Imperial College London
Alternate

Emeritus ProfessorPeterTyrer

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Brain Sciences

Emeritus Professor in Community Psychiatry - Clinical
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 3313 4161p.tyrer

 
 
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Location

 

Commonwealth BuildingHammersmith Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Harrison-Read:1996:10.1177/026988119601000201,
author = {Harrison-Read, PE and Tyrer, P and Lawson, C and Lack, S and Fernandes, C and File, SE},
doi = {10.1177/026988119601000201},
journal = {Journal of Psychopharmacology},
pages = {89--97},
title = {Flumazenil-precipitated panic and dysphoria in patients dependent on benzodiazepines: a possible aid to abstinence},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026988119601000201},
volume = {10},
year = {1996}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - <jats:p> Ten long-term users of benzodiazepines (average daily dose, 20 mg of diazepam or equivalent) who had experienced problems in withdrawing from the drugs were given an i.v. challenge with either the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil (1 mg injected over 30 s) or placebo (vehicle solution) in a randomized double-blind design. There were no 'pseudo withdrawal' responses to either single-blind or double-blind placebo injections, whereas flumazenil produced dramatic panic reactions in all four subjects tested, followed by characteristic benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. There were also small but significant rises in pulse rate and blood pressure, but no change in serum cortisol. Flumazenil-induced panic could not be entirely accounted for by a past or present diagnosis of panic disorder, and did not seem to be related to previous withdrawal problems, present benzodiazepine dosage, or to the severity of withdrawal symptoms precipitated by flumazenil in the same challenge test. Attempts to reduce benzodiazepine intake over the next 3 weeks tended to be more successful in the flumazenil group. The results are discussed with reference to possible changes in the GABA-benzodiazepine system in long-term benzodiazepine users. </jats:p>
AU  - Harrison-Read,PE
AU  - Tyrer,P
AU  - Lawson,C
AU  - Lack,S
AU  - Fernandes,C
AU  - File,SE
DO  - 10.1177/026988119601000201
EP  - 97
PY  - 1996///
SN  - 0269-8811
SP  - 89
TI  - Flumazenil-precipitated panic and dysphoria in patients dependent on benzodiazepines: a possible aid to abstinence
T2  - Journal of Psychopharmacology
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026988119601000201
VL  - 10
ER  -
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