Recovery!

Hi there!

 

I had been off benzos for 18 months and not improving after a pretty fast taper. I had tried certain things like supps and had very small success but then at times would get terrible rebounds and end up worse. I had no life and could not function, work, exercise.

 

Thank you for sharing your success with us.

Can you please tell me why you are just making this account now? Also where did you get the treatment done?

Hi there!

 

I had been off benzos for 18 months and not improving after a pretty fast taper. I had tried certain things like supps and had very small success but then at times would get terrible rebounds and end up worse. I had no life and could not function, work, exercise.

 

I saw a story on here from someone who got stem cells for their benzo issues and part of them improved rapidly/healed but the other part remained damaged. I mulled over the decision for a long time but decided it was worth a shot to get my life back. I got two different types of treatment to try and cover all bases. I got an IV of 200mill cells and also got some in my brain. I noticed some postive changes in 2 weeks and by 6 months I had healed.

 

I also had issues with my feet from playing soccer, as well as something going on with my breast (TMI sorry) which also recovered without my targetting them specifically. It was not cheap at around $15,000 from memory but it was worth it. Stem cells are having success healing a lot of things but there are different kinds. The ones sold in USA etc are cells from your own fat or bone marrow. They are a lot less powerful and effective than umbilical cord!

 

There is hope people!

 

I would like to see to references to credible research supporting any such recommendations for use.

 

I tried a few quick searches and nothing turned up. If there no good supporting evidence for stem cell treatments, then they should be regarded as quackery. And expensive quackery at that.

There is a new Facebook page called Benzos and Stem Cells that just opened up in the last few days as well. A last when to Ophelia Rising in Mexico for stem cell treatment and had luck and began that page. She is looking for success stories if you don’t already know her or are part of her group.

Can you please say where you went? In the US? Mexico? How did you get there if you were really sick?

Can you please say where you went? In the US? Mexico? How did you get there if you were really sick?

 

What I'd like to see are references to some properly conducted studies to back up claims for efficacy. Else, the only proper conclusion to be drawn is that the claims are baseless.

 

BB is is not a platform for the promotion of quackery and snake oil.

Can you please say where you went? In the US? Mexico? How did you get there if you were really sick?

 

What I'd like to see are references to some properly conducted studies to back up claims for efficacy. Else, the only proper conclusion to be drawn is that the claims are baseless.

 

BB is is not a platform for the promotion of quackery and snake oil.

 

I fully agree

Colin I would like you to know that to date there has BEEN NO research on Benzos and stem cells. But the Ophelia Rises clinic is compiling a data base as we speak. I have met with Dr. Fabian Narrio - the owner and research physician behind he biotech lab CBCells. I have explained in detail the benzo community issues. He has taken on this project with open arms. He is planning to do formal studies which will take about 2 years or so. He was also the first physician to use stem cellls to treat long haul covid and I will attach his formal paper to that effect. I would also like you to know that Dr. Atluri in Ohio, Pain Management Specialist has formed a relationship with the Opheilia Rises Clinic and is now sending his personal friends who are also doctors to this clinic for treatment. So while it is true that have no studies to reference treatment  for psychotropic drug withdrawal, we do have concrete and formal studies to back the claims that stem cells are an effective treatment for many conditions. Sincerely, Julie Young Ingham.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1703002856705680

I agree with Colin, but because of a different reason. Even if there was research that said stem cell stuff was promising, it wouldn't really be a legit study. The reason it wouldn't be a legit study, is because they don't even know what benzo withdrawal is in the first place.

 

Do you catch my drift? Say for example there was a study and 100% of people improved with stem cell therapy, what are they improving compared to? How do we know they didn't just heal naturally or have some kind of change of perspective and mindset that was completely unrelated? It's kind of like mental health treatment, it's all subjective.

I agree with Colin, but because of a different reason. Even if there was research that said stem cell stuff was promising, it wouldn't really be a legit study. The reason it wouldn't be a legit study, is because they don't even know what benzo withdrawal is in the first place.

 

Do you catch my drift? Say for example there was a study and 100% of people improved with stem cell therapy, what are they improving compared to? How do we know they didn't just heal naturally or have some kind of change of perspective and mindset that was completely unrelated? It's kind of like mental health treatment, it's all subjective.

 

But that's why you need a proper control group. That is, another similar group, except for they instead receive placebo treatment. Neither group knows if they are the control/placebo group (that's 'blind' of a study), or if they are the group receiving treatment; and even those administering and managing the treatments (real and placebo) do not know which group is which (that's the 'double blind' part of the study).

Thanks for explaining that, I never knew what they actually did in double blind studies

 

I still see one issue with that, kind of what I was saying before. Even if there's a double blind study, and they were giving one group placebo, and the other group stem cell therapy, there is still the timeline issue.

 

Because of the two or three year timeline to heal from benzodiazepines on average, if the study took a couple years for example, the people could be healing naturally instead of from the stem cell therapy. So if they are actually naturally healing, it would look like the stem cell therapy is doing the healing.

 

Basically long story short, no matter what kind of study is done, the people would be healing naturally with their own bodies regardless of what's given to them, unless the non Placebo is slowing the healing process completely.

Hi JustInTime,

 

I edited my last post for clarity - but you appear to have understood me correctly anyway.

 

Yes, it is often the case that studies do no go on for as long as would seem appropriate in the circumstances. But surely it is a cost issue. Hopefully, a shorter study will show enough benefits to warrant a longer study (where there are good reasons to suppose/suspect that longer treatment will show greater benefits).

Yes, I understood what you were saying. I think there are issues with all of the medical studies out there, due to the fact that sometimes the symptoms could be psychosomatic or possibly subjective and not related to the medicine being given.

 

Think about pain medicine for example. Sometimes they do double blind studies with people who are in pain, and they give them a placebo and the person starts to feel better. And sometimes they give somebody actual pain medicine, and the person starts to feel better. It's like okay well, they're both feeling better even though they still have pain.

 

And then there's the cancer research trials, sometimes the cancer goes away. Obviously we haven't found the cure to cancer yet, yet it goes away on its own sometimes. Is it because of time, or is it because for some reason the placebo had the Cure in it unknowingly? I mean is anybody ever going to know?

 

And then there's the whole time frame thing, if these trials go on for a long time, perhaps the body is doing natural healing because time heals everything. I guess we will never know.

I went to opehlia rises in July. Me and a friend who was also extremely extremely bad injured. We stayed for a month recieving iv stem cells. I watched her heal before my eyes. She stayed down there and just to stay and heal in the lovely environment. She is now 80% healed and she was extremely destroyed before we went. Me however. Yeah. I'm not so lucky. They do work though. 80% of those ewvo went after us for med damage have healed. That's just the one clinic.

I went to opehlia rises in July. Me and a friend who was also extremely extremely bad injured. We stayed for a month recieving iv stem cells. I watched her heal before my eyes. She stayed down there and just to stay and heal in the lovely environment. She is now 80% healed and she was extremely destroyed before we went. Me however. Yeah. I'm not so lucky. They do work though. 80% of those ewvo went after us for med damage have healed. That's just the one clinic.

Where did you get the 80%? When there was a poll on a chronic illness site they said about 4%, Congrats to your friend btw.

 

I said 80% of those who went for med injury. Of the 15 I know. Also 89% of neuro see improvement. Go to dvcstem website

I think it worth me repeating:

 

Hi there!

 

I had been off benzos for 18 months and not improving after a pretty fast taper. I had tried certain things like supps and had very small success but then at times would get terrible rebounds and end up worse. I had no life and could not function, work, exercise.

 

I saw a story on here from someone who got stem cells for their benzo issues and part of them improved rapidly/healed but the other part remained damaged. I mulled over the decision for a long time but decided it was worth a shot to get my life back. I got two different types of treatment to try and cover all bases. I got an IV of 200mill cells and also got some in my brain. I noticed some postive changes in 2 weeks and by 6 months I had healed.

 

I also had issues with my feet from playing soccer, as well as something going on with my breast (TMI sorry) which also recovered without my targetting them specifically. It was not cheap at around $15,000 from memory but it was worth it. Stem cells are having success healing a lot of things but there are different kinds. The ones sold in USA etc are cells from your own fat or bone marrow. They are a lot less powerful and effective than umbilical cord!

 

There is hope people!

 

I would like to see to references to credible research supporting any such recommendations for use.

 

I tried a few quick searches and nothing turned up. If there no good supporting evidence for stem cell treatments, then they should be regarded as quackery. And expensive quackery at that.

 

Can you please say where you went? In the US? Mexico? How did you get there if you were really sick?

 

What I'd like to see are references to some properly conducted studies to back up claims for efficacy. Else, the only proper conclusion to be drawn is that the claims are baseless.

 

BB is is not a platform for the promotion of quackery and snake oil.

Please beware, that there is a lot of spam going on at the moment about stem cells - also in the Facebook benzo groups. It seems to be aggressive marketing of a treatment not proven to work.

Please beware, that there is a lot of spam going on at the moment about stem cells - also in the Facebook benzo groups. It seems to be aggressive marketing of a treatment not proven to work.

Thanks, Jb42, for the comment. I was not aware of that.

 

I think I found a good unbiased site. It's from a guy that was studying stem cells for years. He writes about approved therapies and what's in progress. He fact-checks claims about stem cells.

Well after reading into it we aren't there yet. It's run by a guy, Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

He seems to be a hopeful skeptic with a concern over the many clinics popping up.

Also it seem for a lot of people the results are not permanent.

And a lot of people who benefit seem to be in the minority.

 

I think I found a good unbiased site. It's from a guy that was studying stem cells for years. He writes about approved therapies and what's in progress. He fact-checks claims about stem cells.

Well after reading into it we aren't there yet. It's run by a guy, Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

He seems to be a hopeful skeptic with a concern over the many clinics popping up.

Also it seem for a lot of people the results are not permanent.

And a lot of people who benefit seem to be in the minority.

 

Thanks for posting that, TOGS. Good find. He seems like a very good resource on all matters relating stem cell research. Do you have links to specific blog posts?

 

For anyone who is interested, his blog:

 

https://ipscell.com/blog/

 

And some background:

 

https://health.ucdavis.edu/cellbio/faculty/knoepfler/

 

From his Wiki page:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Knoepfler

 

Paul Knoepfler

 

Paul S. Knoepfler[1] (born April 10, 1967) is an American biologist, writer, and blogger. He is a professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, the Genome Center, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. In 2013, Knoepfler was named one of the 50 most influential people in the stem cell field.[2]

 

Because of his extensive blogging on the subject, he is a good resource for non-scientists (like nearly all of us here).

No problem Colin, I was on that blog all night. Here are some pages I found helpful.

 

Good over veiw of stem cells for the common person

https://ipscell.com/what-are-stem-cells/

 

clinic reviews

https://ipscell.com/stem-cell-reviews-unproven-clinics-therapies-bad-ideas/

 

Here is the fact check section of his blog

https://ipscell.com/category/fact-check/

 

Below are some of the fact checks on clinics

He is reviewing to clinics which gives insight into how they use stem cell and his concerns.

 

https://ipscell.com/2021/10/unclear-picture-from-fact-checking-regenexx-data-reviews-cost/

 

From the patients I’ve connected with over the years or seen talking about this on the web, oftentimes the possible benefits of these kinds of stem cells, PRP, etc. more generally seem to only last one or two months. This temporary effect is why I think it is likely mainly a placebo effect kind of thing in many cases.

 

On the other hand, the benefit could be real but short-lived due to, for example, transiently reducing inflammation. If so, this would require more injections for customers for many years.

 

Here is his insight on another clinic but I think the general information he gives is helpful.

https://ipscell.com/2021/02/fact-check-of-panama-stem-cell-institute-cost-safety-efficacy/

 

List of approved therapies

https://ipscell.com/2021/03/list-of-fda-approved-stem-cell-therapies/

But he says there are no approve clinics by the FDA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Added below is my own thoughts and findings. Pretty unscientific research

 

In polls here is what i can find

Long Covid

 

Lyme

https://www.lymedisease.org/mylymedata-alternative-lyme-disease-treatment/

 

the outcomes in the polls are not great. But it is a very small sample size.

 

When I talk to people that it helped, they tell me results lasted 6 months to a year and then stopped.

I see a lot of people saying it worked but I don't know if they recently got them and if results will stay.

 

Also Jb42 is right the sites are full of aggressive marketing.

Some obvious, a lot not. The poor facebook stemcell group looks absolutely invaded by marketing. I've seen more post to then I care of a women offering to do a different kind of stem treatment after someone is devastated that stem cells didn't work for them. It looks pretatory. But when I am desperate it is so easy for me to believe.

What worries me is I can only find testimonials and no reviews. Ophelia Rises has no google reviews, no facebook reviews. Just their testimonials and post from people that it is hard to distinguish if they are marketing or really did the treatment.

 

I know some people who healed from using it. My guess is that the stems cells helped enough so the body could repair itself. But really who knows?

 

Do I believe stem cell can help? I want to, but I all I can find in its favor are testimonials. Which should not be dismissed themselves, but nothing else I find is backing this up. I do believe some people are help temporarily at least. But from the very small poll it's not a good chance.

 

 

A recent study should that stem cells for brain injury look promising but is still in trials.

https://www.dovepress.com/therapeutic-application-of-stem-cells-in-the-repair-of-traumatic-brain-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-SCCAA

 

I’m likely going to try this in the coming months…

 

I’m set back by almost any med/some foods/supplements, haven’t touched a GABAergic drug in 5 years. The only reason I’m still in withdrawal is due to setbacks.

 

I’m lucky in that they normally don’t last long, but I’ve had to live an unbelievably restrictive life while 100% avoiding any type of med, which is the only way I’ve been able to heal.

 

I found out recently I have axial psoriatic arthritis, and will need to soon start meds and be on them for life, so waiting is no longer an option for me.

 

I’m guessing the meds I need will not only cause a setback, but because I wouldn’t be able to live without them, put me into perpetual, permanent withdrawal that just keeps getting worse.

 

Three weeks ago in a desperate attempt to fix this I tried flumazenil infusions, which caused a setback that I’m currently still feeling.

 

An interesting fact I’ve learned is that MSC have been used with some success in autoimmune diseases, but I’ve only found two case reports of their use in psoriatic arthritis. One was successful, one wasn’t.

 

I’m desperate so will be trying stem cells as a Hail Mary.

 

If they either somehow heal me and stop meds from causing setbacks, or somehow treat my illness and allow me to continue living a restrictive life without meds, it would be a miracle.