Benzodiazepine

The combination of gabapentin and benzodiazepine can be safe in the treatment of benzodiazepine withdrawal, according to data presented at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, which was held virtually.

Benzodiazepine or Z-drug treatment was linked to increased risk for nonfatal drug-related poisoning among patients with opioid use disorder, according to results of a case-crossover analysis published in American Journal of Psychiatry.

Cotreatment with benzodiazepine and opioids was linked to increased long-term mortality risk, according to results of a retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

Healio Psychiatry has compiled a list of its five most-viewed stories in October.

Incidence of subsequent long-term benzodiazepine and related drug use following their initiation appeared high, according to results of a population-based cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

Co-prescribed benzodiazepines appeared to present treatment challenges among older adults with generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder, according to study results published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

The FDA announced that manufacturers of benzodiazepines will be required to update their boxed warning to list the risks for abuse, addiction, misuse, physical dependence and withdrawal reactions associated with the drugs.

Clinicians should use caution when prescribing antipsychotics and benzodiazepines to treat patients with dementia because of an apparent increased risk for death, according to a study published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Patients with kidney failure who were dispensed a short-acting benzodiazepine in combination with opioids had an increased risk for mortality within 1 year of initiating hemodialysis, according to study results.

Opioid-involved overdose deaths commonly featured alcohol and benzodiazepine co-involvement, according to results of a repeated cross-section analysis published in JAMA Network Open.