Aggravation of Diabetic Hyperglycemia by Chlordiazepoxide

The administration of chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride, 40 mg daily, aggravated the hyperglycemia in an insulin-dependent, maturity-onset diabetic woman, raising the fasting blood glucose values from 220 mg/100 ml to 380 mg/100 ml. Review of the literature shows that virtually all psychoactive drugs affect diabetes; most tranquilizers aggravate diabetic hyperglycemia, while most antidepressants ameliorate it. The effect described in this communication is of clinical importance because of the widespread use of the benzodiazepine tranquilizers.