Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), sometimes called "benzos", are a class of psychoactive drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring ...BenzodiazepineFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchClassofpsychoactivedrugswithacorechemicalstructureofbenzeneanddiazepinerings"Benzo"redirectshere.Forthederivativedrugofbenzofuran,seeBenzofury.BenzodiazepinesDrugclassLorazepam,oneofthemorecommonlyprescribedbenzodiazepines.ClassidentifiersUseAnxiety,seizures,musclespasmsATCcodeN05BAModeofactionGABAAreceptorInWikidataBenzodiazepines(BZD,BDZ,BZs),sometimescalled"benzos",areaclassofpsychoactivedrugswhosecorechemicalstructureisthefusionofabenzeneringandadiazepinering.Thefirstsuchdrug,chlordiazepoxide(Librium),wasdiscoveredaccidentallybyLeoSternbachin1955,andmadeavailablein1960byHoffmann–LaRoche,which,since1963,hasalsomarketedthebenzodiazepinediazepam(Valium).[1]In1977benzodiazepinesweregloballythemostprescribedmedications.[2]Theyareinthefamilyofdrugscommonlyknownasminortranquilizers.[3]Benzodiazepinesenhancetheeffectoftheneurotransmittergamma-aminobutyricacid(GABA)attheGABAAreceptor,resultinginsedative,hypnotic(sleep-inducing),anxiolytic(anti-anxiety),anticonvulsant,andmusclerelaxantproperties.Highdosesofmanyshorter-actingbenzodiazepinesmayalsocauseanterogradeamnesiaanddissociation.[4]Thesepropertiesmakebenzodiazepinesusefulintreatinganxiety,insomnia,agitation,seizures,musclespasms,alcoholwithdrawalandasapremedicationformedicalordentalprocedures.[5]Benzodiazepinesarecategorizedaseithershort,intermediary,orlong-acting.Short-andintermediate-actingbenzodiazepinesarepreferredforthetreatmentofinsomnia;longer-actingbenzodiazepinesarerecommendedforthetreatmentofanxiety.[6]Benzodiazepinesaregenerallyviewedassafeandeffectiveforshort-termuse,whichisconsideredtwotofourweeks,[7]althoughcognitiveimpairmentandparadoxicaleffectssuchasaggressionorbehavioraldisinhibitionoccasionallyoccur.Aminorityofpeoplecanhaveparadoxicalreactionssuchasworsenedagitationorp