anyone on benzodiazepines?

Question

is anyone currently using benzos,and how are you getting on? why are psychiatrists in the uk so strict about prescribing benzos?benzodiazepines are widely used in the USA yet they are so controlled here.i have bad anxiety and i've been put on ssri's which don't seem to do much and i feel like an experiment dummy. thanking everyone in advance

Answer 1

Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide HCl (Librium), and alprazolam (Xanax), which can be prescribed to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions, and panic attacks; the more sedating benzodiazepines, such as triazolam (Halcion) and estazolam (ProSom) can be prescribed for short-term treatment of sleep disorders.

In higher doses, some CNS depressants can be used as general anesthetics.

Despite their many beneficial effects, barbiturates and benzodiazepines have the potential for abuse and should be used only as prescribed. During the first few days of taking a prescribed CNS depressant, a person usually feels sleepy and uncoordinated, but as the body becomes accustomed to the effects of the drug, these feelings begin to disappear. If one uses these drugs long term, the body will develop tolerance for the drugs, and larger doses will be needed to achieve the same initial effects. In addition, continued use can lead to physical dependence and - when use is reduced or stopped - withdrawal. Because all CNS depressants work by slowing the brain's activity, when an individual stops taking them, the brain's activity can rebound and race out of control, possibly leading to seizures and other harmful consequences. Although withdrawal from benzodiazepines can be problematic, it is rarely life threatening, whereas withdrawal from prolonged use of other CNS depressants can have life-threatening complications. Therefore, someone who is thinking about discontinuing CNS depressant therapy or who is suffering withdrawal from a CNS depressant should speak with a physician or seek medical treatment.

At high doses or when they are abused, many of these drugs can even cause unconsciousness and death.

Side-Effects

Activity of central nervous system slowed down. Small dose relieves tension; large dose produces staggering, blurred vision, impaired thinking, slurred speech, impaired perception of time and space, slowed reflexes and breathing, reduced sensitivity to pain. Overdoses cause unconsciousness, coma and death. Many of the deaths due to drugs (excluding alcohol) in Canada are caused by barbiturates and barbiturate-like drugs. Accidental overdoses occur when children swallow pills or when adults with increased tolerance are unsure of how many to take.

CNS depressants should be used with other medications only under a physician's supervision. Typically, they should not be combined with any other medication or substance that causes CNS depression, including prescription pain medicines, some over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, or alcohol. Using CNS depressants with these other substances - particularly alcohol - can slow breathing, or slow both the heart and respiration.
VR

Answer 2

Psychiatrists in the UK and every other country should start highlighting more on the dangers of many drugs including benzodiazepines, anti parkinsons, antischizophrenic, neuroleptic, antipsychotic drugs and the endless list of drugs that alter a persons mind.

They are dangerous and over prescribed. There should be a ban on sales across the net of these severely dangerous drugs.

There should also be more control over the over prescription of all these drugs too.

Drugs that alter your state of mind do not cure the problem. Anxiety is normal human nature. Dealing with the root of the problem has better results than taking a drug to numb the problem.

I know full well what its like to be part of research here in the UK as 11 of those drugs were used on me as a child for 3 years
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Those drugs turned a healthy teenager into a walking zombie. They caused my entire personality to change. I became suicidal, depressed, agressive, distant, shuffled each step i took,anxiety, couldnt think for myself, self harmed, hilucinated, started to forget basic maths, started to forget simple words and how to spell them and that was the affects on someone who had no mental health issue nor depression. so imagine what they are doing to you. Im now 40 and im still suffering the affects of those drugs even though i havent had any since i was almost 17. A typical dose at 14 were 30mg valium, 200mg sparine, 20mg kemadrin 4 hourly on top of disipal and depixol 4 times a day. And he would throw the other 9 in along the way. They were given to me by imi against my will.

Anxiety is something you can control and deal with but the affects of the drugs will cripple you much more. Dont take them.

Answer 3

There good reason why they are strictly controlled, they are very addictive and can destroy your life faster than many illegal drugs.

Trust me, I know, I've been addicted to just about everything right down to heroin. Benzo's were one of the most difficult things I've had to quit.

The main problem is that the drug will have you going from helping relax you during a stressful period in your life to having you feel that you cannot live and function without them. Make no mistake, they can feel like a life jacket to a drowning person and help immensely.....but only for a short period. If you find yourself getting panicked when you start running low and/or find yourself clock-watching until your next dose then you should probably think about tapering off. No one should take them for longer than 90 days. Period.

Answer 4

I have been feeling alot of anxiety and depression latley so they put me on:
Fluoxerine - everyday
Klonopin - everyday
Alprazolam - When i get an attack or feel like when i got out i might have an attack

To me they are not working very well....i went out late last night for a walk becuase i thought there would be less people and i could get some fresh air since i have been inside for almost 3 weeks with the excepition on a few outings.....last night when i saw other people walking even from a far distance i got an anxiety attack and started crying, feeling light headed, short of breath, and shaky.....i am going to the doctor today and am going to switch from my local doctor to a specialist.....

Answer 5

Hi - I was on these for five years. The trouble is that in time you take more to get the effect and this is no good for the liver.
I will say that I had little trouble fazing them out myself, but other people suffer a great deal. Having said that, they did help a lot and I still crave for that help sometimes. At the moment I am on Cipralex. I don't feel much different, but others say I am far more able to cope with the outside world. All the Best.

Answer 6

As discussed can be very physically addictive, but even worse very psychologically addictive-alot harder to deal with. I feel that they still have there place on some occasions. In my personal opinion if you were to use them very rarely they can be useful without being a crutch. However using these long term can completely ruin your psychological health.
Depending on your type of anxiety, paroxetine can be a fantastic drug for some. As you probably know though, you do need to find some type of psychological intervention. It can find along time to find what is right for you, and even harder to find the right person to assist you(alot of psychologists for example are absolute rubbish). So do some research in a nice gentle way, and you will find solutions out there. For acute times, as mentioned paroxetine might be useful until you can start with other interventions(paroxetines not short term-need to be on it at least 6mths).

Answer 7

well I am not on benzos,I hope but as tablets are given out like smarties here in Sunny Ireland then I could be.For anxiety I swim, walk, deep breath, read silly books with happy endings,Will not listen to negative anything including the news.Wrap up in a blanket with a hot water jar.Rub dogs,cats as they are so calming. Make sure its a very chilled dog,cat. Most big dogs are very gentle and love being rubbed.Watch silly soppy films with happy endings. Just try and love yourself as best you can. If you like plants then being around a garden is gentle. Gentle is very important to us who suffer at times from anxiety. Be gentle and loving to yourself.

Answer 8

There is a taboo against admitting you take tranquilizers in England. This is probably the effect of the drug but the people have a reputation of being woolly, vague and unreliable. A bit like drug addicts. These pills are addictive.

Not every drug addict is unreliable and not every benzo addict, but people tend to get tarred with the same brush.

Answer 9

I'm on klonopin for anxiety and they're strict in the U.S. too about dispensing it. SSRI's made my anxiety worse. Get another opinion as you may have a mood disorder such as Bipolar disorder. Antidepressant failure is a big sign that you're probably Bipolar.

Answer 10

Hello,

My name is Dr. Newton P. Harold and I am currently employed as a psychologist at Brown University. Before I worked as a professor at brown, I was an Executive Vice President at Pfizer. I believe that using these medicines to quell just the symptoms that you have described is folly. Madam/Sir you must stop taking this medicine that your doctor has subscribed. To be sincere from what I am hearing I don't believe he is quite accomplished in this field of work. I urge you Madam/Sir to please seek another professional opinion. This drug if not taken correctly, or as in this case, not prescribed correctly can be deadly. Contact another doctor, and your lawyer, this is grounds for a malpractice suit. Best of luck to you and I hope you graced with the gift of great health.


Sincerely,
Dr. Newton P Harold
Professor of Psychology
Brown University