ArticleInternal and emergency medicine2019
High-dose lormetazepam dependence: strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Article in Internal and emergency medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Insomnia in seasonal affective disorder: considering the use of benzodiazepines with a focus on lormetazepam.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Hospitalisations related to benzodiazepine, Z-drug, and opioid treatment in Italy: a claim on the risks associated with inappropriate use.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2022Article
- Pharmacotherapeutic management of insomnia and effects on sleep processes, neural plasticity, and brain systems modulating stress: A narrative review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Review
- Benzodiazepine high-doses: The need for an accurate definition.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2021Review
- Zolpidem: A masked hero. A reply to ZORRO study.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2021Article
- Can oral formulation increase the risk of lormetazepam abuse?Internal and emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Risk of hospitalization associated with benzodiazepines and z-drugs in Italy: a nationwide multicentre study in emergency departments-comment.Internal and emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Continuous Infusion of Flumazenil in the Management of Benzodiazepines Detoxification.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Article
- Focal bilateral motor seizures precipitated by abrupt cessation of chronic lormetazepam abuse and amitriptyline overdose.Epilepsy & behavior reports · 2021Article
- Risk of hospitalisation associated with benzodiazepines and z-drugs in Italy: a nationwide multicentre study in emergency departments.Internal and emergency medicine · 2020Article
- Dependence liability of lormetazepam: are all benzodiazepines equal? The case of the new i.v. lormetazepam for anesthetic procedures.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2020Review
- High-dose lormetazepam dependence: strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-reply.Internal and emergency medicine · 2020Article
- High-dose lormetazepam dependence: strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-comment.Internal and emergency medicine · 2020Article
- High-Dose Dependence and Cognitive Side Effects to Medical Prescription of Etizolam.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Article
- Lormetazepam in oral solution: a formulation at risk of high-dose use.Internal and emergency medicine · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
High-dose benzodiazepine (BZD) abuse is emerging as a substance use disorder (SUD). The aim of the study is to explore the impact of high-dose lormetazepam (LMZ) abuse and the characteristics of patients affected by this SUD in a tertiary referral addiction unit. We have retrospectively evaluated 1112 patients admitted to the Addiction Medicine Unit, Verona University Hospital, Italy for detoxification from high-dose BZD dependence. LMZ was the most common BZD, with an increasing prevalence from January 2003 to June 2018. Socio-demographic (more women; higher age and education) and clinical features (higher daily diazepam dosage equivalent, BZD abuse duration, age of first BZD intake; BZD prescribed more frequently for sleep disorders; less frequent history of other SUDs, previous/active alcohol, previous opioids abuse; more frequent overall major psychiatric diseases and major depression; less-frequent bipolar disorders and other psychoses, personality disorders, and more than one psychiatric disease) of LMZ vs. other BZD abusers significantly differed. 96.7% LMZ abusers took oral solution, while two-thirds of other BZD abusers took tablets. Oral solution, BZD abuse duration and prescription of BZD for sleep disorders increased, while history of other SUDs, previous/active alcohol and active cannabinoids SUD reduced the risk of high-dose LMZ vs. other BZDs abuse. The large prevalence of high-dose LMZ abusers in Italy may be strongly related to the availability and characteristics of oral formulation that may transform the innocuous Dr. Jekyll tablets into an evil Mr. Hyde. Restriction to the market of LMZ oral formulation might reduce the risk of high-dose abuse.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.