Benzodiazepines: the complete list, ranked by safety record
All 12 benzodiazepines we track, ranked by our independent FDA recall-safety score. Unlike a plain list, every drug here carries its safety record, what it treats, whether a generic exists, and how long it stays in your body.
Benzodiazepines are central-nervous-system depressants that calm overactive nerve signaling. The FDA has approved them for anxiety disorders, seizures, insomnia, and managing alcohol withdrawal.
How they work: They act on benzodiazepine receptors that are part of the GABA-A receptor, a chloride channel. In the presence of the brain's own GABA, they increase how often that channel opens, letting chloride into the neuron, hyperpolarizing it, and producing CNS depression.
What everyone taking one should know
Benzodiazepines are habit-forming: regular use can lead to physical dependence, and stopping abruptly can trigger withdrawal reactions, including seizures. They also carry an FDA boxed warning that combining them with opioids can cause severe respiratory depression, coma, and death.
| Drug | Safety | Generic? | Treats |
|---|---|---|---|
| chlordiazepoxide hydrochlorideboxed warning | 72/100 | Brand only | Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Anxiety Disorders |
| flurazepam hydrochlorideboxed warning | 72/100 | Brand only | Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders |
| alprazolamboxed warning Half-life: about 11 hours | 70/100 | Yes | Agoraphobia, Depressive Disorder |
| midazolamboxed warning | 70/100 | Brand only | Anxiety Disorders, Psychomotor Agitation |
| temazepamboxed warning | 70/100 | Yes | Depressive Disorder, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders |
| lorazepamboxed warning Half-life: about 12 hours | 62/100 | Yes | Anxiety Disorders, Catatonia |
| triazolamboxed warning | 56/100 | Brand only | Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders |
| clobazamboxed warning | unrated | Yes | Seizures, Lennox Gastaut Syndrome |
| clonazepamboxed warning Half-life: about 30 to 40 hours | unrated | Yes | Bipolar Disorder, Dysarthria |
| clorazepate dipotassiumboxed warning | unrated | Yes | Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Anxiety Disorders |
| diazepamboxed warning Half-life: about 48 hours | unrated | Yes | Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Muscle Spasticity |
| oxazepamboxed warning | unrated | Brand only | Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Anxiety Disorders |
Ranked by our independent recall-safety score (higher is better), which reflects the FDA recall and enforcement record — not effectiveness. A higher score is not medical advice to switch; which drug is right for you is a prescriber’s decision. 5 are unrated (too little regulatory history to score) and sort last.
Sources
Other drug classes: NSAIDs · Statins · Opioids · Beta blockers · SSRIs · SNRIs · ACE inhibitors · ARBs · Proton pump inhibitors · Calcium channel blockers · Macrolide antibiotics.
The list is built from the FDA’s Established Pharmacologic Class tags, so it reflects the drugs in this class that we track (one row per active ingredient). Safety scores come from the FDA recall and enforcement record. This is general reference information, not medical advice — do not start, stop or switch a medication based on it; talk to your prescriber or pharmacist.