Abstract

The binding of anxiolytic drugs to blood proteins is a process brought out by molecular affinity. The process occurs in a reversible form, for that reason such union is regarded as temporal. However, the release or the displacement of the drug from the protein due to the interaction with other drug with the same or greater affinity may lead to serious consequences. The displaced drug does not only produce an increase in the therapeutic but also in the adverse effects by increasing its unbound, free-form concentration in blood. The consequences of the interaction between substances with anxiolytic effects and blood proteins are reviewed herein. This group of drugs generally shows extensive affinity to blood proteins, thus characterizes them as compounds with high risk of presenting adverse clinical effect as a consequence of its interaction with other drugs or to changes in the protein blood protein binding. For this reason, a considerable number of patients abandon their treatment as an example in which risk overwhelms therapeutic benefit.

Key words: Anxiolytic, benzodiazepine, interactions, protein binding.