Benzodiazepines are one of the more common classes of medication used. Medications in the class include valium, librium, xanax, klonopin, ativan, and serax. Benzodiazepines act by increasing GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. While the clinical effects for all benzodiazepines are similar, they differ in the way in which the body may metabolize them. Another medication, Buspar, is a non-benzodiazepine antianxiety drug.
Sedation is the most common adverse effect of the benzodiazepines.
It may be more severe in the elderly and increase the risk of falls. Anterograde amnesia, inability to remember a period of hours after taking the drug, has occurred in some patients. Overdoses of benzodiazepines are rarely lethal, but they can be dangerous if taken with alcohol, barbiturates, opiates, or other drugs that depress the central nervous system. For this reason, patients on benzodiazepines are usually encouraged to avoid alcohol. Physical dependence may develop with chronic use.