Benzodiazepine Information Coalition Blog
Benzodiazepine Black Box Warning Changes
In 2017 we started our MedWatch Reporting Program. This ongoing program gives patients information to report their own benzodiazepine experiences to the FDA. So far it has been a success. In September, 2020, the FDA finally took a look into this 60+ year prescribed...
Benzo Stories: Amy
Amy shares her story of benzodiazepine harm and healing for our #BenzoStories series. To see our latest stories, follow the hashtag #BenzoStories on our Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube channel. They can also be delivered via email by signing up for our...
Benzo Bulletin: Association of New Perioperative Benzodiazepine Use With Persistent Benzodiazepine Use
In a study published June 3, 2021 in JAMA, Jason D. Wright, MD; Jacob C. Cogan, MD; Yongmei Huang, MD, MPH; et al found that a relatively small percentage of surgical patients were prescribed benzodiazepines in the perioperative period; however, 1 in 5 of these patients went on to persistent benzodiazepine use.
Response to Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Benzodiazepines
Dr. Mark Horowitz, along with BIC's Dr. Jim Wright and Dr. David Taylor published a response to a January 8, 2021 Journal of the American Medical Association's Viewpoint Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Benzodiazepines. In their response, Horowitz, Wright and...
Benzo Blunders: “Do Prescription Sleeping Pills Actually Work?”
Emily Laurence’s recent article, Do Prescription Sleeping Pills Actually Work?, appeared May 31 in the online outlet Well + Good. While I’m glad to see someone ask the question, the piece ultimately misses the mark, as it fails to warn about the most common issues with sleeping pill (benzodiazepine and Z-drug) prescription. It also ignores the dearth of literature about risk/benefit and harm and confuses physical dependence with addiction.
How to Talk to Your Loved Ones About Your Benzo Experience
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be an isolating experience. Many of us seek support from those who are closest to us, only to be met with frustration, rejection, and even disbelief. And that leaves us with the gnawing question: “How do we get them to understand?” In...
Benzo Bulletin: Medication for sleep disturbance among midlife women of little benefit over longer-term
Medicines for sleep disturbance are recommended for short-term use only although little is known about the effectiveness of such treatments when taken over longer periods of time. Prescription medication for sleep disturbances among midlife women during 2 years of follow-up: a SWAN retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open 2021
Benzo Bulletin: Bills to Increase Access to Insulin, Address Opioid Crisis Clear Committee!
Colorado bill HB21-1276, sponsored by Senator Brittany Pettersen, passed through committee yesterday. This bill requires a health benefit plan to provide coverage for non-pharmacological treatment as an alternative to opioids. It also seeks to limit the supply of benzodiazepines, sedatives commonly prescribed for anxiety and as a sleep aid. Further, the legislation aims to improve education around prescribing benzodiazepines and the potential harm of inappropriately limiting prescriptions to chronic pain patients.
Benzo Bulletin: The patient voice: a biased or valuable source of information?
From the BMJ Post Medical Journal Blog. Casper G. Schoemaker reflects upon a recent interaction which caused him to consider how we should think about the value of patient accounts of illness. We wonder how prevalent this perception is and how it impacts our efforts to raise awareness about benzodiazepine harm:
Benzo Bulletin: Long-term benzodiazepine prescription during maintenance therapy of individuals with psychosis spectrum disorders—associations with cognition and global functioning
A new study from Savic B, Jerotic S, Ristic I, et al, the relationship between long-term benzodiazepine (BZD) prescription, global functioning, and cognitive functioning in persons with psychosis spectrum disorder (PSD) was investigated
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