Always blaming the benzo's but never the dozens of other RX medications ...

[[To...]]

We are always blaming the Benzodiazepines for pretty much all and most of  the trouble that's going on in our lives and I do get this. Fair enough. It's just a terrible drug to get off of but what about all the other psychiatric medications most of us in here are taking. I can name at least 2 groups that are even worse to take in my humble opinion. We all like to get off Benzos as it being the "demon drug" but what about the anti-psychotic's, neuroleptics and amphetamines like Ritalin and Adderall ? I mean it's coming to a point that one would think taking a Benzo would be the least of his concern. I'm currently tapering off my Valium but I'm starting to think it's the least of my problems. All though as many of you might know but too well how hard this is to do ...

 

I am just putting and asking this question in here because I just can't seem to get this problem out of my mind. It's haunting me day and night. I am in withdrawal from stopping and tapering the Valium but what about the other medications I'm on. I'm currently taking 75 mg of Zoloft, 10 mg of Valium, 10 mg of Zolpidem (Ambien) and on top of that my doctor recently prescribed me Ritalin for my ADHD which has been dis or uncovered by MYSELF and this might even be a withdrawal symptom all though I do think I really had it since my childhood but nobody talked about such "disorders" back in the 70's or 80's. Kids were just kids and they let them be kids. No need for Ritalin or whatever and prescribing them any medication and we were happy.

 

Talking about "chewing the fat". I thought this one would be a perfect one to throw in here. What are you guys and Benzo-buddies thoughts and opinions on this matter ? I mean I see a lot of people in here that are on multiple drugs (poly medical and legal drug(ab)use). Abuse whether they know it or not or just usage. So there are interactions to using these multiple drugs in combination with benzo's. All the studies that are done for safety and side effects of drugs by the FDA, etc ... are done on and for only 1 drug. Nobody or any scholar, professor or doctor really knows about the interactions and side effects of taking these different drugs together will give us. This concerns me to a great deal and extend. Don't you agree ? What's your opinion ? Please feel free to throw in your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

[[lo...]]

You are right, there are many drugs that are extremely problematic but as this is a benzo forum, the talk tends to be about benzos.  There are other groups for other drugs.  Doctors have limited understanding of the individual drugs let alone how they interact with each other and even less how they will affect any individual patient.  So the whole thing is just a lottery.  I was on a benzo for 40 years and a whole variety of antidepressants.  The benzo has ruined my life, the antidepressants just seemed to do very little for me.  Others will be affected badly by the antidepressants and less so by benzos.  It is very individual.  Antipsychotics are more powerful but I have no personal experience of those.  I hope you are successful in getting off your drugs if that is what you would like to do.

 

I love your Avatar ...

 

Fiona 

[[To...]]

You are right, there are many drugs that are extremely problematic but as this is a benzo forum, the talk tends to be about benzos.  There are other groups for other drugs.  Doctors have limited understanding of the individual drugs let alone how they interact with each other and even less how they will affect any individual patient.  So the whole thing is just a lottery.  I was on a benzo for 40 years and a whole variety of antidepressants.  The benzo has ruined my life, the antidepressants just seemed to do very little for me.  Others will be affected badly by the antidepressants and less so by benzos.  It is very individual.  Antipsychotics are more powerful but I have no personal experience of those.  I hope you are successful in getting off your drugs if that is what you would like to do.

 

I love your Avatar ...

 

Fiona 

 

 

  Thank you so much for your input Fiona. It sure is appreciated. It's not as much about my opinion about this problem. I just can't seem to figure it out myself and on my own. I am well aware this being a benzo-forum and this is exactly my problem. It's always about the benzo's. I don't see much forums about SSRI's, Ritalin nor Anti-psychotics but there are plenty and many about benzo's. Why is this ? I just can't seem to wrap my head around this.

 

  About the avatar ... he's on a combination of Zoloft and Ritalin, what can I tell ya ... he's totally messed up. He's just upset about his poly drug abuse and is in desperate need of answers. I try to calm him down every now and then and tell him to just chill a bit but he won't listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[lo...]]

There are quite a lot of Facebook groups about antidepressants but I am not a member of them so don't know the details.  Have you joined "Let's Talk Withdrawal Podcast" Facebook Group run by James Moore?  He produces a podcast every week about different aspects of these issues.  Members there would be able to tell you about the different groups that are around.  You can access James' podcasts on the Mad in America website ... scroll down the page. https://www.madinamerica.com

 

There is "Surviving Antidepressants" which is a website.  I don't know about ADHD drugs.  But I don't think you will get any definite answers about these things.  Too much is just unknown or that is how it seems to me anyway.

 

Have you looked at Peter Breggins website?

 

https://breggin.com

 

Not sure if any of this is of much use to you.  It is a huge subject and a very difficult one to get to grips with.  I have never really tried because I have cognitive difficulties and cannot read very much and I am not on any drugs now.

 

I understand why you chose your avatar!!!  I feel like that often. 

 

Best of luck

 

Fiona 

 

 

[[ne...]]

Hi TR, I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a horrible time. Fiona's answer makes a lot of sense, it's just impossible to tell what the interactions are and how somebody is going to be affected. If would be nice to have some type of test to measure the neurotransmitters in the brain, to have some idea of what is going on, but alas, that is not the case and humanity just isn't there yet. To me pdocs seem like blind men shotting arrows in a dark hoping to find the target.

 

I am really surprised to be honest that you have to courage to mess again with new drugs after all that you have suffered so far because of them! What about your resolution to stop messing with your drugs, huh? 

 

My opinion is to stay away from the amphetamines,  as ADHD could be very well be a w/d symptom ( I have it too, and didn't before ) but it's up to you in the end, you know how you feel. Whatever you decide, I wish you best of luck!

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Hi TR, I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a horrible time. Fiona's answer makes a lot of sense, it's just impossible to tell what the interactions are and how somebody is going to be affected. If would be nice to have some type of test to measure the neurotransmitters in the brain, to have some idea of what is going on, but alas, that is not the case and humanity just isn't there yet. To me pdocs seem like blind men shotting arrows in a dark hoping to find the target.

 

I am really surprised to be honest that you have to courage to mess again with new drugs after all that you have suffered so far because of them! What about your resolution to stop messing with your drugs, huh? 

My opinion is to stay away from the amphetamines,  as ADHD could be very well be a w/d symptom ( I have it too, and didn't before ) but it's up to you in the end, you know how you feel. Whatever you decide, I wish you best of luck!

 

 

Fiona  I love Peter Breggins and to me he's a real hero. I watched many of his video's before and totally agree with him on the topic of psychiatric drugs, etc ... But don't you think he's pretty much on his own ? I mean isn't this like aiming for an Utopian fantasy world ? How many psychiatrist can or are actually doing what he is doing ? I think the man is pretty much on his own and what he's talking about just doesn't seem feasible to me (in most cases). For very mild cases it is feasible but not for people who are in real mental anguish and trouble. They just want "The Quick Fix" and they want it now. I wish I could just stop taking all these drugs but I doubt I can make an appointment with that man any time soon to say the least. He's just way too busy.

 

 

NewOgirl  I am just following "medical advise" above benzo-buddies as is stated in the forum regulations. It is also stated up there we should always do this.

[[ne...]]

Well... I agree with the idea behind the forum regulations, I see why they wrote what they wrote, as anyone can post here whatever pops right through their head, and it's not always good advice. Not to mention the fact that some people are down right predatory and seek to harm very vulnerable individuals. You don't want to encourgage that, do you? I think it's meant first and foremost to protect us.

 

That being said, you want to say that you are determined to put yourself through no matter what consequences only because your Dr. told you so? 

[[lo...]]

TR, I haven't read anything in detail on Peter Breggin's website, I have only picked up bits and bobs of information.  That is all I am able to pick up, it is too difficult for me to read.  I am glad you are able to assimilate information.  Here in the UK, drugs are prescribed because there isn't enough alternative services to help people and doctors generally seem to believe the drugs are safe and effective!! 

[[To...]]

TR, I haven't read anything in detail on Peter Breggin's website, I have only picked up bits and bobs of information.  That is all I am able to pick up, it is too difficult for me to read.  I am glad you are able to assimilate information.  Here in the UK, drugs are prescribed because there isn't enough alternative services to help people and doctors generally seem to believe the drugs are safe and effective!!

 

 

Fiona  Don't you worry. I have to do everything in little bits and pieces too. Can't read much or long and if I do I have to take plenty of breaks in between and most of the time I just start up a different project. The same for watching video's on You Tube and especially movies. It all needs to happen in little bits and pieces and by taking long breaks in between. I can assimilate information but it's not in the usual way. I have to just scan over it and work around it for the most part and sometimes just reread 2 or 3 times. I do have a good sense for reading in between the lines though so this makes up for it. There's also such a thing as "information overload" on the internet. Some days I can't even write a post in here.

[[lo...]]

I totally understand.  I guess I am not highly motivated to persevere because I tend to forget what I have read anyway.

 

:-[ :-[