Factors influencing the activity and fate of benzodiazepines in the body.

Abstract

1 The clinical pharmacokinetics of the many benzodiazepines used to treat numerous and varied clinical conditions can be influenced by many factors. 2 Combinations of drugs efficacious in the central nervous system can change the onset, intensity and duration of effect as a result of pharmacological, physiological and pharmacokinetic actions. 3 Pharmacokinetic considerations indicate that short to medium long‐ acting benzodiazepines that depend on only glucuronidation for their major metabolic pathway are the drugs of choice in this category. 1981 The British Pharmacological Society