Posted by pseudonym on June 17, 2003, at 11:58:15
In reply to Re: Anyone sick from their anxiety? » Thatgirl, posted by Viridis on June 14, 2003, at 4:32:29
I know that pregabalin is coming out soon in Europe, and it compares well to the benzos, without known withdrawal issues. If you are willing to wait for this drug, it may be better for you long term.I suggest you don't try benzos, unless you are willing to stay on them for a long time, and to taper off them very slowly. Why? It is universally acknowledged that benzos cause dependency, which manifiests itself on withdrawal by an anxiety far worse then your original anxiety, as well as hyper-vigilance and somatic symptoms, such as random muscle spasms. You can get hooked in as little as four weeks, so if you do decide to use them, never go cold turkey.
An interesting article regarding benzo's from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry mentions the phenomenon of kindling, which is to say, withdrawal from benzos becomes worse as withdrawal episodes grow in number. Then there's the issue of memory, which is hampered by benzos, but usually a side effect not of great concern to anxiety sufferers.
poster:pseudonym
thread:233668
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030614/msgs/234561.html