Finding A Real Solution For Benzodiazepine Dependence And Withdrawal

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Hi Everyone,

 

I am currently going through yet another hellish nightmare experience that is benzodiazepine tapering & withdrawal from Rivotril (Clonazepam, Klonopin). I had been on 2mg Clonazepam daily for the last seven years, until I began my taper two and a half months ago. I am now down to 1mg per day of Clonazepam and am holding due to severe withdrawal side effects and not stabilising well enough yet to continue with any further reductions.

 

I was originally prescribed Xanax (alprazolam) by a psychiatrist over ten years ago for anxiety & panic disorder, at which point he told me that I "may need to stay on this medication for the rest of my life". I had absolutely no idea at that stage what hell on earth would be waiting for me three years later when I would first experience being withdrawn cold-turkey by a hospital from the 4mg of Xanax daily that I had been prescribed.

 

I lasted six months after that utterly cruel, mean and likely illegal cold-turkey withdrawal from Xanax, experiencing some of the most horrid and painful symptoms that I had no idea the human body could even endure before I called a friend of mine and told her that I was either going to reinstate the benzodiazepines, or end my life. Fortunately, I reinstated, over the alternative.

 

I have spent a great deal of time and money researching every possible medical publication trying to find a solution to this problem. I've tried every supplement, medication, drug, chemical, therapy to try to either ease or speed up the withdrawal and healing process, but nothing worked beyond very minor and fairly insignificant impacts on the severity of the withdrawal syndrome and the accompanying symptoms.

 

In spite of that I refuse to believe that there isn't a solution to this problem that has crippled and debilitated me, and from what I've read over the years, has done the same to you and many others in the same or very similar situation to me. I believe that this problem, much like the opioid epidemic that has been making headlines around the world over recent years and months, is the fault of the very same pharmaceutical companies, governments, doctors, pharmacies etc.. and that they have the same responsibility to find a solution to this problem, our problem, as they are being demanded to with regards to solving the opioid crisis.

 

I have decided to approach the main pharmaceutical companies directly responsible for creating the benzodiazepines that I, and all of you, are suffering in absolute hell and torment from, and requesting that instead of launching a class action lawsuit on an international front (which I know we have both a case, and the numbers, to make good on that threat) that they instead work together with us, those who are suffering from seemingly endless withdrawal symptoms, impossibily long tapering timeframes, protracted withdrawal syndrome and all the other problems these drugs have caused us.. to collaborate and find a real, scientifically proven, medical solution to the very real and serious problem of benzodiazepine withdrawal.

 

I would like to know how many of you would be interested in working together to approach these companies in the spirit of collaborating with them to find a solution, rather than going down the path of class action litigation. I don't know about the rest of you, but money means absolutely nothing to me if I am to remain in this wretched physical state that these drugs have left me in, with a prospect of many years spent trying to heal from the untreated damage they have caused me.

 

If there is enough interest, then I would organise and create an official group/non-profit organisation from which we can independently manage and communicate with the pharmaceutical companies, research laboratories, universities and any other educational and private sector organisations that I can get involved in finding a solution to this issue. I see this as no different from finding a cure for any other major currently untreatable or incurable disease or disorder.

 

I personally believe that benzodiazepines are the next major drug epidemic laying in wait, but so much more severe in impact and scale than what we have just witnessed with the opioid crisis. It is my intention to try to work with the pharmaceutical industry to try to solve this crisis before it explodes into a full blown media circus when the public finally realises the gravity of how far down the rabbit hole the world has gone with benzodiazepines.

 

Thank you for reading this far,

Ryan.

 

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I admire what you are trying to do brainstrainer. Yes, we have all been harmed by these drugs. I don't think however you are going to get the drug companies to do research on finding a solution to a problem that their drug has created. If they did this, they would then be admitting that their product is extremely addictive. Even if you could petition with enough like-minded ppl, their solution would be to create another drug, and I am not sure any of us really want that. LOL....I think the FDA now requires a black box warning to be given to patients now when these drugs are dispensed, so you would probably also be unsuccessful suing them for monetary damages for all the damage these drugs have caused some of us.

 

I think the best approach might be to enact legislation that says these drugs can not be used long-term as maintenance medications to treat chronic mental and physical health impairments bc of severe addiction potential. If you can't even do this, at the very least require prescribers to sit down and give patients full informed consent and tell them of the dangers involved. Then if the person says, I understand and I accept the risk, prescribe the drug to them.....IDK.

 

You have undertaken a noble cause and I applaud you. I personally agree with a lot of what you wrote.

 

 

[[Ka...]]

We are empathetic at BenzoBuddies about how difficult the withdrawl process can be.  However, I am putting a gentle reminder here from the Forum Rules and Guidelines regarding the BB policy in terms of sharing personal contact information:

 

 

You are not allowed to post your contact details to the BenzoBuddies forum, nor should you ask for the contact information of other members.  Virtual meetings and chats have become common and while chatting with others going through withdrawal may be helpful, we cannot ensure the anonymity of members will be protected. Links to any chats or requests to join, Facebook or any other social networking website which might potentially identify members' true identity are not allowed.

 

Kate08

[[Li...]]

You'll need rogue participants. Off the matrix. The system is broken, and the players evil.

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Thanks for your replies,

 

Just to clarify, I'm not asking for anyone's person details on this forum, and at this stage I'm only looking to see numbers of how many people would be willing to join me in this going forward.

 

If I garner enough support I intend on creating an official registered organisation separately to allow people to join independently from here.

 

There is actually precedent in taking legal action against these companies. Class action has been brought against these companies for benzodiazepines previously, but failed due to the litigants running out of money and not from losing due to lack of guilt on the part of the pharma companies.

 

That was before the opioid epidemic which has created further precedent for holding drug companies to account for damages. Just to remind anyone who isn't aware, Valium was created and marketed by the Sackler family, the same family responsible for the opioid OxyContin and they did so (in my opinion) knowing the dangers of long term benzodiazepine use. So did Pfizer when they unleashed Xanax on us, as did Roche with Clonazepam.

 

I'm not going to let them get away with this. My dad died five years ago with an empty box of OxyContin 80mg and a half empty bottle of Clonazepam 2mg beside his bed. I will not let them get away with killing my dad and disabling myself and millions of others around the world for years of our lives.

 

They can either decide to help fix the problem or they can face bankruptcy like the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma.