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.