question-icon

Does Prolonged Benzodiazepines Intake Lead To Poor Memory And Insomnia?

default
Posted on Thu, 6 Mar 2014
Question: I have been taking benzodiasepenes for over 25 years! I am now having memory problems, insomnia and other issues..I believe it's because of the medication!! I think it's maybe time to see my doctor???
doctor
Answered by Dr. Srikanth Reddy (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: Unlikely Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. Our body gets tolerated to Benzodiazepines over a period of time. The fact that you have taken the benzodiazepines for 25 years suggests that you might have tolerated well the medicines by now. Its very unlikely that 25 years later you have problems with memory, insomnia and other issues. Infact the somnolence effect of the benzodiazepines might have also weared off by now. If you have problems with memory and insomnia it would be wise to see a doctor and evaluate for the memory status. At 60 yrs the chances of dementia also increase and hence you need to get evaluated. There is a chance that you could be having depression as well which can also lead to memory disturbance. This also needs to be checked. So basically you need to see a psychiatrist and benzodiazepines may not be respinsible for your current symptoms. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. If not, you may close the discussion and if possible you may rate the answer for me, so that I get a good feedback. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link: bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy Wish you good health, Kind regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Srikanth Reddy

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 2770 Questions

Ask me a question
premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Ask a Psychiatrist
Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
backtotop2
Does Prolonged Benzodiazepines Intake Lead To Poor Memory And Insomnia?

Brief Answer: Unlikely Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. Our body gets tolerated to Benzodiazepines over a period of time. The fact that you have taken the benzodiazepines for 25 years suggests that you might have tolerated well the medicines by now. Its very unlikely that 25 years later you have problems with memory, insomnia and other issues. Infact the somnolence effect of the benzodiazepines might have also weared off by now. If you have problems with memory and insomnia it would be wise to see a doctor and evaluate for the memory status. At 60 yrs the chances of dementia also increase and hence you need to get evaluated. There is a chance that you could be having depression as well which can also lead to memory disturbance. This also needs to be checked. So basically you need to see a psychiatrist and benzodiazepines may not be respinsible for your current symptoms. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. If not, you may close the discussion and if possible you may rate the answer for me, so that I get a good feedback. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link: bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy Wish you good health, Kind regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.