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 .
Core symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder unimproved by alprazolam treatment.
The authors report a r and om-assignment , double-blind crossover trial comparing alprazolam and placebo in posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) . Ten patients fulfilling DSM-III criteria for PTSD completed 5 weeks of treatment on each agent . Improvement in anxiety symptoms was significantly greater during alprazolam treatment but modest in extent . Symptoms specific to PTSD were not significantly altered . The impact of nonspecific symptomatic effects on the outcome of drug trials in PTSD is considered
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 .