Tranquillisers

Date: 14 March 2006

Tranquillisers

The use of tranquillisers and sleeping pills is a real issue for women.

Women and tranquillisers and sleeping pills

• Twice as many women as men are prescribed these drugs.
• It is estimated that one in five women are prescribed these drugs at some point in each year.
• They are used more by women who do not have a steady job outside the home.

Why is there concern about the use of these drugs?

These drugs are in widespread everyday use, often dispensed through repeat prescriptions.

But doctors and patients are becoming increasingly concerned about them for three main reasons:

• It is doubtful whether they are effective for periods beyond four months.
• Their side effects can be unpleasant and distressing.
• There is a strong risk that people who use them will become dependent.

What drugs are we talking about?

The drugs known as the benzodiazepines are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the Western World. Those in common use are listed below by medical name and brand name. Some benzodiazepines are prescribed as tranquillisers, some as sleeping pills. Dalmane and Mogadon may be prescribed as tranquillisers as well as sleeping pills.

Drugs prescribed as tranquillisers

Medical Name - Brand Name
Chlordiazepoxide - Libritas, Librium, Tropium
Clobazam - Frisium
Clorazepate - Tranxene
Diazepam - Alupram, Atensine, Evacalm, Sedapam, Solis, Tensium, Valium, Valrelease
Ketazolam - Anxon
Lorazepam - Ativan
Medazepam - Nobrium
Oxazepam - Serax, Serenid D, Serenid Forte

Drugs prescribed as sleeping pills

Medical Name - Brand Name
Flunitrazepam - Rohypnol
Flurazepam - Dalmane
Lormetazepam - Noctamid
Nitrazepam - Mogadon, Nitrados, Remnos, Somnite, Surem
Temazepam - Euhypnos, Normison
Trazolam - Halcion

How do these drugs affect people?

Many serious side effects are reported. They include:

• Feeling that you couldn't care less about anything.
• Weakness.
• Dry mouth.
• Lack of co-ordination.
• Low blood pressure.
• Fever.
• Being unable to think straight.
• Sleepiness.
• Giddiness.
• Hangover.
• Stuttering.
• Lack of concentration.

Giving up

If you've been taking these drugs for a long time and want to give them up, don't do it on your own. Discuss it carefully with your doctor; get support from family and friends.

How to get help

There is a National Drugs Helpline which can offer advice (see below). They may also know of local groups where you can get practical help and support. One of these groups recently echoed the views of many doctors, patients and community workers:

"... The people who desperately need help are ... men and women, who are often suffering an appalling and prolonged illness because they have taken medication supplied on prescription by their GP. They are not abusers of drugs, they are not misusers. The vast majority have carefully followed the instructions of the doctor and taken no more than therapeutic doses of medication."

National Drugs Helpline

Offers free, confidential advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any calls made to the Helpline do not appear on an itemised telephone bill - Tel: 0800 776600.

Local Well-Woman Clinics may also be able to offer advice.

For further information

Coming off Tranquillisers - Shirley Trickett

Bottling It Up - Valerie Curran & Susan Golombok

Don't forget the advice and support you can get from the union in dealing with any issues that affect you.

Tranquillisers (Women's Health Series Leaflet 3) was correct at date of publication March 2006.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 25-Jun-2008 23:35:36 EST