Posted by Alan on May 2, 2002, at 0:43:40
In reply to STAY AWAY FROM BENZOS..., posted by n0matter on May 1, 2002, at 23:20:19
> I took ativan for 4 years, 1mg, 3x/day then switched to klonopin, which is basically the same thing as ativan but with a longer half-life.
They are certainly in the same class chemically but different people react differently to them. Klonopin may work for GAD but not so well for PD - xanax is better for that and so on. So I wouldn't say this statement is accurate.
>They've served me well, I admit, but the problem with these drugs is that they're VERY addictive.
This is not the proper terminology when referring to BZD's. Medically dependent is correct for a medical condition. Tolerance and dependence DOES NOT = "addiction". I have posted a link about the distinction too. Please read and understand the distinction above. It is probably the most important one to understand about these medications - and the LEAST understood by patients and many doctors alike.
>And, when you finally decide you're ready to wean yourself off of them, if that ever even happens, the withdrawals are of such an intensity that it feels like your anxiety returns twice as powerful as before you started taking anything to control it.
This rarely happens except for a small subset of the population and can be countered with a longer acting BZD, slower taper, adding neuontin, or a calcium channel blocker - so there's always a way out if you are the exception and if the tapering is done slowly and methodically enough. Besides, the type of side effect described is relatively rare. The tapering is at least controlable unlike the discontinuation syndromes reported more and more on these bboards with the ssri's (which the manufacturers witheld info. about) and they aren't even classified as building tolerance and withdrawl.
>And then there's no way of telling, once the withdrawals are over with, whether or not you'll have kicked the anxiety.
That's why you keep taking them - to treat the symptoms of chronic anxiety. BZD's, ssri's - as a matter of fact, no medicine "cures" disease (except perhaps antibiotics), they only treat symptoms.
>I strongly suggest alternative medication...something without addictive properties, like neurontin.
The irony of this statement is that there are discontinuation syndromes with ALL psychotropic drugs for an unlucky subset of the population. This phenomenon is not exlusive to BZD's as implied.
So this is part of the misunderstanding of this class of medications that is out there. Not to say that this individual didn't have a bad experience with them. But one must go to a specialist who knows how to diagnose, treat, and follow up using BZD's for anxiety disorders - preferably a specialist who knows the anxiety disorders well.
PLEASE read the links I've posted above.
Alan
poster:Alan
thread:104700
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104713.html