title: A controlled trial of diazepam withdrawal in chronically anxious outpatients.
abstract: Twenty-four middle-aged male chronically anxious outpatients who were taking diazepam at a mean dose of 17 mg/day for a mean duration of 5 years were assigned to maintenance (M), gradual withdrawal (GW) or abrupt withdrawal (AW) and followed weekly. No differences were seen in two self-report anxiety measures or in withdrawal symptoms between groups. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores were slightly elevated (F = 2.34, P less than 0.05) in the AW patients at a mean duration of 4 weeks off diazepam. Thus, withdrawal from chronic diazepam (10-30 mg/day) use produced no prominent withdrawal syndrome, but the suggestion of gradual anxiety recurrence indicates the need fro longer-term follow-up studies to adequately assess maintenance efficacy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003975:Diazepam / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D003975:Diazepam