Anti-Benzodiazepine (BENZ-5587)

Specificity: Anti-benzodiazepine (Clone BENZ-5587) is specific for benzodiazepine.
Background: Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat anxiety or insomnia because of their anxiolytic, sedative, and muscle relaxant properties. Examples include medications like diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and clonazepam (Klonopin). These drugs work by increasing the concentration of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. Recent research has shown that there is an increased risk of adverse effects when these drugs are taken in conjunction with opioids. This includes overdose deaths, where patients receiving both of these types of medications are ten times as likely to overdose than those receiving opioids alone. In 2021, about 14% of opioid-related overdose deaths also involved the use of benzodiazepines. Due to their widespread medical use and the potential for misuse, benzodiazepines have been included in drug testing protocols to assess recent substance exposure. Standard drug tests, such as urine tests, can detect the presence of benzodiazepines, providing valuable information in contexts such as workplace drug screening, probation monitoring, or clinical assessments.