To further understand the risks of drug overdose in young people who were prescribed a benzodiazepine treatment for insomnia, researchers used a U.S. Teens and Young Adults Who Took Benzodiazepines for Sleep Issues Were at Higher Risk of Overdose Than Those Who Took Other Treatments The combination is so dangerous that the FDA began issuing black box warnings (the highest level warning) against mixing the two drugs. If a person takes both opioids and benzodiazepines, it can increase the risk of overdose significantly, because they both cause sedation and suppress breathing. These medications can calm or sedate a person by raising the level of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. “We hope these results can inform prescribing decisions and encourage close monitoring in this young patient population.” The Number of Overdose Deaths Involving Benzodiazepine Continues to ClimbĪccording to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, benzodiazepines were involved in 12,290 overdose deaths in 2020, up from 6,872 in 2011 and 1,135 in 1999. “The risk of drug overdose with benzodiazepine treatment is an important safety consideration when treating adolescents and young adults,” said a coauthor of the study, Greta Bushnell, PhD, a researcher and faculty member at Rutgers School of Public Health in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in a press release. Teens and young adults who are treated for sleep issues with benzodiazepines, a class of medication sometimes prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia, may be at a higher risk of overdose, according to a new study, published November 22 in JAMA Network Open.īenzodiazepines, or "benzos," are a class of medication commonly prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety and insomnia, and includes drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin.
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