Can I Build A Benzodiazepine Tolerance?

Building a tolerance to benzodiazepines can happen faster than most people realize. Medications like Valium, Ativan, Xanax, and Klonopin are commonly prescribed for anxiety, panic disorders, and sleep problems, but regular use can lead to tolerance in as little as a few weeks. This means the body adapts to the medication and needs higher doses to achieve the same calming effects.

Tolerance can develop whether someone takes benzodiazepines exactly as prescribed by their doctor or misuses them at higher doses. Understanding how benzodiazepine tolerance works, why it happens, and what signs to watch for is important for anyone taking these medications. Recognizing tolerance early can help prevent dependence, addiction, and the serious health risks that come with long-term benzodiazepine use.

What Is A Benzodiazepine Tolerance?

A tolerance occurs when the body becomes accustomed to the presence of a substance, such as alcohol or drugs, in your system. This develops through the regular use of drugs, including illicit drugs, alcohol, and prescription medications like benzodiazepines.

What to know about benzodiazepine tolerance:

• tolerance to the sedative effects and anticonvulsant actions of benzodiazepines can develop rapidly, while tolerance to anxiolytic effects develops more slowly
• it can develop through taking the drug as prescribed by a doctor, and is not by itself a form or sign of substance abuse
• it can develop as soon as a few weeks after regular use
• it can be influenced by metabolic, genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors
• benzodiazepine tolerance is not the same as dependence, which can cause withdrawal symptoms with reduced use or sudden, stopped use

Common Forms Of Benzodiazepine Tolerance

Benzodiazepines are a class of central nervous system (CNS) depressants commonly used for treating anxiety disorder, insomnia, panic disorder, epilepsy, and alcohol withdrawal.

Common types of benzo tolerance include:

• alprazolam (Xanax) tolerance
• clonazepam (Klonopin) tolerance
• lorazepam (Ativan) tolerance
• diazepam (Valium) tolerance
• chlordiazepoxide (Lithium) tolerance
• triazolam (Halcion) tolerance
• temazepam (Restoril) tolerance

Tolerance can develop with the use of all benzodiazepines, although the length of time it takes and effects of benzodiazepine tolerance may vary by drug type.

What Causes A Benzodiazepine Tolerance?

Benzodiazepine tolerance develops through the repeated use of a benzodiazepine drug. Generally, tolerance develops because a person’s metabolism of the drug speeds up, and because the number of binding sites (benzodiazepine receptors) the drug attaches to decreases.

Tolerance can develop by:

• taking benzodiazepine drugs by mouth (orally)
• snorting benzos, also known as sniffing or snorting
• injecting benzos through intravenous methods
• abusing benzos with other drugs (e.g. opioids, barbiturates)
• plugging benzos, or inserting them rectally

Taking benzodiazepines regularly will eventually cause the body to become tolerant to the drug’s effects, causing the drug to become less effective.

Signs Of A Benzodiazepine Tolerance

The primary sign of benzodiazepine tolerance is the reduced effectiveness of the drug while taking the same dosage as before.

Signs and symptoms of a benzodiazepine tolerance include:

• reduced drug effects (e.g. sleepiness, anxiety relief, calmness)
• requiring higher doses to feel the desired side effect (i.e. dose escalation)
• increased anxiety or insomnia symptoms
• taking high doses of benzodiazepines

Factors That Can Affect Benzodiazepine Tolerance

The development of a benzodiazepine tolerance, and the amount of time it takes, can be influenced by a variety of personal factors.

Factors that can affect this include:

• type of benzodiazepines
• half-life of the benzodiazepine
• frequency of drug use
• history of benzodiazepine use
• genetic factors

Risks Of Benzodiazepine Tolerance

Tolerance to a drug is not dangerous or a health issue by itself. When drug use is closely monitored by a doctor, it can be effectively managed through dosage adjustments. However, if a person attempts to overcome tolerance alone, by increasing their dosage without a prescriber’s approval, this can carry with it certain risks.

For instance, tolerance may be a risk factor for substance abuse in certain people, as well as addiction if the drug abuse becomes a habit and worsens with time.

Benzodiazepine Tolerance And Substance Abuse

Having a high tolerance to benzos can be a sign of substance abuse. Benzodiazepine abuse is a serious issue that may require treatment to overcome. This problem can develop in anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

How To Manage Benzodiazepine Tolerance Safely

If you notice signs of tolerance developing to your benzodiazepine medication, talk to your doctor before making any changes to your dosage. Never increase your dose on your own, as this can accelerate dependence and addiction. Your healthcare provider can assess the situation and may suggest adjusting your dose, switching to a different benzodiazepine, or trying alternative treatments for your anxiety or sleep problems.

Your doctor may recommend a drug holiday, where you temporarily stop the medication under supervision to reset your body’s sensitivity, or a gradual tapering plan to reduce your dose safely. Combining medication with non-drug approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, or lifestyle changes can also help reduce reliance on benzodiazepines.

Treatment For Benzodiazepine Abuse And Addiction

Tolerance by itself does not necessarily require treatment. But it may become an issue if it’s a consequence of prescription drug abuse or a substance use disorder. Benzodiazepines can cause severe physical dependence and withdrawal effects with chronic use. They can also become addictive when abused for non-medical purposes.

Treatment will typically involve benzodiazepine detoxification (detox) for withdrawal, in addition to other behavioral health interventions.

Benzodiazepine Tolerance FAQs

Find answers below to frequently asked questions about benzodiazepine tolerance and addiction.

❓ What Is The Difference Between Benzodiazepine Tolerance And Addiction?

✔️ Benzo tolerance occurs through chronic use of a benzodiazepine drug. This can develop through taking the drug as prescribed, or abusing benzodiazepines without a prescription.

Addiction, on the other hand, is a disease with physical, psychological, and biological components. This is characterized by a compulsive need to take a benzo.

❓ Does Melatonin Reverse Benzo Tolerance?

✔️ No. Some research suggests melatonin may help certain people experiencing insomnia during benzodiazepine withdrawal. But it does not affect benzo tolerance.

❓ How Long Does It Take To Develop A Tolerance To Benzodiazepines?

✔️ Tolerance to benzodiazepine treatment can develop within a few weeks of daily use. This may depend on factors related to physical health, genes, and multidrug use.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff