Buspirone treatment as an aid to benzodiazepine withdrawal.
Twenty four long-term benzodiazepine users were allocated randomly to treatment with either buspirone (mean dose 25 mg/day) or placebo, prior to tapering off the benzodiazepine over 6 weeks. In both groups, six out of 12 patients successfully completed withdrawal. However, buspirone-treated patients tended to have lower anxiety levels than placebo-treated patients. The amount of previous benzodiazepine usage predicted outcome.
Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, London SE5 8AF, UK.
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Morton
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Lader