Recent Posts
Are You Addicted to Benzos?
Benzodiazepines are highly addictive — as addictive as morphine or heroin. But because they are usually prescribed, most longer term users (more than two weeks) aren't aware they could be drug dependent or addicted.
They are not usually told that benzos were NEVER intended for long term use, for example for sleep or anxiety. The brain becomes tolerant to benzos very quickly. This means that the effect of benzos on sleep, for example, is very short-lived and soon disappears.
Twelve Years Later: After My Last Psychiatric Drug
Guest Blog by Daisy Anderson
I had always dreamed of getting off of my psychiatric drugs. In May of 2002, after thirty-seven years of living in a drugged fog, I took my last psychiatric pill. That was twelve years ago. Life is good now. Finding the good life, though, meant that I had to rethink what wellness was, to do a lot of hard work, and to practice patience.
Tapering and Recovery (revised)
Guest Blog by Daisy Anderson
I was twenty-two years old when I walked into the psychiatrist's office with some personal and social troubles. I expected understanding and help so was surprised that the doctor prescribed potent medications. I naively thought the ten-day prescription was just that, for ten days. Over the years, the psychiatrists prescribed me cocktails of psychiatric drugs at high doses. Now, thirty-seven years later, I am drug free.
Searching for the Miracle Cure
Most people find withdrawal from benzodiazepines or other psychiatric drugs difficult. It doesn't happen with the same intensity for everybody but words like “living hell,” the “worst experience in my life,” and “unbearable” come to mind.
For some it is like an electrical storm in the body or brain, for others it is just slowly being worn down by symptoms like fatigue, chronic pain, anxiety, agoraphobia or depression. People usually have one or two symptoms that are “worse;” others have dozens of symptoms that can seem intolerable.
Are Benzos Life-Saving?
From time to time I get a message from somebody on the web who takes issue with my criticisms of benzos saying that doctors “cannot do without benzos because they are life-saving.”
Let's Look at the Evidence
I've been thinking of this statement recently and trying to figure out any situation where a benzo could save a life or where no other treatment option was available. I could not think of one instance where a benzo was essential to save a life but I could think of a lot of evidence that shows that benzos are associated with injuries and death.
Danger Zone: Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics
One of the most advertised, most profitable, prescribed and misprescribed antibiotics in North America is the family of drugs called Fluoroquinolones. This class includes the following drugs (listed by generic and BRAND names), although brand names may vary:
- ciprofloxacin (CIPRO, CILOXAN)
- enoxacin (PENETREX)
- levofloxacin (LEVAQUIN)
- moxifloxacin (AVELOX)
- norfloxacin (NOROXIN, CHIBROXIN)
- ofloxacin(FLOXIN, OCUFLOX)
Earlier Posts Archived
Previous posts are now archived. You can view them here.
www.psychmedaware.org/blog/posts.html
Updated: November 24, 2017