Posted by linkadge on August 29, 2021, at 19:59:38
In reply to Re: So Zolpidem is less addictive than Lorazepam?, posted by SLS on August 24, 2021, at 13:18:05
>And check this out: You can stop taking zolpidem >(Ambien) all at once and suffer no withdrawal >effects except for a short stint of partial >rebound insomnia.
I would push back on that a little bit. I think initially it was promoted as being less addictive than benzos, but I don't know if this has been confirmed.
Personally, I have found it harder to discontinue Z drugs than benzos.
From Pubmed:
Main message: Evidence of drug abuse and dependency was found in case reports and small patient series. Dependency symptoms of severe rebound, severe anxiety, tremor, palpitations, tachycardia, and seizures were observed in some patients after withdrawal. Abuse occurred more commonly among patients with previous drug abuse or psychiatric illnesses. Many clinical trials have found evidence of rebound insomnia after recommended dosages were stopped, albeit for a minority of patients. Comparative studies of zopiclone and benzodiazepines or other "Z" drugs are conflicting.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18077750/
Conclusion: Zopiclone has the potential for being an agent of abuse and addiction. While many have suggested that the addictive potential for this and other "Z" drugs is less than for most benzodiazepines, caution should be taken when prescribing this agent for insomnia. Ideally, prescriptions should be given for a short period of time and within the recommended dosage guidelines.
However, this is an area that I have not fully explored, so I don't know for sure.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:1116274
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20210723/msgs/1116743.html