![]() and among the precautions to be taken are to avoid the use of dangerous machinery and motor vehicles. Moreover, the use of these drugs should be limited to a 2-4 week period for insomnia and no more than 3 months for anxiety, unless specifically prescribed otherwise, and yet in our surgeries we come across large numbers of patients who have been taking them continuously for several years. ![]() For all these drugs, the prospectus states that they can cause drowsiness, confusion, changes in color perception, depression of the central nervous system, etc. You will find that although they drive on a regular basis, they also take these drugs on a regular basis, and in many cases, especially in the case of sedative plants, in association with other drugs that also induce drowsiness. It is here for the purposes of a simple exercise: to go to your first-aid cabinet at home and check the drugs that are taken by you, your parents, your grandparents or your siblings. This complex classification system, which doctors are familiar with, is not in this article for a review of pharmacology. NO5B4: Sedative plants: Lemon balm, passionflower, valerian.These are no longer used for treating anxiety or insomnia as they have been sidelined for use in anesthesia and epilepsy. NO5B2A: Anxiolytic or hypnotic in association.This group includes Buspirone (Buspar®), Clomethiazole (Distraneurine®), Doxylamine (Dormidina®), Zaleplon (Sonata®), Zolpidem (Stilnox®) and Zopiclone (Limovan®). These are drugs from a varied group which cannot be classified elsewhere, are very heterogeneous and even include antihistamines. NO5B1C: Other anxiolytics and hypnotics that are not simply barbiturates.This group includes Alprazolam (Trankimazin®), Bentazepam (Tiadipona®), Brotizolam (Sintonal®), Clotiazepam (Distensan®), Loprazolam (Somnovit®), Lorazepam (Orfidal®), Lormetazepam (Noctamid® and Loramet®), Midazolam (Dormicum®) and Triazolam (Halcion®). NO5B1B: Benzodiazepines with short-term/intermediate action.This group includes Bromazepam (Lexatin®), Clobazam (Noiafren®), Clorazepate Dipotassium (Tranxilium®), Chlordiazepoxide (Huberplex®), Diazepam (Valium®), Flurazepam (Dormodor®), Flunitracepam (Rohipnol®), Halazepam (Alapryl®), Ketazolam (Sedotime®), Pinazepam (Duna®) and Quazepam (Quiedorm®). NO5B1A: Benzodiazepines with intermediate/long-term action.The classification of drugs used for anxiety and insomnia falls under the therapeutic group “NO5B Anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics”3, in which there are a large number of commercial brands which are divided into the following subgroups: It is worth considering that in 1987, according to the census, Spain had a population of some 38 million inhabitants. ![]() In 1987, 27 years ago, more than 18 million packages containing benzodiazepines as the main ingredient were taken in Spain2. Insomnia is associated with depressive or anxiety disorders in 90% of cases.īenzodiazepines were introduced in the pharmaceutical market in Spain in the 1960s, since when their use has grown constantly due to their anxiolytic, hypnotic and sedative properties and their broad safety margin. The prevalence of insomnia is around 20%, increases with age and is more common in women (23.9%) than men (17.6%). Insomnia refers to difficulty in getting to sleep or remaining asleep, waking early or frequently during the night, and it, too, is not always pathological and does not always need treatment. ![]() Anxiety is a normal, useful and common reaction when we are faced with compromising situations, and not just on a mental level, as it increases our state of alertness and activates our defense mechanisms. Wakefulness, inability to fall asleep or remain asleep.Īlthough these definitions are not medical, they demonstrate that anxiety and insomnia are not always pathological. The distress that tends to accompany many diseases, especially certain neuroses, giving its sufferers no relief. A state of agitation, uneasiness or apprehension. According to the Royal Spanish Language Academy, anxiety1 has two definitions:1. ![]()
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