Is xanax contraindicated in Asthma / Copd exacerbation

[Cadet133]

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Is there any data that restricts the use of low dose xanax (0.5mg) in mild asthma exacerbations (not requiring o2) Can they still take to help them sleep. Is it a complete contraindication?

 

[Mad Jack]

Is there any data that restricts the use of low dose xanax (0.5mg) in mild asthma exacerbations (not requiring o2) Can they still take to help them sleep. Is it a complete contraindication?

Xanax should never be used to help someone sleep. Or honestly for anything ever, it's a terrible drug with unique addiction potential not possessed by any other benzodiazepine due to its unique property of stimulating dopamine reward pathways in a manner not shared by any other benzo. But more than anything, it should never, ever be used for sleep as it does not have favorable pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic properties for sleep initiation or maintenance compared to alternatives.

As to contraindication, it is certainly associated with worse outcomes, though not an absolute contraindication.

Association between benzodiazepine use and exacerbations and mortality in patients with asthma: a matched case-control and survival analysis using the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink - PubMed

Benzodiazepines and zopiclone may increase the likelihood of asthma exacerbation, and benzodiazepines may also increase the likelihood of mortality following exacerbation. These data suggest that caution should be exercised when prescribing benzodiazepines to patients with asthma.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This must be weighed against the risk of benzo withdrawal in chronic use, and is really down to your judgment and reading of the data