In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 4 weeks of
benzodiazepine treatment followed by 3 weeks of abrupt or gradual drug
withdrawal, 16 patients whose benzodiazepine was withdrawn abruptly were
worse (p less than .05) than 13 who had received placebo in terms of change
in mean anxiety scores from the pretreatment level. The scores of seven
patients (44%) whose benzodiazepine was withdrawn abruptly increased 10% or
more on both the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety and the Self Rating
Symptom Scale. There were no cases of rebound anxiety in 14 patients whose
benzodiazepine was withdrawn gradually; fewer cases of rebound anxiety were
seen with a benzodiazepine that had a long half-life.Abstract Teaser