Long Benzo Tapers (may or may not) cause cancer!

[[At...]]

I just finished reading an article that was withhold from the public from the FDA that shows long term benzo usage including taper time can cause throat cancer, bladder cancer, and testicular cancer in men as well as numerous cancers in women.  This is very concerning as I thought benzos were safe.

 

Edit: alarmist title revised

[[re...]]

Ativan Do you have a link of this artical?It is very disturbing news.                                                  Reindeer

                                             

[[...]]

Benzos safe?  Withdrawal from them can cause seizures and death. That's not safe.  We're on this forum because of how rough on the body they are.  But I do believe we'll be better off for getting off them.  Maybe it's like cigarettes--you know how cigarette smokers' lungs can recover if someone stops smoking?  Maybe it's like that for benzos.  Just a thought.  I didn't read the article--I can't take back the time I've been on them anyway and I doubt that a fast taper would lower risk, so I don't need to stress myself out about it. 

[[Ki...]]

AtivanAddict - that's a pretty bold statement and likely to upset a lot of members. Can you please provide a link to this article so it can be read in context?

[[je...]]

Thanks for the post!  However, my belief (along with a lot of other Buddies) is that any of these meds are just plain poison, but Cancer? - not so sure on that statement.  Hence the taper for me to help my body heal.  I am almost done.  I started my hubby on a taper now too (from 2 mg Val twice a day).  Looking forward to your link about cancer.  Thank you.  Be well.

[[bu...]]

It amazes me how folks post these obscure, frightening doom-and-gloom scenarios with not even a scrap of documentation or evidence.

 

And I guarantee you some time in the near future  I will see a post that starts with "I read..." that will be based on this unsubstantiated  rumor..

[[me...]]

I've never heard this before, and I've been on this forum almost 5 years.  What evidence do you have? 

 

[[Fi...]]

I guess I don't understand why, if there's no prompt corroborating evidence and a link, you mods don't just take this post down.  Many people are no doubt freaked.

[[on...]]

As a very long term xanax user I find this post disturbing and upsetting. You have no data or info to back this cancer claim- you are just trying  to stir up fear in people who already have fragile central nervous systems . Without any article to back up your fear  mongering this post should be taken down at once!

[[...]]

Agree.  When I first joined up, there wasn't much of this at all.  I'll never forget how in total *AWE* I was of the community, I'd never seen anything quite like it.  How educated, informed and highly intelligent the average BB appeared to be.  I felt inferior.  All the independent thinkers; members unafraid to challenge one another and a big emphasis on harm reduction.  It was incredibly stimulating and I learned so much from all the invaluable information sharing and wise advice/suggestions.  Actually, I know a couple of people even started threads in this regard, in the Off Topic section I believe it was.

 

Saddens me to see how BB's now becoming more and more like the wild wild west.

 

 

[[bl...]]

Citation please.

[[Ph...]]

I just finished reading an article that was withhold from the public from the FDA that shows long term benzo usage including taper time can cause throat cancer, bladder cancer, and testicular cancer in men as well as numerous cancers in women.  This is very concerning as I thought benzos were safe.

Are you referring to the following article?

 

https://www.madinamerica.com/2016/03/is-long-term-use-of-benzodiazepine-a-risk-for-cancer/

 

My search found two other similar articles but none indicated that this information had been withheld from the public by the FDA.

 

Here is a link to the full text of the study cited in the above linked article.

 

http://journals.lww.com/md-journal/Fulltext/2015/02020/Is_Long_term_Use_of_Benzodiazepine_a_Risk_for.7.aspx?WT.mc_id=EMxALLx20100222xxFRIEND

 

The title of this thread refers to long tapers as a cause of cancer when in fact this study talks about long periods of benzo use as a possible cause, not long taper periods per se.

[[Ce...]]

I don't buy it...why is it new studies are always coming out that this and that causes cancer...it's always something...I was told that there was a study on tampon use and uterine cancer...give me a break.

 

Now they say slow tapering causes cancer?? They'll probably retract the 'study' within the year.

 

 

Plus the study shared by PB says long term use carries cancer risks...what doesn't?? I mean seems an awful lot of our simple everyday living carries some kind of cancer risk.

[[on...]]

thanks Photo Bug- at least now I can see the articles which mention a link to cancer...I truly hope these studies are flawed in some way or I am screwed. Wish I had never taken my first xanax...if I had ever known how it would control my life, cause interdose withdrawals ,be a nightmare to get off and now this possible cancer link!!  Am just grateful I am finally off it!!

[[se...]]

Life today causes cancer. You can't see yourself as a victim all the time.

 

The fact is stress is said to cause cancer , it's all how you deal with it.  Even dealt with badly as many feel they are doing in recovery, the body always want to heal, you just need to try and keep your mind aligned with that as much as possible and keep health as your goal.

 

Off the top of my throbbing head, I'd say a potentially valid point is with regard to throat cancer is that constant acid reflux/GERD  can be a precursor to cancer, but even that's only a maybe.

 

Recently there was a scare benzos caused Alzheimers and  other lasting brain damage but this was  found to be not true.

Always remember  most medical research is to gain new customers based in scaring the crap out of them.

 

 

[[no...]]

Do not give it a second thought on that link is says '''The carcinogenicity of benzodiazepines (BZDs) is still unclear.' '' and here is another thing, Cancer is so common that most of us if not all of us have  or have had  it by middle age and don't even know it or have any symptoms or problems and never become ill  from it.  Cancer is wildly over diagnosed when in reality many ''cancer'' diagnosis are harmless benign things that do no harm or need any treatment, and Cancer is a BIG money spinner and lots of people fear getting it thanks to the media propaganda spread by Pharmaceutical companies. 

 

Cancer isn't an automatic death sentence and most Cancers heal their selves if left alone for the body to deal with like a myriad of illnesses, and LOTS of people when autopsies are done have cancer and had no idea at all or any symptoms or sickness caused by it and neither is it their cause of death. In many cases its the treatment not the Cancer that kills I saw this with my own Mother. Seriously don't believe everything you read more ''Peer reviewed' research is wrong rather than right, and all 'Facts' are just another 'Theory' waiting to be disproved by yet an other  'Fact'  And as for the title of this thread its just more BOLLOCKS no one need to be bamboozled and scared witless  with and should be shut and taken down before it wreaks havoc on here  ffkss 

 

 

Love Nova xxx  :smitten:

[[me...]]

Note:  I've revised the title of this thread because the OP hasn't cited a reference.  Thanks, NOVA, for this:

 

Do not give it a second thought on that link is says '''The carcinogenicity of benzodiazepines (BZDs) is still unclear.' '' and here is another thing, Cancer is so common that most of us if not all of us have  or have had  it by middle age and don't even know it or have any symptoms or problems and never become ill  from it.  Cancer is wildly over diagnosed when in reality many ''cancer'' diagnosis are harmless benign things that do no harm or need any treatment, and Cancer is a BIG money spinner and lots of people fear getting it thanks to the media propaganda spread by Pharmaceutical companies. 

 

Cancer isn't an automatic death sentence and most Cancers heal their selves if left alone for the body to deal with like a myriad of illnesses, and LOTS of people when autopsies are done have cancer and had no idea at all or any symptoms or sickness caused by it and neither is it their cause of death. In many cases its the treatment not the Cancer that kills I saw this with my own Mother. Seriously don't believe everything you read more ''Peer reviewed' research is wrong rather than right, and all 'Facts' are just another 'Theory' waiting to be disproved by yet an other  'Fact'  And as for the title of this thread its just more BOLLOCKS no one need to be bamboozled and scared witless  with and should be shut and taken down before it wreaks havoc on here  ffkss 

 

 

Love Nova xxx  :smitten:

 

 

BTW, I've had cancer (a very early, non-invasive type with almost zero possibility of coming back) and I'm still here and in excellent health.  It had nothing at all to do with benzo withdrawal. 

 

Megan

[[on...]]

Megan- thanks for changing the title!! More accurate!

[[be...]]

It amazes me how folks post these obscure, frightening doom-and-gloom scenarios with not even a scrap of documentation or evidence.

 

And I guarantee you some time in the near future  I will see a post that starts with "I read..." that will be based on this unsubstantiated  rumor..

 

[[...]]

Do not give it a second thought on that link is says '''The carcinogenicity of benzodiazepines (BZDs) is still unclear.' ''

 

 

And for more peace of mind, this from the limitations of the study:

 

---

"Limitations

 

The study strength is that it is a population-based design to evaluate the risk for cancers.

However, this study also have some limitations regarding data information like alcoholism, smoking status and lifestyle which is not available in the BNHI database and could influence on the findings. 

 

Another limitation could be related to cohort study design regarding population sample and confounding adjustments, even after adjustments there could be unknown confounders which might create bias to results.

 

The inclusion of non-users which might not be pure controls as we studied the cancer risk between users and nonusers. Another limitation could be the simplified e-claim by general physicians in Taiwan. It is always lower quality then the randomized control trial studies as BNHI data serves for administrative billing not for scientific validation purpose. Moreover, the number of drug uses are just for reference which might not provide accurate reflection whether the individuals taken drugs as recommended by practitioners. In Taiwan, the NHI reimburse for maximum 90 days prescription as well as the self-pay category was not included in this study. Since, in this study we observed BZDs exposure but not their mechanism and metabolism related to cancer which could be also limitation. Therefore, further animal or cellular model are needed to help in identifying a possible biological mechanism linking BZDs with risk of cancers."

 

---

 

And more peace of mind, a similar study out of Denmark, 2013:

 

Use of benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine related drugs and the risk of cancer: a population-based case-control study

Conclusion

BZRD use was not associated with an overall increase in cancer risk, except for what is likely explained by minor lifestyle confounding, e.g. smoking.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcp.12001/full

 

[[...]]

If you're worried about it, here's one possible thing to help. Broccoli (seed) sprouts contain high levels of cancer fighting compounds, and the reason I was looking them up in the first place is because littlemissperfect on YouTube has a video about recovering from benzo withdrawal and her Functional Medicine Dr. has/had her eating broccoli sprouts to counteract the glutamate that takes over during benzo withdrawal.  Something like that.  Here's her video.  Did I just change the subject?  Hopefully I did.   

[[Ce...]]

Do not give it a second thought on that link is says '''The carcinogenicity of benzodiazepines (BZDs) is still unclear.' '' and here is another thing, Cancer is so common that most of us if not all of us have  or have had  it by middle age and don't even know it or have any symptoms or problems and never become ill  from it.  Cancer is wildly over diagnosed when in reality many ''cancer'' diagnosis are harmless benign things that do no harm or need any treatment, and Cancer is a BIG money spinner and lots of people fear getting it thanks to the media propaganda spread by Pharmaceutical companies. 

 

Cancer isn't an automatic death sentence and most Cancers heal their selves if left alone for the body to deal with like a myriad of illnesses, and LOTS of people when autopsies are done have cancer and had no idea at all or any symptoms or sickness caused by it and neither is it their cause of death. In many cases its the treatment not the Cancer that kills I saw this with my own Mother. Seriously don't believe everything you read more ''Peer reviewed' research is wrong rather than right, and all 'Facts' are just another 'Theory' waiting to be disproved by yet an other  'Fact'  And as for the title of this thread its just more BOLLOCKS no one need to be bamboozled and scared witless  with and should be shut and taken down before it wreaks havoc on here  ffkss 

 

 

Love Nova xxx  :smitten:

 

 

:thumbsup: Thanks Nova...I couldn't agree more!.... :smitten: