Benzodiazepine Misery

[tstclr]

Hello. I have read Dale Archer's success story with great interest. I am 34, and had Prostatitis 4 years ago. It came back in January after I started working out. I just finished 6 weeks of meds and one week later the symptoms are back. Very frustrating! I am going back on the brocolli broth (I use brocolli sprouts which are supposed to be richer in the helpful ingredient) and I guess I will see my doc about another round of antibiotics. I also read about the use of benzodiazpines on here. I would strongly recommend not using those. I had mild anxiety and was prescribed a small dose (.5 mg/day) of Clonezepam. All was well until Jan 2001 when all hell broke loose. I had what's called "Tolerance Withdrawl" and I had SEVERE withdrawl for months. Other than continually up the dose, I chose to taper off the med. It took 7 months to come completely off and I still have lingering withdrawl-the worse being depression, sleep apnea (mild) and intense headaches. Check out benzo.org.uk for more info on these meds.
Looking forward to learing more about CP on here.
Todd in Ontario

[ddarcher]

.5mg of clonazepam is an extremely low dose. Though possible to have withdrawal at that dose, that would be exceedingly rare. What other meds were you on? How about alcohol use? The benzodiazepines are very safe drugs and have a variety of therepeutic uses. All drugs have risk benefit profiles in each individual but most people have no difficulty with tolerance, withdrawal or addiction with benzodiazepines at very low doses. You may be the exception, but your experience is certainly not the norm.

[tstclr]

Actually, Clonezepam is the most potent of the Benzo's. .5mg is actually quite potent (I forget the exact numbers, but .5 mg of this is as strong as a high dose of Valium). I don't think I am in the minority. There is an internet mailing list for folks going through the same hell. There are 900 people on the list. I was never a real drinker- would have the odd beer. I can't drink any alcohol at all now. If I have one drink, I find 24 -36 hours later I have intense insomnia with visual disturbances, the shakes, nasty nightmares if I do sleep etc. It takes about 4-5 days for my system to return to "normal". Believe me, the only problem I had before benzos was a mild case of anxiety-no depression etc. The general understanding at this point is that Benzo's should only be used for a max of two-three weeks (in fact Health Canada has published this fact) and that if you are on them longer, you will face what I went through at some point. For some folks it happens sooner, for others it happens years later. It really screws up your system. I have times that I can't handwrite-I literally cannot get my hand to form the letters on the page! These "episodes" last about 30 minutes. I'll be at work and all of a sudden my right armpit will sweat to the point of having it run down my side-even though I do not feel warm! I have had MRI and all the other tests and my GP finally admitted the Benzos have done the damage. The good new is that over time the brain tends to heal and I should be back to my old self eventually. Most people are fine after the 2 year mark of being Benzo free. I'm better than I was 6 months ago, which was better than 6 months before that...
Sorry to rant, but I obviously have strong feelings against these meds!
Todd
P.S -heres some other sites to check out:
http://www.stormloader.com/bettyf/
http://www.benzodiazepine.org/
http://www.benzoliberty.com/

[ddarcher]

I don't doubt your symptoms but MILLIONS have been treated by benzos without these difficulties especially at low doses. Yes clonazepam is a very potent benzo but .5mg is the lowest dose form( other strengths include 1 and 2mg). There is no exact conversion but this would be about the same as 2.5 to 5mg of valium. Taking this once per day qualifies as an extremely low dose. Since this is a prostatitis website I won't respond further but suffice it to say that you can't take your personal experience and assume that everyone treated will have the same problems, most do not.

[Hepcat]

No offense tstclr, but ALL medications have a side effect profile. The benzo's represent one of the most well understood compounds prescribed and, appropriately given, offer predictable and significant relief for many. By contrast, have you looked up the toxicity profile of aspirin for example? The therapeutic window is in fact much more narrow but yet it's actually OTC!

While I'm sympathetic and one of those genetically unfortunate persons who seems hypersensitive to whatever therapeutic substance I place in my body, I think from a credibility standpoint you should avoid the litany of often dramatized, agenda driven web sites littering the internet and focus instead on empirically driven sources of information. Hint: any web site suggesting a particular med is a tool of Satan and should be avoided is probably not the most rational source of info (ie. benzoliberty.com) If you could provide some peer reviewed literature examples to back up your 'facts' and 'general understandings' I would be truly grateful!

I think also you should be aware that at least 1/2 dozen physicians and innumerable research and health professionals frequent this site. I would take advantage of the generous information they offer. Virtually nowhere else are you as likely this kind of consultation for free.

The webmaster has done a stunning job of bringing together those people who not only know 'the general concensus' on health issues of any significance but are in fact the engineers of those same understandings. With this in mind it's great you share your experiences with us, but beware the trap of solipsism that could turn others away from a useful therapy.

Btw, I'm a health research professional who's been on benzo's for about a year now on the same dose and I've found them extremely beneficial. In fact they are about the only med that's helped me to any degree with the anxiety related to my CPPS. I can go off and on as I please, and even triple the dose on very rare occassions if need be, all without a single side effect.

Regardless, I'm sorry your experience was less encouraging

[Ralph]

I have taken Librium and Valium (not at the same time) in the past with very few side effects. Valium at 10 mg single dose would make me sleepy. I felt absolutely nothing with Librium 10 mg twice per day. Both seemed to help fairly well during flare ups. I never took Valium for very long, but did take Librium for several months. I stopped Librium without any withdraw symptoms. However, there are people who can suffer idiosyncratic reactions to drugs which are hard to explain. This, however, is in the VAST minority. These drugs are worth a try if indicated.

[MastCells]

Actually, Clonezepam is the most potent of the Benzo's. .5mg is actually quite potent (I forget the exact numbers, but .5 mg of this is as strong as a high dose of Valium).

According to the Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs, .5 mg of clonazepam is equivalent to 10 mg of Valium, 1 mg of Xanax, or 2 mg of Ativan.

http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/bzd.html

[MastCells]

Btw, I'm a health research professional who's been on benzo's for about a year now on the same dose and I've found them extremely beneficial. In fact they are about the only med that's helped me to any degree with the anxiety related to my CPPS. I can go off and on as I please, and even triple the dose on very rare occassions if need be, all without a single side effect.

I've been taking a benzo (lorazepam) on and off for over a year for severe anxiety. It works *amazingly* well, and I haven't felt the need to increase the dose.

[ddarcher]

According to the Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs, .5 mg of clonazepam is equivalent to 10 mg of Valium, 1 mg of Xanax, or 2 mg of Ativan.

http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/bzd.html

If you read the entire article you will see that the first list indicates .5mg clonopin = 10mg valium, while the second list shows 2mg clonopin = 10 mg valium. That sums up the problem. These drugs act on the receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA. This action has several effects, antianxiety, sedation, antipanic etc...Each individual will react differently to each of the variuos effects making a comparison virtually impossible. However after treating hundreds of patients with these drugs I would use a ratio of .5mg clonopin = 2.5- 5mg valium, right in the middle of the two lists in the link.

[Maurice]

I too am one of the folks that was prescribed benzo's a number of years ago for "Pelvic Pain", basically constant pain in the tip of the penis that would get to the point that I couldnt walk and I was in agony all the time. It did help, as some of the folks here indicated but I was one of the folks that required more as time went on. Unfortunately the worst of the side effects of benzos kicked in within two months of taking them such as clinical depression, and other unexplained difficulties. Now 7 years later I am on a slow taper of the benzo and recognize that there are some people that can taper a benzo without major difficulty. However according to my psychiatrist and doctor there are very very few people that ever come off benzos once they go on. They are in the minority. Benzos have there use but are only supposed to be prescribed for a max of 28 days according to both government and manufacturer information. The largest type of drug sold in the world in the year 2000 was the benzo at 21 Billion. I only hope that I can find a different substitute for the original benzodiazapine that I was prescribed years ago, as I have to slowly taper off the medication due to the significant side effects that many but not all people experience.

Best Wishes

Maurice