Benzodiazepines: Effects and Impact – Sedative Hypnotics (Nursing)

00:00 Now I want to introduce you to this word paradoxical effect.

00:04 It's kinda fun. You have it.

00:05 This is an important word cuz we're gonna use it a lot in the next incoming part and I wanted to make sure you understood what it meant.

00:12 See, this is an effect of a medical treatment, usually a drug.

00:16 When we say a paradoxical effect, it's the opposite that's why we bolded that word for you.

00:22 So a paradoxical effect is the opposite to the effect which we normally would be expected.

00:28 So what the medication should do if it has a paradoxical effect that means it gives us the exact opposite effect.

00:36 So watch for this word as we talk through the rest of this video series.

00:40 Let's look at the impacts of benzodiazepine. On the CNS.

00:44 You might have possible paradoxical effects. So what would that be? Well, if I'm taking it to help me sleep, it may make my insomnia worse.

00:54 It may make me really excitable, it may make me euphoric or have increased anxiety or rage.

01:00 Not the goal when I take a benzodiazepine, right? When you look at those lists of the paradoxical effects, some people will respond this way.

01:10 So instead of improving their sleep, it makes it worse.

01:13 Instead of calming them down, it make them very excitable.

01:16 They might be just really euphoric. That's a problem cuz that's gonna be a risk for abuse.

01:21 They might have heightened anxiety so instead of feeling calmer, they feel more anxious or these huge mood swings of rage.

01:29 Nobody's taking a benzodiazepine with a goal of being rage-filled.

01:34 Now what about the cardiovascular system? Well, if you're taking an oral benzodiazepine, it's probably gonna have very little if any effect on the cardiovascular system.

01:45 IV benzodiazepines have a smaller chance of having hypotension but it's not a huge one.

01:51 But always be aware if you give an IV benzodiazepine to a patient, it may cause hypotension so keep an eye on their blood pressure.

01:59 Now the respiratory system is where it gets really, really dangerous.

02:03 The effects on the CNS are not great, minor effects on the heart, but the respiratory system is where this becomes life threatening.

02:12 Now if you take a benzodiazepine by itself, take an oral benzodiazepine, they have little to no respiratory depressive effect if that's the only thing you're taking.

02:22 So if you're prescribed a benzodiazepine, I wouldn't be really worked up about taking it.

02:27 I'm a little worried about the sleep stuff but other than that, you should be relatively okay, right? There shouldn't be a big problem as long as it resolves your symptoms.

02:36 That's if you take it alone, not with other medications, and especially not with alcohol.

02:42 And if it's a pill form, an oral form of benzodiazepine, it's gonna have little to no respiratory depressive effect.

02:49 Now, if you take a benzodiazepine with other CNS depressants like opioids, barbiturates, or alcohol, this is life threatening.

03:00 Now if you've watched the news, you've seen several celebrities who have taken multiple drugs at the same time.

03:06 Usually it's some type of combination of some of the drugs we just talked about there and that's what caused their untimely death.

03:14 So benzodiazepines plus any other drug or alcohol is gonna cause severe respiratory depression.

03:22 Don't do it. It's really, really dangerous.

03:26 Now it can also cause hypotension so keep an eye on that if you're doing -- if you're -- have a benzodiazepine with these other medications or alcohol not only suppresses the respiratory system, this is also an increased risk for low blood pressure.

03:41 Killer combo if you want to stay alive.