BWS values decreased during FLU treatment temporal period. Lormetazepam concentrations were 502.5 ± 610.0 ng/ml at hospital admission, 26.2 ± 26.8 ng/ml after 4 days, and 0 at the end of treatment. Serum FLU concentrations significantly decreased from 0.54 ± 0.33 ng/ml (mean ± SD) after 4 days of treatment to 0.1 ± 0.2 ng/ml at the end of infusion. Results: Fourteen patients (mean age ± SD 42.5 ± 8.0 years, 5 male and 9 female), admitted to the hospital for high-dose BZD detoxification, were enrolled in the study.
Changes in withdrawal severity were assessed by using the BZD Withdrawal Scale (BWS). Methods: Seven-day FLU 1 mg/day subcutaneously injected through an elastomeric pump and BZDs lormetazepam, clonazepam, and lorazepam were assessed by HPLC-MS/MS in serum of patients before and after 4 and 7 days of FLU continuous infusion treatment. The aim of this study was to confirm FLU efficacy for reducing BZD withdrawal syndrome by means of continuous elastomeric infusion, correlated to drugs plasma level and patients' compliance.
Studies in chronic users who discontinued BZD in a clinical setting suggested that multiple slow bolus infusions of FLU reduce BZD withdrawal symptoms. An effective approach in the treatment of benzodiazepine (BZD) overdosing and detoxification is flumazenil (FLU).
