Effects of Benzodiazepines on the Nervous System & Body
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- What do benzodiazepines do inside the human body? How do they affect the nervous system? Why are benzos' effects so severe and long-lasting for some people? Check out this animated short video to learn more.
The Benzodiazepine Action Work Group (benzoaction.org), which several members of our Coalition are founding members, at the Colorado Consortium, for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention developed this short video detailing "The Effects of Benzodiazepines on the Nervous System & Body." This video is part of a new training program, "Recovering from Benzodiazepines for Peer Specialists," which launches nationally in 2023. Learn more at benzopeertraining.org.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:27 The Key Players
02:13 Binding of Benzos
02:43 Balance and the Brain
03:03 Tolerance, Dependence, & Withdrawal
03:40 The Car Analogy
04:56 Withdrawal Symptoms
05:33 Why Do Symptoms Persist?
06:22 Take Home Messages
06:56 Support is Essential
07:15 Closing
RRESOURCES
This video has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. This video does not substitute professional medical advice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed through the video. This video is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE TRAINING COURSE
- Recovering from Benzodiazepines for Peer Specialists - benzopeertraining.org
VIDEO CREDITS
This video was produced by, and is property of, the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group at the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. It is shared with permission on Benzodiazepine Information Coalition’s channel.
VIDEO PRODUCTION SERVICES
- JBCM Media Production - gojbcm.com
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
- Easing Anxiety (EA) - easinganxiety.com
- Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC) - benzoinfo.com
- The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices - benzoreform.org
- Benzo Warrior - benzowarrior.com
- The Schreiber Research Group (TSRG) - tsrg.org
PRODUCTION TEAM
- Project Lead / Writing: Nicole Lamberson, PA
- Animation / Video Production: Jay Billups (JBCM Media Production)
- Narration: D E Foster
- Consortium / Program Management: Shayna Micucci
Copyright 2023 Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
SUPPORT US
- MAKE A DONATION: www.benzoinfo.com/donate/
We depend on the support of those who care about prescribed benzodiazepine harm to continue our work. If you benefited from our awareness efforts and are able to help support our organization, please donate today. Thank you for helping us to keep our work going. www.benzoinfo.com/donate/
My advise.... DO NOT EVER START TAKING A BENZO.... they can ruin your life in a matter of weeks.
They absolutely ruined me. 😔
Absolutely correct. I took them for like one week and when I stopped I had seven whole nights of insomnia. Why oh why did I not stop taking them then? Umm becAuse I was very ill and not coping and in no state to be making decisions abt staying on these drugs, I was re-prescribed them and stayed on them for years - now in taper for years. They numb you, then give you side effects while on them ie THEY STOP WORKING !! Then u gotta take years to taper off. Nightmare.
@@privateperson5769 when I stopped... I had about 2.5 years of hell on earth... and on top of that... I dont think I had even 1 night with over 2 hours of sleep.... Many many days in a row of zero sleep... then a few hours of toxic nightmare terror sleep... then days of zero.... this on top of about 20 other completely debilitating symptoms... Bit now at about 5 years off.... I am 100% back to normal and have never felt better.... Praise God!!!
How long did u take benzo? How long it takes for your sleep to return to normal?
My major withdrawal is insomnia :(
@@buangbenzo I took 1MG of Ativan for about 2 weeks..then when I started cutting down..ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.
If they want to put you on a drug that can have long term life altering effects, the least that they should be doing is providing informed consent.
I know if I got told this before the doctor prescribed Ativan too me I would of said no way I’m not taking Ativan
@@katrinamenzies9398 Exactly, me too! I was only 18, trusted the Dr.s, I had no idea what I was getting into.
@@susancunningham4252 I was 22
I agree, and it should be orally. Explained by the Doctor. Sometime people have been damaged so much that reading ability is hampered.
@@ljsc1265I don’t think I’m going to recover
Xanax extended release withdrawal stole my memories, hair, now my gums. My body is literally drying out. The makers of this drug and those that approved it deserves things I can't even say
This has happened to me. Exactly. I’m a male. And I was on clonazepam. Started after I was cold turkeyed
I suffered horribly from a Benzodiazepine, Clonazepam, It was Pure Hell! I did heal, took 2 tapers, 2 years off for brain to feel normal. Insomnia hell, anxiety, fear, raw nervous system., deep depression, agitation.
Karen, how long did you take that poison? I'm 83 and took 1 mg/day for 35+ years. I've tapered in Seven months and now it's 49 days since my last speck of a dose. Just don't think I will make it through this. So very hopeless.
Karen, did you feel your brain doesn't function normally and can't understand a simple thing and normal life at all?
I have had it for two years now.
It once went away after having rapid taper of oxazepam (prescriped) and had first time crossovered to valium 10 mg. Brain lock went away for few weeks and i could function normally. But taper was too quick and went badly wrong and brain lock came back.
I can't function with it.
I don't understand even TV commercials.
Since that few good weeks nothing has helped. One ct, one month, kindling to klonopin and now tapered from total amount of diazepam 60 mg to 8 mg and going worse everyday.
Not able to stabilize.
Brain is just shut down.
I wake up to death and terror, brainlock and that truth I'm homebound and can't do anything. Deep depression, anxiety, agoraphobia and dr/dp. I was social, grateful, confident, active person in 2021 spring before bad trauma and panic attacks and prescriped a big amount benzo and no warnings.
Sorry I ask this much here.
I'm desperate.
This brain lock feels permanent, it once was clearly withdrawl symptom because it went away with having valium 10 mg and getting off of oxazepam witdwal. But then nothing helped after those few good weeks.
Thank you. Good you are off and feel normal.
@@kathymottinger7136 I'm 70, long term as well. My doses were much higher. Plus put on Cymbalta. I came from 3mg daily with klonopin today at 0.25 twice daily. I hope to get lower. Unfortunately it is allowing me to get off Cymbalta, another Horrid drug.
Good luck, go slow, you'll make it through.😊
@@kathymottinger7136 it's dark road for sure and it does seem hopeless but I'm here to tell you that you will get better. You must resign yourself to the fact it will take a while and be very difficult. There's a way some people look at it as Waves and Windows; Waves are when you feel really bad and Windows are those glimpses of feeling better. During the process you will experience more waves than windows but as time goes on you will experience fewer waves and more windows. It takes time my dear 😔 please hang in there. Gentle hugs.
@@IceLynne thanks so much. Just saw your comment. No sign of a window yet.
CME material. So well / simply explained for a complex issue. Something I will be very comfortable in sharing with family and others. Cognitive dissonance seems to be a popular problem in healthcare.
Instead of this work being done under “drug abuse” consider re-naming the department or committee “Iatrogenic Injuries.”
Excellent info. I tapered off benzos over two years and it was the best choice I've made in my lifetime, hands down.
I see a lot of negative comments, so I feel the need to share my experience.
Honestly, benzodiazepines (Temazepam) saved my life. I suffered from super bad insomnia, I had days of little to no sleep(even with hospital visits) I needed to take them for a long time. Of course, I knew the risks so I tried to have breaks in between, I also had a higher dose than usual. My sleep is as far as back to normal now, and I took benzodiazepines for months and I don't know if I would be here if it wasn't for them. :) I know they can be bad but please; Know the risks but these medicines are meant to be good as well.
Excellent explainer, thank you!
I can’t comprehend this information due to the brain injury from years of klonapin
When you consume a benzo it causes your body to basically overdose on it's own tranquilizing chemistry. The body reacts to this by manufacturing more of the excitatory neurotransmitters that result in a major increase in unnatural anxiety states. When the benzo is removed you're left with a nervous system that is extremely agitated.
@@THXx1138 mine is so bad that I'm permanently disabled.
@@IceLynne😢
@@IceLynne I have been off for over 5 years and while most of worst of the symptoms have resolved I am left disabled. I will never fully recover.
@@THXx1138 gentle hugs 🤗
It is years.... Please don't take a benzo..... EVER... 😭
What does someone w severe anxiety and panic that disables them do when the only medicine that helps is a benzo after trying ssris etc abd who runs meditates eats well etcetc?
Get them off the street and pray to god it’s not fentanyl…where I live you can’t buy them off the street and doctors here are great.
Excellent video!
Thank You!
Thanks
Well done video! I will recommend this to my clients and TH-cam subscribers and viewers.
Benzos are also prescribed for movement disorders so we need to accommodate where needs be. Thank you
Then why these doctors are prescribing it for a long term??
Doctors do a lot of things that aren't right. It is too bad people trust them because most don't deserve to be trusted.
@@2shortshorty436 what was your starting dose
Devil's drug.
Thats booze.
good video but the word KNOWLEDGEABLE PROFESSION is probably like 1 -5000 doctors
Yep, most doctors I know are oblivious to these facts and have no issue prescribing them as if they were candy. And If confronted with evidence they downplay the risks.
There is liability which has to be considered, which is why KNOWLEDGEABLE was included - bc it should be clear that you can't just go to any professional. Yes, there are few, but there are some. BIC offers a list for this reason.
This is, I find that, not a positive video, which takes away our hopes to heal with time. It is informative. but very discouraging., and eventually at the end of this, we are really scared that benzo withdrawal is almost going to be permanent, and we will not be able to recover.
Agree
Interesting, concise. How common are the terribly aversive withdrawal experiences being focused upon most of all in the last few years? Have you or can you create a video presentation (or provide citations if it’s as-yet well-studied- and perhaps it is not as yet): How common is benzodiazepine injury, of an appreciable type, eg, very noticeable to the “patient” (I won’t use the term “user” as most benzodiaxepine use results from prescriptions by health professionals*)? Is the risk of protracted symptoms (those reported as excruciatingly difficult), affecting only a small percentage of patients/consumers, or is it a large percentage of patients? Does the answer turn on (as yet) unknown factors? Are some people clearly more sensitive or likely to suffer bad outcomes if placed onto benzo drugs (later experiencing, if they cease or reduce disease, aversive and/or protracted “post-benzo” symptoms that do appear to be reported by many - eg insomnia, or even akathisia and cognitive “issues”)? Even if this is a “small” or “modest” percentage (5-20%, eg), I do NOT mean to imply that it is not of critical importance to learn from these patients’ experiences, help them if possible, and INFORM prescribers and the general public of what is reported to happen to that percentage (whatever it is) of former “users” (consumers) of these meds, who trusted their prescribers (and manufacturers and regulators) when they started taking these drugs. To undertake prescribing or consuming g these drugs NOW may entail a risk/benefit analysis. There may be a significant percentage of patients who do *not* experience problematic cessation (or significant lowering of the dose that’s been their highest daily dose). Just 10-20 years ago, while prescribers openly whispered about, eg, longterm risk including even dementia, *patients were routinely told that these are benign drugs one can just totally cease taking all at once without problems*. NOW that rather routine claim seems to be WRONG, OR UNKNOWN OR UNKNOW-ABLE (in any actual individual’s case). Videos like this, that appear to be based on objective, up-to-date science, are quite important. The public, ie *all potential “patients,” should know, just as all “prescribers” should know, *there are serious risks*. BUT HOW LIKELY IS A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL TO SUFFER AVERSIVE WITHDRAWALS OR “BRAIN (and other bodily) DAMAGE” IF THEY TAKE THESE DRUGS? IF IT S A LARGE RISK FOR ANYONE, THEN WHY ARE THESE DRUGS ON THE MARKET IN MANY COUNTRIES FOR USE OUTSIDE SURGICAL (O.R.) OR EXTREME ANXIETY AND AGITATION AFTER (eg) AN EXTRAORDINARY TRAUMATIC EVENT (the event will continue to cause pain/loss/guilt/fear (eg) but in the moment it’s being fresh and overwhelming may make it appropriate (?) for use once or fora few days). Beyond the rather obvious but too-long under-discussed claims I have just made, which are not a stretch (certainly not any longer), *the specifics need to be understood and, when understood, those also should be disclosed WIDELY to prescribers and potential and existing consumers of these drugs (medications)*. Perhaps long-term use is profitable (or makes patients manageable or they themselves feel they can manage to cope better). Yet when is the harm not worth the risk? Every healthy person I know who reaches older age and remains healthy takes no drugs longterm; and yes, I realize these may be unusual people with strong bodies and/or good luck in their life circumstances (avoiding most transmissible diseases and not having experienced much trauma of any type). Well we ever know? Are there solid (not tiny or flawed) research studies that do, or purport to, answer any of these questions? If not, WHY NOT? The lack of studies, if there is a lack, suggests that what we know about these drugs turns on profit inventive self, including pressure for obtaining grants within academia, not only within “big pharma.” Excuse the length: I do hope these are ideas the makers of this video can pursue, as I myself will not be retraining as a neuroscientist nor have time to devote to analyses of the data (and ask why certain data is seemingly “MISSING”). , amswrr most trauma I know
* I regret the multiple entries and a few (obvious) errors. There was a LAG TIME in my posts appearing (they seemed to disappear altogether so I’d start again); then 2 of 3 appeared here). For obvious errors in this post (above) I apologize; most of all because they are distracting. I do hope the intended meaning is readily apparent, for anyone who slogged through the entire novel (in draft form!) which now ends with leftover words. Perhaps I have suffered iatrogenic injuries. Without discussing too much of that (my own person travails are of little interest to anyone else), I have lost a lot of heath/life span even as a result of “mere” medical interventions as “simple” as extra diagnostic procedures, sometimes ordered/authorized by “decent” physicians (muddling through, some nasty people OTHERS trying to help all their patients. In the nation where I’ve had the majority of my health care interactions (a telling fact in itself). “Medicalizing” and treating as chronic many conditions that do not call for any or much medical care at all, and certainly not without an ending date. The nation incentivizes ordering all tests possible, keeping patients “in the system” once they’ve presented (for anything, even a broken arm), rather than making medical care sporadic and “as needed.” My main nation of residency has a disastrously inequitable system, hurting rich and poor alike (the latter most of all, yet also leading to ruined lives for the former by making patients into chronic producers, whether inadvertently or not). In other nations where I’ve lived, medical care is available to all, essentially as needed, for as long as needed but no longer.
Permanent irreversible damage.
Is it really??
@@SivaSankar-ij8wz yes. Ask me how I know. If the damage persists without change for 11 years, it's permanent.
@@IceLynne and i also had a doubt why psychiatrists prescribe medicines without brain scans?
Why do people heal then?
@@Stubmo I don't believe that anyone heals completely, I believe there's permanent damage somewhere in the body for everyone who takes Benzo's.
Important, and concise. How common is an aversive withdrawal experience, compared to a simple, even symptom-fre withdrawal?
Its a good question that we really should know the answer to. Most experts says its only a minority that has bad withdrawal. There are so many variables.
Doctors should lose their license prescribing these without informing patients or even caring.
How do Benzo's affect the immune system and endocrine system? I am having weird immune systems now half way through my protracted "safe" slow taper. it is so awful. Mysterious immune systems with no end and no diagnosis. It is such a nightmare.I feel my body is in a chronically immune depressed state. I had immune system issues b4 I went on BZ's but now it is so much worse. "Knowledgable Medical providers" LOL where do u find one of those ? Thanks for the info tho.
Does this only apply to high potency benzos? my wife uses oxazepam 15mg spread over the whole day. 5mg in the morning, 2.5mg during the day, and 2.5mg in the evening. and 5mg at bedtime. She stepped down from 60mg 4 years ago. and have been on benzo together for 6 years
No, it applies to any benzodiazepine.
She is in for a world of hurt. She will develop tolerance withdrawal and need ever increasing dosages. At certain point the doctor won’t prescribe increasing dosages. Then she will be in a world of difficulty. More anxiety, insomnia, intolerance to other drugs, musculoskeletal pain, depersonalization . There is no way out except do withdrawal from benzodiazepines and for many long recoveries that wax and wane. One looses the ability to handle any stress. Somebody earlier commented that benzodiazepines should be taken off the market and made illegal. I 100% agree. The majority of physicians are unaware of the problem but you guessed it. The pharmaceutical industry knew. Best of luck Dr. Ginge. If I could make two suggestions for your wife. Go Carnivore. The human body needs animal saturated fat snd proteins to repair the body. One wants to avoid anything inflammatory or excitatory. Sugar in any form is excitatory.Nobody who has experienced benzodiazepines tolerance withdrawal recovers quickly but the Carnivore diet is a huge help. Cheers Dr. Ginge
@@gingebrien2408I’m scared I will never heal
Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy PHARMACY ("pharmakeia") were all nations deceived.
How does Gabapentin fit into this?
Best psychedelics plug
Mushy_Bible
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Benzos should be taken off the market and made completely illegal.
Do anti depressants work if the person reached tolerance to benzodiazepines??
AD's do not work AT ALL... it is just more BS by big pharma to sell you drugs you do not need and DO NOT WORK.
Great. Years to feel better. I hate doctors
NEVER take a benzo!!!
D PUT IT LIGHTLY AM I RIGHT ?