Suckered In By The Benzo........pissed Off And Venting

[Jimmy1]

Hey Pepsi, Benzo's have there place and can still be used with PTSD. Just not long term.

I hate the f*ckers, but when my anxiety levels are at extreme and I can't lower them, i.e. something unforeseen has got me wound up, then Xanax does the trick. But I don't go more than two days on them or else they start f*cking with my memory and make me even more scattered.

And your right with what you say. When I came back from Iraq I hated the whole world. I did not trust anyone.
Anyone who looked at me sideways got a death stare. And yes, they can't expect you to come home and just be normal. But take into consideration how fortunate we are, have a look at the veterans before us, particularly the Nam veterans. The hardly knew what PTSD was back then. The Internet was not around, and were not that many people specialised in PTSD in the whole world. We are lucky in a way if you can call it that.

I was like you Pepsi. But it does get better.

You sound too damn angry to try and explain too much right now, but I will when you want to listen.

 

[Jimmy1]

Two years, and you think I would have learned.

I had some Xanax for 'Break Glass in Emergency' situations. Well, when all the sit went down with my son I started taking one hear and there to ease my nerves. Well, you know how it goes, ended up taking up to 2 mg a day. I knew I had to stop and didn't even tell the boss. Had to go cold turkey when I ran out and copped an earful as well.

The hard part is this.

Since losing all this weight, 30 kilograms, 66 pound, or 4 stone 10 pound, my blood pressure has dropped to 95/60, quite healthy actually except, when my adrenal system ramps up I have nothing to chill with, i.e. an alpha or beta blocker like catapres or proprananol.

f*ck I wish I was like Yoda right now.

Warning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't take Benzo's......

 

[JarHed]

Hey Jimmy,

Doing real well with the weight loss, keep at it.

If I'm reading the posts right, you decided to go 'cold turkey' and just stop taking a benzo?

What ever medication that you're on and have been for a while it's always, always, a good idea to taper off over an extended period of time. And the older you get the more sensitive you become to your meds. It's tricky business. Never just stop. Just my 2cents.

Jar

 

[Sludge]

Sorry to hear of yet another Benzo battle. I fought it myself a few times.
Keep yer chin up dude. For me getting off the damned things was a f*ck tonne harder than dealing with what they were supposed to treat.

Somewhere on here there used to be one of my old rants about the pros and cons of benzos, and a bit of research I found on why they are generally a bad idea for we the combat vets.

 

[Spock]

Sorry to hear of yet another Benzo battle. I fought it myself a few times.
Keep yer chin up dude. For me getting off the damned things was a f*ck tonne harder than dealing with what they were supposed to treat.

Somewhere on here there used to be one of my old rants about the pros and cons of benzos, and a bit of research I found on why they are generally a bad idea for we the combat vets.

Those Sludge dissertations on scripts are gems, especially for ALL YOU NEW GUYS: use the search function.

 

[dutchiedelta]

Digging up older threads in search of alternative therapies. This one came up.

Benzo... Been without any sleepmeds for a couple of days cos I used too many. Prescription fill is tomorrow so a few nights of nearly no sleep.
Bad nightmares, sweating like a pig, shaking and ghastly things happening in my intestines.

I knew it is from the benzo's but...
Weirdest thing is, besides all this, my head is getting clearer.

Memory loss is always been contributed to the PTSd itself but now there is a clear difference.
I can actually remember what was on tv last night.

Been taking really dangerous amounts of meds lately in order to get some rest.
As in, dosage so high and so many different (all GP prescribed) that GP fears breathing will stop one night.
Tempted, seriously tempted to lock away the supply when it comes in.

 

[OldDoorGunner]

I was first put on Xanax 4 years ago by an old VA Doc. He had me taking 4mg a day for around 4 months.(dumb ass)...That f*cking turned off the bad running thoughts and my anxiety. New lady doc said thats BS and slowly cut me back to 2mg a day and put me on Buspirone. Now that is some nasty shit I found out after 2 years of taking it, so got off that. Read that it could come bite me in the ass, 5,10 or 15 years down the road. I still take 2mg a day (0.50 X 4) I sometimes only take 1.50mg a day, other days 3mg, if needed, but are few.....The only thing I (will wife and kid and others) have to deal with is the short term memory. Some days are not so good, but others are OK. I at one point I felt like a gunea pig, I have been put on about 10 or 12 dift meds the first 2 years and all of it made me sick....So for me I'll stay on the Xanax as it's the only thing that works. As an old Nam vet I don't give a shit about long term use, whats long term for me? All of us old Nam vets are AO walking time bombs anyway.....So f*ck it.

Now you younger guys and gals, please take the time to learn all you can about any drugs you are taking!!! DO NOT trust the doctors, as you will end up knowing more about what you are taking, than they do. I have found that most doctors only read the advertizing that come from the pharisaical companies, and those f*ckers LIE!!!


J R

 

[Sarg]

A guy at group asked me about Risperadone, as I had brought it up during the meeting. He said he hadn't read any of what I said in the literature that came with the prescription. I responded, who drafted up the literature? Big Pharma! Big pharma could make arsenic sound like aspirin.

Sarg

 

[dutchiedelta]

please take the time to learn all you can about any drugs you are taking!!! DO NOT trust the doctors, as you will end up knowing more about what you are taking, than they do.
J R

Pretty much that. I may be a bit older than the average person here and have been exposed over the years to lots of meds.
All with paradoxal or extremely undesired side effects.

Some contra indicated, some used for purposes they were not intended to.

All choices I had to follow through in order to get access to other help.

Being long term addicted or having liver problems don't worry me much.
Being alive in the here and now is the main goal. Alive meaning able to function at some level and interact.

Zombied out on the couch and not remembering a thing from last night or even the afternoon is not good.
Maybe it is convenient for society of the drs to have their patient in such a state. Just not convenient enough for me.

If it works for someone, it works. Some people react really well to meds.
Others don't and now it's time to give some thought into wean off slowly or accept I've already done a couple of days without and suck it up.

 

[Sludge]

Speaking of meds, Im zonked so well right now on the damned things I can't do much but research. To keep what is left of my brain functioning at a proper geek level, I'm going to start a new thread where ya'll can post what meds you need info on and I will vedt out the good info for you, biochemist style. That should keep me good and busy for a few days!

 

[atilla]

Dutchie, you're one hard-core troop. Glad you are alive and here. Stay strong Sister!

 

[dutchiedelta]

Cheers Atilla. It's 4.15 here. Slept an hour and just decided not to be bothered about not sleeping now.

That might change when the dog needs to be put to sleep but it's suck up time.
No worries

For those that have to work it'd be a lot of pressure though.