RESULTS BZDs are ineffective for PTSD treatment and prevention , and risks associated with their use tend to outweigh potential short-term benefits .
In addition to adverse effects in general population s , BZDs are associated with specific problems in patients with PTSD : worse overall severity , significantly increased risk of developing PTSD with use after recent trauma , worse psychotherapy outcomes , aggression , depression , and substance use .
The results of this systematic review suggest that BZDs should be considered relatively contraindicated for patients with PTSD or recent trauma .
OBJECTIVE Although benzodiazepines ( BZDs ) are commonly used in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , no systematic review or meta- analysis has specifically examined this treatment .
The goal of this study was to analyze and summarize evidence concerning the efficacy of BZDs in treating PTSD .
Effects of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil in PTSD
OBJECTIVE Evidence from pre clinical and clinical studies suggests a role for alterations in the benzodiazepine/GABAA receptor complex in stress and anxiety .  Flumazenil is a relatively pure benzodiazepine/GABAA antagonist with limited intrinsic activity . In panic disorder patients , but not healthy controls , flumazenil has been demonstrated to provoke panic attacks . METHOD Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD ( n = 14 ) received 90-second intravenous infusions of flumazenil 2 mg or placebo in a double-blind , crossover study design . PTSD symptomology was assessed using the PTSD Symptom Scale , and anxiety symptoms were measured with visual analogue rating scales . RESULTS There was no significant difference in PTSD and anxiety symptoms between administration of flumazenil and placebo . CONCLUSION Flumazenil administration does not produce an increase in anxiety and PTSD symptoms in patients with PTSD . This suggests that PTSD and panic disorder are dissimilar in terms of benzodiazepine/GABAA system function
RESULTS BZDs are ineffective for PTSD treatment and prevention , and risks associated with their use tend to outweigh potential short-term benefits .
In addition to adverse effects in general population s , BZDs are associated with specific problems in patients with PTSD : worse overall severity , significantly increased risk of developing PTSD with use after recent trauma , worse psychotherapy outcomes , aggression , depression , and substance use .
The results of this systematic review suggest that BZDs should be considered relatively contraindicated for patients with PTSD or recent trauma .
OBJECTIVE Although benzodiazepines ( BZDs ) are commonly used in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , no systematic review or meta- analysis has specifically examined this treatment .
The goal of this study was to analyze and summarize evidence concerning the efficacy of BZDs in treating PTSD .