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Chronic Benzodiazepine Dependence

A Comparative Study of Abrupt Withdrawal under Propranolol Cover Versus Gradual Withdrawal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

T. Cantopher ,
S. Olivieri ,
N. Cleave  and
J. Guy Edwards
T. Cantopher*
Affiliation:
Abraham Cowley Unit, St Peter's Hospital, Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0PZ and Department of Psychiatry, St George's Hospital Medical School, London
S. Olivieri
Affiliation:
Park Prewett Hospital, Basingstoke, Hants RG24 9LZ
N. Cleave
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics and Computational Mathematics, Liverpool University, Liverpool L69 3BX
J. Guy Edwards
Affiliation:
Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, Hants SO9 4PE
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

Thirty-one patients dependent on benzodiazepines were randomly assigned to either slow withdrawal (SW) or abrupt withdrawal under propranolol cover (PW). Of 16 patients in the SW group, 11 successfully withdrew from their drugs, while only 4 out of 15 in the PW group did so. Patients in the SW group had only mild withdrawal symptoms, while those in the PW group suffered more severe symptoms, which lasted around four weeks. In all, 81 % of the whole group suffered withdrawal symptoms of some kind. Patients in both groups were significantly less anxious at the end of the study than at baseline. Younger subjects and those who were more severely anxious at the start of the trial had more difficulty in withdrawing than older and less anxious patients.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 156 , Issue 3 , March 1990 , pp. 406 - 411
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

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