Sleep disorder drugs linked to higher risk of overdose in teens, young adults: Study

Teens and young adults who are treated for sleep disorders with benzodiazepines such as Xanax - a medication commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia - may be at a higher risk of overdose, according to Rutgers researchers.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, benzodiazepines were involved in 12,290 overdose deaths in 2020, up from 6,872 in 2011 and 1,135 in 1999. However, Rutgers researchers said the risks of drug overdose in youth populations prescribed a benzodiazepine treatment for insomnia was unclear.

Researchers found young people using benzodiazepines for common sleep conditions had an increased risk of overdose during the six months after starting treatment compared with other prescription sleep medications, including trazodone, hydroxyzine and z-hypnotics.

Using a commercial claims database covering privately insured young people ages 10 to 29 years old, researchers identified nearly 90,000 people newly receiving benzodiazepine or an alternative prescription treatment for a sleep disorder. Researchers then examined drug overdoses in this group in the six months following the start of treatment.

Researchers also found the risk of overdose was highest among young people starting treatment with benzodiazepines who recently were prescribed an opioid.

Reference:

Greta Bushnell et al,Association of Benzodiazepine Treatment for Sleep Disorders With Drug Overdose Risk Among Young People,JAMA Network Open, DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.43215.