Withdrawal Syndromes - Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome, Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome, Cannabis Withdrawal, Craving (Withdrawal), Kindling ( (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 29. Chapters: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome, Benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, Cannabis withdrawal, Craving (withdrawal), Kindling (sedative-hypnotic withdrawal), Neonatal withdrawal, Nicotine withdrawal, Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome, SSRI discontinuation syndrome. Excerpt: Benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome often abbreviated to benzo withdrawal is the cluster of symptoms that emerge when a person who has taken benzodiazepines has developed a physical dependence and undergoes dosage reduction or discontinuation. It is characterized by often severe sleep disturbance, irritability, increased tension and anxiety, panic attacks, hand tremor, sweating, difficulty in concentration, confusion and cognitive difficulty, memory problems, dry retching and nausea, weight loss, palpitations, headache, muscular pain and stiffness, a host of perceptual changes, hallucinations, seizures, psychosis, and suicide (see "Signs and Symptoms" section below for full list). Further, these symptoms are notable for the manner in which they wax and wane and vary in severity from day to day or week by week instead of steadily decreasing in a straightforward linear manner. It is a potentially serious condition, and is complex and often protracted in time course. Not every long-term user will experience symptoms upon discontinuation, but the proportion of those who will has been variably estimated to be between 15% and 44%. Long-term use, defined as daily use for at least three months, is not desirable because of the associated increased risk of dependence, dose escalation, loss of efficacy, increased risk of accidents and falls, particularly for the elderly, as well as cognitive, neurological, and intellectual impairments. Use of short-acting hypnotics, while being effective at initiating sleep, worsen the second half of sleep due to withdrawal effects. Nevertheless, long-term users of benzodiazepines should not be forced to withdraw against their will. Benzodiazepine withdrawal is similar to alcohol and barbiturate withdrawal syndromes. It can be severe and provoke life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, such as seizures, particularly with abrupt or over-rapid dosage reduction from high doses or long time users. A severe withdrawal response can nevertheless occur de