Just give me my meds and stop assuming!

a reply to: mblahnikluver

Just been lurking here and reading the replies and then a thought hit me. I hate going to the dentist and forgot what pill they gave me to lower my anxiety. It seems to work wonders for me and I am alert and awake through the entire procedure. But it does calm me down. I looked it up and lo and behold, it is also used as a sleep aid. Here it is.

Halcion
www.webmd.com...

This medication is used to treat sleep problems (insomnia). It may help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and lessen how often you wake up during the night, so you can get a better night's rest. Triazolam belongs to a class of drugs called sedative-hypnotics. It acts on your brain to produce a calming effect.

Use of this medication is usually limited to short treatment periods of 1 to 2 weeks or less. If your insomnia continues for a longer time, talk to your doctor to see if you need other treatment.

It does say that it can be addicting though and there may be side effects. Just thought it may be something you can look into.

Good Luck

I take xanax.

My Dr. Explained to me in laymans terms that its not actually the Xanax your body gets addicted to. The Xanax tells your brain to make another chemical. By taking the Xanax your body gets lazy and stops making the chemical the Xanax simulates.

If you don't have a doctor that explains the how and the why they shouldn't be giving you any medications. Not only that, you shouldn't be taking medications that you don't understand. The pharmacist can also explain things to you.

These medications being discussed are typically called GABA agonists. GABA is a natural chemical that your body produces that is vital to normal bodily functions.

GABA (en.wikipedia.org...) is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human body. It is responsible for relaxation, to feel the 'opposite of anxious', muscle tone and control, relaxation, and sleep. It also has primary cognitive functions involved with your perception of the world, and your body's fight or flight response. It affects your natural ability to discern what is to be afraid of, what to avoid, and how to approach such things in the world. It is critical to your 'fear response' when encountering things that you should, or should not be, afraid of. This is called 'anxiety'.

Benzodiazepines, Alcohol, and Barbiturates (such as Butalbital, the active barbiturate in Fioricet), are all GABA agonist medications and all work primarily on the 'GABA-a' and 'GABA-b' receptors in your brain and body. There are other GABA agonist medications, drugs, and supplements, some legal over-the-counter, some prescribed, and some completely illegal. All GABA agonists have affinity for each other on some level, that means they are 'cross-tolerant'. If you are physically addicted to one and suffering withdrawal symptoms, they can theoretically be alleviated to some extent by taking another GABA agonist medication. Certain ones are more cross tolerant than others, and stronger than others. All of the anxiety medications commonly prescribed are Benzodiazepines, one of the strongest most addicting of all GABA agonists (in my opinion). Temazepam is a Benzodiazepine.

If you take a GABA agonist, especially a Benzodiazepine, every single day, for long enough, you will become physically dependent (addicted) to the medication. Even if you follow your Doctor's orders and take it only as prescribed. Alot of these medications have long 'half-lives' and stay active in your system for up to half of a day, a full 24 hour day, or sometimes longer acting ones will be active in your system for a couple of days straight.

When these medications are removed after regular use, the receptors to which they attached in your brain become something called 'down-regulated'. That means, in simple terms, that they're used to being 'enhanced' or producing more effects in your brain and body with the help of a 'booster' (the medicine), so now they cannot work efficiently or properly without the attachment of the chemical or medication to the receptor sites (the GABA receptors). This is called withdrawal. The inability of your receptors to function properly without the drug is why you have withdrawal symptoms from the medication.

The longer you are on the medication, the worse the withdrawal symptoms will be if you abstain from the medication. In fact, as someone else posted, they get so severely bad that you can outright die, just from the withdrawal syndrome. Many Doctors recommend a slow reduction, or a ween or taper, or a long period of time, to gradually "fix" the receptor sites that are used to the medication, allowing them to eventually strengthen again, regaining their main functions, which is when the withdrawal symptoms lessen and eventually stop (At least most of the time. Some people go through it for years, and the older you are when you go through it, the worse it is and the longer it is. Then some also go through another long, protracted withdrawal after the worse withdrawal is over, this is called PAWS - post acute withdrawal syndrome).

People die from this, they commit crimes because they can't handle this (how bad they feel). This is the same type of behavior involved with street drugs and withdrawal from street drugs, and often times people become so addicted physically, whether they get 'high'' or not, whether they enjoy it or not, that they will seek the medication from people illegally. People's lives become ruined and they go to prison for long periods of time because they fall into this exact type of behavior.

The sad thing is .. people get duped into this hellish cycle everyday. They are prescribed certain addictive drugs for the worst reasons (like benzodiazepines just to sleep? You'll likely need it to sleep for the rest of your entire life if you use it for too long. If you quit using it after extended periods, you'll go through sleepless nights for months, outright miserable). Benzodiazepines were only invented for the treatment of severe anxiety disorders and seizure disorders. Using them daily for any reason then quitting can and does cause full on "tonic-clonic" (grand mal) seizures. Having these can permanently brain damage you.

The jury is still out on whether the withdrawals themselves permanently damage your brain. I think they do.

Anyways, just wanted to share some information that I've learned that could help people to avoid such a pitfall.

Holy cow.


Ok lots of responses I did not expect!

I am not taking any more temazepam. I am asking for something else!

I have not had much sleep since I haven't had my meds but it's nothing I"m not use to so it's not the end of the world.

I will try to reply to responses as I can. I will not respond to replies that clearly indicate you haven't read the thread or you attack me for no reason.

Thanks/

a reply to: TDawgRex

OHHH thanks TDawg!!

I will mention this to my doc on Tuesday and see what she says. Although I see it says it's only for 1-2 week treatment. I have insomnia which lasts longer than that but I will still bring it up. I have a list of things to bring up to her.

originally posted by: Iamthatbish
I take xanax.

My Dr. Explained to me in laymans terms that its not actually the Xanax your body gets addicted to. The Xanax tells your brain to make another chemical. By taking the Xanax your body gets lazy and stops making the chemical the Xanax simulates.

If you don't have a doctor that explains the how and the why they shouldn't be giving you any medications. Not only that, you shouldn't be taking medications that you don't understand. The pharmacist can also explain things to you.

I dont' like xanax, well I use to not like it. My sister gave me a couple recently and they were so different than what i was given 10 yrs ago. They calmed me down and helped me sleep but I am not too sure about xanax period. I know too many people who became addicted to it. I dont have an addictive personality but that doesn't mean I'm exempt from becoming addicted.

My doctor is awesome. She will explain all meds to me and will even suggest natural remedies when needed instead of pharmaceuticals. I love that about her. She isn't one to just hand out pills. I was seeing a doctor at first who was and I hated her. She never listened. All she did was hand me scripts. I never filled them either because I had no idea what they were and when I asked questions she ignored me. My current doctor will answer ALL my questions.

I see her Tuesday and will ask her what her thoughts are on a new sleep medication. I asked for the temazepam. My mother in law takes it and mentioned it. My doc mentioned others, which I dont know what they were, and I said this one. So I will tell her I am concerned with certain aspects of it and what she suggests.

Thanks

a reply to: mblahnikluver

I completely understand your frustrations and can empathize with the whole situation. I've got avascular necrosis in both hips and my left shoulder, a lovely gift from a doctor who apparently didn't understand how steroids work. It's extremely painful to walk, the pain often radiates all the way to midway between my knee and ankle. My shoulder has sever pain and major flexibility issues, it was at one time impossible for me to put my hair up in a rubberband. The avascular necrosis has been around since 2004 and diagnosed in 2005.

When I first started getting really bad pain I was taking 20 ibprophen and 20 tylenol per day, 40 pills. My PCP was Leary about prescribing something stronger, luckily another Dr was worried about my liver and I was put on "narcotic" painkillers. I've been taking them every single day since 2005.

Ive had a total of 4 surgeries so far, one on my shoulder that helped tremendously with both the pain and flexibility. The other thrree on my hips, 2 core decompressions (one on each hip) and a total anterior left hip replacement. I'll eventually need my shoulder replaced and my hip will be replaced at 40 or if it starts getting really bad. I've tried talking my surgeon on doing the right hip sooner so I can get off the meds, he won't.

My PCP and I have discussed what will happen when I stop taking them, while I'm not addicted, I am dependent. Withdrawals will happen after I quit so I'm thankful my Dr and I have a good relationship. I have to see her every 6 months to get the meds prescribed.

When she's out of the office it can be very difficult to to get them refilled. I was made to come in and see the dr covering my PCP while she was on vacation. Since I didn't have insurance at the time I had to pay $130 to see him when I just saw her the month before and have been seeing her every 6 months for years. It feels like they think I'm trying to fuse them to get high and not for pain. They can look at my chart and see that I never get them filled early and that means I take them as prescribed. I would trade these damn pills in for a hip replacement in a heartbeat. Yet, I get grouped in with the abusers.

There's new laws now, certain medications that you use to be able to refill through the pharmacy now require hard copies on the Rx. There needs to be a centralized paramacy computer system where all pharmacys can see what's being filled where. That would stop a lot of the problem.

I'm sick of ot too!! SnF

When I was a young boy I had behavioral issues, I was a rebel, got into a little trouble. I was very independent and didn't like being told to follow the rules, or discipline. When I was 16, I had broken up with my longtime girlfriend and was suffering the consequences of a DUI. I was admittedly depressed and with my Mom's history of manic depression My mom and Dad wanted me to see a child psychiatrist. Long story short, the medications like Zoloft and Ativan made me go psychotic, basically fits of mania, anger, anxiety. I knew it was the pills and I objected only to cause more pain/anger in my relationships with my parents. They along with the doctors insisted. Some of the side effects I remember from the benzos really had me on edge. I would continue to go on and off pills for 2 years cause all sorts of havok and hospitalizations Eventually I had an incident with police, and medication became a court order and cause for imprisonment if I stopped. Fast forward 10 years and I have just quit my medication after taking it without a manic incident for 4 years. I just can't continue on this path I know is wrong. In my heart, I feel it - medication is not the answer. It dims my creativity and I'm a musician, basically robbing me of precious creative energy that is essential to my chosen career path but thats besides the point.

The problem is the quick fix society without addressing the actual problem. If you are having psychotic episodes there is likely an issue( like the very pills prescribed to help) with your relationships/habbits/attitude/environment and I didn't have ANY psychotic episodes until after taking, wait for it .. anti-psychotics and antidepressants.

It has been my experience that these are not safe pills, and also, it is very hard to extricate yourself from the vicious cycle that these pills cause. I have finally stood up for what I believe to be righteous. It would be fine by me if I never see a psychiatrist again, as long as I am here alive.

I think what others have already alluded to, like NarcoBuddha, is true - By taking the necessary steps to repair bad habits you have let persist, take care of yourself naturally first and foremost - forget pills cause they will not help you. Get exercise(to the point of exaustion), eat right, stay away from bad social situation (one of my problems) meditate, read and less screen time. When you have been relaxing for a time in complete darkness your eyes should start to send the '___' on its way inside your brain as they adjust to the darkness, followed by sleep. Try to create a pattern that you can stick to, where you are winding down your day at night.

There is not one shred of physical evidence for bi-polar disorder that I have seen other than some CT scans that show different levels of activity in the brain. If it was a genetic disease we would have found it by now like down syndrome, but haven't because it doesn't exist. Trust me when I say this, bi-polar disorder is a behavioral condition related to impulse control - or the lack thereof. Basically I am saying all these teenagers and young adults with depression and bi-polar - there's nothing wrong with them physically or chemically - most if not all are just young/emotional and impulsive.