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Strongest FDA Warnings Out on Opioid, Benzodiazapine Risks
Chronic Pain | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (44)Comment receiving replies
An elderly woman I knew quite well died in 2006, still addicted to Lorazepam, a benzodiazepine originally prescribed for her when her husband was mortally burned in a home fire in 1980. For those 26 years, she remained addicted although her emotional health had been restored and stabilized within months of her husband's death. A series of personal care physicians provided her Lorezepam prescriptions every time she requested them . . . for 26 years. This is my personal experience with benzodiazipines -- and the cause of my personal resolve never to take the damn stuff!
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I was prescribed klonopin for 25 years after a divorce. I could not sleep, had 2 little kids, was in counseling and this is what was prescribed to help with sleep and anxiety. I appreicated it so much - it was magical - I slept like a baby and it reduced my anxiety to nothing. Much much later, I read about the side effects and the impact on the brain and found a doctor to help me safely taper and it took me over a year to get off of it. I notice significant memory loss and I'm 100% sure that most of that is from the drug (some due to age, I'm sure). I wish I'd even heard of it and don't understand why it was so freely prescribed year after year. If a doctor prescribes it, it's important to understand the side effects and to know how long it's safe to take it - I believe it's no more than 4 weeks.