Doctors should be in withdrawal.

[[ma...]]

I wish My doktor should be in withdrawal.  :tickedoff:He didnt no anything abort tapering benzo. He Said ..... Did i do something wrong?? I hope he Will suffer one day. Does anyone feel the same?? :tickedoff:

[[Ch...]]

Hi marek,

 

Many doctors are uneducated about tapering, perhaps most doctors.  But wishing for anyone to suffer isn't the solution.  Tell your doctor how you feel so he knows what's happened to you.  Even if he/she doesn't believe you, tell him anyway.

 

We do understand the frustration and anger over what has happened to us, however there are limits to the kinds of comments we allow about this.  Here's a link to our posting guidelines about commenting about doctors: Anti-doctor, Anti-psychiatrist and Anti-medicine Comments and Links

 

Thanks,

Challis

[[Ph...]]

Dear Administrator, let me try to rephrase the posters comments in a way that will hopefully be more acceptable to you.

 

If doctors were, as a matter of their professional training, obligated to take Xanax three times daily for two months and then abruptly stop, it is highly likely that they will become more aware of the potential risks to patients when prescribing Xanax and other benzodiazepines.  Further, they will become more adept at understanding and empathizing with patients who are withdrawing from benzodiazepines.  In fact, it may be a valuable lesson that they will never forget.

 

 

 

[[Lo...]]

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/mar/07-dr-drank-broth-gave-ulcer-solved-medical-mystery

[[ma...]]

Thank you.

[[wa...]]

The OP said "I hope he will suffer one day".  Hostility is what the administrators caution against. 

 

There are several recovering docs on this forum.  Perhaps an appeal to them to get the word out will make a difference in the med community.

 

But there is an old saying, "You don't have to be a hen to know what a bad egg smells like".  Believe it or not, there are docs out there who get it about benzo w/d without having used them.  Just as, finally, there are plenty of docs who got it about opioid abuse who never used them. 

 

I get the resentment.  I tell every doc I use about the horror of w/d.  If enough people report this - maybe a critical mass of patients will change medicine.  I don't see hating docs as something that will help me now.  IMHO.  WBB

[[Ho...]]

I'm a doctor and I'm in withdrawal. I'm also a person just like you and I have a family. I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy. If you care to read, here is my story:

 

http://www.benzoinfo.com/single-post/2016/10/15/An-Open-Letter-Cardiologist-and-Cancer-Survivor-Speaks-Out-on-Dangers-of-Benzodiazepines-and-Her-Personal-Withdrawal-Story

 

I was never a prescriber of long term benzos, but I plan to use my personal experience to advocate for better benzo regulation and education of doctors. Once I've recovered from this whole mess.

 

[[wa...]]

THnx, Hope

[[...]]

Hope76 I read your story and may I say that I have the utmost respect for you and for what you have gone through. Going through a double mastectomy whilst tapering from benzos is no mean feat. I wish you well in the rest of your taper and I hope that you are in a better place re your cancer.

 

I agree whole heartedly that doctors require better education about benzodiazepines. As I have said before on this forum I have never been anti doctor just anti their ignorance. It does however seem a long time ago since the medical community first recognised they had a problem with this class of drug, at least since the 1970s. So what does it take for things to change? In my own case I found the medical profession were unwilling or at the very least unable to believe that I could be suffering from withdrawal symptoms post taper. At one stage after a visit to A&E and despite having explained my situation I had a psychiatric nurse give me leaflets on panic attacks. This is a fundamental problem that many on BB encounter - the drugs can't be at fault therefore the patient needs to either up their dose or requires an additional psychoactive substance. It's a merry-go-round that has no end.

 

Despite the work of the likes of Malcolm Lader and Heather Ashton we still seem so far away from real recognition for the benzodiazepine scandal. How can they not know about the dangers of these drugs, why don't they acknowledge our suffering, perhaps it's fear of litigation? Anyway, for the doctors and nurses on BB, I know that you are victims of this ignorance like myself but I do understand the frustration that lies behind the reason for this thread.     

 

 

 

   

[[ma...]]

Yes, i have redd your story. I wish you luck and i really hope, you can do something!!!!! :thumbsup:

[[Su...]]

Dear Administrator, let me try to rephrase the posters comments in a way that will hopefully be more acceptable to you.

 

If doctors were, as a matter of their professional training, obligated to take Xanax three times daily for two months and then abruptly stop, it is highly likely that they will become more aware of the potential risks to patients when prescribing Xanax and other benzodiazepines.  Further, they will become more adept at understanding and empathizing with patients who are withdrawing from benzodiazepines.  In fact, it may be a valuable lesson that they will never forget.

 

                                                             

[[Rx...]]

I'm a doctor and I'm in withdrawal. I'm also a person just like you and I have a family. I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy. If you care to read, here is my story:

 

http://www.benzoinfo.com/single-post/2016/10/15/An-Open-Letter-Cardiologist-and-Cancer-Survivor-Speaks-Out-on-Dangers-of-Benzodiazepines-and-Her-Personal-Withdrawal-Story

 

I was never a prescriber of long term benzos, but I plan to use my personal experience to advocate for better benzo regulation and education of doctors. Once I've recovered from this whole mess.

 

I was just sharing your story with a friend on the phone today.  Thank you for sharing it and becoming involved in public awareness.  I'm so sorry for all of your suffering.

[[Ho...]]

I'm a doctor and I'm in withdrawal. I'm also a person just like you and I have a family. I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy. If you care to read, here is my story:

 

http://www.benzoinfo.com/single-post/2016/10/15/An-Open-Letter-Cardiologist-and-Cancer-Survivor-Speaks-Out-on-Dangers-of-Benzodiazepines-and-Her-Personal-Withdrawal-Story

 

I was never a prescriber of long term benzos, but I plan to use my personal experience to advocate for better benzo regulation and education of doctors. Once I've recovered from this whole mess.

 

I was just sharing your story with a friend on the phone today.  Thank you for sharing it and becoming involved in public awareness.  I'm so sorry for all of your suffering.

 

Thank you! I'm so glad my story is continuing to help people. I plan to be involved in raising public awareness as long as I am able!

[[Yo...]]

If there wasn't a dime to be made off benzos, this scandal wouldn't be and we for sure wouldn't be talking about it some 50 years since the first warnings came out.

[[Ph...]]

If there wasn't a dime to be made off benzos, this scandal wouldn't be and we for sure wouldn't be talking about it some 50 years since the first warnings came out.

 

Benzos by themselves aren't a big moneymaker for the drug companies.  What they are afraid of though is losing a lawsuit that will force them to pay damages to thousands of people (like us), create legal precedents that threaten hundreds of other more profitable psychotropic medications and (worst of all) lead to legislation barring them from television advertising.  This is all about 1) lobbying, 2) contributions to political campaigns, 3) contributions to educational institutions that train future doctors, 4) huge advertising revenue for cable and networks that squelches reporting on this topic, 5) a sales and marketing apparatus unlike anything ever seen and 6) deep pockets that can hire the best lawyers in the world.  Dismantle these things and the problem goes away.  Haha, good luck!

[[gi...]]

I wish My doktor should be in withdrawal.  :tickedoff:He didnt no anything abort tapering benzo. He Said ..... Did i do something wrong?? I hope he Will suffer one day. Does anyone feel the same?? :tickedoff:

 

Yes Marek, I feel exactly the same way, those doctors should be in withdrawal, present ones on bb excluded.  Thank you!

[[gi...]]

Dear Administrator, let me try to rephrase the posters comments in a way that will hopefully be more acceptable to you.

 

If doctors were, as a matter of their professional training, obligated to take Xanax three times daily for two months and then abruptly stop, it is highly likely that they will become more aware of the potential risks to patients when prescribing Xanax and other benzodiazepines.  Further, they will become more adept at understanding and empathizing with patients who are withdrawing from benzodiazepines.  In fact, it may be a valuable lesson that they will never forget.

 

                                                             

[Guest [ba...]]

I don't think an orthopedic surgeon needs to have his/her leg shattered to appreciate that malady.  I don't think that a cancer specialist needs to contract a malignant melanoma in order to fully appreciate the disease.  And I don't think that a pdoc needs to go through withdrawal.  All they need is adequate training in order to do their jobs, and it doesn't seem that adequate initial or continuing training is provided. 

 

Be proactive, not reactive.  Write to your State medical board and tell them (intelligently) about your desire to have medical personnel better trained regarding accidental prescribed drug addiction and withdrawal (I did).  However, please don't stoop down to vengeful thinking.  We're better than that!

[[gi...]]

I don't think an orthopedic surgeon needs to have his/her leg shattered to appreciate that malady.  I don't think that a cancer specialist needs to contract a malignant melanoma in order to fully appreciate the disease.  And I don't think that a pdoc needs to go through withdrawal.  All they need is adequate training in order to do their jobs, and it doesn't seem that adequate initial or continuing training is provided. 

 

Be proactive, not reactive.  Write to your State medical board and tell them (intelligently) about your desire to have medical personnel better trained regarding accidental prescribed drug addiction and withdrawal (I did).  However, please don't stoop down to vengeful thinking.  We're better than that!

 

Agreed, I apologize if I contributed to this thread getting out of hand in any way.  Nu pun intended.

[[Lo...]]

My main complaint is with the "take 0.5mg up to four times per day as needed" prescriptions. Benzodiazepines are not opiates. A person cannot just vary the doses like that. Once it goes up to 0.5mg twice a day, good luck getting down to 0.5mg once a day, and really good luck in going to 0.5mg as needed....

 

I really think that prescriptions should be either of "as needed" or "every day, set dosage" type. The whole "every day as needed" business just muddles the waters big time and creates so much confusion. Once, I got the "take 1 to 2 tablets every night as needed as needed", from my ex-GP, after a retiring psych (a good one) established me on a 4x a day type prescription. The 1 to 2 tablets as needed every day as needed is confusing as heck...... "

 

Also, after a 0.5mg x 4 times as needed every day Rx for ativan, I was then given a "take 1-(1-1/2)-2mg" every day script. Needless to say, that was one crazy month....

 

[[Lo...]]

I don't think an orthopedic surgeon needs to have his/her leg shattered to appreciate that malady.  I don't think that a cancer specialist needs to contract a malignant melanoma in order to fully appreciate the disease.  And I don't think that a pdoc needs to go through withdrawal.  All they need is adequate training in order to do their jobs, and it doesn't seem that adequate initial or continuing training is provided. 

 

Be proactive, not reactive.  Write to your State medical board and tell them (intelligently) about your desire to have medical personnel better trained regarding accidental prescribed drug addiction and withdrawal (I did).  However, please don't stoop down to vengeful thinking.  We're better than that!

 

I think most people can conjure up the pain of a shattered leg or a malignant melanoma. This are very easily explained to people. However what we have on the other hand is utter lack of understanding of what happens to some people on these prescriptions.

 

And I think one of the biggest problems with a number of doctors is that they tend to prescribe the similar dosages to both people who have never touched a benzo and to the ones who have been on one long term. Prescribing 2 x 1mg Klonopin a day to a new patient is just plain irresponsible. Prescribing 0.25mg Klonopin as needed with 0 refills with an informed consent about most risks and dangers is much more proper.

 

 

[Guest [ba...]]

I totally agree that the one-size-fits all approach (to anything) isn't optimal, and that there is a lack of understanding/training.  But that type of approach pervades virtually everything that we do in a society.  Can you imagine the expense of custom tailoring every 'standardized' approach that society has adopted?  How do we know that somebody is sensitive to benzos if they've never had them before (most people aren't so sensitive - at least initially)?  Yeah, it would be nice to have that level of personal attention, and I'm sure the 1% gets to live that way.  But the rest of us have to make due with what's available as the alternative is simply out of our reach.

 

It's hard to justify some things that the medical community does, but people are also to blame here since they (myself included) often seek the easy/quick path instead of the more challenging/slower path to perceived 'better' health.  I pretty much insisted that my sleep doctor give me something to help me sleep better.  I wanted immediate gratification, and I got it (for a while).  I would have gladly signed (and ignored) the informed consent in return for some sleep.  In the end, therapy proved the better long-term approach, but that was slow, and more expensive, and required a shift in perspective by me (something that some people are unable or unwilling to do). 

[[Lo...]]

I suppose that I am going to accept the grim reality that my anxiety is about 5000 times worse than it was before (and it was pretty significant even before), and that there is a very good chance that I may never be able to fully come off of these meds, no matter how hard I try. It's depressing to the bone, but I guess, how they say, "that's life...."