Posted by CEK on June 21, 2006, at 11:12:59
In reply to Re: Benzo Equivalents-Heaven Help Me, posted by Greif on June 19, 2006, at 21:54:08
My sister takes Ativan and has been for 7 years. I don't know what dose. What I do know is that if she misses one dose she acts like she's going to lose her mind. Her eyes get very red and glazed over and she freaks out until she can get her pill. She takes it twice a day for panic attacks. She is panic attack free and it seems anxiety free because the world can be crumbling away at her feet and she acts like she doesn't have a care in the world. To see her without her morning dose of Ativan (did this once while we rushed to the pharmacy to get her refill like we were driving a person having a heart attack to the hospital) reminds me of seeing her without cigarettes. She's been a "dedicated" smoker for 23 years and can not live without her cigarettes and will literally freak out if she needs one and can't get one. Look how addicting cigarettes are and the known fact about the negative affects on our health, yet they are pushed in all of our faces for years. I've been able to pick up smoking for a couple of months when times are rough and put them down with no problem when things smooth out. They seem to calm me. She says I'm not a real smoker. My opinion is that many things can be addictive good or bad. For some it's all in their mind, but others it's not. Food is an addiction for some, I speak for experience, and withdrawling from over eating of unhealthy foods isn't fun either. Not to compair that to what hell many go through trying to come off of some meds. I had a hard time, very, coming off of Effexor and Cymbalta until I did it the right way. One thing I do know is that if anyone even mentions to my sister about quitting smoking or stopping the Adivan she's ready to hurt them. I don't give her a hard time about either. If those are things that help her live her life with less anxiety, then I won't interfere. We all need something to keep us hanging on. My only worry since I've read this thread is that my sister has started drinking about 2 years ago while taking the Adivan. I don't know how much she drinks in the evening, but I've seen her slam down 3 16oz cans of beer like they were nothing. My husband has seen her car at the beer store everday after work and I know she keeps some in her fridge. What exactly can doing this and taking Adivan do to a person. Can it kill her? Can it cause other side effects? Her personality and common sence have all changed for the worse since the drinking and Adivan has gone on. She's spacey, and very irresponsible now. Just not her self. Could it be the Adivan? Or the Adivan and the drinking that has caused this change?
poster:CEK
thread:657802
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060617/msgs/659699.html