Posted by Brazilnut on August 26, 2007, at 14:38:43
In reply to Re: Mirtazapine: 10 days, 10 years – a question, posted by Maritza on August 24, 2007, at 0:26:19
Hello Maritza!
I’m happy to see you are on control of the situation and with a happy future ahead! But I hope someday soon you’ll quit Remeron. None of these drugs are made for long term use. Some people can benefit from their use for years, but many develop tolerance, addiction and get trapped.
Congratulations for having quit smoking! And with a so noble motivation as being a good model for your students. This is great!
I never had high BP, except for short periods quitting (legal) drugs. Anyway, Inderal has a second indication to control anxiety and that’s way it was prescribed. That was by the end of last year, when I was having withdrawal symptoms from dozens (yes, 25!) of different drugs I had the 9 years before.
My struggle with prescribed meds started in 1997. I had sleep apnea (snoring) and trouble to sleep, so I asked the doctor “something to sleep” during coming vacations. He gave me Xanax, without any information on what was it or how to stop it. I stopped cold turkey when the box finished and felt like crazy two days later. I went to a psychiatrist who didn’t recognize a withdrawal crisis and simply told me I had depression, and gave me an antidepressant. This started the familiar cycle of taking a new med, feeling bad, stopping it, feeling worse, starting a new one… changing docs and diagnostics (depression, bipolar, anxiety, apnea again, RLS, panic...)
In 2005 I hit that site on benzos, and finally understood what was going on. I didn’t need any of the drugs given to me, including Remeron and Inderal. They were given because doctors were trying to treat what they believed to be illnesses but were only withdrawals symptoms. But I didn’t grasp at the first moment how serious was the problem and how long the recovery could last, so I accepted some other “safe” drugs to cope with the withdrawals.
Initially Inderal helped to control the anxiety, but soon I developed tolerance. Now I have “interdose withdrawals”: when a dose wears off and the next is not in action, the body feels I have not enough and withdrawal symptoms start - in this case unbelievable anxiety attacks. If I look for a doctor now, I would be prescribed more of the same and I could end up trapped forever.
This is the problem I have: protracted withdrawal symptoms from so many drugs and tolerance to Inderal. The last long term (1 year) benzo I had was Klonopin, which I quit 27 months ago. But the protracted symptoms can stick to you for years.
Unfortunately, there is no expert to treat this. It is only patience, strength and a healthy life style. I strong recommend you to take a look at that site (www.benzo.org.uk) to understand what these drugs can do. The site is very well organized and documented. It is based on the feedback of hundreds of benzo sufferers and in the scientific work of Prof. Ashton. Their forum is very supportive, no post is unanswered, by users or moderators. I know you are not on benzos, but to protect your family and friends it’s better be informed.
My GP, after many years, believes now what I say on benzos, so I’m not alone. I’m doing CBT for 6 months, but there is not much help from there. I am a catholic too, or at least was, because I don’t practice any more.
Maritza, it is my pleasure to see you well and going ahead! God bless you too!
Bob
poster:Brazilnut
thread:613132
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20070419/msgs/778866.html