Tell us about your phenobarbital experience

We recently updated our website with information about the risks of phenobarbital detox and the lack of evidence supporting its use in detoxing compliant, physically dependent benzodiazepine patients. You can view the content by clicking here.

We are concerned that the upcoming ASAM Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering might recommend abrupt phenobarbital cessation or even phenobarbital tapers. The draft guidance, developed primarily by addiction professionals who may not be familiar with the patient experience of severe withdrawal and benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction, mentions the use of phenobarbital multiple times.

We sent a letter to ASAM highlighting the risks associated with using phenobarbital for benzodiazepine detox and addressing our other major concerns with the draft Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering. This letter was signed by many within and outside of our organization. You can read the letter by clicking here.

Given the limited research on benzodiazepine withdrawal and phenobarbital, and disagreement among various benzodiazepine awareness organizations about its utility, we’re interested in hearing from those with firsthand experience. If you have undergone phenobarbital detox related to benzodiazepine withdrawal or were switched to phenobarbital for tapering, we would like to include your experiences in future content. Even if you prefer not to have your experience quoted, we still welcome your input. Please fill out the form below.