Side effects and risks of benzodiazepines
Simon, P.; Lecrubier, Y.
La Nouvelle Presse Medicale 11(40): 2999-3002
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-1518 PMID: 6128723 Document Number: 191127
If benzodiazepines rank amongst the less harmful drugs, they are not completely safe. As all other drugs, they must be evaluated in relation with their risk/benefit ratio knowing that their side effects must be assessed for each patient and that they may vary according to indication, dosage, routes of administration and pharmacokinetic differences between the molecules. The authors mainly study: vigilance disorders and performance impairment, memory loss, behaviour disturbances, exceptional toxicomania risk, teratogen effects, not proved to this date, acute overdosage, interaction with other sedative psychotropic drugs (CNS depressors, imipramine). In conclusion, the authors underline the importance of the use of benzodiazepines and their success which is a social phenomenon.