What is Bromazepam?
Bromazepam is an anxiolytic and sedative drug from the benzodiazepine class.
You can buy Bromazepam to treat neuropsychiatric disorders; various phobias; insomnia; anxiety; fear of surgery.
In therapeutic doses, Bromazepam predominantly has anxiolytic and sedative properties. The effect is triggered by binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors important to nerve cells.
Nerve cells in the human brain interact using mediating substances (neurotransmitters), which are emitted by one nerve cell and sensed by the next nerve cell via specific receptors.
Some neurotransmitters excite the nerve cell and thereby transmit the signal, others inhibit such signal transmission (inhibitory neurotransmitters). Adrenaline, for example, activates the nervous system and promotes its excitation, while GABA has a dampening effect.
Benzodiazepines such as Bromazepam attack GABA receptors, causing the receptor to become more sensitive to the neurotransmitter. For example, lower levels of GABA lead to more rapid sedation.
Bromazepam: dosage
Bromazepam 3mg in tablet form is prescribed from a dose of three milligrams per day as a single dose in the evening, one hour before bedtime.
In the case of severe diseases, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 12 mg Bromazepam per day. Medication may be given once or divided several times a day for minimization of the side effects.
Administration of Bromazepam in children and adolescents is atypical and is prescribed by the physician only after careful assessment of the risk/benefit ratio. The dose should be adjusted for body weight.
If necessary, the dose should be reduced in elderly patients and patients with impaired liver function.
The drug is taken no longer than 4 to 8 weeks. A longer course may cause drug dependence.
Contraindications of Bromazepam 3mg
The drug should not be used in cases:
- During pregnancy and lactation
- Known dependence on it
- Abnormal muscle weakness
- Respiratory insufficiency
- Sleep apnea syndrome
- Severe hepatic insufficiency
Interactions of Bromazepam
Increased respiratory depression and sedation may occur if other central nervous system-acting substances are taken concomitantly. These include:
- active agents against schizophrenia and psychosis;
- sedatives, sleeping pills;
- antidepressants;
- anesthetics;
- sedatives;
- anticonvulsants, allergy medications (anti-allergy);
- alcohol.
Other drugs that are broken down by the same liver enzyme systems (cytochrome P450) as Bromazepam may delay its breakdown. This enhances and prolongs the effects of Bromazepam.
Such active agents include, for example, Cimetidine and Omeprazole as well as many other substances. You should therefore ask your doctor or pharmacist in advance about possible interactions with other medicinal products.
Bromazepam: side effects
The most common side effects are depression, memory loss, fatigue, sleep disturbance, headaches, difficulty concentrating, decreased ability to respond, fatigue, and hang-up effects.
Rare side effects include increased appetite, increased or decreased libido, dizziness, impaired movement coordination, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, and a drop in blood pressure.
Bromazepam: half-life
After ingestion, about 85% of Bromazepam 3 mg is absorbed in the intestine and reaches its highest level in the blood after about two hours. The active ingredient is broken down in the liver, and half is eliminated from the body in about 11 to 22 hours.
The elimination of half-life may be longer in older patients because excretion slows down. For this reason, a lower dose is often necessary for the elderly.
Bromazepam vs Alprazolam (Xanax)
Bromazepam and Alprazolam (Xanax) are both benzodiazepines used to treat anxiety, and they are all equally effective in use.
The main differences between Bromazepam and Alprazolam (Xanax):
- In Alprazolam and Xanax, the active ingredient is Alprazolam; in Bromazepam, the active ingredient is Bromazepam.
- Alprazolam and Xanax have a quicker onset of action, but a shorter duration of action (4 to 6 hours) compared to 10 hours of Bromazepam.
- Sedative, as well as performance-enhancing effects, may occur earlier when taking Xanax and Alprazolam, but disappear more quickly than in the case of taking Bromazepam.
