Affective and cognitive disorders |
Anxiety, fearfulness |
Malaise, irritability |
Pessimism |
Recurring obsessive/compulsive thoughts, mistrustfulness |
Sleep disorders |
Sleeplessness, disturbed sleep-wake pattern, daytime tiredness |
Physical signs and symptoms |
Tachycardia (heart rate over 100/min), hypertension |
Hyperreflexia, muscle tension, muscle twitching, tremor, ataxia |
Agitation, motor restlessness |
Myalgia, arthralgia |
Nausea, nasal stuffiness |
Sweating |
Tinnitus |
Grand mal seizures |
Perception disorders |
Feelings of depersonalisation (one's own reality is temporarily lost) |
Blurred vision, hyperacusis |
Illusions, hallucinations |
Drug | Equivalent dose, mg1) | Time to peak concentration, min | Half life, h (active metabolites) |
---|---|---|---|
Alprazolam | 1 | 40-120 | 6-12 |
Diazepam | 10 | 20-90 | 20-50 (36-200) |
Clonazepam | 0.5-1 | 60-240 | 18-50 |
Chlordiazepoxide | 25 | 50-120 | 5-30 (36-200) |
Lorazepam | 2 | 60-120 | 10-20 |
Midazolam | 5-10 | 20-45 | 1-3 |
Nitrazepam | 10 | 30-240 | 15-38 |
Oxazepam | 30 | 120-240 | 4-15 |
Temazepam | 20 | 30-60 | 8-22 |
Triazolam | 0.25 | 50-150 | 2-5 |
Zaleplon2) | 20 | 30-60 | 2 |
Zolpidem 2) | 20 | 30-180 | 2-4 |
Zopiclone 2) | 15 | 50-240 | 4-8 |
1) The pharmacokinetics of the drugs are not identical, but these approximate doses may be used initially, for example when switching to diazepam from a short-acting agent. 2) Hypnotics similar to benzodiazepines |