“In anxiety-depressive disorder, the result is spectacular”. Dr. Olivier Dubois did not think that the conclusions of his study would be so encouraging. The spa doctor initiated the SPECTh program intended to assess the impact of spa therapy on the consumption of psychotropics, and specifically benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepines are psychotropic drugs with sedative and hypnotic properties intended primarily to treat anxiety and sleep disorders.
70 patients aged 18 to 85 were followed for six months in four different French spas (Bagnères-de-Bigorre, Néris-les-Bains, Saujon, Ussat-les-Bains).
During their stay, the benzodiazepine-consuming spa guests benefited from balneotherapy care, medical monitoring and personalized psychotherapeutic monitoring.
As a result, after three months, 43% of patients succeeded in stopping their benzodiazepine treatment. At the sixth month, 80% of the patients had succeeded in completely eliminating or reducing their intake of psychotropic drugs by half.
Another positive fact, the cessation of benzodiazepines was accompanied in those affected by a marked reduction in anxiety and depressive symptoms. “We have twice as much improvement in the group of those who have completely stopped compared to people who have only partially stopped”, welcomes Olivier Dubois, quoted by Pourquoidocteur.
Therapeutic hydrotherapy, an under-exploited field
For this hydrotherapy specialist, it is clear that balneotherapy is a weight ally to reduce medicationpsychotropics. “The combination of a suitable place, a necessary duration, trained professionals and complementary care, all contribute to the realization of the withdrawal of benzodiazepines”, assures the doctor.
This study could make health actors think about ways to generalize the prescription of spa treatments to people suffering from psychosomatic disorders. Because the French are still too addicted to psychotropics.
Most consumers are women (60%). Benzodiazepine treatment time is around seven months in France. After the publication of an Inserm study confirming a increased risk of dementia in people over 65the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) recalled the importance of limiting benzodiazepines to a short duration (4 weeks).
