TY - JOUR
T1 - A controlled study of flumazenil-precipitated withdrawal in chronic low- dose benzodiazepine users
AU - Mintzer, Miriam Z.
AU - Stoller, Kenneth B.
AU - Griffiths, Roland R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This project was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Grant DA-03889. The authors thank Marcella Rosen and Ryan Vandrey for technical assistance, Dr. David Ginn for medical support, Kori Kindbom for conducting psychiatric assessments, John Yingling for computer programming assistance and technical support, and Tim Mudrich for assistance with data analysis.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Rationale: Preclinical studies of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil (Romazicon®) have contributed to the understanding of the physical dependence associated with chronic benzodiazepine use; when administered to animals chronically pretreated with benzodiazepines, flumazenil precipitates a withdrawal syndrome. However, few controlled clinical studies have been conducted. Objectives: The objective was to characterize the effects of flumazenil in long-term users of therapeutic doses of benzodiazepines. Methods: The acute physiological, participant- rated, and observer-rated effects of intravenously administered flumazenil (1 mg/70 kg) and caffeine (300 mg/70 kg; active drug control) were evaluated in an experimental group of 13 long-term users (mean 4.6 years) of low therapeutic doses (mean 11.2 mg/day diazepam equivalent) relative to a matched group of 13 volunteers without prior exposure to benzodiazepines in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, mixed design. Results: Whereas the experimental group did not differ from the control group with respect to the effects of placebo, and both groups showed some changes in response to caffeine (e.g., increased blood pressure and anxiety scores), only the experimental group showed considerable changes in physiological measures, participant ratings (e.g., increased ratings of dizziness, blurred vision, heart pounding, feelings of unreality, pins and needles, nausea, sweatiness, noises louder than usual, jitteriness, things moving, sensitivity to touch), and observer ratings in response to flumazenil; in addition, four participants developed panic attacks. Conclusions: This study clearly demonstrates that flumazenil can precipitate symptoms commonly associated with benzodiazepine withdrawal in chronic low-dose benzodiazepine users.
AB - Rationale: Preclinical studies of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil (Romazicon®) have contributed to the understanding of the physical dependence associated with chronic benzodiazepine use; when administered to animals chronically pretreated with benzodiazepines, flumazenil precipitates a withdrawal syndrome. However, few controlled clinical studies have been conducted. Objectives: The objective was to characterize the effects of flumazenil in long-term users of therapeutic doses of benzodiazepines. Methods: The acute physiological, participant- rated, and observer-rated effects of intravenously administered flumazenil (1 mg/70 kg) and caffeine (300 mg/70 kg; active drug control) were evaluated in an experimental group of 13 long-term users (mean 4.6 years) of low therapeutic doses (mean 11.2 mg/day diazepam equivalent) relative to a matched group of 13 volunteers without prior exposure to benzodiazepines in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, mixed design. Results: Whereas the experimental group did not differ from the control group with respect to the effects of placebo, and both groups showed some changes in response to caffeine (e.g., increased blood pressure and anxiety scores), only the experimental group showed considerable changes in physiological measures, participant ratings (e.g., increased ratings of dizziness, blurred vision, heart pounding, feelings of unreality, pins and needles, nausea, sweatiness, noises louder than usual, jitteriness, things moving, sensitivity to touch), and observer ratings in response to flumazenil; in addition, four participants developed panic attacks. Conclusions: This study clearly demonstrates that flumazenil can precipitate symptoms commonly associated with benzodiazepine withdrawal in chronic low-dose benzodiazepine users.
KW - Antagonist
KW - Benzodiazepine
KW - Flumazenil
KW - Human
KW - Physical dependence
KW - Precipitated withdrawal
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U2 - 10.1007/s002130051161
DO - 10.1007/s002130051161
M3 - Article
C2 - 10591888
AN - SCOPUS:0033987062
SN - 0033-3158
VL - 147
SP - 200
EP - 209
JO - Psychopharmacology
JF - Psychopharmacology
IS - 2
ER -