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Anxiety Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to generalized anxiety, anxiety and eating, anxiety and sleeping, mood swings, and phobias.
Informal Poll - Long Terrm Treatment With Benzodiazepines
by debaser23, May 08, 2007 12:00AM
I'm interested in hearing about the experiences of people who've been on benzos long term (more than a year).
How long have you been using them?
Which drug?
At what doses have you taken it?
What is your opinion, overall (efficacy, side effects, tolerance are of particular concern to me)?
Please note that I'm not interested in this turning into a pro- or anti-benzo debate. I'd like to hear only from people who've taken them for around a year or more.
How long have you been using them?
Which drug?
At what doses have you taken it?
What is your opinion, overall (efficacy, side effects, tolerance are of particular concern to me)?
Please note that I'm not interested in this turning into a pro- or anti-benzo debate. I'd like to hear only from people who've taken them for around a year or more.
Clorzanepam has helped me when I get severe anxiety...It takes about 1/2 to1 hour for it to kick in for me and then I get a sleepy feeling for about an hour...then it just helps to keep me calm for many hours to follow. I am very happy with the results of my benzo!!!
I'm mainly curious about tolerance. I've read a lot about the subject and have found that tolerance to anxiotic properties of benzos is pretty rare. As I think RCA said, many people appear to develop tolerance to the sedative properties and mistake that for the "tolerance" that leads to higher and higher doses.
So I guess the question I'm ultimately seeking to answer is, why aren't benzodiazepines more popular for treating anxiety and panic for the long term? What's the draw back? Assuming patients don't just take the pill and forget about working on themselves, what's the problem? Why fool around with SSRIs?
I know I'm just one person and I haven't even been on Klonopin that long, but it has made such an incredible difference in my life that I'm just really impressed with it. I don't feel just great 100 percent of the time or anything, but it's a night and day difference and I'm not exaggerating at all.
Others' mileage may vary. I realize that, so I don't want to just sound completely pro-benzo. I think if you have the wrong doctor they could ultimately do more harm than good, and I think benzo patients should educate themselves thoroughly. They're quite potent.
Anyway, I'm just talking to talk, I guess.
Hope everyone has a good night.
'In long term and high dosage therapy, periodic liver function tests should be administered and the dosage of any benzodiazepine should be carefully titrated in patients with impaired hepatic function and renal clearance. While liver damage may be limited when these drugs are prescribed at the recommended dosage, the possibility of such harm should be considered in all individuals; especially individuals utilizing other medications including over the counter analgesics and/or alcohol.'
Do you know anything about this? Is this something I should even worry about?
I tried asking Dr. Gould but he just kinda ignored that part of my question.
BTW: are you a doctor, pharmacist? How do you know so much?
Much appreciated...
I actually talked to my doctor today as I had a "refill appointment". It so happens that I asked him about the liver stuff, and he said it's exceedingly rare with normal dosing, but he didn't go into many details. Maybe it tends to happen more when people take them in combination with other drugs. I wouldn't have known I couldn't take Zantac with my Klonopin if RCA had told me, for example. That will screw with the liver, apparently.
If you take a benzo regularly, you'll become dependent. But does it really matter? I only have experience with Klonopin and maybe others are different, but I don't understand how anyone could abuse them. You notice a huge difference, but it's nothing like a high or anything remotely like that. If you're dependent on a therapeutic dose and it helps you, there's nothing wrong with that.
I'd suggest that anyone who decides to use benzodiazepines as part of their recovery trust their doctor. Get a good one and trust him or her. Don't ever increase doses on your own. Never. And research the drug you're taking so you know all about it and what to expect.
I was scared shitless of drugs before I took my Klonopin, but I finally did and it worked amazingly well. Best decision I ever made in my life was the day I finally took the stuff.
It is not at all unusual for an epileptic to take between 10-20 mg of Klonopin daily. Obviously, the higher the dose, the higher the risk of liver complications.
Generally speaking,doses less than 1 mg aren't going to effect a normal person's liver, unless he has a predisposition to a liver disorder, or he abuses other drugs (namely, alcohol and pain killers).
Raine, Benzodiazepines are no good for true depression, they can make it worse. If you are unsure of the difference between anxiety and depression, I'd recommend scheduling an appointment to see a Psychiatrist so you can be evaluated.
If you have a combination of depression and anxiety (the anxiety being "somatic", ie: thoughts over your health), A Tricyclic antidepressant would probably work better for you. Elavil and Sinequan are both very good choices. There are some others as well.
-Ryan
(1) Benzo's were overprescribed in the 70's (mainly Valium and Serax), and they got a "bad rap". GP's handed them out like candy for even the slightest complaint. Notice now that all prescribing literature clearly states "Stress associated with daily living does not usually require treatment with an anxiolytic"
(2) SSRI pushers: The manufacturers push SSRI's as Benzodiazepine replacements, even though they are largely ineffective. Most are still patented, which means MAD MONEY for the manufacturer. Benzo's are older drugs, and none of them are patented. They are cheap to make, the revenue is far less. In the end, it's all about the money, sadly.
Care for some Prozac weekly?
As if the SSRI's were bad enough. Now "they" are pushing newer SNRI's and "atypical antipsychotics" for the treatment of anxiety.
(3) Liability: Largely a non-issue with the true anxiety patient, but a select few will "drug seek". Xanax or Valium are the drugs of choice and abuse. Some docs are "apprehensive" about dispensing them. Many are "benzophobic" (especially the younger doctors). Those who abuse Benzo's usually abuse other drugs as well (especially alcohol).
Some shrinks (ie: my aunt), require that the patient sign a contract, a type of "informed consent" before any Benzo is dispensed. This clears the issue of liability. Likewise, she has forms for other drugs as well. Any side effect or other important material is fully disclosed to the patient *prior* to the initiation of therapy.
What's the drawback? There is none, other than the abuse potential. Benzo's are schedule IV controlled substances (low potential for abuse).
As you say, Benzo's rarely lose their anxiolytic effect. Tolerance is rare, and even more rare for long-acting Benzo's.
No other class of drugs in the history of Psychiatry have been proven to be more effective than Benzodiazepines for anxiety states. Tolerance and abuse potential is almost a non-issue when the drugs are used correctly.
There are many opinions on this subject, and the above material is one opinion only. I am "pro-benzo".
-Ryan