Benzodiazepine class action law suit

@pjoy422 - in my state it's legal to grow up to 4 plants at a time; in my very placid neighborhood, there are 4 people who grow, plus me - all within 1 linear block. I'm the youngest grower at 52.

It does save money. It is a chunk of work (I don't use pesticides, so I have to hand pick the dang caterpillars off....) and October is very busy with processing and curing... but I will do it every year. I know what is in my weed!

When I went on klonopin, my shrink was very worried about benzo dependence. I could honestly tell her that I don't care about that. To me, its a necessary part of functioning every day, and if I have to stay on a dose forever, I am fine with it. It's a quality of life thing.

My shrink and I talk about it frequently, and I take as little as possible without reducing by more than .5 mg at a time. You can titrate in tiny doses - take a tiny nibble of a tab, for example, to make the titration slow. The lower you get, the less you reduce your dose by. I track my klonopin use very closely!

I went through unsupported withdrawal off pramipexole in 2020. My Dr thought I was on too low a dose to have withdrawal, and i didnt know better; it was before I found my shrink. Those were the worst 10 days of my life - I've read that dopamine agonist withdrawal is akin to heroin withdrawal (not sure i trust that factoid, but my brain broke during withdrawal) - and I'll never take a dopamine agonist again.... so I understand the choice to never take a benzo again.

Unfortunately, we're all stuck deciding which of the bad choices we'll pick. Having rare, undefined, or unglamorous health issues is very hard. We have the unenviable position of being beyond current science, and it's all guesswork...for everyone involved. Doctors should be honest about that so we can make our own choices and be aware of the risks.

Our state just went legal with medical a few years ago. Still not legal to grow unfortunately. He wants to fight that. I’ve had my MMJ card, but don’t do well with it , haven’t found the right combo for my conditions.
But he refuses to go on klonopin, even if it helps his condition. And his PCP won’t refer him to specialist even knowing how sever his RBD is, hitting me in sleep, hitting the walls, pulling my hair, jerking, kicking, jumping out of bed, knocking his CPAP equipment apart, etc.

@pjoy422 - does your insurance require a referral? If it does, and he's having bouts of RBD that are that bad, a new GP may be in order. That's a problem that REALLY needs to be addressed.. for both your sakes.

They need to do something people get on that then are taken off and die , just from not having it , let alone going through Psychosis and hurting themselves ! People can build up tolerance within just a few days and become addicted . Now they say they only want people on it a few months. It is much worse for people on strong doses or take it the 3 times needed . They prescribe it for sleep and all kinds of stuff not just anxiety. People become dependent and don’t even realize it, don’t even realize how bad it is , and cause major depression, let alone learning things while taking it. Being used to having it and then to nothing can definitely lead to quick death or a slow one. The world a drug companies and lawyers must be at the top of the chain for this to happen to people and not make the news. Most people are probably too exhausted not have the know and brain function to even get anything done. I hope God comforts everyone effected by this man made drug that should be used in surgeries. I was on it for about 10 years and stopped suddenly and couldn’t figure out why it seemed my body and mind seemed to turn on me . I still don’t know if I’m going to be okay. I can’t hardly function without it and it prolly will cause my death.

They need to do something people get on that then are taken off and die , just from not having it , let alone going through Psychosis and hurting themselves ! People can build up tolerance within just a few days and become addicted . Now they say they only want people on it a few months. It is much worse for people on strong doses or take it the 3 times needed . They prescribe it for sleep and all kinds of stuff not just anxiety. People become dependent and don’t even realize it, don’t even realize how bad it is , and cause major depression, let alone learning things while taking it. Being used to having it and then to nothing can definitely lead to quick death or a slow one. The world a drug companies and lawyers must be at the top of the chain for this to happen to people and not make the news. Most people are probably too exhausted not have the know and brain function to even get anything done. I hope God comforts everyone effected by this man made drug that should be used in surgeries.

I just stumbled upon this thread and it scares me reading this. I have been taking .5 mg of klonopin prior to bedtime for about 6 or 7 months now for a sleep disorder that nobody can seem to explain. Not sleep apnea but I gag for air after only about an hour of sleep many nights and think I'm going to die, it's so bad I can't explain it. Gone on for 25 years and they thought I had sleep apnea, even got a cpap but had no effect at all. Further test said no sleep apnea so doctor gave me klonopin which has stopped these episodes better than 90% of time, it's been amazing. But I will not go beyond .5 mg from what I've read here and elsewhere. I feel I need it to survive long term or die in violent waking episode one night.

Hello Elizabeth
It's a trip reading your story because 5 years ago the same thing happened to me when I seen my 13th Doctor in 3 years at this mental health facility in Sacramento
I was prescribed clonazepams what does the generic form of Klonopins in 2004 and as I was seeing my 13th Doctor she looked at my folder and said oh how long have you been on Klonopins
I told her since 2004 that's the only medicine out of the 30 that you guys have prescribed me that works for me
She said well you should only been on that for 12 weeks
She never once told me she was taking me off of my medicine
Now mind you this is 2018
They have no regard for our lives or our minds
The adverse effects of taking clonazepam for 14 has affected my entire life
I think we have to get a whole lot of people together in order for them to take it serious just one or two of us isn't going to help I don't think because I've called several and they didn't want to help me either

If I was you I would find something else other than those cuz they are very addicting
I found out that a lot of opiate users use Klonopins as a substitute
I was on it for 14 years and it totally and utterly affected my brain after last that's the reason why I have neuropathy as well because it says it messes with your central nervous system

I wanted to say there should be a law that prevents doctors from throwing a patient away like yesterday’s trash. It’s a well known fact that benzodiazepine is highly addictive and as patients we are looking for help from our doctor and trusting them. There was a time they handed out these meds for everything that mentally ailed you, today they know so much more and benzodiazepines were put on the controlled drug list. The new doctors try never to give patients these meds but the older doctors who prescribed them very easily are now backing away from them, they don’t want to have their credibility destroyed and then put undo pressure on their patients.

I have been on a benzo since 1985! Weaned myself off a couple of times. On 1.5 mg per day. Last dr told me that I could take it until I was 100 with no ill effects! How wrong he must be!