spain is the country of the world with increased use of benzodiazepines, according to data from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). According to his report, it is estimated that in 2020 almost 110 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants were consumed in our country, a figure that is much lower in neighboring countries.
Las benzodiazepines are a medicine included in the group of hypnosedatives which is often prescribed for better sleep due to its anxiolytic, hypnotic and muscle relaxing effect.
In addition, remember the Spanish Medicines Agency (Aemps), this drug is also used as an anticonvulsant, in the treatment of withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs, in the treatment of non-specific muscle spasms, in pre-surgical sedation, in the treatment some types of nausea, vomiting, or tension headaches.
The Edades 2022 survey, which provides more recent data than the INCB report, indicates that the 9.7% of the Spanish population had used prescription or non-prescription hypnosedatives in the last 30 days prior to the measurement, while 7.2% admit to consuming these drugs daily.
Behavior and conduct disturbances
Restlessness
Agitation
Irritability
Aggression Delusions
tantrums
Nightmares
hallucinations
Psychosis
Drowsiness
affective dullness
Reduced alertness
Confusion
Fatigue
headache
Dizziness
Muscular weakness
Ataxia
Diplopia
Gastrointestinal disturbances
Changes in libido
skin reactions
Long-term tolerance and dependence
Decreased body response to lack of oxygen in the blood when apneas occur
Its high consumption has put into alert doctors. In this sense, Mónica Florido, a psychiatrist at the Canalejas Mental Health Unit in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, points out that “benzodiazepines should not be the first choice treatment” for symptomatic and temporary treatment of anxiety disorders, insomnia or the Depression.
They must be in any case “a alternative treatment for specific cases». “The approach to a clinical picture and the prescription of benzodiazepines must be preceded by a correct diagnosis and its use, in any of the situations, should be in the short term”, warns the specialist, according to EP, during the III Conference on Dual Pathology and Addictions in the Canary Islands, organized by the Spanish Society of Dual Pathology (SEPD), the Canary Islands Health Service and the Government of the Canary Islands.
“We live in a competitive and stressful society in which we must maintain routines that require staying at the limit of performance without anguish or giving up,” analyzes Florido.
And it is in this context that, to deal with everyday problems, “many turn to chemistry to disconnect, alleviate anxiety or to sleep. After all, to escape from an oppressive daily reality », he explained.
unnecessary medicalization
This medicalization of life, he continues, has caused many circumstances that are not pathological, but vital situations or daily life that are mislabeled as anxiety disorders or insomniaend up being treated with psychotropic drugs “instead of resorting to a non-pharmacological intervention such as health education or some psychological intervention, which is an erroneous practice with iatrogenic potential.”
Having said this, he has recalled the adverse effects of these drugs, among them the tolerance, dependency in the long term and other effects due to its prolonged use such as traffic, domestic or work accidents, as well as other behavioral and conduct disorders.
In addition, Dr. Julio Maset, a Cinfa doctor, has pointed out that sleep-inducing drugs, such as benzodiazepines, cause the body to reduce its response to lack of oxygen in the blood when apneas occur, so it is preferable not to use them.
«Never take these drugs without consulting your doctor. and also study the possibility of other measures or different drugs if you require help to sleep”, advises the expert on the occasion of World Sleep Day, which is celebrated this coming Friday.
Physicians’ responsibility
According to Florido, most of the hypnosedatives consumed in Spain are prescribed by doctors, which complicates its control, unlike what happens with other illegal substances. In this sense, the psychiatrist has highlighted the importance of doctors carrying out their work in accordance with the responsibility that comes withboth professional and ethical.
In relation to medical liability, Florido has spoken of the importance of informed consent. “Probably we are not informing patients correctlyAlthough the guidelines are clear to us, both due to scientific knowledge and due to legal mandates and ethical standards, we do not always adjust clinical practice”, he has settled.