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G.P's and anti-anxiety meds

mr_fegelien

Why are G.P.'s, psychiatrists so stingy with them? Saw a new psych in Drogheda and when I mentioned them you could tell the look on his face.

They are no doubt addictive but making them harder to get doesn't help anyone, it creates a black market for them. Is it any surprise we have so many visible junkies and drug selling in Dublin?

Some relatives of mine in the States can get things way easier (though less so after the opioid epidemic). They have an issue with addiction in America as well but unlike here, it's not visible in every street you walk on.

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Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Wibbs wrote: »

"Big pharma" is only one part of the issue with the fcuked up US medical business. One issue is that people end up on painkillers because their insurance, if they have it, won't always cover other therapies and surgeries that could cure or reduce the pain, but their insurance will cover the pain meds, for a time anyway. I knew one American who came to live here after he married a local and that had been his problem. In Ireland he got different therapies and an operation and didn't need the painkillers any more to nearly the same degree. He knew two others like that. For all the problems the Irish health service has, we should thank our lucky stars it's not the American system. A system which can make multimillionaires of doctors and is great if you're wealthy, but otherwise it's scarily inadequate.

Yeah but on the other hand, for some advanced cancer patients, fentanyl is the only painkiller that works for them (many painkillers are like that - work for some and not for others) and they have to endure people thinking that they are just a druggie when they are just trying to kill a pain that no operation will fix.

Wesser

presription benzo s are a slippery slope which can lead to further addictions. thousands of americans dying due to over liberal.prescribing practices. Thank god due to tight prescribing practices of irish doctors we do not have this problem to anywhere near the same level.

boombang

My mother is a UK GP that just complete a few weeks' work in an Irish practice down the country. She was really concerned with the over-liberal prescribing of such meds. She said the use was way higher than typical in her old practice in the UK. She said it leads to dependency problems and often isn't dealing with the underlying cause. Then just think of the huge cost to the HSE.

Graces7

Wesser wrote: »

presription benzo s are a slippery slope which can lead to further addictions. thousands of americans dying due to over liberal.prescribing practices. Thank god due to tight prescribing practices of irish doctors we do not have this problem to anywhere near the same level.

I made the decision to get off all meds myself after reading and research and finally being correctly diagnosed. The UK Gps were still sending me out prescriptions, benzos etc like smarties

when I came to Ireland I was on no meds but when pain levels got really too much that had to change. I supervise myself carefully having once been caught into addiction. Pain control is essential .

Wesser

absolutely...pain killers are essential! but benzos are not painkillers!

brevity

Lexapro seems to be the main drug prescribed for Anxiety. It’s an SSRI, I think.

Graces7

Wesser wrote: »

absolutely...pain killers are essential! but benzos are not painkillers!

I know! :rolleyes: I was referring to codeine which is addictive . In the US codeine has led on to hard drugs as it is an opiate.

When I met the GP here the first time his chant was " I will prescribe paracetamol. I will not prescribe opiates. " That went on until months later I contacted my former retired GP whereupon the codeine started flowing.

Sardonicat

Graces7 wrote: »

I know! :rolleyes: I was referring to codeine which is addictive . In the US codeine has led on to hard drugs as it is an opiate.

When I met the GP here the first time his chant was " I will prescribe paracetamol. I will not prescribe opiates. " That went on until months later I contacted my former retired GP whereupon the codeine started flowing.

You don't need a GP to prescribe either.

fryup

mr_fegelien wrote: »

Why are G.P.'s, psychiatrists so stingy with them? .

well thats not my experience, my GP writes out prescrips like they were smarties

[Deleted User]

mr_fegelien wrote: »

No, its Nurofen Plus that only has ibuprofen + codeine so much much less toxic. Only causes mild gastro-intestinal issues though can cause acute renal failure in some people.

****s your kidneys up and increased risk of a cardiovascular risk. Be careful mate.

[Deleted User]

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

You can get dependent on them and need more and more of them to get an effect off them.

However if you have a terminal illness like me, it’s a free-for-all. I’m currently in possession of over 100 Xanax pills. They’re basically impossible to OD on though so that’s not something that doctors worry about really.

This is wrong. Xanax is a short acting benzodiazepine. It causes an intense calming effect that is short lived. Risk of aspiration/seizure from withdrawal is real with high doses

scamalert

fryup wrote: »

well thats not my experience, my GP writes out prescrips like they were smarties

wait till you get cut off - wont be the same story.

benzos mess with gaba a, while they help to mask anxiety and is crucial to people who cant manage it otherwise, but its double edge, on one hand it provides quality of life to those that suffer immediately and with little side effects. But long term it makes condition worse.

as with all drugs its generally safe for those that need it, but since its pop culture now in almost every US tv show movie, and go to choice used as comedown of other drugs plus abusing them, has led to insane tight controls across EU.
things would be fine but its not something one can drop after years of usage in any safe way possible, as gaba neurons get fried beyond return and cant make it in brains.

in theory its easier to get off heroin or meth, then benzos. as benzo damage could last years, as opposed to sweating out 2-4 weeks to be clean and functional.

[Deleted User]

I have been taking Xanax for years. Not everyday or even every week. Maybe a few times a month or less for specific stress situations.
Have seen people who have developed a dependency on them. I can't get on a flight without taking Xanax though.
Am bipolar, so under care of a psychiatrist and take a few different meds.

fryup

in theory its easier to get off heroin or meth, then benzos. as benzo damage could last years, as opposed to sweating out 2-4 weeks to be clean and functional.

is Prozac similar?

scamalert

fryup wrote: »

is Prozac similar?

^^SSRI, antidepresant of some sort takes weeks to kick in. benzos are almost immediate.

fryup

but coming off SSRI's can be tough too

Sardonicat

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I have been taking Xanax for years. Not everyday or even every week. Maybe a few times a month or less for specific stress situations.
Have seen people who have developed a dependency on them. I can't get on a flight without taking Xanax though.
Am bipolar, so under care of a psychiatrist and take a few different meds.

You obviously use them carefully and follow medical advice. There's nothing wrong with that and obviously the Xanax helps you deal with difficult situations and stops you from becoming overwhelmed. Unfortunately, not everyone is able, or willing, to limit their use to when it's necessary.

[Deleted User]

scamalert wrote: »

^^SSRI, antidepresant of some sort takes weeks to kick in. benzos are almost immediate.

Xanax reaches its peak 1 hour after you take it and the effects can last up to 8hrs.

Bonniedog

Benzos seem to work short term for people coming down off serious drinking. Doctors won't keep prescribing them though so a series of relapses could leave someone in serious trouble - either being put under direct medical care, or opting to buy them on street. No idea of how they get them, but sale of benzos by dealers was big thing in Dublin 5/6 years ago. Not sure about now. Worked with person who used to get them there after drinking herself silly and coming down. Nasty scene to get into.

Graces7

scamalert wrote: »

wait till you get cut off - wont be the same story.

benzos mess with gaba a, while they help to mask anxiety and is crucial to people who cant manage it otherwise, but its double edge, on one hand it provides quality of life to those that suffer immediately and with little side effects. But long term it makes condition worse.

as with all drugs its generally safe for those that need it, but since its pop culture now in almost every US tv show movie, and go to choice used as comedown of other drugs plus abusing them, has led to insane tight controls across EU.
things would be fine but its not something one can drop after years of usage in any safe way possible, as gaba neurons get fried beyond return and cant make it in brains.

in theory its easier to get off heroin or meth, then benzos. as benzo damage could last years, as opposed to sweating out 2-4 weeks to be clean and functional.

wise words. I took a full year to get off Valium. Crumb by slow crumb. small cut every 2-3 weeks.. I tried to hurry the last stages and developed sudden excruciating one sided head pains that literally felled me to my knees. That developed into atypical facial neuralgia attacks lasting three days that no meds ever touched... they lasted 15 years and if overstressed still get echoes well over 20 years on

Beware of benzos, please.

Oh the crunch for me was wen I was talking to the support group I was told that Valium produces suicidal thoughts...

Yep. it sure did.

ILoveYourVibes

mr_fegelien wrote: »

Why are G.P.'s, psychiatrists so stingy with them? Saw a new psych in Drogheda and when I mentioned them you could tell the look on his face.

They are no doubt addictive but making them harder to get doesn't help anyone, it creates a black market for them. Is it any surprise we have so many visible junkies and drug selling in Dublin?

Some relatives of mine in the States can get things way easier (though less so after the opioid epidemic). They have an issue with addiction in America as well but unlike here, it's not visible in every street you walk on.

They have a lot of serious side effects long term both psychological and physical.

Things like permanent joint pain etc. Some of them have been proven in a rare amount of cases to cause arthritis.

katiek102010

I was on and off diazapam for 3 years. Tbh I get more good out of cbd oil

ILoveYourVibes

katiek102010 wrote: »

I was on and off diazapam for 3 years. Tbh I get more good out of cbd oil

Probably less harmful to you tbh. And i am not very liberal on drugs but i have to admit its potentially way less harmful than those drugs.

They have things like joint pain and arthritis listed in rare side affects most of them but i imagine being on them years increased the risk of that.

No one seem to mention it.

I swear they are going to find a link between things like fibromyalgia and that stuff at some point.

Doylers

I've gotta benzos from a gp, limited amounts maybe .5mg and 20/30 at most per time. Have then for flying myself which used to be a monthly occurrence. I have heard the whole addiction thing but that hasn't been an issue for me. What does bug me though is they are very hesitant to give a prescription, meaning i've to make them last as much as possible. So I often take less but mix them with a *whiskey, or 3 as alcohol increase the perceived effect. Sucks but like, I honestly dont think he would give me more if I asked so this is a little work around.

**Yes I know the whole no alco with benzos dangers etc

Airyfairy12

My doctor explained to me that the reason they dont give them out is because theres a generation of older people who are addicted to them as doctors handed them out so much 50 years ago. Theyre highly addictive, even if just taken for a short time. They only give them to old people, people with terminal illnesses and people going through a sudden trauma.

ArchXStanton

They handed them out like candy years ago, now the new superstar drug of choice is Lexapro to fix all ailments

Bonniedog

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

My doctor explained to me that the reason they dont give them out is because theres a generation of older people who are addicted to them as doctors handed them out so much 50 years ago. Theyre highly addictive, even if just taken for a short time. They only give them to old people, people with terminal illnesses and people going through a sudden trauma.

I suppose the thing to is, referring back to woman who became benzo dependent trying to kick the booze, is that if you are prescribing something to a person with proven susceptibility to addiction/dependency then you are running a big risk of replacing one substance with another.

She eventually stopped - not seen her in a while so not totally certain but was off for almost a year - by following a tapering regime, gradually reducing her alcohol intake to avoid withdrawals and then stopped.

Sounds similar to what people here have referred to in getting off GP prescribed drugs.

mr_fegelien

ArchXStanton wrote: »

They handed them out like candy years ago, now the new superstar drug of choice is Lexapro to fix all ailments

escitalopram is bull**** tbh..

I'm not saying it doesn't work for anxiety but the fact is, there's a reason benzos are the drug of choice for many addicts. It works instantly and potentiates alcohol.

Foweva Awone

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I have been taking Xanax for years. Not everyday or even every week. Maybe a few times a month or less for specific stress situations.
Have seen people who have developed a dependency on them. I can't get on a flight without taking Xanax though.
Am bipolar, so under care of a psychiatrist and take a few different meds.

Atypical antipsychotics such as Seroquel have the same fast-acting calming effects without the addictive characteristics of benzos. Worth discussing with your psychiatrist.

biko

Just don't be anxious

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