Clonazepam

We probabkly do agree if "no to drugs" is accurate.
I think far too many drugs are prescribes.
This includes antibiotics and psychotropics as well as many the others.

My point was in his questioning my expertise in such matters.
I tried to convey that my attitude is reflected both in my personal experiences as well as my role as a pharmacist for 35 years.

I expect all the benzos and the z-drugs (sleepers that start with z) are highly addictive. The medical community and pharmaceutical manufacturers would like us to believe otherwise.

Someone in this thread mentioned tolerance to the drugs and that in order to get the same effect the docs up the dose - yep - happens all the time and the docs don't realize the patient is really addicted and needs to gradually go off the med instead of having it increased.

I also tend to agree with tomjax that some of us have the propensity to become more easily addicted to these things than others of us. I know I fit.

Getting off isn't an easy process.

tomjax,

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I am really sorry to hear that you lost your license the way you did. I suppose you tried all the appeal processes? Or perhaps you were ready for a change in careers. I only know that the difference I have felt in the three weeks since I started CPAP is nothing short of miraculous. I felt so bad for so long that I guess I forgot what it felt like to feel good. I'm not sure I even dared dream I could feel good again. When I went to the sleep doc, I just wanted to feel a little better. Now I feel like a new human being. It is really sad that your hearing officer wasn't well enough informed to understand how much damage this condition can cause.

tomjax wrote:My point was in his questioning my expertise in such matters.

Consider that 'no to drugs' may have had one or more negative experiences involving a pharmacist and that he is just lashing out. If we look beyond baggage, you have similar experiences of betrayal by a failing system.

We're learning a lot here from your experience. Thanks.

izzyb wrote:I messed up on my last post. Some of my replies are in with the quotes. Sorry. Just letting everybody know because I had some questions in there.

Izzyb,

You asked if my wife, who has been on clonezepam for years for getting to sleep, has had to raise her dose - No, she hasn't.

She also hasn't tried getting off of it.

She is sleeping well. Before I was on CPAP, she slept with earplugs! Now she sleeps OK without them.

She is on some other antidepressants and hormone replacement therapy. All in all, since her surgery, I think she is a lot better, doing fine. She agrees, too. And she doesn't seem over-medicated.

I agree with some of the others here that there is always a possibility of over-medication and over-prescription. But some people really do need some meds - let's not forget them.

sepool wrote:..........
You asked if my wife, who has been on clonezepam for years for getting to sleep, has had to raise her dose - No, she hasn't.

..........

Anyone on the same dosage for years claiming benefits is only getting the placebo effect.

izzyb wrote:.......... I have problems sleeping and he gave me a prescription for Clonazepam. ........

This is getting too complicated. Let's get back to the basics. Do you have software to track your nightly therapy? If the answer is "No", then you need to turn your time and other resources to getting the software.

From personal experience, once I finally began a monitoring program I saw that my therapy was not so good. I used the software to tweak my settings until I was getting a good therapy (AHI < 1.0). And now, no more prescription drugs!!!!

This is getting too complicated. Let's get back to the basics. Do you have software to track your nightly therapy? If the answer is "No", then you need to turn your time and other resources to getting the software.

From personal experience, once I finally began a monitoring program I saw that my therapy was not so good. I used the software to tweak my settings until I was getting a good therapy (AHI < 1.0). And now, no more prescription drugs!!!!

I don't have the software, but I was keeping up with the data on my machine regularly for a while. My AHI was usually 3.* or below and it was even .3 for a few nights. That is why I don't understand why I don't feel better. The only thing I can figure (and the doc agreed) is that I am not getting enough sleep. No sleep=no treatment. So other than trying a new mask (just in case), I am working on sleeping well. But taking any kind of drug for anything seems to present a whole new set of problems. The last time I wrote down my data was 11/29/07 and my leak rate was 38. The chart allows for 32.3/26.7 based on my pressure of 16/11. And my AHI was .3. I did notice when I was tracking it that my data was better when I took a sleeping aid.

izzyb wrote:

This is getting too complicated. Let's get back to the basics. Do you have software to track your nightly therapy? If the answer is "No", then you need to turn your time and other resources to getting the software.

From personal experience, once I finally began a monitoring program I saw that my therapy was not so good. I used the software to tweak my settings until I was getting a good therapy (AHI < 1.0). And now, no more prescription drugs!!!!

I don't have the software, but I was keeping up with the data on my machine regularly for a while. My AHI was usually 3.* or below and it was even .3 for a few nights. That is why I don't understand why I don't feel better. The only thing I can figure (and the doc agreed) is that I am not getting enough sleep. No sleep=no treatment. So other than trying a new mask (just in case), I am working on sleeping well. But taking any kind of drug for anything seems to present a whole new set of problems. The last time I wrote down my data was 11/29/07 and my leak rate was 38. The chart allows for 32.3/26.7 based on my pressure of 16/11. And my AHI was .3. I did notice when I was tracking it that my data was better when I took a sleeping aid.

You REALLY need to get the software. There can be a whole list of reasons why you may not be feeling "better" and the software would either rule in or out a number of them. Your pressure may not be right after this much time, you may not be getting enough sleep (as you mentioned) and you may be leaking air out of your mouth (to name just a few).

For the cost of one or two trips to the doctor, you could justify the software. Summary data doesn't give much of a picture of what's going on.

Den

About six months ago, my DME rep read my data from my Smart Card and she said that I had some episodes of snoring. When I told my doctor about that the other day, he brushed it off and said everybody snores. I thought if your treatment was effective, it would get rid of any snoring.

izzyb wrote: ........ But taking any kind of drug for anything seems to present a whole new set of problems. ......

True. Especially true of everything available for sleeping (even melatonin has bad side effects for many people).

Go for the software.

Practice good sleep hygiene including exercising daily. Eat a good diet. Spend time with friends who are fun to be around. Try to be helpful and encouraging to people.

But go for the software.

izzyb wrote: ........When I told my doctor about that the other day, he brushed it off and said everybody snores. ........

Yeah, a doctor will not worry if a patient snores. Now if the doctor snores, then he worries.

Get the software so you can see in detail every day what is going on and then develop a plan to address things.

"Snoring" may not necessarily be directly connected to apnea/hypopnea events. I know it isn't for me. However, in many cases, a slight increase in pressure will get rid of most of it. Doing a nasal "cleansing" before bed also helps significantly.

By the way.......has anybody mentioned that you REALLY need to get the software?


Den

Practice good sleep hygiene including exercising daily. Eat a good diet. Spend time with friends who are fun to be around. Try to be helpful and encouraging to people.

Rooster, Wow! I thought treatment for my sleep apnea was supposed to help me attain those things. If I were only that perfect I wouldn't have depression, sleep apnea, insomnia, aches and pains; be overweight, grumpy or lonely.

Wulfman, so you think I might need software.

izzyb wrote:

Practice good sleep hygiene including exercising daily. Eat a good diet. Spend time with friends who are fun to be around. Try to be helpful and encouraging to people.

Rooster, Wow! I thought treatment for my sleep apnea was supposed to help me attain those things. If I were only that perfect I wouldn't have depression, sleep apnea, insomnia, aches and pains; be overweight, grumpy or lonely.

Wulfman, so you think I might need software.

I think it was actually Rooster that said something to that effect.

Den