What Are the Most Common Designer Benzodiazepines?
Among the many street drugs available today, one is getting attention for its rising prevalence: Designer benzodiazepines. While these drugs share similarities to benzodiazepines, a type of medication that depress the central nervous system and are used to treat things like anxiety disorders, insomnia, and seizures as well as sedate people before operations, they carry with them unique risks and dangers due to the illicit way they’re made and lack of regulation into what they contain. Like other illegal drugs, it can be difficult or even impossible to know what designer benzos actually contain and the dosage of substances they include, and that can be extremely dangerous for users.
Table of contents
» What Are Designer Benzodiazepines?
» What Are the Effects of Using Designer Benzodiazepines?
» Are Designer Benzos More Potent Than Prescription Versions?
» Can You Become Addicted to Designer Benzodiazepines?
» Key Takeaways on Designer Benzodiazepines
» Resources
What Are Designer Benzodiazepines?
Designer benzodiazepines are sometimes referred to as “street benzos” – a fitting name when you consider that they are psychoactive drugs that are similar to the approved benzodiazepines available through medical professionals today, but made illegally and without the same regulations or oversight.
They differ from the medications you might have heard of before, mainly due to this unregulated production, often in clandestine labs, which makes it impossible to know about their purity, potency, and whether they contain other dangerous contaminants or substances.
Street benzos are not approved for medical use in most countries and haven’t undergone clinical trials. Because they cause similar sedative and even hypnotic effects as traditional benzodiazepines, they can also lead to dependence, abuse, withdrawal symptoms, and addiction.
Another unique danger of these drugs is that people often take them along with other substances that can depress the central nervous system – especially opioids – which amplifies the effect of opioids but can also significantly raise the risk of a fatal overdose due to the way it affects their breathing.
There are many, many designer benzodiazepines available today. Because they are illegal and often made to try to avoid legal troubles by using substances that aren’t regulated yet, they can come and go on the black market, replaced by newer drugs as dealers try to stay one step ahead of authorities.
There are several common designer benzos:
- Etizolam: This short-acting drug is used for anxiety and panic attacks in some countries, but it is not approved in the United States or much of Europe. Today, it’s often detected in illegal drugs like fake Xanax.
- Clonazolam: This drug is considered to be very potent and produces extreme sedation and amnesia – even at low doses. Taking this drug puts users at serious risk of accidentally overdosing.
- Flubromazolam: This derivative of another benzodiazepine is long-lasting and has significant depressant effects on the central nervous system. This is another substance that has been detected in fake Xanax.
- Bromazolam: Another designer benzo that is sometimes found in raids or drug seizures.
- Phenazepam: This potent benzodiazepine, which was developed in the Soviet Union in 1975, is produced in Russia and other countries and used to treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and other medical conditions there. However, it is a potent recreational drug in parts of Europe and the United States, sought after because it’s much stronger and lasts longer than other approved benzodiazepines.
Designer benzos come and go, and others are also often found these days, including diclazepam and flualprazolam.
What Are the Effects of Using Designer Benzodiazepines?
There are many dangerous drug combinations today, including the addition of potent opioids like fentanyl to other central nervous system depressants, which can cause respiratory distress and quickly lead to dangerous overdoses and even death. The risk of designer benzodiazepines, even if taken without combining with other substances, essentially comes down to the unknown nature of what you’re taking.
Imagine taking all of the inherent risks of benzodiazepines, which are already known to lead to the potential for misuse, tolerance, dependence, and addiction, and adding to that the dangers of taking substances that you don’t know or getting a much stronger dose than you expected.
One study analyzed several ways that people were determined to have been using designer benzos – including self-administration, admissions to outpatient departments or emergency rooms, getting arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), and people who died. Some specific designer drugs were found to be related to the majority of adverse events, such as criminal offenses and death, especially etizolam and phenazepam.
Other studies have found that designer benzos are generally produced illegally and designed to be highly potent and cheap, making them readily available on street markets or even online as illicit manufacturers try to stay ahead of authorities. The use of these drugs is widespread among people who use opioids because they can intensify or even prolong the euphoric effects of opioids like fentanyl or heroin. However, this can very easily add up to an accidental overdose that can prove to be deadly. Like other benzos, the designer versions can cause a whole host of effects, including:
- Central nervous system depression causes drowsiness, sedation, and slower reaction times.
- Impaired motor skills.
- Slurred speech.
- Poor coordination and muscle weakness.
- Dizziness.
- Confusion.
- Feeling irritated or hostile.
- Physical and mental dependence and addiction.
- Withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe if they stop taking the drug.
- Cognitive impairment, such as problems with memory and concentration.
- Increased anxiety or depression.
- Headaches.
- Stomach issues.
- Poor sleep or sleep disturbances.
Are Designer Benzos More Potent Than Prescription Versions?
In many cases, designer benzos are indeed more potent than prescription benzodiazepines – largely due to the illicit way they’re made. Rather than being subjected to stringent oversight, designer benzos are often made in clandestine labs, with manufacturers not following strict dosage levels or checking for possible contamination with other substances.
This adds up to the ability to cheaply and quickly manufacture street drugs. Still, it comes at a cost – it can very easily lead to uncertainty about what’s in the drug, how strong it is, or what else it might contain, and that can cause dangerous reactions and even lead to a drug overdose.
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Can You Become Addicted to Designer Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines, even the legitimately approved medical versions, are usually only prescribed to be used for a short period, not to be taken as a long-term medication. Why? They can quickly lead to addiction, especially among those who take them every day or use them for an extended period, and this same risk carries over to designer benzos.
There are several warning signs that someone needs benzo rehab treatment for addiction, including:
- They’re taking more than they planned to on a regular basis.
- They seem to always be running out of their prescription early, or they’re “losing” their medicine all the time and need more.
- They spend too much time thinking about or trying to get more benzos.
- They’re falling behind at home, work, or school due to their benzo use.
With the proper treatment, a better future is possible – but ignoring the problem and hoping it will resolve itself won’t work, and it could put your loved one at significant risk of medical issues and even death.
Key Takeaways on Designer Benzodiazepines
- Designer benzodiazepines are growing in popularity as an illegal street drug.
- These drugs share many similarities with the medication benzodiazepines, but are often made illegally with no safety oversight or knowledge of the potency of the ingredients.
- Some opioid users also seek out benzos as a cheap and quick way of extending the euphoric highs of opioids.
- All benzodiazepines have a high risk of dependency, tolerance, and addiction, especially with repeated use.
- Designer benzos can be especially dangerous if combined with other central nervous system depressants.
If you or someone you love is taking benzos, you’re putting yourself in danger of serious problems and death. The good news is that help is available, and the team at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab knows how to help you overcome your addiction. Call us at 877-855-3470 today to learn how to get started on the road to recovery.
Resources
- ScienceDirect – Designer Benzos: Availability, Motives, and Fatalities – A Systematic Narrative Review of Human Studies
- National Library of Medicine – Novel Designer Benzodiazepines: Comprehensive Review of Evolving Clinical and Adverse Effects
- United States Drug Enforcement Administration – Benzodiazepines
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
