Can I Snort Benzodiazepines?
Physicians in the United States use a class of drugs called benzodiazepines to treat anxiety disorders. These drugs interact with a specific type of receptor in the brain to lower anxiety levels and are less toxic compared to earlier alternatives like barbiturates and alcohol. Barbiturates were commonly prescribed as anti-anxiety drugs back in the early 1950s. Although they reduce anxiety, they also inhibit muscle activity and can produce lung congestion and heart failure. Worst still, barbiturates are highly physically and emotionally addictive. Many users become severely dependent on them even after short-term use.
Benzodiazepines, aka benzos, were developed to reduce anxiety without producing these negative side effects. However, they are not devoid of the risk of abuse and addiction. Today, there are many different kinds of benzodiazepines in the market. The brand names of the common ones include Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, Valium, and Librium. These drugs differ in their half-life (the duration of drug action in the body) and differ from one another in the way they are administered, absorbed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.
Other Uses for Benzodiazepines
Apart from treating anxiety, benzos are used for several other conditions that are related to, but not exactly anxiety. For example, benzos are commonly prescribed as soporific or hypnotic drugs (to help induce sleep). An example of this is Flurazepam, a frequently prescribed hypnotic drug in the United States.
Benzos are also administered as muscle relaxants. They can even reduce the frequency of seizures or convulsions associated with alcohol withdrawal when used in a form of Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) in rehab. This is usually administered during the first three to seven days of alcohol withdrawal.
Not only does this help reduce the anxiety that comes with quitting alcohol, but it also reduces involuntary trembling or delirium tremens, which often results when someone suddenly stops drinking large amounts of alcohol.
Snorting Benzos and Addiction
Benzos are usually administered orally. However, people who abuse prescription drugs have found out that snorting these drugs produce a more rapid and intense high compared to consuming more pills. The common practice is to ground the pills into powder using crude tools or even the thumb and then snorting it. While snorting induces an intense high, it is also associated with a high risk of fatal overdose because it introduces the drug in its raw form directly into the bloodstream. There is also the risk of developing upper respiratory tract infections such as rhinitis and sinusitis.
Find Help for Benzodiazepine Abuse
We understand how anxiety can cripple one’s social life, personal happiness, and that stressors can drive a person to use benzodiazepines as a coping mechanism. However, the health costs of addiction and the permanent pain that an overdose will make your loved ones go through outweigh the thrill of a short-lived high.
If you are struggling with benzodiazepines, we can help. Mid Hudson Addiction Recovery is connected with a network of treatment centers and we can help you find the best help you deserve without traveling out of town. Call our helpline now.
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