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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 16:19:29
Sadly, I've never found benzos very effective for my anxiety. Even lorazepam isn't that great and that's my favourite.
Everyone on babble seems to find them very effective! Would be interesting to hear from people who have not responded to benzos.
Ed.
Posted by JACJ on December 5, 2004, at 16:45:49
In reply to Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 16:19:29
Ed,
I would be one of those people. Hate Benzos. I developecd tolerance pretty soon after starting them. W/D was hell on earth. I feel soory for those who have to got thru w/d. How long were you on them for? What did you try? I was on Ativan for almost 2.5 years.
Posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:05:21
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by JACJ on December 5, 2004, at 16:45:49
Hi Jack!
I use benzos occasionally, never for more than a couple of days at a time.... usually just isolated doses. At the moment, I only take a few doses per year. Benzos do help my anxiety (up to a point) but have never been adequate except at very high doses. Overall, SSRIs have been more effective for me.
I've taken Ativan and Valium. I couldn't take a benzo every day because
a) The UK is a very 'benzophobic' country!!
b) Benzos tend to make me aggressive and impulsively nasty
c) benzos cause me too much amnesia and cognitive impairment at the large doses which are effective.How are you feeling now? Is your anxiety any better? What about your other symptoms?
Best Wishes,
Ed.
Posted by JACJ on December 5, 2004, at 18:30:32
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:05:21
Hi Ed,
You make me laugh calling me a Jack. I am acutally a girl but you can call me Jack if you like. LOL.Hmmm, I am wondering why the doses are not effective for you. Maybe you reached tolerence already. It can happen that quickly.
Psychotropic drugs made me into a horrible mess so I will NEVER have anything good to say about them. I still have anxiety but it is normal anxiety which I think DBT training would be good for and counseling. I still have days where my w/d symptoms are bad but they are becoming a few and far between. Thanks for asking.
I have some fear, obsessive thoughts and have gained some weight due to hormonal imbalances. I know these are drug related b/c it doesn't feeling normal to me. I know it may take a while for my system to go back to normal. I want to do some research on your question.
So, you are doing pharmacy? Doctorate? Here in the states the program has gone to a Pharm.D program. How many more years until you are a chemist? I am going back for my Ph.D in Toxicology. Would like to know more about your schooling.
Jack :)
Posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:42:22
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by JACJ on December 5, 2004, at 18:30:32
Hi!
It's not that I've developed tolerance, I've always needed high doses (ever since the first pill).
It sounds like you're doing well despite your problems. I'm glad to hear it :-)
The pharmacy degree is called an MPharm here. It's not a doctorate. The degree lasts 4 years but then you have to do a pre-registration year in a pharmacy before doing the final 'registration' exams. It will be three and a half years before I'm a pharmacist.
Regards
Ed.
Posted by JACJ on December 5, 2004, at 18:51:52
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:42:22
IMO Benzos should be only use for a short period of time; maybe 3-4 weeks. I never knew I had tolerance until I researched the subject. I was going to be a chemist but couldn't b/c if I got any orders to fill a psychotropic order I wouldn't do it since I am against them. I am feeling good despite all the drugs I was on. I hope I go to recover 100 percent and lead a normal life. I do have to work on some issues but that will come in time.
I hope you are well and you will be in my thoughts.
Posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:55:00
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by JACJ on December 5, 2004, at 18:51:52
........ You will be in my thoughts too. Good luck with your studies. Ed x
Posted by JayDee on December 5, 2004, at 20:50:42
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:55:00
I wonder if benzo tolerance/dependency is related to race. It's well known that different races are effected more/less/differently by alcohol. Native Americans become very easily addicted, and have little tolerance for Alcohol, as do Asians to a lesser extent. Both are related to how long that particular race has been exposed to Alcohol. Europeans have been using Alcohol for like 3000 years IIRC, and the Brits are well known for their bars if you know what I mean. They can drink anyone under the table. ;-)
I would like to see Asian/Indian response of Benzos vs English/Euro, perhaps a survey is in order? Mabye the UK's benzophobia is logical afterall?
Posted by TheOutsider on December 6, 2004, at 4:37:05
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by JayDee on December 5, 2004, at 20:50:42
I am not very fond of Benzo's either, I much prefer GHB/Xyrem (which I can't get any more!)
Benzos do help my anxiety, but they make me feel mentaly slow slightly retarded, they also make me feel slightly depressed.
I have tried both diazepam and clonazepam, I recently took 1mg of clonazepam to try and help my social anxiety, my friend asked me why I was so "out of it"!
Posted by ed_uk on December 6, 2004, at 5:21:06
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by TheOutsider on December 6, 2004, at 4:37:05
Hi,
In situations where I need to concentrate, benzos make my anxiety worse because they make me feel so incapable. I find them useful only in situations where little mental capacity is required!
To JayDee,
You are right, England has a massive alcohol problem, we are a nation of alcoholics! People go out with the primary intention of getting drunk. Maybe if we took more benzos and less alcohol there would be less people with liver failure!
Ed.
Posted by TheOutsider on December 6, 2004, at 10:59:41
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by ed_uk on December 6, 2004, at 5:21:06
I think that reason that Britian has such a massive alcohol and illicit drugs problem in general is that mental health care is so poor!
To sight one example I had a friend who was basicaly deppendent on Ecstacy, because he found it to be the best treatment for his social axiety.
I'm beggining to think he might have been right!>
> To JayDee,
>
> You are right, England has a massive alcohol problem, we are a nation of alcoholics! People go out with the primary intention of getting drunk. Maybe if we took more benzos and less alcohol there would be less people with liver failure!
>
> Ed.
Posted by FredPotter on December 6, 2004, at 14:37:56
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 18:42:22
Me neither. For my general free-floating anxiety Xanax doesn't work, nor for my agitation. On the other hand I had a nocturnal panic attack last night and Xanax was great. I think Xanax is only effective for flat-out panic, and then in fairly high doses
Posted by glenn on December 6, 2004, at 17:16:32
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by FredPotter on December 6, 2004, at 14:37:56
It depends on the individual I am afraid , so I cannot agree.
I suffer no panic attacks , flat out or not, but Xanax is the one and only drug that killed my "state" stone dead, and still does whenever needed every 4-5 weeks.
Glenn
Posted by FredPotter on December 6, 2004, at 21:23:44
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by glenn on December 6, 2004, at 17:16:32
Yes sorry. It works differently for different people. I just think for worry Xanax would not work well, but at the other extreme, panic, it generally does. Perhaps the more reason you have to be anxious, the less well it works. Perhaps.
Posted by paulbwell on December 6, 2004, at 21:58:18
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(, posted by FredPotter on December 6, 2004, at 21:23:44
> Yes sorry. It works differently for different people. I just think for worry Xanax would not work well, but at the other extreme, panic, it generally does. Perhaps the more reason you have to be anxious, the less well it works. Perhaps.
Is this the same Fred potter who used to extole the virtues of benzos on this boord-xanax especially- some years ago?. Changed your mind? You were from New Zealand-like me Auckland-If i remember
Posted by Mr.Scott on December 6, 2004, at 22:56:42
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(Fred, posted by paulbwell on December 6, 2004, at 21:58:18
IMO
They work great for me when it comes to the physical sensations of anxiety. When I fly, a few benzo's really work well and I could care less if the plane crashes. They are good emergency meds.
For the everyday worry and obsessing, they are actually not very effective in me and they worsen depression and impair my cognitive processess.
Scott
Posted by pretty_paints on December 7, 2004, at 19:29:52
In reply to Re: Benzodiazepines- not so great for me :-(Fred, posted by Mr.Scott on December 6, 2004, at 22:56:42
When I was in hospital I took Lorazepam. It was very nice, the only time I've been relaxed in years. Forgotten what it felt like.
But after a few days of having them every day, a nurse said I should try to do without them (anxiety is not my main problem). But it was HORRIBLE. I felt shaky and weird and like I REALLY wanted to take another one. I stopped though and now I'm glad because I think they are, for me anyway, a sort of emergency med instead of something long-term.
ps: Ed_UK, which Uni are you at? And you're doing pharmacology?! Wow. Very useful indeed! I was at Cambridge doing science before I got ill. I think all of this has turned me off science tho! What yr are you in? You've probably explained all this in your numerous previous posts! so maybe i should read a few instead of getting you to explain all again.
pps: If it is not too much trouble, do u think you could briefly explain (if u know) what causes psychosis, and what APs do to counteract this? And what's the difference between ruminating thoughts and delusions, or are they basically the same things? Thanx so much if u can enlighten me at all!
Posted by ed_uk on December 8, 2004, at 8:43:23
In reply to To Ed, posted by pretty_paints on December 7, 2004, at 19:29:52
Hi! :-)
I'm doing pharmacy at Manchester Uni (not pharmacology.) I'm in the 2nd year...... I'd have been in the 3rd year if I hadn't been ill.
Were you doing natural science at Cambridge? I did apply to do medicine at Cambridge initially but withdrew my application when I finally accepted that there was no chance that I'd be able to deal with the stress. I'd have needed 10mg lorazepam a day!..... but then I wouldn't have been able to concentrate or remember anything!
The cause of psychosis isn't really understood but there are various suggestions that have been put forward eg. possible abnormal function of the dopamine system in the brain, genetic susceptibility etc.
Antipsychotics block dopamine receptors, usually D2 receptors. Some APs also block 5-HT2 receptors. APs are commonly prescribed to reduce delusions and hallucinations.
A delusion is a false belief which is regarded by the individual to be undoubtedly true. For example, someone might have a delusion that they were invincible because their body was made of iron.
A ruminating thought refers to a thought which is repeated many times in an obsessional manner. Anxiety often causes rumination.
Regards,
Ed.
This is the end of the thread.
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