Is Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Dangerous?

Is benzodiazepine withdrawal dangerous? If you or a loved one is newly taking benzodiazepines or looking to stop, that question may be at the forefront of your mind.

Benzodiazepines are medications commonly prescribed to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizures, and work by slowing down brain activity.¹ Due to their addictive nature, benzodiazepines are most often prescribed for short-term use, such as 1-2 weeks, but your provider may want you to take them for longer.²

Being informed is the best way to prepare yourself for benzo withdrawal and limit any risks you may face.

Key Points

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening when stopped abruptly, with seizures as the most serious risk.
Medical supervision and a slow taper schedule significantly reduce the risk of dangerous withdrawal complications.
The kindling effect makes repeated detox attempts increasingly dangerous, with worsening symptoms each time.
Severe withdrawal can cause delirium, psychosis, hallucinations, and suicidal ideation alongside seizures.
Medical detox providers can slow the taper, monitor symptoms, and adjust treatment to keep you safe.
If you experience seizures, hallucinations, chest pain, or suicidal thoughts during withdrawal, seek emergency care immediately.

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Can Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Be Dangerous?

Sudden cessation of benzodiazepines can be risky, as the abrupt discontinuation creates a sudden shift in your brain processing, which causes central nervous system confusion and leads to serious side effects.⁴

This process has some parallels with alcohol withdrawal, as both forms of withdrawal can dysregulate the system, increasing the risk of harm and potential fatality.⁴

This shift in the central nervous system is termed a “GABA-deficient state,” where the body experiences sudden, severe, hyperexcitement, exhibited most often through grand mal seizures and status epilepticus.⁴

The greatest risk that makes benzodiazepine withdrawal dangerous is choosing to stop your medication without medical support and/or undergoing the process without proper medical supervision.⁴

With proper medical supervision, benzo withdrawal can be handled safely, even when dangerous side effects occur. Yet, without this support, withdrawal can be deadly.⁴

Seizures During Benzo Withdrawal

Seizures are the most serious potential side effects of benzo withdrawal, manifesting in one of two forms: grand mal or status epilepticus.

Grand mal seizures vary widely in severity, ranging from a single episode to coma or even death.⁵
Status epilepticus presents differently. In status epilepticus, seizures can last for more than 5 minutes or occur several times in a row, without regaining consciousness in between.⁶

Most often, these withdrawal seizures develop during the acute phase of detox, typically within the first 1-2 weeks after stopping the medication.⁵ Seizures may also develop after abrupt cessation and more often with short-acting benzos.

Without proper medical management, these seizures can damage the normal functioning of your brain and inhibit the brain’s ability to regulate breathing and cardiac activity, potentially leading to system failure and death. For this reason, medical supervision during withdrawal is of the utmost importance.⁷

The Kindling Effect

Attempting benzodiazepine withdrawal without medical support is especially dangerous. If a person has attempted to detox but relapses and a second detox is attempted, there exists a new and arguably more dangerous risk: the kindling effect.

Similar to what happens with alcohol withdrawal, the kindling effect is a neurobiological sensitization, where each attempted withdrawal leads to hyperarousal, when the nervous system remains primed for withdrawal activity, thereby making the onset and severity of symptoms, such as seizures, more intense and dangerous with each detox attempt.⁸

This kindling effect can still develop even if the dosage and duration of benzos were the same during both the first and second detox attempts, making a start-stop pattern of benzo use far riskier than a single medically managed taper.

Other Serious Withdrawal Complications

Seizures remain the most serious of complications; however, benzo withdrawal has the potential to cause other serious side effects, which may also require medical care:

Delirium
Psychosis
Hallucinations
Catatonia
Severe autonomic instability
Suicidal ideation

In the context of benzo withdrawal, many of these symptoms occur at the same time, but develop at different stages of detox. Delirium is often seen suddenly, beginning in the first few hours and days of detox, while psychosis and hallucinations present as gradual symptoms that can become chronic without medical assistance.⁹

Level of consciousness is a symptom doctors will watch closely, as it helps them differentiate between delirium and psychosis, thereby treating the symptoms correctly.¹⁰ Changes in levels of alertness also aid doctors in treating any developing catatonia, which can become life-threatening if left unmanaged.⁹

These side effects develop most often when the medication is stopped abruptly, but can occur during any benzo withdrawal. Older patients and those with underlying mood disorders, most especially depression, are at heightened risk for delirium, catatonia, and suicidal ideation, making medical support essential for a safe detox process.¹¹

When to Go to the Emergency Room

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening. If you or a loved one is currently detoxing from a benzodiazepine medication and experiencing any of the following symptoms, seek emergency medical care right away:

Severe confusion
Hallucinations
Seizures
Thoughts of self-harm
Suicidal thoughts
Paranoia
Chest pain
Heart palpitations
Mutism
Muscle rigidity

Seeking help for your symptoms is the best way to ensure a safe withdrawal process. Medical support can help to ease your discomfort and stabilize any serious side effects that you may be having.

When speaking with medical providers, be clear that you have recently stopped taking benzodiazepines. This information is vital for prompt treatment that can help your body stabilize during withdrawal and prevent further harm.³

Why Medical Supervision Makes Withdrawal Safer

Abrupt cessation of and withdrawal from benzodiazepine can lead to dangerous and life-threatening complications, so most medical professionals recommend a supervised taper plan. With medical oversight, a medication taper dramatically reduces the risk of serious complications.⁴

For medication discontinuation, doctors will create a taper schedule in which the amount of the medication is decreased slowly over time. This method allows your body to slowly adjust to functioning without the medication, thereby decreasing the risk of central nervous system confusion and the subsequent severe side effects.⁴

Most tapers are slow, averaging around 10 weeks, especially for those who have been taking benzodiazepines for a long time.⁴ Medical professionals will closely monitor for symptoms during the taper schedule and adjust as needed.

Tapering off benzos does not preclude all side effects, as your body will still need to adjust to being without the medications, but the tapering allows it to do so more easily.¹²

As such, even with a taper, you may still experience some mild discomfort:

Anxiety
Irritability
Tremors
Muscle pain
Nausea
Difficulty Focusing

Doctors will closely monitor the tapering and watch for any side effects that may need treatment. If symptoms are developing, the taper may be moving too quickly. In this situation, doctors can slow the tapering schedule to allow your body more time to adjust, ideally also limiting undesirable withdrawal symptoms.¹²

Discontinuing benzodiazepines can be a physical and emotional process, so many doctors will recommend additional support during the medication taper, including counseling and peer support.¹

Some individuals may require more medical oversight, thereby placing them in a higher level of care than others. The level of care you need depends on the amount of medication taken, for how long, and the level of physical dependency on the drug.¹³

When a higher level of care is needed, inpatient medical detox is available. During detox, individuals who are detoxing from benzodiazepines receive 24/7 care from highly trained nursing and medical staff. They are available to monitor and support the detox process, working to ensure safety and comfort.¹³

If you or a loved one is just beginning the detox process from benzodiazepines, please reach out for help to ensure the safest withdrawal process.

If you’re ready to find a detox center near you, you’re invited to visit our website and begin your recovery journey.

Benzo Withdrawal FAQs

Is benzodiazepine withdrawal more dangerous than opioid withdrawal?

Yes, withdrawal from benzos is far more dangerous than opioid withdrawal. Although the detox process from opioids is uncomfortable, it is rarely life-threatening.

Bezo withdrawal, however, carries the significant risk of life-threatening neurologic complications, thereby necessitating a slow taper and, ideally, medical oversight.¹⁴

Can I have a seizure even if I taper slowly?

Yes, seizures remain possible even with a slow tapering off of benzos. The risk of seizures is elevated when the medications are taken at high doses, for long periods of time or if you are taking short-acting benzodiazepines, such as Xanax.³

Tapering off benzos helps to minimize the risk of seizure, but they may still occur if the tapering schedule is too fast or if high dependency remains.³

Am I at risk if I’ve only been taking benzos for a few weeks?

Yes, even limited use of benzos can lead to withdrawal symptoms, especially when the medication is stopped abruptly. While longer use generally increases the risk of more severe side effects, taking benzos for even three weeks can cause withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, insomnia and tremors.³

The risk of seizures should never be dismissed, and medical oversight is always recommended, no matter how short the duration of benzo use.³

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