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Toronto Star: "Benzo Drugs Worsen Breathing For Some Seniors"


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Hi All,

This article provides another good reason for people to get off these drugs:

 

http://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2014/04/17/major_ontario_study_finds_benzo_drugs_worsen_breathing_problems_for_some_seniors.html

 

It's good to see that these studies are being done and that the results are being made public. There are SO many reasons why benzodiazepines should be used in a limited capacity only.

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Thank you for posting this. I am one of those seniors, and it happened to me. I was shocked when I started reading about benzos and realized how dangerous they are, especially for older women.

east

:)

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Good for you! I'm so pleased you've come off the benzos! I'm really concerned about how many seniors might be on these meds. It's such a risk -- for breathing, for balance, for cognition, etc.

 

Share the article with your friends, if you know that they're taking benzos too.

 

Keep up the good work, EastCoast!

Lapis2

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I wanted to put a link to an article that shocked me to the core, about older women and benzos. It showed that women who take them have a higher risk for falls, fractures, social problems, memory loss and the list goes on. Reading it was like reading my life story. I couldn't get the link to work right, but its by Janet Currie, a Canadian, and if you Google her it will come up. "Manufacturing Addiction" is its name.

east

:)

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[8c...]

I wanted to put a link to an article that shocked me to the core, about older women and benzos. It showed that women who take them have a higher risk for falls, fractures, social problems, memory loss and the list goes on. Reading it was like reading my life story. I couldn't get the link to work right, but its by Janet Currie, a Canadian, and if you Google her it will come up. "Manufacturing Addiction" is its name.

east

:)

 

Hey, east, is this it?

 

http://www.cwhn.ca/en/node/39526

 

Wow, I'm so glad I'm off this stuff. It is really scary.

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Yes, EastCoast, we must be on the same wavelength! I posted that article here yesterday! I came across it last year and added it to my file on benzodiazepines. I thought it was important and well-written, and since it's from a Canadian source (and I'm here in Canada), I was really pleased to see it out there.

 

All the best,

Lapis2

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Do they know why it caused breathing problems to worsen?  The article doesn't state the reason but maybe the original study does? Or maybe they don't know?
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Hi!

Here's what I understand from what I've read: Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants, meaning they slow down certain functions.

 

The article says the following:

 

"Adverse events included increased shortness of breath, more coughing than usual, and thicker or darker phlegm. Excessive fatigue was “a more significant and concerning symptom,” Vozoris said. “That may happen if someone let their breathlessness go on too long.”

 

 

So, if benzos make people fatigued and slow their breathing, and if those people are elderly and have compromised lung function already, then the effects can be quite bad. Pneumonia is listed as a risk too, and that can be worsened if people aren't able to move around well (because the medication makes them more tired or dizzy).

 

The link provided in the article connects to the abstract so it's not the full, detailed report. I'm sure it can be tracked down through medical libraries if you're interested.

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