Posted by hiba on October 22, 2002, at 23:49:05
In reply to Re: My Klonopin (Clonazepam) isnt working ?? » hiba, posted by Squiggles on October 22, 2002, at 8:04:58
Dear Squiggles,
ACE inhibitors are not in the class of beta blockers. They are very safe medicines if used properly. But what I was trying to prove is, pharmaceutical manuals always carry more than enough warnings to terrify patients. If you are following manuals, you can't use any antibiotics because almost all antibiotics carry a risk of renal toxicity. ACE inhibitors too have this side effect. But simply emphasizing on the risks and toxicity of life-saving medications doesn't make enough fun at all. This is the same with benzos.
Benzos carry a risk of dependence. Yet this risk can vary from person to person. But it is very unfortunate to see a well informed one like you is always emphasizing on the dependence potential of benzos and conveniently ignoring their potential in treating the agony of excessive anxiety and obsessive worries. The dependence potential of benzos is only a very small price a patient has to pay, because if you go through the side effect profile of any benzo, and compare it with other medicines used in psychiatric, or general practice, I am sure you can feel the difference. Almost all antidepressants carry a risk of seizure especially in susceptible individuals. But can you show me a single benzo that will cause a seizure? Rather some benzos are very useful in treating seizure disorders. Older tricyclics carry a risk of agranulocytosis. A potentially life threatening disorder which requires very immediate medical intervension. Newer ADs like mianserin and mirtazepine both have this risk with a higher incidence.There are reports of tardive dyskinesia attributed to prozac use. It is an irreversible movement disorder. But benzos are absolutely free from toxic adverse reactions. The only toxicity that can be attributed to benzos is they cause seizures if stopped abruptly after long-term use . Still a gradual tapering never cause this problem and there is no fatality at all. I have seen some patients with significantly impaired renal function because of the long-term exposure to anti-inflammatory analgesics. And fatal nephrotoxicity is not uncommon in constant antibiotic exposure. Beta-blockers if stopped abruptly after long term use can cause myocardial infarction. This warning can be seen in the safety profile of Visken(pindolol). Still I am not trying to prove all these medicines are toxic and cannot be touched. If used properly under medical supervision, they can be life saving miracles. But if you try to project their risks, there will be no medicine a patient can use.
Now I like to make a comparison.The only risk factor of benzos is their potential for dependence. But what will you chose when you are given a choice between irreversible physiological damage and a slight medical dependence ?About the hollow-feeling: This is what accompanies when you come off prozac and similar SSRIs. It is neither depression nor anxiety. But it is a nothing like feeling. It is very difficult to describe in words. You will not understand what is wrong with you, but there will be only a nothingness inside your head. Terrible! I am still on prozac only to escape from this hellish feeling. Recently I tried to quit prozac and gave wellbutrin a try. But only to boost my depressive symptomatology. So the reinstatement of prozac was inevitable.
Good luck Squiggles, take care!
HIBA
poster:hiba
thread:124171
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/124804.html