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Re: low dose benzos controversy

Posted by Greg on August 9, 1999, at 21:47:53

In reply to Re: low dose benzos controversy, posted by Susan on August 8, 1999, at 21:50:14

>
> > LOW dosages of course wouldn't disrupt the natural sleep archetecture but when treating anxiety disorders at higher dosages, it can. Treating sleep disorders with low dosages of benzos is safe and common as I understand it...as long as there is not another underlying problem causing the insomnia - either psychological or physiological.
> >
> > GS
>
> What do you consider a low dose? Is .50 mg Xanax a low dose?
> Susan
***********************************************
Heavens Yes! You would have to be up over 2 or more mg to disrupt sleep to the point that you would notice "sleep deprivation" during the middle of the day (due to poor sleep archetechture).

The problem is that 1 mg to me would't equate to 1 mg. to you. It's a highly variable thing from person to person. Just look at a table of half-lifes for just one single type of benzo and you begin to understand that the range is ENORMOUS because they are processed by each person differently.

For instance, my doc told me that 1 = 1 generally Xanax to Ativan....but when I took them it was more like .5 Xanax = 1 Ativan TO ME. I know of a friend with stage fright and is a top artist in their field that takes 5 - 6 Xanax before a performance for performance anxiety. So you see how awful a disease they have...and that's on top of a healthy dose of the sedating antidepressant Imipramine!! If I took that much, I'd probably sleep for a week. So it's by trial and error for each individual for benzos.

I think that is why it is almost an art form unto itself to prescribe and manage these things successfully...that is why they seem so "dangerous" to so many docs I think. The controversy is not at the dose and purpose for which you take them - at the higher dosages for treatment of anxiety disorders - yes there is as I mentioned in my first post on 8/4/99.
Am I making any sense Susan?

GS


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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990914/msgs/9840.html