frustrated

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I'm so frustrated that none of the medical professionals I've dealt with have acknowledged that benzo withdrawal even exists.  I'm sick and tired of being told that the withdrawal symptoms I'm experiencing are not possibly real and that I should take all kinds of other meds.

No only do I have to cope with a frightening range of symptoms, but also with the disbelief of medical professionals.

 

Here's a quote from the book "Prescription for Injury" that describes the situation quite well.

 

“The question that is never asked or answered is why patient evidence is invariably marginalised or disbelieved in medicine—by doctors and by those whose job description is the protection of public health from drug harm. A doctor accepts what the patient says before he makes a decision to prescribe a drug. Why does he invariably disbelieve complaints afterwards about the effects of the drug? In psychotropic medicine, the answer to that question is simple. Once you have accepted a prescription for a mind altering drug, you are no longer a reliable reporter—you are in fact, a mental patient—even if what you were given the drug for has less to do with ‘mental disease’ and a great deal more to do with the pressures surrounding individuals in society. The fact that someone is given a psychotropic prescription, means in Western society, that everything they say thereafter, is unreliable and questionable. This is the stranglehold that psychotropic drugs and their producers have over medicine and the individuals in society.”

[[rs...]]

I'm so frustrated that none of the medical professionals I've dealt with have acknowledged that benzo withdrawal even exists.  I'm sick and tired of being told that the withdrawal symptoms I'm experiencing are not possibly real and that I should take all kinds of other meds.

No only do I have to cope with a frightening range of symptoms, but also with the disbelief of medical professionals.

 

Here's a quote from the book "Prescription for Injury" that describes the situation quite well.

 

“The question that is never asked or answered is why patient evidence is invariably marginalised or disbelieved in medicine—by doctors and by those whose job description is the protection of public health from drug harm. A doctor accepts what the patient says before he makes a decision to prescribe a drug. Why does he invariably disbelieve complaints afterwards about the effects of the drug? In psychotropic medicine, the answer to that question is simple. Once you have accepted a prescription for a mind altering drug, you are no longer a reliable reporter—you are in fact, a mental patient—even if what you were given the drug for has less to do with ‘mental disease’ and a great deal more to do with the pressures surrounding individuals in society. The fact that someone is given a psychotropic prescription, means in Western society, that everything they say thereafter, is unreliable and questionable. This is the stranglehold that psychotropic drugs and their producers have over medicine and the individuals in society.”

[/quotes

 

i was flat lied to about these drugs. my doctor wanted to put me on xanax for sleep and s/x from rx pain meds from a back injury. he said " minimal s/x and i can get you off them". i went home w/ a rx and looked up xanax in a pdr. only gave dosing and tech info. i didn't worry too much about it since it had been around 40 years.  i don't recall anyone ever saying what a hard drug it is to come off. after i reached tolerance i stopped and had a seizure. i began taking pain meds for the horrible benzo w/d. i only thought i had a problem w/ the pain meds. after total muscle collapse i was admitted in the hospital for two weeks in acute renal failure from proteins washing through my kidneys and dehydration. i was admitted again for 3 days with heart palps after jumping 6/11.  at no time did anyone ever say anything about the rx drugs causing my problems. i refused any narcotics or benzos.  i am now 7 months clean of any drug and still under the wheels. i can say narcotic w/d is childs play compared to benzo w/d. i've been dead for over a year now they just havn't thrown any dirt on me yet. rstud

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I'm sorry you've had such a rough journey with this, rstud. 

 

I recently applied for long term disability because I'm too sick to work.

My insurance company has set up an appointment with a drug pushing psychiatrist that does medical trials here in town for an independent medical assessment.

Looks like I’ll have to accept prescriptions, get them filled so that the insurance company sees the claim for expenses and then flush them down the toilette (or rather dispose of them safely).

 

This woman handling my claim makes me so bloody angry.  Like I need this added stress right now.  I’ve talked to her twice so far and she keeps telling me to see my doctor and have her prescribe however many medications needed to treat my symptoms.  She is so clueless.  I am so sick of dealing with ignorant people.

 

"Thousands of people could not possibly invent the bizarre symptoms caused by therapeutic use of benzodiazepines and reactions to their withdrawal. Many users have to cope, not only with a frightening range of symptoms, but also with the disbelief and hostility of their doctors and families. It is not uncommon for patients to be "struck off" if they continue to complain about withdrawal symptoms. Even when doctors are concerned and understanding about the problem, they often have little knowledge of withdrawal procedure, even less about treatment...”

Trickett S, Withdrawal from Benzodiazepines, Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1983; 33: 608

[[rs...]]

I'm sorry you've had such a rough journey with this, rstud. 

 

I recently applied for long term disability because I'm too sick to work.

My insurance company has set up an appointment with a drug pushing psychiatrist that does medical trials here in town for an independent medical assessment.

Looks like I’ll have to accept prescriptions, get them filled so that the insurance company sees the claim for expenses and then flush them down the toilette (or rather dispose of them safely).

 

This woman handling my claim makes me so bloody angry.  Like I need this added stress right now.  I’ve talked to her twice so far and she keeps telling me to see my doctor and have her prescribe however many medications needed to treat my symptoms.  She is so clueless.  I am so sick of dealing with ignorant people.

 

"Thousands of people could not possibly invent the bizarre symptoms caused by therapeutic use of benzodiazepines and reactions to their withdrawal. Many users have to cope, not only with a frightening range of symptoms, but also with the disbelief and hostility of their doctors and families. It is not uncommon for patients to be "struck off" if they continue to complain about withdrawal symptoms. Even when doctors are concerned and understanding about the problem, they often have little knowledge of withdrawal procedure, even less about treatment...”

Trickett S, Withdrawal from Benzodiazepines, Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1983; 33: 608

 

i applied for disability after my first hospital stay and they turned me down. i guess since nobody saw this as caused by drugs i was rx. it is just not accepted in the medical community. i've only heard of one person that got a disability claim since i have been on these forums. i am totally disabled and can't do anything about it. rstud

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It is frightening that a very real withdrawal syndrome is not noted by the medical community. How many people have died or have become debilitated due to the ignorance of doctors? Not to mention the frustration we feel at having to defend ourselves when we say we are in wd.

 

I spoke to a leading doc here who told me my burning and tingling was caused by my mind, not benzo wd. He also explained how he has clients on 6-8 mgs of klonopin. I just cringed. I feel so sorry for those he is "treating." 

 

One day perhaps, benzo wd will be accepted as a real condition in the medical world. Until then, we can only hold each others hands and help each other out of this darkness.

 

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If your doctors dispute that benzo withdrawal exists, then you just have to keep trying different doctors. My personal experience is that all of the doctors I have seen acknowledge that it exists to some extent, and the majority believe it can be protracted or especially difficult for some people.

 

One thing to remember is that to a clinician, someone presenting with acute organic anxiety disorders and someone presenting with benzo withdrawal are pretty indistinguishable. There are also a good number of substance abusers who will try to present with the symptoms of a condition to gain prescription drugs. I am not at all saying that these facts excuse bad doctoring, I'm just offering them up as reasons that doctors who haven't studied this issue specifically are often reluctant to initiate long-term tapers.

[[Re...]]

Wow, I am going through the same thing. I had to correct my doctor about benzos. I really don't think most doctors understand how terrible withdrawal can be. Just try to stay focused. You know what you are going through, they do not. So don't worry about what the don't know. You already know and you will get through this my friend. I am with you all the way.