You’ll be on these for life

Who else was told by their trusted doctor that “you will be on these meds for life” when you told them you wanted to get off? I was told that multiple times and spent years in search of a medical team that would help free me of the nightmare of dependent medications, only to be be turned away time and time again. It took me 3 years to finally take matters into my own hands and admit myself into what I thought would be a safe medical facility. It was not. (I don’t recommend this route to anyone and definitely advocate a slow taper.) My situation was a little more complicated since I was on opioids and at that time no doctor on the planet wanted to be associated with opioid prescriptions. The problem was they treated me like an addict and not a dependent user that took meds as prescribed even though the director of the facility recognized as much. I was worth at least $30K in revenue for the facility if not more.

 

We’ve really got a hole in the system to care for patients coming off of medications as prescribed, as you all know. Doctors, drug manufacturers, big pharma and the like make too much money off of us to care. But just like the opioid crisis if enough of us voice our grievances we will be heard. I implore you to follow the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and document your adverse reaction to benzodiazepines on the FDA page. They have a link you can reference.

 

I missed my chance to hold opioid makers accountable (the Purdue Pharma lawsuit) because I was too far gone in benzo withdrawal to make the deadline, but we don’t have a deadline for benzodiazepine awareness. Let’s help those who are now being prescribed these dangerous drugs. Speak out and help those who will need our guidance.🗣 With Covid-19 benzodiazepine RX’s are increasing.

My case is complicated too from several angles. After a few years on Ambien I had a serious reaction. Within a week or so, I admitted myself Inpatient and the first night there was given Ativan (I was clueless as to what I was taking…was SO desperate, due to the pain associated with Ambien reaction…I would have taken anything…little did I know that I was in for the ride of my life!).

 

Fast forward a few weeks or month(s) later, I admitted myself again into the same facility. The attending psychiatrist upped the Ativan from 1 mg to 2 mgs. I can still see her face and hear her words as I and another person (trainee?), sitting next to me, listened…the doctor said in so many words “you will be on this medication for life”!

 

My thought as I sat there was…”you have to be kidding me!” At the time I had no idea that those two medications(Ambien and Ativan) were causing all the horrendous symptoms. I knew she was wrong and that I clearly was not getting professional help....but I was desperate and needed HELP beyond taking some pill for life. Very weird.

 

This nightmare that I naively walked into only ended after I did a search on the Internet and found the Ashton Manuel. I agree that knowledge is power...people need to know the truth about these drugs.

 

great post, tinkered!  I have a series of videos I have put out on youtube and in MANY of them I discuss benzos as the next opioid epidemic --- in fact, here's a link to my last one specifically about that.....let's keep speaking out! 

 

[nobbc]

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we need all hands on deck --- pushing this forward.  I am floored by what we are all going through -- and just pray we can stop this from happening to hundreds of thousands more. 

 

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Thanks 100 days. Hey I can’t open this link. Is there another way for me to watch, under your name or title or something? I’m seeing a lot of psych professionals speaking out about deprescribing nightmares and it gives me faith in humanity. Some are trying to set up safe practices and advocating for informed consent. So yay! 

great post, tinkered!  I have a series of videos I have put out on youtube and in MANY of them I discuss benzos as the next opioid epidemic --- in fact, here's a link to my last one specifically about that.....let's keep speaking out! 

 

[nobbc]

[/nobbc]

 

we need all hands on deck --- pushing this forward.  I am floored by what we are all going through -- and just pray we can stop this from happening to hundreds of thousands more. 

 

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Sorry for the late reply. I don’t get on here very often. Curious, are you still struggling this far out? Our backgrounds are similar.

My case is complicated too from several angles. After a few years on Ambien I had a serious reaction. Within a week or so, I admitted myself Inpatient and the first night there was given Ativan (I was clueless as to what I was taking…was SO desperate, due to the pain associated with Ambien reaction…I would have taken anything…little did I know that I was in for the ride of my life!).

 

Fast forward a few weeks or month(s) later, I admitted myself again into the same facility. The attending psychiatrist upped the Ativan from 1 mg to 2 mgs. I can still see her face and hear her words as I and another person (trainee?), sitting next to me, listened…the doctor said in so many words “you will be on this medication for life”!

 

My thought as I sat there was…”you have to be kidding me!” At the time I had no idea that those two medications(Ambien and Ativan) were causing all the horrendous symptoms. I knew she was wrong and that I clearly was not getting professional help....but I was desperate and needed HELP beyond taking some pill for life. Very weird.

 

This nightmare that I naively walked into only ended after I did a search on the Internet and found the Ashton Manuel. I agree that knowledge is power...people need to know the truth about these drugs.

I know a fellow BB on here told me many months ago that his doc told him that he'd never be able to get off the benzo's.  He told me that it was a death sentence.  He's been on benzo's for over 30 years now.  I wish he'd come on and tell us how he's doing.

I met a neighbor a few days ago whose Mom was CT’d by her doctor after 24 years, in her 70’s. They said she died of a stroke, but it was 3 days after so I’m guessing it was probably a fatal seizure. Heartbreaking and criminal. I hope your friend is doing ok. I know I wasn’t after 10 years of that nonsense. Actually, looking back things took a turn for the worse in the 1st year, but I was only many other meds too.

 

I know a fellow BB on here told me many months ago that his doc told him that he'd never be able to get off the benzo's.  He told me that it was a death sentence.  He's been on benzo's for over 30 years now.  I wish he'd come on and tell us how he's doing.

Sorry for the late reply. I don’t get on here very often. Curious, are you still struggling this far out? Our backgrounds are similar.

 

Yes I’m still struggling. I’m able to do more things, but my daily life has never returned to where I’m symptom free. The damage is significant….eyes/memory/no desire to do things and more.

 

With each passing year I have seen some improvements, but the duration of this “recovery” process is grueling and has taken its toll.

I have never been told that.

 

In 2005, they even wanted me off the drugs.

 

But I really don't care what a doctor says about mental stuff. This is my opinion: The brain is too complicated for anyone to understand, and I only talk to doctors about physical stuff. I've been through too much on these medications. I educate myself. Doctors never knew more about me than I did myself. They were just always guessing.