ReviewThe mental health clinician2026
Utilization of adjunctive anti-seizure medications to facilitate chronic benzodiazepine discontinuation.
Review in The mental health clinician, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: When discontinuing benzodiazepines, treating withdrawal symptoms can be challenging. Some anti-seizure medications (ASM) may mitigate withdrawal symptoms. This article reviews the literature regarding adjunctive ASM use during benzodiazepine tapering and discontinuation. Methods: A PubMed search focusing on the use of ASMs as adjunctive agents to mitigate benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms was conducted. Key search teams identified relevant articles, and the references of included articles were evaluated to identify potential additional publications for inclusion. In total, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria, and 44 articles were excluded for various reasons. Results: Several clinical trials, observational studies, case reports, and case series were identified. Carbamazepine was more effective than placebo at 3 months (74% benzodiazepine free vs 52% for placebo). Oxcarbazepine enabled successful rapid detoxification with minimal withdrawal symptoms in a small, noncontrolled study. Valproate, pregabalin, and gabapentin showed improvements in benzodiazepine-free rates, but the results were inconsistent. Discussion: Evidence for ASM in benzodiazepine withdrawal is limited, emphasizing the need for provider discretion. Additional larger clinical trials are warranted to identify optimal agents to mitigate withdrawal symptoms and enhance successful benzodiazepine cessation.
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