What happened to me can happen from the any one of the name of drugs in the class of benzodiazipines and z-drugs.
I was taking klonopin for sleep. Other benzos are ativan, xanax, valium, and around 30 other benzos by different names. Versed used at the dentist is also a benzodiazipine.
Z-drugs are all the sleeping pills. Ambien (Zolpidem), Lunesta (Eszopiclone), Imovane (Zolpiclone), Sonata (Zaleplon). Generic names start with Z's.
They can ALL do the same thing. The sleeping pills and all the 35 or so benzos. Don't forget that, regardless of what you're told. They're the same drug, with different half lives and different types of sedation depending. So slight changes in chemical compound here and there. THAT'S ALL.
And those slight changes in chemical compounds for the above listed reasons, have no effect on the fact they all act the same in the brain going to the same place to make the change required for "sedation" sleep etc.
This doesn't happen from one shot like at the dentist. I am just saying versed is a benzo as if one becomes compromised from a benzo or z-drug, they can no longer use them once healed. So this mean, a different drug at dentist. As well, if one is compromised from a benzo like me, I can't take any steroid, predisone nothing. It can start the process over again in my brain and cns as those are stimulants and I may never be able to handle this in my body again. Any stimulant that is strong. You'll understand the further you read.
All of these drugs have the same "mechanism of action".
They all can change the brain function if taken at even a low dose. If taken consistently a brain can change in a little as 7 days.
Genetics is the determining factor.
That change is what makes a person dependent. This is what causes the side effects like no other meds or illegal drugs. Nothing changse the brain and body function like these meds. A person quits other drugs, they do not lose the calming mechanism for the brain and central nervous system. It's a big deal.
With these particular drugs the change to the brain, is unique and unlike any other drug. It is more severe and it controls the brain function that controls the speed of neurotransmitters that travel through the central nervous system as they end up going too fast. Signalling everything, overfiring.
The reason they go too fast is these drugs make the brain lazy. It stops producing a GABA receptor. Not GABA chemical. The GABA receptor. I can link you a pic to understand through email if you like.
A GABA receptor is needed for the brains natural GABA chemical to go to and touch, this action of our natural calming GABA chemical "touching" the GABA receptor is what CALMS the brain and central nervous system. These 2 need to touch or bind.
Since the brain discards GABA receptors as benzo and z-drugs are so strong they take over, the brain and central nervous system has now lost it's ability to calm anything. Heart for reg beats, brain for conceptualizing, eyes to see things correctly etc., adrenals to keep out of fight or flight this type of thing. EVERYTHING is going way to fast if the drug is removed. EVERYTHING went faster than normal with the drug in, to overcompensate for sedation. Make sense?
Many can quit these drugs and feel nothing. They don't taper. These people get NO side effects on or coming off. BUT, if they come off and restart in the future, they may get side effects the 2nd time.
Some taper, and have fewer symptoms.
Many people are left on, not knowing how to get off as symptoms are too strong.
There is a manual written how and what these drugs do. Written by one of the only doctors that studied the drugs, learned the side effects from the change they make due to genetics. From the UK. Dr. Heather Ashton. Dr. Malcolm Lader did scans with people on them, they were buried, the results, 30 years ago.
Her manual the only book explaining what I am telling you is not required reading anywhere in the world. Many facts were buried by the ministry of health in London again.
Her Manual on benzos, z-dugs, the intro explains what she did. It talks about
the "syndrome" I had the symptoms, length, everything.
http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/
30-50% of people that take these drugs will experience this change. Depending on personal genetics one GABA receptor will dissolve or more. The more dissolve, the less calming for the brain and cns, the stronger the side effects on and coming off the drug if taken off too fast. They can start on the drug and can be debilitating if one is rapid tapered, detox'd, not tapered by the book, if they are severely compromised by these drugs.
It ALL depends on personal genetics of an individual.
This is called, benzodiazipine withdrawal syndrome. One will get a cluster of 50 - 100 of side effects that take 6-18 months some longer to stop.
This is the reason many people are on the drugs today, believe it or not, this is why there is an epidemic of people on these drugs. They are not addicts, they do not know how to get off, they end up finding forums if lucky and get educated. And that is if they correlate problems they're having with the drugs. Many go back on these drugs only because they were compromised with bad side effects coming off. They need to function. Again, not addicts. As you read you'll understand when you finish why media gets it wrong. And docs. Doctors haven't learned what I shared with you. They deny or downplay symptoms. They tell people to stay on for life not learning how to get them off if a person has trouble coming off.
Or they cut them off and people are compromised & they can't function daily as their brain and body are going too fast and the myelin sheath has been stripped for neuropathy with fast movement and muscle seizing unable to relax with the body's calming mechanism taken away. If this quit is abrupt it will take 6 - 18 months or more to heal. Usually over a year, which means they stay in this state chronic altered until that time.
Sleep doesn't happen, as the brain needs the GABA receptor that is gone that will take 6 - 18 months to come back. Adrenal glands have jacked wide
open on these drugs overcompensating for the sedation. They stay in fight or flight 6 - 18 months until the GABA receptor comes back. Audio, comes out wrong, visual. Brain goes to fast so many can't balance checkbooks never mind do simple house hold tasks like showering or washing dishes. People get Parkison shakey, gastro, cardiac overdoing it, head pressure, eye pressure, head feels like a balloon, eye muscle contraction, stinging, burning, head, face, legs, bone feeling, arms, fever or fever symptoms, lead feeling in limbs, tight band around the head, strange side effects that happen at the same time, in a chronic altered state. For a very long time. It's in her manual.
I was in this shape past 22 months. I had 50 then 100 then 50 symptoms and then it started to decline. I did start sleeping at 12 months out. It was painful, I had to relocate from the US to continue recovering at home where I'm from in Canada. I was not told to taper, quit in one day, it was bad, got better at 2 months, then symptoms rose and peaked at 3 months out stronger and different and new ones added and that continued chronic for a very long time. I was unprepared, didn't know I could reinstate to taper, doctors had no clue. It was a mess. I was a career woman and fitness girl that took a sleeping pill. This is real. I do not want this to happen to anyone. Okay?
I was very angry when I found out when I found out klonopin was supposed to be used only for debilitating anxiety people, in the UK only legal for epilepsy klonopin. I am educating in my book, so people know their legal rights and no exactly where to get the ball rolling to get help.
Options for people coming off too fast compromised are reinstating to stabilize for at least a month before coming down. Ashton says after 2 weeks one can't. That's changed from a friend of mine who has perfected this so she helps people 3 or 5 months sometimes more time off the drug and can reinstate them and stabalize them to slow taper off to be functional and out of pain and disorientation if they are still severe with side effects far out.
Compromised this is very unfortunately common to be a year out like that if taken off to fast. This is why it's criminal and why it was covered up. Who would take it knowing this is a possibility? I wouldn't have.
This has happening for over 40 years. I am now an advocate in the community. The UK is the only country addressing it. It can cause irreversible cns damage and functional brain injury if one comes off the drug too fast compromised because of genetics. Lots of stress on the brain and body moving at such high speed with no way to slow down.
If you are on a benzodiazipine or z-drug and stop sleeping on it or get panic attacks and anxiety that are coming out of no where that is a signal of "tolerance" and it means it's not you at all but the drug has dissolved your GABA receptors and on the drug your brain has lost it's calming ability.
You are experiencing a side effect, it's not your true emotion.
Many doctors don't know this and often tell patients they are developing anxiety disorders. The patient gets polydrugged for what no one knows is a side effect of the drug. That side effect becomes managed by the doctor, telling you, you've got problems emotionally.
This is how people end up on 2 benzos, 1 benzo and ambien and an anti depressant. People can stay on this cycle years before they find support forums that explain it just like lyme forums. By that time many people have lost many thing, not knowing their behavior feeling nuts, becoming unstable sane once, was because of a drug they were told was safe.
Read about
all the celebrities on these that are having trouble. They don't know this info either.
In UK Parliament there are many activist, doctors, members of parliament. The Earl of Sandwich has a family member going through what I did and he speaks out, fighting trying to bring this criminal injustice of side effects that render people non functional, people told to stay on for life, finding out their ailing health is because of benzos and z-drugs which are extremely toxic for organs and were ONLY intended for 2-4 weeks. Some countries now 7 days as that is as fast as the brain can change.
Only intended for 2- 4 weeks so the brain doesn't change. Those of us that know it can change in 7 days, think this is too long as well.
How do you avoid the brain changing? Sporadic doses. Twice a week to be safe. Take it 4, 5 days in a row, 7 days in a row, you don't know.
Ann Milton Public Health minister in London is the first politician globally that has educated herself and is fighting for this to come out and doctors to stop over prescribing and to learn how to humanely taper patients compromised which can take years.
I can source everything.
Ativan was supposed to be removed due to the chemical compound which like klonopin give more physical side effects. Xanax was supposed to be removed,same reason. They were not removed because doctors had put too many on and didn't know how to taper people off. Dr. Malcolm Lader I mentioned above does a documentary about
this.
There are many documentaries and papers. Many. Now you know.
Both Ativan and Xanax have short have lives so many become "tolerant" and get side effects between doses ON the drugs, not knowing that's why they have pain, tingling, numbing, weakness, cramping, panic attacks, sleeplessness, feel emotionally unstable for no apparent reason. This usually happens eventually with all of them. It happens with z-drugs (Ambien) as their half lives are even shorter. 5 hours that kind of thing.
Shinji, if you are having anxiety as I read, you MAY be in tolerance on Ambien. Not, you having a personal problem requiring talk therapy. Okay? A side effect.
There is a paper by John Perrot ex victom activist, we've corresponded, I have talked with many helping and many authors and one govt official; John submits papers and sits in parliament meetings, changes required on these drugs and prescribing, to parliament and has met many times with Public Health Minister Ann Milton and cabinet members. If that is what is going on with you Shinji, "tolerance" and missing the drug side effect that causes it, it is and has been addressed a number of times as necessary to prevent.
It's a fight, there is a lot of money at stake.
There are many lawsuits happening now across the POND. I'm educating for people to take action here to do the same if the politicians won't play ball and doctors here won't learn the truth.
In the 80's in the UK there was a class action suit with doctors and 14,000 patients not told of side effects against the pharmaceutical companies. It was manipulated and thrown out so the saga continues. Google "benzodiazipines" on wiki and go down to History heading and there is a lawsuit blurb of this.
Like I said, I can source everything. I HATE to write this. As many are on these. I was too.
I have many many friends as I said, one that worked with the Dr. Heather Ashton who wrote the manual. Ashton is now in her 70's and she is not giving up fighting for this to come out again.
More info was uncovered 2010 proving benzo cause brain damage. It was sealed by the ministry of health not to be
opened till 2014. From 30 years ago. I have all of this.
A good friend I mentioned above in the US has developed the most humane way to come off using Ashton's base she made it even more gentle to come off. She helps those compromised so they can bring in the right info to work with their doctor, and I will give any one the info so they can learn if they end up with the side effects, you know, if you will.
It's a mess. As I said, I can send you info with all the links. Sourced by 2 of the doctors that tell the truth but were ............................. not listened too. Just like what happens with lymes.
I have recently met discussing benzos and "why" is this still going on (?) and my injury with a research doctor degreed in Pharmacology and Anesthesiology here at the University that studies drugs and side effects and his group is non pharmaceutical funded so "no conflict of interest". He is one of a few that is aware of this, he has been for many years. He and his group study the mainstream prescribing behaviors as well. And the marketing influence the pharmecuetical companies have.
His peers have a good podcast of truths of neurontin, (Gabapentin) if anyone is interested. Dr. James Wright in Vancouver B.C. Canada. Email him.........
Unfortunately, most of your doctors like mine are unaware of this information.
If compromised it can be UNEVENTFUL and smooth coming off of these meds if one chooses. UNEVENTFUL if done right.
But now you know what can happen if you don't, no fault of your own not being told. And you can recognize side effects on these as well which tells you if you have then become compromised.
Post Edited (waverunner) : 3/16/2012 2:46:32 PM (GMT-6)