List of Benzodiazepines - Benzodiazepine Half-life and Equivalent Dose Table

Benzodiazepine Half-life and Equivalent Dose Table

See also: Benzodiazepine drug misuse#Risk factors for misuse

It is important to note that the elimination half-life of diazepam and chlordiazepoxide as well as other long half-life benzodiazepines is twice as long in the elderly compared to younger individuals. Individuals with an impaired liver also metabolise benzodiazepines more slowly. Many doctors make the mistake of not adjusting benzodiazepine dosage according to age in elderly patients. Thus the equivalent doses below may need to be adjusted accordingly in individuals on short acting benzodiazepines who metabolise long-acting benzodiazepines more slowly and vice versa. The changes are most notable with long acting benzodiazepines as these are prone to significant accumulation in such individuals. For example the equivalent dose of diazepam in an elderly individual on lorazepam may be up to half of what would be expected in a younger individual. Equivalencies between individual benzodiazepines can differ by 400 fold on a mg per mg basis; awareness of this fact is necessary for the safe and effective use of benzodiazepines.
† Citation needed for this table.

Drug Name	Common Brand Names*	Time to Peak (Onset of action in hours)	Elimination Half-Life (h)†	Therapeutic use	Approximate Equivalent Dose‡
Alprazolam	Helex, Xanax, Xanor, Onax, Alprox, Restyl, Tafil, Paxal	1-2	9–20 hours	anxiolytic	0.5 mg
Bretazenil	N/A	?	2.5 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	0.5 mg
Bromazepam	Lectopam, Lexotanil, Lexotan, Bromam	1-3	10–20 hours	anxiolytic	5-6 mg
Brotizolam	Lendormin, Dormex, Sintonal, Noctilan	0.5-2	4–5 hours	hypnotic	0.25 mg
Chlordiazepoxide	Librium, Risolid, Elenium	1.5-4	5–30 hours	anxiolytic	25 mg
Cinolazepam	Gerodorm	0.5-2	9 hours	hypnotic	40 mg
Clonazepam	Rivotril, Klonopin, Iktorivil, Paxam	1-4	18–50 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	0.5 mg
Clorazepate	Tranxene, Tranxilium	Variable	36–100 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	15 mg
Clotiazepam	Veratran, Clozan, Rize	1-3	6-18 hours	anxiolytic	5-10 mg
Cloxazolam	Sepazon, Olcadil	2-5 (?)	18–50 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	1 mg
Delorazepam	Dadumir	1-2	60–140 hours	anxiolytic	1 mg
Diazepam	Antenex, Apaurin, Apzepam, Apozepam, Hexalid, Pax, Stesolid, Stedon, Valium, Vival, Valaxona	1-1.5	20–100 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant	10 mg
Estazolam	ProSom	1-5	10–24 hours	hypnotic	2 mg
Etizolam	Etilaam, Pasaden, Depas	1-2	6 hours	anxiolytic, hypnotic	1 mg
Ethyl loflazepate	Victan, Meilax, Ronlax	1.5	50-100 hours	anxiolytic	2 mg
Flunitrazepam	Rohypnol, Hipnosedon, Vulbegal, Fluscand, Flunipam, Ronal, Rohydorm,	0.5-3	18–26 hours	hypnotic	1 mg
Flurazepam	Dalmadorm, Dalmane	1-1.5	40–250 hours	hypnotic	15–30 mg
Flutoprazepam	Restas	0.5-9	60–90 hours	hypnotic, anticonvulsant	2–3 mg
Halazepam	Paxipam	1-3	30–100 hours	anxiolytic	20–40 mg
Ketazolam	Anxon	2.5-3	30–100 hours	anxiolytic	15–30 mg
Loprazolam	Dormonoct	0.5-4	6–12 hours	hypnotic	1-2 mg
Lorazepam	Ativan, Lorenin, Temesta, Tavor, Lorabenz	2-4	10–20 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	1mg
Lormetazepam	Loramet, Noctamid, Pronoctan	0.5-2	10–12 hours	hypnotic	1.5 mg
Medazepam	Nobrium	?	36–200 hours	anxiolytic	10 mg
Midazolam	Dormicum, Versed, Hypnovel, Dormonid	0.5-1	3 hours (1.8–6 hours)	hypnotic, anticonvulsant	7.5 mg
Nimetazepam	Erimin	0.5-3	14–30 hours	hypnotic	5 mg
Nitrazepam	Mogadon, Alodorm, Pacisyn, Dumolid, Nitrazadon	0.5-7	15–38 hours	hypnotic, anticonvulsant	10 mg
Nordazepam	Madar, Stilny	?	50–120 hours	anxiolytic	10 mg
Oxazepam	Seresta, Serax, Serenid, Serepax, Sobril, Oxabenz, Oxapax, opamox	3-4	4–15 hours	anxiolytic	20 mg
Phenazepam	Phenazepam	1.5-4	60 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	1 mg
Pinazepam	Domar	?	40–100 hours	anxiolytic	20 mg
Prazepam	Lysanxia, Centrax	2-6	36–200 hours	anxiolytic	20 mg
Premazepam	N/A	2-6	10–13 hours	anxiolytic	15 mg
Pyrazolam	N/A	1-1.5	9–11 hours	anxiolytic	1.0 mg
Quazepam	Doral	1-5	39–120 hours	hypnotic	20 mg
Temazepam	Restoril, Normison, Euhypnos, Temaze, Tenox	0.5-3	8–22 hours	hypnotic	20 mg
Tetrazepam	Myolastan	1-3	3–26 hours	Skeletal muscle relaxant	100 mg
Triazolam	Halcion, Rilamir	0.5-2	2 hours	hypnotic	0.25 mg