Some science behind the scenes
Benzodiazepine deaths
Alprazolam
- Alprazolam - On Aug, 9, 2015: 32,486 people reported to have side effects when taking Alprazolam. Among them, 997 people (3.07%) have Death.
Xanax - On Aug, 27, 2015: 55,148 people reported to have side effects when taking Xanax. Among them, 925 people (1.68%) have Death
Clonazepam
- Clonazepam - On Aug, 5, 2015: 38,885 people reported to have side effects when taking Clonazepam. Among them, 890 people (2.29%) have Death.
Klonopin - On Aug, 13, 2015: 28,849 people reported to have side effects when taking Klonopin. Among them, 378 people (1.31%) have Death
Diazepam
- Diazepam - On Aug, 29, 2015: 31,740 people reported to have side effects when taking Diazepam. Among them, 913 people (2.88%) have Death
- Valium - On Aug, 1, 2015: 20,078 people reported to have side effects when taking Valium. Among them, 446 people (2.22%) have Death
Temazepam
- Temazepam - On Aug, 17, 2015: 14,991 people reported to have side effects when taking Temazepam. Among them, 637 people (4.25%) have Death
- Restoril - On Aug, 13, 2015: 7,297 people reported to have side effects when taking Restoril. Among them, 185 people (2.54%) have Death
Lorazepam
- Lorazepam - On Aug, 4, 2015: 45,137 people reported to have side effects when taking Lorazepam. Among them, 1,105 people (2.45%) have Death
- Ativan - On Aug, 2, 2015: 33,087 people reported to have side effects when taking Ativan. Among them, 855 people (2.58%) have Death
Midazolam
- Versed - On Aug, 29, 2015: 4,875 people reported to have side effects when taking Versed. Among them, 596 people (12.23%) have Death
- Midazolam - On Aug, 29, 2015: 1,054 people reported to have side effects when taking Midazolam hydrochloride. Among them, 23 people (2.18%) have Death
Oxazepam
- Oxazepam - On Aug, 23, 2015: 6,827 people reported to have side effects when taking Oxazepam. Among them, 160 people (2.34%) have Death
- Serax - On Aug, 7, 2015: 1,095 people reported to have side effects when taking Serax. Among them, 21 people (1.92%) have Death.
Triazolam
- Triazolam - On Aug, 29, 2015: 2,232 people reported to have side effects when taking Triazolam. Among them, 23 people (1.03%) have Death
- Halcion - On Aug, 29, 2015: 4,978 people reported to have side effects when taking Halcion. Among them, 107 people (2.15%) have Death
Chlordiazepoxide
- Chlordiazepoxide - On Aug, 5, 2015: 104 people reported to have side effects when taking Chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride. Among them, 1 people (0.96%) has Death
- Librium - On Aug, 7, 2015: 1,549 people reported to have side effects when taking Librium. Among them, 21 people (1.36%) have Death
Clorazepate
- Tranxene - On Jul, 30, 2015: 3,728 people reported to have side effects when taking Tranxene. Among them, 55 people (1.48%) have Death
- Clorazepate - On Aug, 13, 2015: 1,629 people reported to have side effects when taking Clorazepate dipotassium. Among them, 38 people (2.33%) have Death
Flurazepam
- Dalmane - On Aug, 29, 2015: 1,004 people reported to have side effects when taking Dalmane. Among them, 18 people (1.79%) have Death
- Flurazepam - On Aug, 29, 2015: 167 people reported to have side effects when taking Flurazepam hydrochloride. Among them, 2 people (1.20%) have Death
Estazolam
- Estazolam - On Aug, 18, 2015: 1,104 people reported to have side effects when taking Estazolam. Among them, 31 people (2.81%) have Death
- Prosom - On Aug, 29, 2015: 258 people reported to have side effects when taking Prosom. Among them, 2 people (0.78%) have Death
Prazepam - On Aug, 7, 2015: 1,329 people reported to have side effects when taking Prazepam. Among them, 20 people (1.50%) have Death
Quazepam
- Doral - On Aug, 14, 2015: 770 people reported to have side effects when taking Doral. Among them, 13 people (1.69%) have Death
TOTAL DEATHS 8,462
The table below shows practically all the 35 benzodiazepines available medically.
Drug Name |
Time to Peak (Onset of action in hours) |
Elimination Half-Life) [active metabolite] |
Alprazolam |
1-2 |
6–12 hours |
Bretazenil |
? |
2.5 hours |
Bromazepam |
1-3 |
10–20 hours |
Brotizolam |
0.5-2 |
4–5 hours |
1.5-4 |
5–30 hours [36–200 hours] |
|
Cinolazepam |
0.5-2 |
9 hours |
1-4 |
18–50 hours |
|
Cloxazolam |
2-5 (?) |
18–50 hours |
Clorazepate |
Variable |
36–100 hours |
Delorazepam |
1-2 |
60–140 hours |
1-1.5 |
20–100 hours [36-200] |
|
1-5 |
10–24 hours |
|
Etizolam |
1-2 |
6 hours |
Flunitrazepam |
0.5-3 |
18–26 hours [36–200 hours] |
1-1.5 |
40–250 hours |
|
Flutoprazepam |
0.5-9 |
60–90 hours |
1-3 |
30–100 hours |
|
Ketazolam |
2.5-3 |
30–100 hours [36-200] |
Loprazolam |
0.5-4 |
6–12 hours |
2-4 |
10–20 hours |
|
Lormetazepam |
0.5-2 |
10–12 hours |
Medazepam |
? |
36–200 hours |
0.5-1 |
3 hours (1.8–6 hours) |
|
Nimetazepam |
0.5-3 |
14–30 hours |
Nitrazepam |
0.5-7 |
15–38 hours |
Nordazepam |
? |
50–120 hours |
3-4 |
4–15 hours |
|
Phenazepam *** |
1.5-4 |
60 hours |
Pinazepam ** |
? |
40–100 hours |
2-6 |
36–200 hours |
|
Premazepam |
2-6 |
10–13 hours |
1-5 |
39–120 hours |
|
0.5-3 |
8–22 hours |
|
Tetrazepam * |
1-3 |
3–26 hours |
0.5-2 |
2 hours |
* Tetrazepam was marketed under the following brand names, Clinoxan, Epsipam, Myolastan, Musaril, Relaxam and Spasmorelax and was formerly used mainly in Austria, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain. The European Commission confirmed the suspension of the marketing authorisations for Tetrazepam in Europe because of cutaneous toxicity, effective from the 1 August 2013.
** Pinazepam - marketed under the brand names Domar and Duna
*** Phenazepam was developed in the Soviet Union in 1974 and now produced in Russia and some CIS countries. It is abused in other countries.
**** Oxazepam - is marketed in English-speaking countries under the brand names Alepam, Bonare, Medopam, Murelax, Noripam, Opamox, Ox-Pam, Purata, Serax and Serepax, as Vaben in Israel, as Sobril and Oxascand in Sweden, as Oxapax in Denmark, as Sobril and Alopam in Norway, as Sobril or Oxascand in Iceland and Sweden, Zaxpam in India, and Praxiten in Croatia. Marketed in French-speaking countries as Seresta