***********Here is more info about the guy in the video.************
Hello everyone I want the truth to be know what this medication can do to people. Below is a link (video) of a man that cold turkeyed benzos after 29 years of use. The video is taken of him at 4 months free of benzos. The images might be disturbing for some to view. Remember this is an extreme case and the vast majority of people will never experience this man's discomfort especially if they slowly taper off benzos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDbPnAQ-c1o
I think its important to read this whole thread for info about benzos. Its far from complete thread but there is a lot of information and people do share their opinions on the matter. A lot of Doctors do not recognize Benzo withdrawal issues after being off benzos for 90 days or more.
* The video might be disturbing to watch * But its a true glimpse of a man c/t symptoms at 4 months off.
My name is M@@@ S@@@@,(M@@@)I'm in the video. I was prescribed Klonopin and ssri's for twenty-nine years, abruptly discontinuing them September 23, 2006. I made the video to validate and hopefully promote awareness of "benzo" illness. I'm including two short "pieces" that I have been sending to gain media exposure for
us all. My email is XXXXX
My story is about the dangers of benzodiazepine's and the effects it had on my family. I had panic/anxiety attacks at an early age repeatedly being driven to the ER for treatment of the heart attack like symptoms. Eventually, I was prescribed benzo's. They are a class of drugs known as minor tranquilizers-Valium, Xanex, Ativan,
Klonopin. I was told to take them daily, similar to a diabetic who needs daily insulin for maintaining blood sugar. I did as directed, the med's eliminating symptoms. I never paid attention beyond it, going on with my life-school, marriage, children and business. My family grew, we moved from a starter home to a beautiful home complete with a pool and a large lot. Business prospered and we accrued the obligatory toys. Life was good, we entertained, took
vacations, and enjoyed time at the lake. Around the nine eleven tragedy, business was beginning to dwindle. I cited stress, economy, anything but the real reason. We lost the office property, our home, almost all personal possessions and filed for bankruptcy. During this time I withdrew from my wife, worked inefficiently, lost interest in
things that I had enjoyed, and became difficult. I had been taking benzo's for several years, and experienced many health nuisances such as cardiac arrhythmia, shortness of breath, loss of memory and balance, cognitive impairment, lethargy, high blood pressure, urinary dysfunction and depression. I went to many physicians, endured diagnostic tests and swallowed more pills. I tolerated a cocktail of blood pressure, antibiotic, urinary, anti- depression, and sinus medications. I know now that I experienced inter-dosage withdrawal while taking benzo's.
I finally realized my addiction and on September 23, 2006, my fathers eighty-second birthday, I abruptly stopped the benzo's. After a few days, I went into a state of withdrawal, sleepless for 14 days. I was in an acute position of anxiety, counting minutes, sometimes seconds from my watch. Fireworks, complete with whistles, shrills, and exploding rockets riveted through my brain for weeks. I lost twenty-five pounds in half as many days. We lost our rented home, and the secret came out. I had lied about out finances owing family and friends. I was truly controlled by benzo's. My wife having lived through five years of ruin, had enough. She and my children moved in with her parents, me with mine. I'm now living in a state of protracted withdrawal with hallucinations, foot paralysis
electrical and vibratory sensations, perpetual fear, sobbing, and of course anxiety. Many long-term benzo patients suffer paradoxical side effects. I stumbled across informational websites and support groups located in the UK. Many people are experiencing similar horror's, although some medical experts deny that benzo's are to blame. Some
symptoms seem dreamlike, resembling a "twilight zone" episode, but couldn't be more real. Theses meds can ruin one's health, alter behavior and personality. It is not only my goal, but my duty to educate the public, restore my dignity and possibly reclaim my family. There are eighty million benzo prescriptions written annually. If only .5 percent become dependent on benzo's, then four hundred thousand people will suffer. Are they worth it? You
decide.
Although we've never met, my good friend Pam, someone whom I share my closest, and most personal words with called today, telling me about a recent airing of your show. Antidepressants were discussed, and although I missed the broadcast, I believe Ativan may have been mentioned too. Pam, her friend Peggy, and myself share a common thread, belonging to a global internet community, supporting one another during crisis. The meds are a class of drugs called benzodiazepines-Valium, Ativan, Xanex, and Klonpin. Each of us abruptly stopped the chemical, lending alliance to one another while we fight to survive during a state of acute withdrawal. Like most
benzo victims, we became addicted not through back alley's or closed doors, but by prescriptions written by physicians eager to cure our ills. More women are prescribed than men, but the ailing seek help for anxiety, panic, insomnia, and seizure. Although benzos are suitable only for short-term usage, many including myself were prescribed for years without fanfare. Benzos produce a calming, sedating and hypnotic effect when prescribed less than two to four weeks. For long term users the result is radically different with a paradoxical effect resulting in anxiety, insomnia, lethargy, and depression. Physicians diagnose oddities common to our cause such as mitral valve
prolapse, cardiac arrhythmia, urinary dysfunction, and bowel disorders, as we desperately seek answers to our health concerns. Some of us have lost lucrative careers, homes, and more importantly our families. The most unfortunate have been forced into psychiatric clinics, prescribed anti psychotics, electrical shock, and a few lost
their lives. Pam, Peggy and I discovered the truth on our own, that benzo's took control rendering us helpless until we finally rid ourselves of addiction through a "no matter what" determination. We have endured sleeplessness, severe weight loss, paralysis, hallucinations, extreme fear, and of course, anxiety during ghastly, if not lengthy withdrawals. Benzodiazepine addiction is arguably the most misunderstood hardship in modern medicine without a principal to champion our cause. I urge you to present our struggle, to validate and vindicate, restoring our dignity while we fight an ongoing battle named hope.
Sincerely,
M@@@@