Antianxiety Medicines for Alcohol Withdrawal
Topic Overview
Antianxiety medicines can help control some Reference withdrawal symptoms Opens New Window during Reference detoxification Opens New Window. Examples of these medicines include:
- Chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
- Diazepam (Valium).
- Lorazepam (Ativan).
- Oxazepam (Serax).
These medicines work by depressing the central nervous system. Antianxiety medicines are usually safe to treat alcohol withdrawal. But they are not given over a long period of time, because they can become addictive.
Side effects can include drowsiness, dry mouth, and urinary retention. If you are an older adult or have liver disease, talk with your doctor before using these medicines.
For more information about antianxiety medicines, see Drug Reference. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference January 18, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Peter Monti, PhD - Alcohol and Addiction |
|
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