Differential effects of oral contraceptive steroids on the metabolism of benzodiazepines

R. V. Patwardhan, M. C. Mitchell, R. F. Johnson, S. Schenker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effects of oral contraceptive steroids (OCS) on the disposition and elimination of lorazepam, oxazepam, and chlordiazepoxide were examined. Lorazepam and oxazepam are metabolized via glucuronidation while chlordiazepoxide is metabolized by oxidation in the liver. The disposition and elimination of lorazepam, oxazepam, and chlordiazepoxide was studied in females not taking OCS and females taking OCS (norethindrone acetate, 1 mg; ethinyl estradiol, 50 μg) for 6 months or more. The t 1/2 (β) for lorazepam was significantly reduced in women taking OCS (6.0 ± 3.1 vs. 14.0 ± 6.2 hr) (p <0.005) as compared to controls, and the t 1/2 (β) for oxazepam was reduced in women taking OCS (7.71 ± 3.23 vs. 12.09 ± 5.08 hr) as compared to controls, but did not reach statistical significance. The plasma clearance of both lorazepam and oxazepam was significantly increased in women taking OCS [(288.9 ± 165.9 vs. 77.5 ± 3.29 ml per min) (p

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)248-253
Number of pages6
JournalHepatology
Volume3
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1983

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hepatology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Differential effects of oral contraceptive steroids on the metabolism of benzodiazepines'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this