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Strong GABA receptors?


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I have a friend who's been on every anti depressant imaginable, including mood stabilizers that impact GABA or glutamate receptors and also on a z-drug. She was able to stop all of those without any tapering or withdrawal effects.

 

She's 60 and physically active, has the energy of a 30 year old, never had any major health issues. She was on psychiatric meds since early 20s. Quit all of them late 40s and didn't even know there could be consequences.

 

Wtf?! Why are we suffering so much? Not that I want her to have suffered. It's just that people like her make our doctors think we're faking it.

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I think there are some lucky folks who can just stop with very little problems. I am not one of them. Perhaps, some of these folks' brains have very little trouble bouncing back to the previous state.
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Perhaps, some folks' brains are such that they have a lot easier time of adapting and regulating the GABA and Glutamate systems both in the presence or absence of psychiatric drugs. Some car engines can be more easily modified to be turbo-charged, and can hold up very well...... :(
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I have a friend who's been on every anti depressant imaginable, including mood stabilizers that impact GABA or glutamate receptors and also on a z-drug. She was able to stop all of those without any tapering or withdrawal effects.

 

She's 60 and physically active, has the energy of a 30 year old, never had any major health issues. She was on psychiatric meds since early 20s. Quit all of them late 40s and didn't even know there could be consequences.

 

Wtf?! Why are we suffering so much? Not that I want her to have suffered. It's just that people like her make our doctors think we're faking it.

 

Are you sure this is all there is to know? People don't always tell the whole truth and sometimes they rewrite the past on their own minds. One thing is true, if she was on psych meds for 20 years she must have had some issues. And now it seems that she's bragging, which is not very nice considering the problems you're having.

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That's true that I don't know the full story and that being on psych meds for 20 years must have meant something. Although it doesn't seem like she's bragging. She was just shocked that her doctors never told her to taper. She is empathetic. She actually didn't even know Lunesta was a z-drug. She thought it was something like Unisom. She really does seem to be telling the truth. She educated herself since and is surprised how did she manage to dodge the bullet.
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Obviously there is a reason why some suffer and some don't. But suffering from w/d is not rare by any means. We are not unusual or weird. Why the difference though- well, we just don't know yet. But clearly there is a reason. Likely genetic. One day they'll figure it out and be able to rest who will become dependent and who won't.... but I don't think that will happen in our lifetime.
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Are you sure this is all there is to know? People not always tell the whole truth and sometimes they rewrite the past in their own minds. One thing is truth, if she was on psych meds 20 years she must have had some issues. And now it seems that she's bragging, which is not very nice considering the problems you're having.

 

Maybe, maybe not. These drugs are certainly insidious but I don't think we should automatically assume that everyone has issues with them. We will never know the full extent of the problems these drugs cause but if everyone had serious issues with psych drugs things would be a lot different.

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Man I get upset when I hear about this because the doctors hear this, and just other people here this, and it backs up what they already believe, and then for people like us, they are like, "Oh you are weak.  It's not even addictive."  :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff:

 

Of course it makes sense that each one of us is different.  I recently saw an article that said over half of people coming off of antidepressants are having withdrawal symptoms now.  That sounds very significant but I doubt it will stop the prescription rates.  I still wonder what the % of people experiencing withdrawal is with benzos.  It's not like the ones who have no problems are on benzobuddies.

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Maybe she was so drugged up from all the meds that she was taking that they diminished the effects of the z-drug and others? My aunt was on a lot of drugs, and on Xanax also, and she didn't understand what I was going through. It was very frustrating for me, and that was my last conversation with her. I just couldn't handle it. I'm angry that no researcher has thought to study why people get off easily and we don't. It seems that doctors will never understand us unless they have a study to back it up.  >:(
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Man I get upset when I hear about this because the doctors hear this, and just other people here this, and it backs up what they already believe, and then for people like us, they are like, "Oh you are weak.  It's not even addictive."  :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff:

 

Of course it makes sense that each one of us is different.  I recently saw an article that said over half of people coming off of antidepressants are having withdrawal symptoms now.  That sounds very significant but I doubt it will stop the prescription rates.  I still wonder what the % of people experiencing withdrawal is with benzos.  It's not like the ones who have no problems are on benzobuddies.

 

Exactly! That's what I was thinking too.

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Maybe she was so drugged up from all the meds that she was taking that they diminished the effects of the z-drug and others? My aunt was on a lot of drugs, and on Xanax also, and she didn't understand what I was going through. It was very frustrating for me, and that was my last conversation with her. I just couldn't handle it. I'm angry that no researcher has thought to study why people get off easily and we don't. It seems that doctors will never understand us unless they have a study to back it up.  >:(

 

I can understand switching from one med to another without major problems. I just don't understand how could she quit everything C/T and be fine.

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[cc...]

Obviously there is a reason why some suffer and some don't. But suffering from w/d is not rare by any means. We are not unusual or weird. Why the difference though- well, we just don't know yet. But clearly there is a reason. Likely genetic. One day they'll figure it out and be able to rest who will become dependent and who won't.... but I don't think that will happen in our lifetime.

 

No one knows

and even  on here the withdrawal symptoms and time frames that these side effects disappear for many, differs also,

so how they affect people is an unknown science, just like our differences, our genetic make up, our ages, our diets, our coping abilities etc, etc  etc

so many differences, and the scienctists, researchers, doctors etc,  do not know,  so we cannot know either.    If we did we would know the solution  :'( :'(

 

:smitten:

 

 

 

 

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[0c...]

For me, i guess i suffered a lot because i reinstate many times and caused me to kindle. And i think the reason many here suffered because of a combination of these factors, irregular pill cuts, reinstating, long time use.

 

 

Many folk here who used for only some months managed to quit and still be productive, albeit feeling an insane anxiety. :D

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I had short term use- 6 wks and no reinstatement and no irregular pill cuts and I am suffering a lot. Many others suffered for yrs after only a few wks of benzo use. We just don't know why. I bet the % who would suffer w/d is much higher than is reported- many just stay on the drug or if they try to stop and get anxiety, they're told they "need" the drug. But yes, some just CT w/ not much issue at all. I know someone who took Ativan daily for 6 mo during chemo and CT'ed no problem. I wish we knew exactly why and how to predict who will suffer. It is also interesting that some ppl CT no problem the first time but suffer w/d the next time they take/quit a benzo. So maybe it's not just genetic?? Or some gene gets turned on/off? Oh, I wish we knew!!!
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I CT'd several times in the past, always 0.25mg K, 5 days/week.  Never had so much as a hiccup.  I can't even remember how many times I quit, probably 5 or so, but that proves how insignificant it was.  I once even hopped on a plane and left the country on an extended trip, quit the day before and left the meds behind.  :o  Wild.

 

Am wondering whether past AD use might be a factor here, as that's the only difference I can really think of in my case.  It might be interesting to do a little BB survey.  And also, this last time around I was using it very erratically.  Who knows, tis a mystery.

 

I doubt it has anything to do with strong GABA receptors, lol, I've no doubt GABA is just one tiny link in a chain that stretches to the moon and back, it just happens to be the one neurotransmitter most studied, but what about all the others they haven't even discovered yet. 

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Important to remember that most people out there (friends, acquiantances, etc) who have been on psychiatric drugs and have gotten well have nothing to gain and much to lose by recalling their psychiatric drug experiences. What's in it for them? Why remind oneself of all the trauma that happened in the past?
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That's true that I don't know the full story and that being on psych meds for 20 years must have meant something. Although it doesn't seem like she's bragging. She was just shocked that her doctors never told her to taper. She is empathetic. She actually didn't even know Lunesta was a z-drug. She thought it was something like Unisom. She really does seem to be telling the truth. She educated herself since and is surprised how did she manage to dodge the bullet.

 

ideallifevision, I believe you but I don't believe your friend. I've also been on these meds for 20 years and I've stayed functional during my taper, apart from a short period. I go to the gym, work, take care of my family. But this is not the same as not having problems. I'm not as able as I used to be, I feel foggy, my muscles are tighter and sore, I have tinnitus, etc. Of course, if I didn't have so much to do and my work was simpler, perhaps I wouldn't feel so much the difference. It's perhaps the case of your friend. Maybe she felt sick during some time without knowing exactly why and forgot about it (poor memory is a known symptom). But I don't believe that someone stays on benzos and AD for 20 years and then CT everything without feeling anything. Also, if she had to be on these meds for such a long period, she's not as healthy as she says. Otherwise she wouldn't have needed them.

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[cc...]

 

I doubt it has anything to do with strong GABA receptors, lol,

 

I've no doubt GABA is just one tiny link in a chain that stretches to the moon and back,

 

it just happens to be the one neurotransmitter most studied,

 

but what about all the others they haven't even discovered yet.

 

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:    :smitten:

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ideallifevision, I believe you but I don't believe your friend. I've also been on these meds for 20 years and I've stayed functional during my taper, apart from a short period. I go to the gym, work, take care of my family. But this is not the same as not having problems. I'm not as able as I used to be, I feel foggy, my muscles are tighter and sore, I have tinnitus, etc. Of course, if I didn't have so much to do and my work was simpler, perhaps I wouldn't feel so much the difference. It's perhaps the case of your friend. Maybe she felt sick during some time without knowing exactly why and forgot about it (poor memory is a known symptom). But I don't believe that someone stays on benzos and AD for 20 years and then CT everything without feeling anything. Also, if she had to be on these meds for such a long period, she's not as healthy as she says. Otherwise she wouldn't have needed them.

 

Yeah, I am getting more suspicious now. But I lived with her for some time and I could see that she is very healthy now: extremely physically active, very healthy emotionally, sharp mind, tons of energy. She does take supplements (Mg, B vitamins, probiotics, something else), but no pharmaceuticals. I wonder if some of her supplements carried her over.

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What Psych drugs was she on? Antidepressants are different than Benzos. I was on Celexa for over a year and had a much milder withdrawal. Don't let this upset you. I have talked with people that were on Xanax off and on for years and swear that they can stop anytime without any problems. I got to tell you something, they don't act like they are all there and one of them looks like they have seen better days. I believe that it affects everyone but it just works different for some.
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She was on a z-drug Lunesta.

 

She was also on Prozac, Paxil, Lamictal, Wellbutrin and says she was on many more but doesn't remember the names.

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I have never had a problem getting off of anti depressants. Been on several over the years.

 

Also have been on and off of Zopiclone with no problems.

 

Last year I quit Sertraline, Tramadol and codiene. And Zopiclone.  A bit uncomfortable but fine.

 

I was expecting the diazepam to be the same but that one is my nemesis.

 

Some people get off of Benzos okay.

 

We are all different.

 

 

 

 

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