Withdrawal and psychological sequelae, and patient satisfaction associated with subcutaneous flumazenil infusion for the management of benzodiazepine withdrawal: A case series

Journal of Psychopharmacology

Volumn 27, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 222-227

  Hulse, Gary ^a   O'Neil, George ^b   Morris, Noella ^a   Bennett, Kellie ^a   Norman, Amanda ^a,c   Hood, Sean ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

^b Australian Medical Procedures Research Foundation (AMPRF)   (Australia)

^c ST VINCENT S HOSPITAL   (Australia)

Author keywords

benzodiazepine withdrawal; Flumazenil; infusion; subcutaneous

Indexed keywords

BENZODIAZEPINE; FLUMAZENIL;

ADULT; AGED; ANXIETY; ARTICLE; CLINICAL ARTICLE; DISEASE SEVERITY; DISTRESS SYNDROME; DRUG ABUSE; DRUG BLOOD LEVEL; DRUG TOLERABILITY; FEMALE; HUMAN; INFUSION PUMP; MALE; PATIENT SATISFACTION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; SELF REPORT; WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME;

ADULT; AGED; ANXIETY DISORDERS; BENZODIAZEPINES; FEMALE; FLUMAZENIL; HUMANS; INFUSIONS, SUBCUTANEOUS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; PATIENT SATISFACTION; SUBSTANCE WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME;

EID: 84872877178     PISSN: 02698811     EISSN: 14617285     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0269881112446532     Document Type: Article

References (23)

1. Andrews G, SlaTheobald D.E. Interpreting scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Aust NZ J Public Health. 2001 ; 25: 494-497
2. Ashton H. Protracted withdrawal syndromes from benzodiazepines. J Subst Abuse Treat. 1991 ; 8: 19-28
3. Basinska A, Jamrozy A, Habrat B. Prolonged benzodiazepine elimination in addicted patients as a reason of early post-detoxification relapses. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2010 ; 9: S156
4. Busto UEP, Sykora KM, Sellers EMMP. A clinical scale to assess benzodiazepine withdrawal. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1989 ; 9: 412-416
5. de las Cuevas C, Sanz EJ, de la, Fuente JA, et al. The Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) as screening test for benzodiazepine dependence: SDS validation study. Addiction. 2000 ; 95: 245-250
6. Derogatis LR, Melisaratos N. The Brief Symptom Inventory: An introductory report. Psychol Med. 1983 ; 13: 595-605
7. Gerra G, Zaimovic A, Giusti F, et al. Intravenous flumazenil versus oxazepam tapering in the treatment of benzodiazepine withdrawal: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Addict Biol. 2002 ; 7: 385-395
8. Hood S, O'Neil G, Hulse G. The role of flumazenil in the treatment of benzodiazepine dependence: Physiological and psychological profiles. J Psychopharmacol. 2009 ; 23: 401-409
9. Hulse GK, Morris N, Arnold-Reed DE, et al. Improving clinical outcomes in treating heroin dependence: Randomized, controlled trial of oral or implant naltrexone. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 ; 66: 1108-1115
10. Kessler RC, Andrews G, Colpe LJ, et al. Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychol Med. 2002 ; 32: 959-976
11. Lader MH, Morton SV. A pilot study of the effects of flumazenil on symptoms persisting after benzodiazepine withdrawal. J Psychopharmacol. 1992 ; 6: 357-363
12. Lader M, Tylee A, Donoghue J. Withdrawing benzodiazepines in primary care. CNS Drugs. 2009 ; 23: 19-34
13. McGregor C, Machin A, White JM. In-patient benzodiazepine withdrawal: comparison of fixed and symptom-triggered taper methods. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2003 ; 22: 175-180
14. O'Connor K, Marchand A, Brousseau L, et al. Cognitive-behavioural, pharmacological and psychosocial predictors of outcome during tapered discontinuation of benzodiazepine. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2008 ; 15: 1-14
15. Quaglio G, Lugobonia F, Fornasieroa A, et al. Dependence on zolpidem: two case reports of detoxification with flumazenil infusion. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2005 ; 20: 285-287
16. Rickels K, Schweizer E, Case WG, et al. Long-term therapeutic use of benzodiazepines: I. Effects of abrupt discontinuation. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1990 ; 47: 899-907
17. Roncari G, Timm U, Zell M, et al. Flumazenil kinetics in the elderly. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1993 ; 45: 585-587
18. Benzodiazepine equivalents for oral drugs available in Australia. South Australia: Government of South Australia Drug and Alcohol Services ; 2009 :
19. Savic I, Widen L, Stone-Elander S. Feasibility of reversing benzodiazepine tolerance with flumazenil. Lancet. 1991 ; 337: 133-137
20. Saxon L, Hjemdahl P, Hiltunen AJ, et al. Effects of flumazenil in the treatment of benzodiazepine withdrawal - a double-blind pilot study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1997 ; 131: 153-160
21. Schweizer E, Rickels K. Benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal: a review of the syndrome and its clinical management. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 1998 ; 98: 95-101
22. Seivewright N, Dougal W. Withdrawal symptoms from high dose benzodiazepines in poly drug users. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1993 ; 32: 15-23
23. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, et al. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 ; 166: 1092-1097