Disturbances in mental function can persist for several months or years after
withdrawal from benzodiazepines. Psychotic depression persisting for more than a year following benzodiazepine withdrawal has been documented in the medical literature. The patient had no prior psychiatric history. The symptoms reported in the patient included,
major depressive disorder with
psychotic features, including persistent depressed mood, poor concentration, decreased
appetite,
insomnia,
anhedonia, anergia and
psychomotor retardation. The patient also experienced paranoid ideation (believing she was being poisoned and persecuted by co-employees), accompanied by sensory hallucinations. Symptoms developed after abrupt withdrawal of chlordiazepoxide and persisted for 14 months. Various psychiatric medications were trialed which were unsuccessful in alleviating the symptomatology. Symptoms were completely relieved by recommending chlordiazepoxide for irritable bowel syndrome 14 months later.
[20] Another case report, reported similar phenomenon in a female patient who abruptly reduced her diazepam dosage from 30 mg to 5 mg per day. She developed electric shock sensations,
depersonalisation,
anxiety,
dizziness, left temporal lobe EEG spiking activity,
hallucinations, visual perceptual and sensory distortions which persisted for years.
[21]
A clinical trial of patients taking the benzodiazepine alprazolam (
Xanax) for as little as 8 weeks triggered protracted symptoms of memory deficits which were still present after up to 8 weeks post cessation of alprazolam.
[22]