I have a friend, Chris, who is a pilot. I love his posts on Facebook that have the headline, “Sh!t I Hear At The Airport.” It’s often misinformation that is so ridiculous, that you can’t help but laugh. Chris inspired me to write this post since many of us hear misinformation at our doctor’s office. Please know that this post isn’t meant as doctor bashing. They don’t know what they don’t know. They’ve never been taught about the dangers of benzodiazepines or the withdrawal syndrome that can occur. However, it can be dangerous to take the advice of a doctor who isn’t benzo-wise, so, please educate yourself.
How many of these statements have you heard from well-meaning, but uneducated doctors?
- “Benzos are safe when taken as directed.”
- “You can only get addicted if you have an addictive personality.”
- “You can cut your pill into quarters and be off in a month.”
- “You’re on a low dose you won’t have any problems.”
- “Benzos can’t cause that!”
- “It’s the return of your underlying anxiety disorder!”
- “You need to take another psych med.”
- “You can stay on a benzo for life.”
- “High doses won’t hurt you.”
- “Taper off and then take every other day for a while then stop.”
- “Taking a benzo PRN will keep you from becoming addicted.
- “You can take a sleeping pill if you can’t sleep in withdrawal.”
- “I’ve never seen anyone have a problem getting off before.”
- “You can taper off with pheno (or another drug) and be fine.”
- “Go to detox. They will get you off safely.”
- “You can reinstate to double your dose and taper again without any problems.”
- “There is no such thing as benzo withdrawal.”
- “There is no such thing as kindling.”
- “You can take a quinolone antibiotic while on a benzo.”
- “Take lots of vitamins and supplements while in withdrawal.”
- “Sure, you can have a cocktail while you taper.”
- “Pain meds and benzos are safe to take at the same time.”
- “Are you going to trust me, or the Internet?”
- “.5 mg of Xanax (or Klonopin) is a “baby dose.”
- “Ambien or Lunesta is okay to take for sleep.”
- “You’ll need to be on medication your whole life.”
- “Kavinace (Phenobut) can help you.”
- “Gabapentin (Lyrica, Tegretol, Zyprexa, Cymbalta, Celexa, etc.) is good for benzo withdrawal.”
- “Your MRI (bloodwork, Ct scan, etc.) doesn’t show anything, it must be all in your head.”
- “It’s not withdrawal, it’s Lyme disease (MS, Fibromyalgia, CFS, ALS, Arthritis).”
- “Just think happy thoughts!”
My favorite ridiculous statement a doctor said to me? “Dr. Ashton is a kook!”
Please use caution when you see a doctor about getting off of your benzo, or to help you with withdrawal symptoms. Many things that they suggest or prescribe can be harmful and even dangerous in withdrawal. Do your homework! Keep healing my benzo buddies. You’ll get there, I promise.
Jennifer, another great post. I wanted to comment on you last post but, because of this list, I have been feeling pretty bad lately. 3,4,8 and 24 are the ones I heard the most and not as much from a doctor but more from pharmacists! The supposed experts! This whole situation is so unbelievable. Have a blessed day! Dan
I made a pact with myself not to visit a psychiatrist for at least the first 12 months because I knew if I did he would just push drugs on me, and I feared his doubt about my condition would make me second-guess myself. After 12 months, am I still recovering? Yes. But it’s clear to me, with the coming-and-going of symptoms, that what I was experiencing was classic benzo withdrawal. Luckily, I’ve seen the symptoms lessen in intensity, which is proof-positive to me that time heals. All I need is more time. I am certainly not anti-doctor, but when it comes to medication, I now do my own due diligence. My trust and naivete is gone, and maybe that’s a good thing moving forward.
Love the comment about Dr. Ashton being a kook! If there were more Dr. Ashton’s in the world who acknowledge how dangerous the drug is, there would be less people in the world suffering because they wouldn’t have prescribed the drug in the first place! Interesting how psychiatry is different than oncology. When there are rare symptoms or a rare form of cancer detected, the oncologists are quick to want to be the first ones who want to be part of the solution. In psychiatry, they throw up their hands saying, never heard of it and don’t know what to do so I will wipe my hands of the entire situation (i.e. cause and cure). Thanks Jennifer for being a pioneer in the education of all. God wants us to use our hurts to help those who are hurting and you are definitely following his prompting and leading. May God bless you!!
Jim, I agree 100%. Ever since day one of my tapering I have not asked for any assistance from my doctors, nor will I. I learned early on that doctors and pharmacists don’t know anything about benzo withdrawal. I also learned that there is a lot of education and support from wonderful people like Jennifer.
Still not well enough to post more, but I wanted to add 2 more. I didn’t want to miss the blog cycle.
” It’s just fear, Lissa.”
” Well, since the Ativan isn’t holding you anymore, I’ll switch you over to Klonepin.”
Blessings, all.
Lissa
Age 61, 14 Yrs. Xanax 3mg daily, 6 Yrs heavy Alcohol, no taper, Dr. took me off CT. 11 months PBWS… Saw a Psychologist… during the very 1st appointment He stated I was suffering with MDD and GAD and wanted to put me on Cymbalta… I said NO, I am going thru PBW etc… his reply was “You will be fooling yourself if you think you can handle and get thru this without medication.” I did not reschedule with him. Later I was able to see a LCSW and pleased to say she is aware of BWS and very compassionate. We had a very fruitful and enjoyable session medication free ! I recently became aware of the fact that the medical profession works within the scope of clinical, medical accepted proven science… what they do not have laid out before them simply doesn’t exist. My PCP ,Dr. though he may personally have an understanding of BWS won’t go out on a limb. Beyond the Drs. who do we solicit change to ??? Jennifer any ideas?
With Gratitude, Jerry
Going into my 3rd week of cutting my morning dose of .5 in half , still take .5 at night . I have an aweful feeling in my throat and my skin on my chest and face burn . My arms also burn but only in the middle of the night , of course when i try to sleep , which isn’t much latley . it’s starting to scare me! Anyone else experience this feeling . I didn’t have this feeling when i stopped my afternoon dose in September . Had lots of shaking and anxiety but not this burning . I would appreciate any feedback on how long this may last! Thank you so much, Joann
I think the comment that annoys me the most is number 3. The others reflect ignorance — 3 is pure arrogance. “I went to medical school and did my residency 20 years ago and haven’t learned anything new since, but I know more than all the medical information and the experience of millions of people available on the Internet.” I’m a public-health journalist and I rely on the Internet constantly for information because you can find almost anything on it. You do know have to know how to judge the worth of information, but that’s not THAT hard if you’re an intelligent person.
“Yeah, doc, I got this information on psych-med withdrawal off the Internet, and yeah I do question why you took me off X cold-turkey, resulting in my vomiting for 2 months straight until I had to go to the ER to be rehydrated, when typing in ‘X withdrawal syndrome’ pulled up 375,000 hits, including several articles on it from mainstream peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the personal testimony of thousands of people who had exactly the same reaction.”
(I didn’t say this to my p-doc when he popped out with #3, because I have to live with him because he controls my benzo supply and i do NOT need to have to go CT from that; but I really really wanted to.)
Sorry, I meant comment 23 above, “Are you going to trust me, or the Internet?” Not comment 3, which i inexplicabl wrote instead. (I am definitely suffering from benzo brain fog.)