.psychiatrist.com/PCC/article/Pages/2017/v19n05/17lr02171.aspx

 

Dr Dodds Replies:

http://www.psychiatrist.com/PCC/article/Pages/2017/v19n05/17lr02171a.aspx

Yeah, right - wouldn't it be great if psychiatrists acquainted themselves with what it’s actually like to withdraw from benzos?

 

There’s no way to know the frequency of tragic deaths like this when no one in research seems to acknowledge that benzos are ever the culprit.

abcd, thanks so much for finding those three articles! Very interesting! The study shows a positive correlation between benzodiazepines and suicide. The conclusions even point to withdrawal as a possible risk factor, as in the following:

 

Rebound or withdrawal symptoms also may contribute to suicide risk. While benzodiazepines are intended to treat anxiety and insomnia, discontinuation, reduction in dosage, or missed doses may lead to emergence or exacerbation of these same symptoms. Abruptly stopping alprazolam, for example, has been shown to impair sleep onset and quality in healthy volunteers after as little as 2 weeks of daily use.48 More research is needed to clarify the safest manner in which to taper benzodiazepines in patients at risk of suicide.

 

I appreciate seeing the response from the other doctors, and then the rebuttal by the original author.

 

Thanks again!

Welcome, Lap. 

Benzo use results in people who by choice

or by force "quickly" stop benzo use.

It's an indirect but very strong connection with suicides.

The real hell starts with stops.

What's not captured by studies are the suicides by those in withdrawal, because first, there must be clear acknowledgement of the torment and length of withdrawal for some people.

Thank god for Dr. Dodds!!! He wrote an especially good article, "Prescribed Benzodiazepines and Suicide Risk: A Review of the Literature."

 

Hooray that he did this and rebutted "Benzodiazepines Do Not Cause Suicide or Suicide Attempts." This is exactly what we need more of in terms of refuting the ignorant myths about benzos!  :thumbsup:

 

Thanks, Lapis and abcd!