How Long Does Withdrawal From Benzodiazepines Last?

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Benzodiazepines are a group of central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. Benzodiazepines are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the country. Several types of benzodiazepines are sold under popular brand names like Valium, Xanax, and Klonopin.

The primary difference between these drugs is the length of time they stay active in the body. However, benzodiazepines can cause physical dependence and withdrawal even when they are taken as directed. 

Withdrawal from benzodiazepine

Verywell / Gary Ferster 

Overview of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Benzodiazepine use has become widespread. From 1996 to 2013, the number of people filling benzodiazepine prescriptions increased by 67%. Benzodiazepine abuse and dependence has become more significant among all age groups, from teens to elderly adults. In 2016, estimates suggest that about half a million people in the United States misused sedative drugs.

Benzodiazepines can be habit-forming. Anyone taking them on a daily basis can develop a tolerance and dependence.

When you are physically dependent on a drug, it means your body can’t operate normally without it. If you stop or reduce your dose suddenly, you will experience withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawing from benzodiazepines can be a difficult, even dangerous process. You can expect to feel anxious and on edge for several weeks. You might feel irritable and hypersensitive to everything around you. Insomnia is also common. During the first week, you can also expect physical symptoms like headaches and hand tremors.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be managed with a gradual dose reduction, which will cause milder symptoms that come and go in waves.

If you have been using benzodiazepines for longer than six months, suddenly stopping your dose can cause grand mal seizures and delirium—this is why it's best to involve your doctor or healthcare professional in your withdrawal process.

Signs and Symptoms of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms can occur after as little as one month of use, even on small, therapeutic doses. Among people taking benzodiazepines for longer than six months, about 40% experience moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms when they quit suddenly. The other 60% experience mild symptoms.

The severity of withdrawal symptoms is associated with a variety of factors, including:

  • Your current dose
  • How long you’ve been taking it
  • Whether you take more than one benzodiazepine
  • Whether you take other sedating drugs
  • Any substance use issues
  • Whether you are quitting more than one substance at a time

The onset of benzodiazepine withdrawal depends on the specific medication you are taking. Short-acting drugs like Xanax (alprazolam) and Ativan (lorazepam) leave the system quicker, which means withdrawal symptoms can appear in as little as eight to 12 hours.

Longer-acting benzodiazepines like Klonopin (clonazepam) can stay in the system longer, which means it can be one to two days or even longer before withdrawal symptoms start.

 Possible symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Hand tremors
  • Muscle spasms
  • Headache
  • Sweating
  • Racing pulse
  • Hyperventilation
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Aches and pains
  • Panic attacks
  • Hypersensitivity to stimuli like light and touch
  • Abnormal bodily sensations (skin-crawling, goosebumps)
  • Depression
  • Problems with concentration and memory
  • Visual disturbances (flashes of light or blurred vision)
  • Auditory, tactile, or visual hallucinations
  • Feelings of unreality
  • Delirium
  • Grand mal seizures

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), withdrawal symptoms from short-acting benzodiazepines peak on the second day and improve by the fourth or fifth. However, some people find they last for several weeks.

Estimates suggest that 10 to 25% of people who take benzodiazepines for extended periods experience what’s known as protracted withdrawal.

Protracted withdrawal is a long-term withdrawal syndrome that may come and go for several months.

Symptoms will be milder than acute withdrawal and they can disappear for weeks at a time. Protracted withdrawal rarely lasts longer than one year.

Coping With Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

The best way to quit benzodiazepines is to avoid withdrawal by asking your doctor to taper down your dose. Tapering means taking progressively smaller doses over the course of a few weeks or months. 

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be risky, so it is best to work with a doctor. Depending on which benzodiazepine you are currently taking, your doctor may want to switch you to a different one before your taper begins. Short-acting benzodiazepines complicate withdrawal with too many ups and downs. Diazepam, a long-acting benzodiazepine, is the most common choice for dose tapering. 

There is no standard tapering schedule for you to follow. Your doctor will help make an individualized tapering schedule based on your current dose and particular circumstances. Some people taper quickly, finishing up within two to three weeks. Others taper slowly over the course of several months.

During your taper, you may still experience some of the symptoms of withdrawal. This can happen after each dose reduction.

Your doctor can pause or slow down the taper if your symptoms are intolerable. To cope with these breakthrough symptoms, it helps to have a backup plan for dealing with anxiety. Helpful strategies include:

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Warnings

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be dangerous when not handled properly. There is a risk that people who quit benzodiazepines without a taper may experience a life-threatening grand mal seizure. If you go into withdrawal without tapering, you also risk experiencing delirium and hallucinations that cause you to lose touch with reality—a terrifying and dangerous experience.

Some drugs are safe to quit on your own, but benzodiazepines are not.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will require inpatient care. Most people do okay with tapering their benzodiazepines at home with the help of their primary care doctor or psychiatrist. You should plan to stay in touch with your doctor regularly during the tapering process, either by phone or during office visits.

Depending on your situation, your doctor may think it best to prescribe very small amounts of medication at a time. This will prevent you from altering the taper, but it might mean frequent trips to the pharmacy.

Some people, such as those with a history of complicated withdrawal, seizures, or severe mental illness, may be better suited for an inpatient setting. This can involve living at a detox facility or hospital for several weeks, where you can receive constant medical monitoring and psychological support.

Quitting benzodiazepines means that underlying psychiatric symptoms can reemerge worse than ever before. These may include:

Inpatient treatment can be costly, depending on the facility. However, the costs may be covered by your insurance.

If you are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, talk to your OBGYN or psychiatrist about your plans. Benzodiazepine use in pregnancy carries some risks. However, going through any withdrawal during pregnancy has its risks. Your doctor can help you weigh the potential risks and benefits of benzodiazepine use and your pregnancy.

Long-Term Treatment for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Long-term treatment after benzodiazepine withdrawal will depend on your reasons for taking them in the first place and your reasons for quitting. If you have a psychiatric condition that was managed by the benzodiazepines, you will need an alternative plan to manage your condition. Typically, this is a combination of therapy and pharmacologic support.

If your reasons for quitting benzodiazepines are that you were abusing them or unable to control your use, then you may require further substance use treatment. This is particularly true if you are also giving up other substances, like alcohol or opioids.

Psychotherapy can help you understand the root cause of your substance abuse problems. It can also help you learn to identify psychological triggers that may cause you to relapse so that you can avoid them in the future.

Resources

The best resource in your quest to quit benzodiazepines is your prescribing doctor. If you prefer someone else, any primary care physician or psychiatrist can help you taper your dose.

To find a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in substance abuse issues, you can use this searchable directory from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). You can also call SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to find a provider in your area.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.

5 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (HHS Publication No. SMA 17-5044, NSDUH Series H-52). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality,

  3. Hood SD, Norman A, Hince DA, Melichar JK, Hulse GK. Benzodiazepine dependence and its treatment with low dose flumazenil. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;77(2):285-94. doi:10.1111/bcp.12023

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  5. American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

Additional Reading

By Corinne O’Keefe Osborn
Corinne Osborn is an award-winning health and wellness journalist with a background in substance abuse, sexual health, and psychology.