Over 60 help and support.

[[...]]

Dana,

Nice post. I used to see myself as a planner but benzo wd made me have to live in the moment. Not easy to do.

 

I want to tell all of you something. In 7 years on BB, I have found that we OLDER people seem to do much better at healing from benzos. Some of you may worry that age affects your healing. But it wont. On the contrary, older people have learned more life skills than someone say, 35 years old. We have dealt with crises, painful events, deaths, and many more things that test our strength. And all of this helps us get through bwd. What I have witnessed here on BB is that older people, especially women, seem to do much better at getting off benzos. At our age, we do start to realize that life is final, at some point we WILL die. When you are younger, you do not think about that as life seems endless.

Never give up in your quest for a healthier happier life. It can and does exist and as you heal from benzos you will slowly find out exactly who you are NOW, minus benzos on board.

For me that was life changing.

east

 

Eastcoast62, your post just made my day! Thank you so much for the encouragement. I have been struggling with the idea of healing at our age and our bodies' being able to deal with the symptoms. My career as an RN showed me that the human body is so fragile and also so resilient. I really don't mind getting older, because there are many things that I don't worry about anymore. We are on the final stretch of our lives. I know that our generation are survivors and can push through a lot of adversities that some of the younger people couldn't imagine doing. I am not putting them down by any means. My son is 37 and he is a great guy, works hard, but he could not handle a lot of what we have gone and are going through. He is one who thinks he is invincible, at least for now! LOL!

What drives me to keep on is that desire to have that healthier and happy life again! I dream of the day when I will no longer have to take a pill. Freedom is on the way for all of us!

Thanks again for your wonderful words of HOPE!  

[[Ba...]]

I would think that at least 80% of the folks on here are women... right?  Because drs. have rx'ed these drugs to women in vastly different numbers than men, I have read.  Anyone know?

[[...]]

Oh yes! A lot of women have been misdiagnosed and suffered at the hands of Drs. My Mom's friend and neighbor of many years was misdiagnosed with a panic attack and it turned out to be a massive heart attack. Her husband took her to the urgent care because she had shortness of breath. Sent home and getting worse. He finally got her to the ER and she ended up having a second one. She was 64 at the time. She made it through, but was left oxygen dependent and she really no quality of life. She was in and out of the hospital all of the time. Really sad. She passed away this past April at the age of 69.

What angers me is that they don't believe women. I am not saying men aren't misdiagnosed, because they are. Not as much.

I had an allergic reaction to the Vivelle patch and I was misdiagnosed even after I told them I knew it was the patch. Thus the Klonopin. I was in the hospital for almost a week. I had taken the patch off the night I was admitted. This was after my 3rd trip to the ER. I had rapid weight loss, everything went through me, could not keep much down, serious heart arrhythmia, weakness, shaky,  BP of 200/120 just to name a few. It turned out the matrix in the patch caused this. Anyway, I was put on Klonopin to calm my system down. I was discharged with an apology and the Klonopin. Had no clue of what it was doing to me. The Dr who put me on the patch never came to see me and prescribed Premarin for HRT. I am still angry, but it motivates me even more to get off.

There are many stories out there like these. Unfortunate, but true. Dr's need to LISTEN to their patients.

Now I am on a roll. Back in 2015 I started getting epi-gastric pain and started losing weight rapidly. I was pretty active at the time on my bike. I was getting weaker and weaker and the pain got worse. Went to my PCP and she stated that it sounded like an ulcer which I agreed with. They run on both sides of my family. Made an Appt with GI and I waited 3 months. Teaching hospital where I retired from. I saw an attending physician and a fellow. I gave my history and symptoms in detail. The attending in his arrogance told me that I did not have ulcers. He stated I would be bleeding out in the ICU with the symptoms I described! I then stated it was probably severe gastritis. He then told me that you don't have pain with gastritis! I was so angry. He told me that they couldn't help if didn't eat. I was trying to eat any and everything that I could handle. I got in his face and told him that he was WRONG. He ordered an endoscopy for the following week and told me I was a complex case. I told him he needed to educate himself better. He left the room and I told the fellow that the man was a total idiot. I believe he agreed, but did not say so. A week later, I had the endoscopy done by a wonderful GI woman and I had 2 bleeding gastric ulcers! I went back for a visit and he did apologize, but was still arrogant. I went on a course of Pepcid which didn't help. It lowered my platelet count.

He wanted me to have another Endoscopy to see if they had healed, along with a colonoscopy! He proceeded to lecture me on Colon cancer. I refused the colonoscopy and the fellow finally chimed in and stated that I might not be  healed from the ulcers. I had the 2nd endoscopy and I bled after biopsy due to low platelets. Had to have a clip put in. They wanted to put me PPI's and I went along with them, but never went back.On my last visit, I told him that he better start listening to his patients. I researched natural things and healed up. I still have flare ups of pain from time to time, but nothing like before. How many Dr's are out there like that? A lot!

Sorry for the long winded post, but this shows you what people have to go through. Not fair.

[[Fi...]]

Dana,

Nice post. I used to see myself as a planner but benzo wd made me have to live in the moment. Not easy to do.

 

I want to tell all of you something. In 7 years on BB, I have found that we OLDER people seem to do much better at healing from benzos. Some of you may worry that age affects your healing. But it wont. On the contrary, older people have learned more life skills than someone say, 35 years old. We have dealt with crises, painful events, deaths, and many more things that test our strength. And all of this helps us get through bwd. What I have witnessed here on BB is that older people, especially women, seem to do much better at getting off benzos. At our age, we do start to realize that life is final, at some point we WILL die. When you are younger, you do not think about that as life seems endless.

Never give up in your quest for a healthier happier life. It can and does exist and as you heal from benzos you will slowly find out exactly who you are NOW, minus benzos on board.

For me that was life changing.

east

 

Thank you for this Annie.  I needed to hear this because my fear of not healing is so strong these days.  I'm going to keep going an hang on.

[[CA...]]

Well said, east.  I believe it, too, but I must admit that I don't believe I could have tapered and still worked at my stressful job whilst doing so.  I retired in June 2018 and began my taper in December 2018, a month after I turned 70.  I've had some rough days, but I made it through them determined to get off this nasty stuff. There may be more waves to come since I'm getting lower, but I'm quite pleased with myself and my progress.  Kudos to all of you who WILL make it! 

[[Gu...]]

Feels good to vent doesn’t it Dana.  It seems women are prescribed more often, but then you have to remember our hormones play such a big part in our lives. Childbirth, menopause....  I get angry doctors ( and lawyers) practice their profession.  It’s all a big guess.  Pilots don’t practice, gArbagemen dont practice.  Why do they get to charge big bucks for just guessing what’s wrong.

[[Fi...]]

I wanted to post something written by a friend of mine from another non BB group, who has given me permission to do so and use her name as the author.  Can I put her name down in the post?

 

She was pollydrugged, including benzos.  I found it helpful even as I struggle today.  FH.

 

 

 

[[Ma...]]

I wanted to post something written by a friend of mine from another non BB group, who has given me permission to do so and use her name as the author.  Can I put her name down in the post?

 

She was pollydrugged, including benzos.  I found it helpful even as I struggle today.  FH.

 

Yes, if it is positive, definitely, we all need to read the positive.....

[[Fi...]]

I wanted to post something written by a friend of mine from another non BB group, who has given me permission to do so and use her name as the author.  Can I put her name down in the post?

 

She was pollydrugged, including benzos.  I found it helpful even as I struggle today.  FH.

 

Yes, if it is positive, definitely, we all need to read the positive.....

 

I think its positive.  And please know she is not telling people to not take care of themselves, she is saying that we can still heal even with mistakes. 

 

"I think some people need to hear this. Without eating wonderful nutritious healthy organic food, you can heal. Without exercising, you can heal. Without sleeping much, you can heal. Without going to therapy, you can heal. Without tapping (EFT), meditating, or gratitude, you can heal. Without having a good attitude, you can heal. Without praying. Without herbs and supplements. Without acupuncture. If you eat meat, or vegetables, or fruit, or dairy; if you cry every day; if you are angry; if you are so depressed you think you're broken, you can heal. Everyone in this group that is tapering is healing. Everyone that finished their taper is healing. You can make a "mistake" with managing your taper--going accidentally too fast or up and down or whatever--and heal. There is no perfect way to do this. There is only trial and error. There will be many ups and downs and symptoms we just can't "fix." Sometimes tapering is chaotic and uncontrollable and confusing. And yet we are healing. You can do this. You ARE doing this. The worst that happens is someone thinks they can't take it anymore and tries to end it all. I promise you, if you never get off the couch, that won't happen to you. In a way the hardest thing is doing nothing. And a lot of withdrawal is doing nothing. Nothing nothing and more nothing. If you woke up today, if you ate some food, and just stuck it out and are making it through the day, doing as little as possible, pat yourself on the back because that's tremendous. You're doing great". 

Ro Dan

 

[[...]]

Well said, east.  I believe it, too, but I must admit that I don't believe I could have tapered and still worked at my stressful job whilst doing so.  I retired in June 2018 and began my taper in December 2018, a month after I turned 70.  I've had some rough days, but I made it through them determined to get off this nasty stuff. There may be more waves to come since I'm getting lower, but I'm quite pleased with myself and my progress.  Kudos to all of you who WILL make it! 

 

CAgirl,

 

I think you are doing amazing! It takes a lot of fortitude and courage to do this at 70! I bet you are very pleased with your progress. You are very encouraging to me and to all of us!

 

Dana

[[Ma...]]

I wanted to post something written by a friend of mine from another non BB group, who has given me permission to do so and use her name as the author.  Can I put her name down in the post?

 

She was pollydrugged, including benzos.  I found it helpful even as I struggle today.  FH.

 

Yes, if it is positive, definitely, we all need to read the positive.....

 

I think its positive.  And please know she is not telling people to not take care of themselves, she is saying that we can still heal even with mistakes. 

 

"I think some people need to hear this. Without eating wonderful nutritious healthy organic food, you can heal. Without exercising, you can heal. Without sleeping much, you can heal. Without going to therapy, you can heal. Without tapping (EFT), meditating, or gratitude, you can heal. Without having a good attitude, you can heal. Without praying. Without herbs and supplements. Without acupuncture. If you eat meat, or vegetables, or fruit, or dairy; if you cry every day; if you are angry; if you are so depressed you think you're broken, you can heal. Everyone in this group that is tapering is healing. Everyone that finished their taper is healing. You can make a "mistake" with managing your taper--going accidentally too fast or up and down or whatever--and heal. There is no perfect way to do this. There is only trial and error. There will be many ups and downs and symptoms we just can't "fix." Sometimes tapering is chaotic and uncontrollable and confusing. And yet we are healing. You can do this. You ARE doing this. The worst that happens is someone thinks they can't take it anymore and tries to end it all. I promise you, if you never get off the couch, that won't happen to you. In a way the hardest thing is doing nothing. And a lot of withdrawal is doing nothing. Nothing nothing and more nothing. If you woke up today, if you ate some food, and just stuck it out and are making it through the day, doing as little as possible, pat yourself on the back because that's tremendous. You're doing great". 

Ro Dan

 

Great post FH, thank you for sharing it with us, I truly believe it.  Mary 💜💜💜💜

[[...]]

I wanted to post something written by a friend of mine from another non BB group, who has given me permission to do so and use her name as the author.  Can I put her name down in the post?

 

She was pollydrugged, including benzos.  I found it helpful even as I struggle today.  FH.

 

Yes, if it is positive, definitely, we all need to read the positive.....

 

 

 

I think its positive.  And please know she is not telling people to not take care of themselves, she is saying that we can still heal even with mistakes. 

 

"I think some people need to hear this. Without eating wonderful nutritious healthy organic food, you can heal. Without exercising, you can heal. Without sleeping much, you can heal. Without going to therapy, you can heal. Without tapping (EFT), meditating, or gratitude, you can heal. Without having a good attitude, you can heal. Without praying. Without herbs and supplements. Without acupuncture. If you eat meat, or vegetables, or fruit, or dairy; if you cry every day; if you are angry; if you are so depressed you think you're broken, you can heal. Everyone in this group that is tapering is healing. Everyone that finished their taper is healing. You can make a "mistake" with managing your taper--going accidentally too fast or up and down or whatever--and heal. There is no perfect way to do this. There is only trial and error. There will be many ups and downs and symptoms we just can't "fix." Sometimes tapering is chaotic and uncontrollable and confusing. And yet we are healing. You can do this. You ARE doing this. The worst that happens is someone thinks they can't take it anymore and tries to end it all. I promise you, if you never get off the couch, that won't happen to you. In a way the hardest thing is doing nothing. And a lot of withdrawal is doing nothing. Nothing nothing and more nothing. If you woke up today, if you ate some food, and just stuck it out and are making it through the day, doing as little as possible, pat yourself on the back because that's tremendous. You're doing great". 

Ro Dan

 

Thank you for sharing that Beautiful post! I just read it out loud to my husband and he thought it was wonderful! I really needed to hear that today. One of those can't see the trees through the forest days. Everything in that post makes sense. Truly words of Healing!

 

[[Fi...]]

I'm so glad that you are finding it supportive.

 

FH

[[ea...]]

I so agree with whoever wrote that post. You CAN heal without restricting your diet, or exercising or doing other "healthy" things. Many of us become sort of OCD about this sort of thing, hoping it will ease our suffering. And it wont. I subsisted for an entire year mostly on Yorks Peppermint Patties. I was so scared of most foods (really, I was! NO lie!) but for some reason I could eat those damn chocolate and peppermint patties. Don't laugh too hard, but I used to go buy bags of them at different stores, so no store clerk would figure out I had a huge problem about eating. LOL!

I healed despite my awful diet. Took me a while, but that does not matter now. Time and the willingness to try new things to ease my misery got me through a really bad CT off benzos.

I now eat much healthier, but I am not OCD about this. I figure whatever pleases me is good, since I do need to gain weight still. All my labs are fine, I drink plenty of fluids, and get in enough protein. I may be a thin old lady of 69 but without benzos, damn it, I am doing really good.

east (Annie)

[[Fi...]]

I so agree with whoever wrote that post. You CAN heal without restricting your diet, or exercising or doing other "healthy" things. Many of us become sort of OCD about this sort of thing, hoping it will ease our suffering. And it wont. I subsisted for an entire year mostly on Yorks Peppermint Patties. I was so scared of most foods (really, I was! NO lie!) but for some reason I could eat those damn chocolate and peppermint patties. Don't laugh too hard, but I used to go buy bags of them at different stores, so no store clerk would figure out I had a huge problem about eating. LOL!

I healed despite my awful diet. Took me a while, but that does not matter now. Time and the willingness to try new things to ease my misery got me through a really bad CT off benzos.

I now eat much healthier, but I am not OCD about this. I figure whatever pleases me is good, since I do need to gain weight still. All my labs are fine, I drink plenty of fluids, and get in enough protein. I may be a thin old lady of 69 but without benzos, damn it, I am doing really good.

east (Annie)

 

Thank you Annie.  I keep trying to tinker with things and sometimes they work against me.

[[ea...]]

I just wrote a long reply here and that damn computer gremlin made it disappear. Hate that!

east

[[Do...]]

Thanks FH...That is a good positive post.  Been beating myself up lately about "not" sticking to my program.  It's not so much the supplements or food, it's keeping the right mind set...cuz we are healing.  It probably is out of our control.  This is a nice thought.  No matter what the heck we do, Our Bodies are Healing!  Too cool.

[[...]]

I so agree with whoever wrote that post. You CAN heal without restricting your diet, or exercising or doing other "healthy" things. Many of us become sort of OCD about this sort of thing, hoping it will ease our suffering. And it wont. I subsisted for an entire year mostly on Yorks Peppermint Patties. I was so scared of most foods (really, I was! NO lie!) but for some reason I could eat those damn chocolate and peppermint patties. Don't laugh too hard, but I used to go buy bags of them at different stores, so no store clerk would figure out I had a huge problem about eating. LOL!

I healed despite my awful diet. Took me a while, but that does not matter now. Time and the willingness to try new things to ease my misery got me through a really bad CT off benzos.

I now eat much healthier, but I am not OCD about this. I figure whatever pleases me is good, since I do need to gain weight still. All my labs are fine, I drink plenty of fluids, and get in enough protein. I may be a thin old lady of 69 but without benzos, damn it, I am doing really good.

east (Annie)

 

Now I don't feel so bad about my Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! I try to eat healthy, but there are days where it goes out the window. Yesterday I was going to 2 different CVS's to stock up on the cups as they were on sale. I ate very healthy for many years or so I thought. I was eating a lot of raw veggies, protein, dark chocolate etc. I cycled a lot and thought this is what is going to keep me healthy going into my 60's. Not so. Eating a lot of raw veggies caused my gut to work harder to digest and it affected the lining of my gut. I developed gastric ulcers. I may have regardless, as they run in my family. The real healthy eating and probably over doing the cycling of which I love made me sick. I have learned to slow it down and I am not OCD about what I eat now.

I agree with you in that whatever helps us get through our misery is a good thing!

[[Ba...]]

Oh yes! A lot of women have been misdiagnosed and suffered at the hands of Drs. My Mom's friend and neighbor of many years was misdiagnosed with a panic attack and it turned out to be a massive heart attack. Her husband took her to the urgent care because she had shortness of breath. Sent home and getting worse. He finally got her to the ER and she ended up having a second one. She was 64 at the time. She made it through, but was left oxygen dependent and she really no quality of life. She was in and out of the hospital all of the time. Really sad. She passed away this past April at the age of 69.

What angers me is that they don't believe women. I am not saying men aren't misdiagnosed, because they are. Not as much.

I had an allergic reaction to the Vivelle patch and I was misdiagnosed even after I told them I knew it was the patch. Thus the Klonopin. I was in the hospital for almost a week. I had taken the patch off the night I was admitted. This was after my 3rd trip to the ER. I had rapid weight loss, everything went through me, could not keep much down, serious heart arrhythmia, weakness, shaky,  BP of 200/120 just to name a few. It turned out the matrix in the patch caused this. Anyway, I was put on Klonopin to calm my system down. I was discharged with an apology and the Klonopin. Had no clue of what it was doing to me. The Dr who put me on the patch never came to see me and prescribed Premarin for HRT. I am still angry, but it motivates me even more to get off.

There are many stories out there like these. Unfortunate, but true. Dr's need to LISTEN to their patients.

Now I am on a roll. Back in 2015 I started getting epi-gastric pain and started losing weight rapidly. I was pretty active at the time on my bike. I was getting weaker and weaker and the pain got worse. Went to my PCP and she stated that it sounded like an ulcer which I agreed with. They run on both sides of my family. Made an Appt with GI and I waited 3 months. Teaching hospital where I retired from. I saw an attending physician and a fellow. I gave my history and symptoms in detail. The attending in his arrogance told me that I did not have ulcers. He stated I would be bleeding out in the ICU with the symptoms I described! I then stated it was probably severe gastritis. He then told me that you don't have pain with gastritis! I was so angry. He told me that they couldn't help if didn't eat. I was trying to eat any and everything that I could handle. I got in his face and told him that he was WRONG. He ordered an endoscopy for the following week and told me I was a complex case. I told him he needed to educate himself better. He left the room and I told the fellow that the man was a total idiot. I believe he agreed, but did not say so. A week later, I had the endoscopy done by a wonderful GI woman and I had 2 bleeding gastric ulcers! I went back for a visit and he did apologize, but was still arrogant. I went on a course of Pepcid which didn't help. It lowered my platelet count.

He wanted me to have another Endoscopy to see if they had healed, along with a colonoscopy! He proceeded to lecture me on Colon cancer. I refused the colonoscopy and the fellow finally chimed in and stated that I might not be  healed from the ulcers. I had the 2nd endoscopy and I bled after biopsy due to low platelets. Had to have a clip put in. They wanted to put me PPI's and I went along with them, but never went back.On my last visit, I told him that he better start listening to his patients. I researched natural things and healed up. I still have flare ups of pain from time to time, but nothing like before. How many Dr's are out there like that? A lot!

Sorry for the long winded post, but this shows you what people have to go through. Not fair.

 

Wow!

What is a clip (you said they put in a clip?)

 

My Dad used to say drs. were like used car salesmen...  uh, I thought now.

Now I think more along the lines he did.  He was healthy and made it into his 90's, somethign I will never make.

 

Yes,3 drs. would not believe me when I said mirtaz was the problem, or precipitated it.

 

Are teaching hospitals generally better at dealing with complex things?  A cousin suggested a teaching hospital for hte benzo withdrawal stuff.  That cousin is a dr., but he says most drs. now aren't any good and don't even care.  That seems to be true.

[[Gu...]]

Now that’s a scary thought.  And I love York Peppermint Patties too!

[[...]]

Oh yes! A lot of women have been misdiagnosed and suffered at the hands of Drs. My Mom's friend and neighbor of many years was misdiagnosed with a panic attack and it turned out to be a massive heart attack. Her husband took her to the urgent care because she had shortness of breath. Sent home and getting worse. He finally got her to the ER and she ended up having a second one. She was 64 at the time. She made it through, but was left oxygen dependent and she really no quality of life. She was in and out of the hospital all of the time. Really sad. She passed away this past April at the age of 69.

What angers me is that they don't believe women. I am not saying men aren't misdiagnosed, because they are. Not as much.

I had an allergic reaction to the Vivelle patch and I was misdiagnosed even after I told them I knew it was the patch. Thus the Klonopin. I was in the hospital for almost a week. I had taken the patch off the night I was admitted. This was after my 3rd trip to the ER. I had rapid weight loss, everything went through me, could not keep much down, serious heart arrhythmia, weakness, shaky,  BP of 200/120 just to name a few. It turned out the matrix in the patch caused this. Anyway, I was put on Klonopin to calm my system down. I was discharged with an apology and the Klonopin. Had no clue of what it was doing to me. The Dr who put me on the patch never came to see me and prescribed Premarin for HRT. I am still angry, but it motivates me even more to get off.

There are many stories out there like these. Unfortunate, but true. Dr's need to LISTEN to their patients.

Now I am on a roll. Back in 2015 I started getting epi-gastric pain and started losing weight rapidly. I was pretty active at the time on my bike. I was getting weaker and weaker and the pain got worse. Went to my PCP and she stated that it sounded like an ulcer which I agreed with. They run on both sides of my family. Made an Appt with GI and I waited 3 months. Teaching hospital where I retired from. I saw an attending physician and a fellow. I gave my history and symptoms in detail. The attending in his arrogance told me that I did not have ulcers. He stated I would be bleeding out in the ICU with the symptoms I described! I then stated it was probably severe gastritis. He then told me that you don't have pain with gastritis! I was so angry. He told me that they couldn't help if didn't eat. I was trying to eat any and everything that I could handle. I got in his face and told him that he was WRONG. He ordered an endoscopy for the following week and told me I was a complex case. I told him he needed to educate himself better. He left the room and I told the fellow that the man was a total idiot. I believe he agreed, but did not say so. A week later, I had the endoscopy done by a wonderful GI woman and I had 2 bleeding gastric ulcers! I went back for a visit and he did apologize, but was still arrogant. I went on a course of Pepcid which didn't help. It lowered my platelet count.

He wanted me to have another Endoscopy to see if they had healed, along with a colonoscopy! He proceeded to lecture me on Colon cancer. I refused the colonoscopy and the fellow finally chimed in and stated that I might not be  healed from the ulcers. I had the 2nd endoscopy and I bled after biopsy due to low platelets. Had to have a clip put in. They wanted to put me PPI's and I went along with them, but never went back.On my last visit, I told him that he better start listening to his patients. I researched natural things and healed up. I still have flare ups of pain from time to time, but nothing like before. How many Dr's are out there like that? A lot!

Sorry for the long winded post, but this shows you what people have to go through. Not fair.

 

Wow!

What is a clip (you said they put in a clip?)

 

My Dad used to say drs. were like used car salesmen...  uh, I thought now.

Now I think more along the lines he did.  He was healthy and made it into his 90's, somethign I will never make.

 

Yes,3 drs. would not believe me when I said mirtaz was the problem, or precipitated it.

 

Are teaching hospitals generally better at dealing with complex things?  A cousin suggested a teaching hospital for hte benzo withdrawal stuff.  That cousin is a dr., but he says most drs. now aren't any good and don't even care.  That seems to be true.

[/quot

 

Endoclip is used to stop bleeding in the ulcer. She had biopsied it and it bled. The clip is not removed. Just passed through the system after falling off. I had to be x-rayed to make sure it was out. Took about 3 weeks.

I am not saying all Dr's are bad, because they are not. I have an excellent PCP, GYN, and other specialties. It does seem that there is not as much caring and compassion as there once was.

Teaching hospitals are better at dealing with complex cases. I don't believe that they would be any better at knowing what to do with Benzo withdrawal though. We know a lot more than they ever could.

My future daughter in law will start her residency next year in Psychiatry. I have already had many great talks with her about the Benzo's and she really seems to understand the severe consequences of prescribing when not necessary and also the withdrawal syndrome. I know she will be a great Physician as she really does have compassion, empathy and loves help others. 

[[or...]]

Dana, what a post! And what an ordeal you went through. Actually several ordeals.

 

I had a similar trip through hell with ulcers. On my taper I was as wacky as a loon with worry, but I also had miserable gi s/x -- mainly that I couldn't eat and everything made me feel ill. My NP who prescribed my valium said because there was no such thing as wds (!!!), I was "just anxious". My doc, when I saw her, agreed -- your gut issues, nausea, and pain are just anxiety. Go away and meditate. Try to get your stress down. That was a Friday afternoon. By Saturday I was so sick I couldn't sit up. I was at my tai chi class and had to go outside and lie on the grass. By Sunday night I was terrible -- I woke up in the middle of the night vomiting (and pooping -- sorry for the tmi) blood. But I was so brainwashed that after the vomiting and the other, ahem, thing, I felt so well that I told myself maybe they're right. I'm just anxious. What would I tell them at the ER? I had a lot of pain but now it's gone? Talk about a lunatic! Anyhow, my partner took me to the ER on Monday morning where THEY WERE SKEPTICAL!!! (An arrogant male doc, uh huh). I mean, here I am a little old lady complaining about stomach pain which she had last night. But not now. Pulleeze. He even said he did not believe my "story" as he called it about my midnight vomiting and the other thing. But one compassionate PA did, and ordered an endoscopy. I had three actively bleeding ulcers.

 

Then I was put on a PPI -- prescription strength omaprazole, which made me so dizzy I couldn't walk. When I phoned the prescribing doc about this he said dizziness was not a listed s/x of the drug and to just continue taking it. Well, I couldn't walk, or drive, and was starting to get very nauseous and was at my wit's end. Two days later he called to tell me  that yes, it was a listed s/x but very rare. The ba**ard!!! He never even looked it up and was covering his a**. So he prescribed Carafate, which is a very benign drug that just clings to the bloody spots in your stomach and protects them from stomach acid while they heal. My partner, who is a chemist, researched it for me and there are NO listed s/x, rare or not.

 

So that's when I lost my faith in doctors. I was already skeptical about my NP and her fairy story about no withdrawals. That was about the time I found BB.

 

Sorry for the long rant. Since the ulcer misadventure I have had several other run-ins with doctors and their immensely arrogant attitudes mainly brought about by their not listening to their (women) patients. As I yell often to my partner: "Do I have to diagnose myself?" "And save my own butt from their ill-informed drug prescribing"? I now take very few drugs.

 

Sorry for the long rant. But Dana, your story just touched this off in me. Hope you are doing well now.

 

Katz

[[...]]

Dana, what a post! And what an ordeal you went through. Actually several ordeals.

 

I had a similar trip through hell with ulcers. On my taper I was as wacky as a loon with worry, but I also had miserable gi s/x -- mainly that I couldn't eat and everything made me feel ill. My NP who prescribed my valium said because there was no such thing as wds (!!!), I was "just anxious". My doc, when I saw her, agreed -- your gut issues, nausea, and pain are just anxiety. Go away and meditate. Try to get your stress down. That was a Friday afternoon. By Saturday I was so sick I couldn't sit up. I was at my tai chi class and had to go outside and lie on the grass. By Sunday night I was terrible -- I woke up in the middle of the night vomiting (and pooping -- sorry for the tmi) blood. But I was so brainwashed that after the vomiting and the other, ahem, thing, I felt so well that I told myself maybe they're right. I'm just anxious. What would I tell them at the ER? I had a lot of pain but now it's gone? Talk about a lunatic! Anyhow, my partner took me to the ER on Monday morning where THEY WERE SKEPTICAL!!! (An arrogant male doc, uh huh). I mean, here I am a little old lady complaining about stomach pain which she had last night. But not now. Pulleeze. He even said he did not believe my "story" as he called it about my midnight vomiting and the other thing. But one compassionate PA did, and ordered an endoscopy. I had three actively bleeding ulcers.

 

Then I was put on a PPI -- prescription strength omaprazole, which made me so dizzy I couldn't walk. When I phoned the prescribing doc about this he said dizziness was not a listed s/x of the drug and to just continue taking it. Well, I couldn't walk, or drive, and was starting to get very nauseous and was at my wit's end. Two days later he called to tell me  that yes, it was a listed s/x but very rare. The ba**ard!!! He never even looked it up and was covering his a**. So he prescribed Carafate, which is a very benign drug that just clings to the bloody spots in your stomach and protects them from stomach acid while they heal. My partner, who is a chemist, researched it for me and there are NO listed s/x, rare or not.

 

So that's when I lost my faith in doctors. I was already skeptical about my NP and her fairy story about no withdrawals. That was about the time I found BB.

 

Sorry for the long rant. Since the ulcer misadventure I have had several other run-ins with doctors and their immensely arrogant attitudes mainly brought about by their not listening to their (women) patients. As I yell often to my partner: "Do I have to diagnose myself?" "And save my own butt from their ill-informed drug prescribing"? I now take very few drugs.

 

Sorry for the long rant. But Dana, your story just touched this off in me. Hope you are doing well now.

 

Katz

 

Hi Katz!

 

Wow! You really have been through it! You could have very well bled out, because of their ignorance and arrogance! I am glad to know that I am not the only one who has dealt with idiots. I did not mean to get you stirred up, but there are times when I get so very angry about what goes on. It should not be still going on! I wonder how many die because of misdiagnoses. I am a retired nurse, but never saw a lot of this going on. Only when I got to be on the other side of the fence, did I believe it. I never really went to Dr before the hysterectomy which I did not need. I try to stay as far away as I can from them. My PCP is a great gal and I have had her for 16 years. I trust her and she was the one who diagnosed me with the ulcer, but of course I needed to be referred to GI for tests. I told her the GI guy told me that I did not have ulcers, she just rolled her eyes and shook her head. She went to medical school there and did her residency, so she knew how they could be.

I am glad that you doing better and are not taking many drugs.

The only thing I take is bio-identical compounded HRT and of course the dreaded Klonopin of which one day will be history!

Thanks for sharing your story and yes, it is alright to to self diagnose to avoid being put on drugs.

I never took a PPI as I knew the side effects. I researched and got zinc-carnosine, which is a prescription in Japan for ulcers! It really works. I also got DGL, Slippery Elm and Marshmallow root. When I do flare up, I take those and I am fine. 

 

 

 

[[or...]]

Like you, Dana, I've come to pursue other, non-drug remedies. I seem to have GERD, maybe left over from my taper?? Who knows. But when it bothers me, I drink aloe juice. Amazon has a wonderful product. And it really, really helps.

 

Sigh. Why did we have to get old before we got wise? 

 

Katz

[[su...]]

So how do we post here, I could only see reply. Was in the general taper forum, but someone suggested I go here. I am 65 and will be 66 at the end of the year. I was only taking 5mg of valium once a week, sometimes more but was always careful, as I had got caught before in 2011 and successfully tapered. I just woke up one day in a big mess. I was having some other health issues as well which didn't help - still battling with those. I am having 0.9 per day trying to taper off. Had to try and work out how much I was taking on average a week which was a bit hit and miss so I guess that's why I got hooked. Feel really stupid about it second time around. Still having nasty symptoms. Have lost a lot of weight. Some days couldn't eat because of the nausea.

Has anyone tried medicinal cannabis to help with symptoms and sleep?