Every time she hears that old Rolling Stones’ song about tranquilizers, my friend Gina winces. She knows that she should stop relying on sedatives to ease her insomnia, but so far she hasn’t summoned up the willpower to try to kick the habit. And (to my consternation) her doctor has not pressed her to.
Well, Gina may find her motivation now—because based on what I learned from a new study, if she doesn’t, she could wind up in the hospital…or the funeral home.
I don’t mean to be morbid. But this is really important news for Gina and others like her who take benzodiazepine medications.
Doctors often prescribe these drugs, such as lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium) or temazepam (Restoril) to relieve insomnia, anxiety or muscle spasms. These medications do have their place, particularly when limited to the recommended short-term use of about two to four weeks. However, longer-term use raises grave concerns—not only because these drugs are addictive but also because they increase the risk for potentially deadly pneumonia. The danger is widespread, considering that in the US, 2% of the population and up to 10% of elderly patients have taken benzodiazepines for 12 months or more.
Earlier research demonstrated an association between benzodiazepine use and an increased risk for infection and death among critically ill patients. So researchers in the UK set out to discover whether risks also applied to people who were not critically ill. They analyzed health records of nearly 5,000 patients of all ages who were diagnosed with pneumonia during a one-year period. Then they compared each pneumonia patient with six similar people, matched by age and sex, who had not had pneumonia during the study period (so overall, the study was based on data from almost 35,000 people).
What they found: Benzodiazepine use was associated with a 54% increased risk for pneumonia…a 22% increased risk of dying within 30 days of the pneumonia diagnosis…and a 32% increased risk of dying within three years. The results held even after researchers adjusted for patients’ history of respiratory problems, heart attack, depression, smoking, age and other risk factors. Worrisome: Most of the participants who had used benzodiazepines had done so chronically, meaning for at least three months.
Researchers suggested that the increased risks may be due to the drugs’ effects on the immune system. Of course, the study does not prove that chronic benzodiazepine use causes pneumonia, simply that there is an association. Even so, the findings deserve to be taken quite seriously.
Self-defense: If you have been taking a benzodiazepine for more than a few weeks, do not stop taking it on your own—this could cause withdrawal symptoms (dizziness, headache, numbness, tremors, hallucinations) and/or sudden worsening of the condition being treated. Instead, contact your doctor without delay to discuss alternative treatment options and determine the safest way to be weaned off the sedative.
