benzodiazepines and O.S.A what you guys think

[JoshCallahan]

well upon a recent vist to my primary care doctor, i was given a script for lorazepam .5 mg. i called my sleep dr for a second opinion in regards to this and according to him as long as your being treated with a cpap your good to go. unless you have central apena. but still i am uncomfortable with this, esp since bezos are a cns depressant.. what do you guys think?

[greatunclebill]

trust the doc on this one. i'm on zoloft which is a little different class than benzo but also was prescribed valium as required which is a benzo. also have tylenol 3 as required. my doc is very good. if it was harmful with cpap i wouldn't have it.

[49er]

well upon a recent vist to my primary care doctor, i was given a script for lorazepam .5 mg. i called my sleep dr for a second opinion in regards to this and according to him as long as your being treated with a cpap your good to go. unless you have central apena. but still i am uncomfortable with this, esp since bezos are a cns depressant.. what do you guys think?

Hi Josh,

Why were you prescribed this medication?

As an FYI, it does say in the drug literature that if you have apnea, this drug should be used with caution:

http://www.drugs.com/pro/lorazepam.html

Lorazepam should be used with caution in patients with compromised respiratory function (e.g., COPD, sleep apnea syndrome).

Personally, I would be leery of taking any benzos but that is just me and I realize everyone is different.

49er

[Always tired]

well upon a recent vist to my primary care doctor, i was given a script for lorazepam .5 mg. i called my sleep dr for a second opinion in regards to this and according to him as long as your being treated with a cpap your good to go. unless you have central apena. but still i am uncomfortable with this, esp since bezos are a cns depressant.. what do you guys think?

Josh,
I take .5 mg 4 times a day. .5 in the morning and .5 in the evening and 1.0 about 1:00 A.M. Lorazepam is a benzo as I'm sure you know and after 12 years I'm addicted to it plain and simple. IF you can do without it for anxiety I would never start, but that is only my opinion. Finding a good doctor to help you get off of benzos is difficult and you don't just quit.
I did many overnight pulse ox tests (on my own) and did see oxygen desats after taking them.
Just one persons advice here, but looking back I wish the doctor had never put me on them.
A T

[Drowsy Dancer]

<snip> after 12 years I'm addicted to it plain and simple<snip>

<mounts soapbox>
A T:

You are using a label about yourself that is unkind and may well be inaccurate. Are you saying that you are physiologically dependent on your benzos, and can't stop taking them without suffering unpleasant side effects?

If that's what you are saying, then I don't know that calling yourself "addicted" is really fair to yourself.

If you are knocking over liquor stores to get your benzos...if you are upping your dose beyond what is prescribed...if you are getting scripts from multiple docs who don't know about one another...then yeah, maybe the "addict" label is a better fit.

<dismounts soapbox>

Now, back to the OP. Josh:

All that having been said, one the one hand, I think you can trust your sleep doc, but I personally would be very reluctant to start benzos myself. I took Effexor for a while and it was just a beast to taper off of once I didn't need it anymore, and I'm told benzos are worse.

I think benzos really shine as an emergency medication for management of episodic severe anxiety--panic attacks, coping with fear of flying in an airplane or a public appearance. As a long-term plan for managing anxiety, I think things like regular exercise, reducing caffeine, and a regular meditation practice are underrated because they can't be bottled and sold, and they take an ongoing commitment.

So I suppose it all depends on why you got that prescription, as someone else noted. It is easy to become physiologically dependent on benzos pretty fast, I'm told, but it's not instantaneous.

[49er]

<snip> after 12 years I'm addicted to it plain and simple<snip>

<mounts soapbox>
A T:

You are using a label about yourself that is unkind and may well be inaccurate. Are you saying that you are physiologically dependent on your benzos, and can't stop taking them without suffering unpleasant side effects?

If that's what you are saying, then I don't know that calling yourself "addicted" is really fair to yourself.

If you are knocking over liquor stores to get your benzos...if you are upping your dose beyond what is prescribed...if you are getting scripts from multiple docs who don't know about one another...then yeah, maybe the "addict" label is a better fit.

<dismounts soapbox>

All that having been said, I would be very reluctant to start benzos myself. I took Effexor for a while and it was just a beast to taper off of once I didn't need it anymore, and I'm told benzos are worse.

DD,

As an FYI, there have been several discussions on the AD withdrawal boards in which people felt like they were addicted to the meds due to the horrific withdrawal symptoms. No one felt the label was at all unkind and in fact, there seemed to be contempt for the medical profession for wanting to minimize the symptoms by calling it "discontinuation syndrome." and refusing to call it an addiction.

I never got addicted to benzos fortunately because I took them on a PRN basis. But having heard the horror stories, I think AT's description of it being addicted to them sounds right on target.

49er

[RandyJ]

I would only take a benzo as a last resort, having observed benzo addiction a close friend of mine had.

Tread carefully and inform yourself as much as possible before making a decision about taking it.

Good luck.

[Drowsy Dancer]

<snip> after 12 years I'm addicted to it plain and simple<snip>

<mounts soapbox>
A T:

You are using a label about yourself that is unkind and may well be inaccurate. Are you saying that you are physiologically dependent on your benzos, and can't stop taking them without suffering unpleasant side effects?

If that's what you are saying, then I don't know that calling yourself "addicted" is really fair to yourself.

If you are knocking over liquor stores to get your benzos...if you are upping your dose beyond what is prescribed...if you are getting scripts from multiple docs who don't know about one another...then yeah, maybe the "addict" label is a better fit.

<dismounts soapbox>

All that having been said, I would be very reluctant to start benzos myself. I took Effexor for a while and it was just a beast to taper off of once I didn't need it anymore, and I'm told benzos are worse.

DD,

As an FYI, there have been several discussions on the AD withdrawal boards in which people felt like they were addicted to the meds due to the horrific withdrawal symptoms. No one felt the label was at all unkind and in fact, there seemed to be contempt for the medical profession for wanting to minimize the symptoms by calling it "discontinuation syndrome." and refusing to call it an addiction.

I never got addicted to benzos fortunately because I took them on a PRN basis. But having heard the horror stories, I think AT's description of it being addicted to them sounds right on target.

49er

49er--

Ah. I'm looking at this through my own lens, which is that the word "addict" signifies that the use of the substance has a negative impact on the person's life (as in my example of committing crimes to get it).

I read weight management boards where people tend to talk about being "addicted" to white sugar, or to junk food, or (name a demonized food), and I find that usage unskilful.

The last thing I intend to do is to minimize the suffering involved in withdrawal. As I noted, even an Effexor taper was no fun at all and I know Effexor is not the worst stuff to come off of by any means.

[49er]

<snip> after 12 years I'm addicted to it plain and simple<snip>

<mounts soapbox>
A T:

You are using a label about yourself that is unkind and may well be inaccurate. Are you saying that you are physiologically dependent on your benzos, and can't stop taking them without suffering unpleasant side effects?

If that's what you are saying, then I don't know that calling yourself "addicted" is really fair to yourself.

If you are knocking over liquor stores to get your benzos...if you are upping your dose beyond what is prescribed...if you are getting scripts from multiple docs who don't know about one another...then yeah, maybe the "addict" label is a better fit.

<dismounts soapbox>

All that having been said, I would be very reluctant to start benzos myself. I took Effexor for a while and it was just a beast to taper off of once I didn't need it anymore, and I'm told benzos are worse.

DD,

As an FYI, there have been several discussions on the AD withdrawal boards in which people felt like they were addicted to the meds due to the horrific withdrawal symptoms. No one felt the label was at all unkind and in fact, there seemed to be contempt for the medical profession for wanting to minimize the symptoms by calling it "discontinuation syndrome." and refusing to call it an addiction.

I never got addicted to benzos fortunately because I took them on a PRN basis. But having heard the horror stories, I think AT's description of it being addicted to them sounds right on target.

49er

49er--

Ah. I'm looking at this through my own lens, which is that the word "addict" signifies that the use of the substance has a negative impact on the person's life (as in my example of committing crimes to get it).

I read weight management boards where people tend to talk about being "addicted" to white sugar, or to junk food, or (name a demonized food), and I find that usage unskilful.

The last thing I intend to do is to minimize the suffering involved in withdrawal. As I noted, even an Effexor taper was no fun at all and I know Effexor is not the worst stuff to come off of by any means.

Sorry DD, I didn't mean to infer you were minimizing someone's suffering as I felt you were more concerned about the connotations of the "addiction" label. Totally agree that saying you are addicted to junk food just doesn't seem right although I understand why people feel that way.

49er

[Drowsy Dancer]

Sorry DD, I didn't mean to infer you were minimizing someone's suffering as I felt you were more concerned about the connotations of the "addiction" label. Totally agree that saying you are addicted to junk food just doesn't seem right although I understand why people feel that way.

This is an area of discussion where it is very easy to say things that give offense...and it's so easy to blow up a thread...not my intention...better to be safe than sorry.

[CowFish]

[quote 49er"]

Why were you prescribed this medication?

49er[quote]

That is the right question 49er. Giving him advice without knowing this is not good.

[khauser]

You're fine. Read this current thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89000&view=unread#p816717, which talks about opiate use and CPAP. As long as you're not heavy in to centrals, the mild effect of the drug you've been prescribed won't bother a properly treated OSA patient.

[ringo728]

I've been taking Xanax (a benzo) for over 15 years as needed for my generalized anxiety disorder with great success. I also practice biofeedback, meditation and have had many CBT sessions with an excellent psychologist. I've been under my primary physician's oversight for that time while on this med. I've tried many other drugs for my GAD (Lexapro, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Serzone, etc.) with little success because of the horrible side effects of these drugs. I absolutely don't abuse Xanax and only use it when needed as prescribed. Because of the nature of this drug my doctor would be totally aware if abuse was a problem on my part. I get 90 tablets every 90 days. Well controlled at 1 tablet per day if needed. I only use about one half of the prescription. When being diagnosed with OSA in March it really caused a horrible anxiety spike. A big life adjustment and I don't like change. I take .25mg of Xanax before bedtime and it has really taken the edge off to get used to the whole CPAP machine and mask process. I'm now adjusting to the CPAP quite nicely and only require them now and then if I feel I'm going to have a bad night. All of my sleep reports have been also great. Doctor is very happy with the results. If your doctor is supervising your treatment along with your sleep doctor ........don't worry about addiction. They will be looking out for any abuse on your part. Remember...you are the master and not the drug. Many of these drugs were found to be very successful for anxiety treatments but were tagged for addiction after the illegal creeps pushing them made victims to their dependence.

[JoshCallahan]

I should make it clear that i do not really plan on making this a nightly item in my life, it is more of a last resort from being tired of sitting up at 4 am with my mind going on over drive.. while this situation does not play out every night it does it enough to have become a hindrance on my day to day life. Having been on Valium before, i can attest that i find no joy in feeling like a zombie 24/7 and or sleeping 24/7 and being as i just disposed of a lot of it that i had left over it was def not something that was a problem. but like anything there is a time and place for everything, and unless you have suffered from debilitating anxiety you cannot possibly understand what its like to be tired and not be able to sleep My pulmonologist is aware of this prescription and said that as long as the cpap was in use while sleeping it would not be an issue. With that said as i said at the start of this, the attivan is an absolute last resort ie it had better be 3 am and i still cant sleep before i will even dare..

[Papit]

I've been taking Xanax (a benzo) for over 15 years as needed for my generalized anxiety disorder with great success. I also practice biofeedback, meditation and have had many CBT sessions with an excellent psychologist. I've been under my primary physician's oversight for that time while on this med. I've tried many other drugs for my GAD (Lexapro, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Serzone, etc.) with little success because of the horrible side effects of these drugs. I absolutely don't abuse Xanax and only use it when needed as prescribed. Because of the nature of this drug my doctor would be totally aware if abuse was a problem on my part. I get 90 tablets every 90 days. Well controlled at 1 tablet per day if needed. I only use about one half of the prescription. When being diagnosed with OSA in March it really caused a horrible anxiety spike. A big life adjustment and I don't like change. I take .25mg of Xanax before bedtime and it has really taken the edge off to get used to the whole CPAP machine and mask process. I'm now adjusting to the CPAP quite nicely and only require them now and then if I feel I'm going to have a bad night. All of my sleep reports have been also great. Doctor is very happy with the results. If your doctor is supervising your treatment along with your sleep doctor ........don't worry about addiction. They will be looking out for any abuse on your part. Remember...you are the master and not the drug. Many of these drugs were found to be very successful for anxiety treatments but were tagged for addiction after the illegal creeps pushing them made victims to their dependence.

Well said, Ringo. Properly prescribed and used, these things can be a big help. The often-expressed view that some folks have that they would "never ever" use them is imo rather misplaced and uninformed.