Deprescribing.ca: Benzodiazepine Discontinuation Protocol (Draft)

http://www.open-pharmacy-research.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/deprescribing-algorithm-benzodiazepines.pdf

Cannot tell you how disappointed I am in this group.  This protocol is a massive fail I think.

Interested to hear your feedback on this.  I want to write to them.  I'll try to find a collection of email addresses for the main doctors.

I had much higher hopes than this.

Ali

I agree, the protocol is a massive fail from the very outset.

Where did this originate?  Just curious...

I'll dig up the original link.  These are Canadian physicians who are part of the deprescribing.ca research initiative.  I believe that it includes the Bruyere Institute in Ottawa, Ontario.  They did an earlier protocol for proton pump inhibitors that was great.  I'm so disappointed.

I'll be back with the link.  Nice to see you around TexasMike!  I always remember your kind words from my post at 16 months out when I started to be able to communicate again.  Prior to that I was in a monastic stupor!  Sometimes I wonder how I survived.

Found the links:

http://www.open-pharmacy-research.ca/research-projects/emerging-services/deprescribing-guidelines

Here is the benzo-specific project team:

http://www.open-pharmacy-research.ca/research-projects/emerging-services/deprescribing-guidelines

"Co-led by principal investigators Barbara Farrell and James Conklin and managed by Hannah Irving, this project is developing, implementing and evaluating three “deprescribing” guidelines.

These guidelines will support interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals in tapering or stopping medications that may be causing harm or are no longer providing benefit as well as monitoring for adverse drug withdrawal reactions in elderly patients. The project’s research team expects that this will reduce adverse drug effects and improve quality of life.

Co-investigators: Kevin Pottie, Lalitha Raman-Wilms, Lisa McCarthy, Lise M. Bjerre

Master’s candidates: Clara Korenvain, Wade Thompson

Research assistants: David de Launay, Michael Elten

Deprescribing guidelines and their team members

The project has assembled three teams of dedicated researchers and healthcare professionals to develop the guidelines.

Guideline team 1: Proton pump inhibitors — This team has developed a deprescribing guideline for PPIs, a class of drugs that reduce acid production in the stomach. They are commonly used to treat heartburn, among other conditions.

Guideline team 2: Benzodiazepines — This team has developed a deprescribing guideline for benzodiazepine receptor agonists, a class of drugs also called hypnotics or sedatives that are commonly prescribed for insomnia, among other conditions.

Guideline team 3: Antipsychotics — This team is developing a deprescribing guideline for antipsychotics, a class of drugs used to treat psychosis and schizophrenia, among other conditions."

Ali

It seems it is an initiative of the Ontario Provincial government.  Here is their about page:

http://www.open-pharmacy-research.ca/about/open-objectives

I'm gobsmacked really.  Have they even looked at BenzoBuddies or the Ashton Protocol or spoken to groups around the world?  I'm going to look into the backgrounds of these "researchers" but I'm inclined to think that they may be pharmacists?

Ali

SeekingSanity,

Truly amazing - I agree in your belief these guidelines were written by pharmacists (or big Pharma, perhaps).

Nice speaking with you again.  Unfortunately I find myself in that "Monastic stupor" you spoke of.

Thanks for all the links - knowledge is power, although as stated earlier, in this case the protocol is a massive fail.

Kind regards,

Mike

Mike,

Did you ever talk to anyone about starting up a Daytox program in your part of the country based on the model applied here in Vancouver?  It is a wonderful program.  I've just joined the Accreditation Committee as a patient representative and am hoping to work on expanding it from within.

I am so sorry to hear you are still suffering.  Honestly, I'm doing so much better than a year ago.  I am about 70% there but some days, I swear I feel like a new person.  I hold on to those days in my mind as touchstones guiding me onward.

Not quite up to being 100% back into the swim of things but definitely better than those days I was on the "strict no plans plan".  These days I can schedule things and show up regardless.

I started a benzo/z-drug support group on Meetup.com in January, we are up to almost 60 online members and have regular monthly in person meetings.  Going well so far.  Am doing some telephone support for people as well, nothing paid but volunteer and not consuming huge amounts of time.  As time goes by, I'm adding more things to my plate but slowly so as not to tank myself.  Still not up to massive amounts of stress.

I am reinventing myself, one good decision at a time.  This has turned out to be a multi-year project but underneath it all, I think I'm in relatively good health (cross fingers) and healing from my adrenal exhaustion/burnout diagnosis in 2010 as well now that I've been off for 36 months.  I made big strides on the adrenal front this past year which just goes to show you how long it takes to heal from the benzos/z-drugs, prior to that time (for the past 6 years) I could not get my cortisol or cortisone numbers to budge upward despite bio-identical hormones.  Suddenly, I'm about 70% healed according to my testing this spring.  Go figure.

Stay strong my friend and if you ever need my help, you know where to find me : )

Ali

http://www.open-pharmacy-research.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/deprescribing-algorithm-benzodiazepines.pdf

 

Cannot tell you how disappointed I am in this group.  This protocol is a massive fail I think.

 

Interested to hear your feedback on this.  I want to write to them.  I'll try to find a collection of email addresses for the main doctors.

 

I had much higher hopes than this.

 

 

Ali

The dose reduction guidelines in this protocol are ridiculous and dangerous.  They will lead to failure, reinstatement and a conclusion that the patient's original diagnosis is correct and permanent.

 

The dose reduction guidelines in this protocol are ridiculous and dangerous.  They will lead to failure, reinstatement and a conclusion that the patient's original diagnosis is correct and permanent.

Thanks for the comment PhotoBugSF.  I'm having a hard time coming to terms with this.  I was eagerly awaiting something far different.  I have to get going to write an email to each of the researchers.  Massive disappointment.

When will they learn?

Ali

SeekingSanity ... hi ...

This looks like a "glossier" version of the Bloom Program here in Nova Scotia, run by pharmacists ...

I ran into them last fall ...

Their main "methodology", along with a dangerous tapering protocol, was to switch benzo users to the "safe" SSRI chemicals ...

And ... they were stuck on the "fact" that benzo use is equated with addiction ...

Had some "conversations" with them for about a month ... they did not want to hear anything I had to say ... they were the professionals ...

They did not have a clue ...