Posted by gilbert on March 9, 2002, at 17:19:11
In reply to Re: benzodiazEpines, posted by Elizabeth on March 9, 2002, at 12:34:32
Elizabeth I aways love your posts but you get 2 minutes in the penalty box for this one below.................
> BTW, all the credible authorities I've encountered (including standard psychiatry and pharmacology textbooks as well as clinical studies) have provided convincing evidence that persons who take benzodiazepines long-term for anxiety disorders do not, as a rule, develop tolerance (contrary to your "theory," which does not constitute "convincing evidence"). So you have a big hurdle to overcome.
There are huge amounts of data clinical and standard pyschiactric practice that would say otherwise then your statement above....in fact the last 4 pyschiatrists I have seen have been anti benzo, and tell me all about all of their patients that develope a tolerance to these drugs and need to raise doses to be effective. The DMV and most standrrd PDR's specify to use these drugs prn or less than 4 weeks due to dependence problems. I would say those big hurdles amount to nothing more than speed bumps in some cases. I would venture to say that a minority of patients can stay on the same dose year in and out unless like you they are prn. I would say your statement that "all the credible sources" is from a personal bias rather than a scientific point of view for God's sake even the FDA studies on xanax showed addiction and tolerance problems. I don't think the entire medical establishment is gun shy because the patients have run out or because valium took a bad rap in the 70's. They have personal experience with patients running into problems with these meds. Even my internest tells me stories about patients who always need higher doses...so I do not consider the PDR, any pdoc I have seen and my Internest non credible sources. This was the point of my post earlier. There are loads of studies showing tolerance and abuse just look them up even like I stated before the Internet Mental Health site shows adverse effects from long term benzo use, the PDR warns against it, My own doc has experienced it with patients and I myself have experienced it in my own life so am I now to deem all of these real life experiences non-credible...........that would be incredible....I love your posts, inteligence and writing skills but I think I have to part ways with you on this one.....and it isn't often I part ways with you.
Gil
poster:gilbert
thread:96969
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020307/msgs/97232.html