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Benzos Is memory loss from Benzos permanent?

M

Mycophile

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Messages
4,318
I've heard people say that overuse of benzos can create "cognitive problems".

I took Klonopin every day for 11 years and never noticed them.

I was able to get off Klonopin for 9 months surprisingly with almost no withdrawal whatosoever and now I have As-needed PRN access to Klonopin which means I only take it when I really need to which IMO is MUCH better because I don't think it's good to take them every day.

But the other day when I took a little more than I might have needed for just about 5 mins I noticed myself getting kind of forgetful when I needed to live my house and needed to do a bunch of things to get ready and was going into rooms forgetting why I came in there etc.

It wasn't super extreme and only lasted about 5 mins and then went away but it was Almost Definitely a side effect from the Klonopin that wouldn't have happened without it or on a lower dose.

So is that kind of problem PERMANENT for even when I hopefully eventually stop taking it altogether??


I mean I took it for a LONG ass time, more than most people are recommended to, so am I likely to one day be the kind of guy who goes around forgetting all kinds of shit all the time even when NOT on it because I took it for so long??

Or are those kinds of side effects most likely the sort of thing that only happens when you are actually ON the drug??
 
benzo use may cause Alzheimer's
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Well, no, that's not what the study suggests at all... it says benzos are "associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease." That says absolutely nothing about causation - it could be that benzodiazepines are used more by people with Alzheimer's than without. Or it could be some factor that influences both.

Or are those kinds of side effects most likely the sort of thing that only happens when you are actually ON the drug??
Click to expand...

This is the case...

I think you worry too much, Mycophile. You even said yourself, you have been using benzos for eleven years without any problems, and you took too much on this one occasion. Why do you entertain thoughts that the effect would be permanent? Have you ever had episodes of memory loss while you're not on benzos?

Consider that doctors and dentists use high dosages of benzos to sedate people for minor surgical procedures; do you think they would use them if they carried a risk of permanent memory impairment?
 
My memory Is as sharp as it used to be. I used benzodiazepines for so long and it has become worse.
I forget simple things like name of movies, colleagues etc.
I'm on my 40's. My doctor says some of the sleeping meds can cause that. But it should get better once you quit or decrease the doses.
 
sekio said:
Well, no, that's not what the study suggests at all... it says benzos are "associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease." That says absolutely nothing about causation - it could be that benzodiazepines are used more by people with Alzheimer's than without. Or it could be some factor that influences both.



This is the case...

I think you worry too much, Mycophile. You even said yourself, you have been using benzos for eleven years without any problems, and you took too much on this one occasion. Why do you entertain thoughts that the effect would be permanent? Have you ever had episodes of memory loss while you're not on benzos?

Consider that doctors and dentists use high dosages of benzos to sedate people for minor surgical procedures; do you think they would use them if they carried a risk of permanent memory impairment?
Click to expand...

Although this is certainly the case LOL, I am not really worrying a lot about this.

I just wanted to ask the question and get a good answer from someone who knows a fair amount about this so now I did.

No, I haven't had memory loss when not on benzos and not even very much when on them either.

Thanks.
 
My memory has improved dramatically since I have cut way down on my use of benzos, opiates, and other downers - feel almost back to normal. But that may be because I probably am not human....
 
Mycophile said:
Where is your source for this?
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There are a lot of anecdotal reports from benzo users, especially heavy users, who experience post acute withdrawal effects, that include memory impairment, for up to 2 years after they quit the benzos all together. Just look up benzo paws, this is especially prominent if the person had a large benzo habit and didn't taper off slowly and correctly.
 
As someone with a reasonable benzo habit but was tapered off correctly, I can attest whatever memory damage is not permanent. I'd say it was mostly back within 2 weeks, but there were probably still some lingering effects for a few months. Fast forward a few years and I have an excellent memory, especially for someone who uses as much cannabis as I do.
 
sekio said:
Well, no, that's not what the study suggests at all... it says benzos are "associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease." That says absolutely nothing about causation - it could be that benzodiazepines are used more by people with Alzheimer's than without. Or it could be some factor that influences both.
Click to expand...

Right, hence why I used the word "may" as opposed to "will." Whether or not the relationship between benzos and Alzheimer's is causal or correlative really isn't important, at least within the scope of this case study. From the study it is pretty clear that if you use benzos you have a higher risk of Alzheimer's, for whatever reason. The study itself says that it may be that benzo use is actually an early indicator of risk of Alzheimer's. But either way, if someone is using benzodiazepines it is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's, clear and simple.

Edit: To be perfectly honest, although there is no proof of cause here, it seems silly to assume that it is only correlation. It seems more likely that it is a causal relationship, and the repercussions of assuming it is only correlative (not that I am saying you are) and being wrong can clearly be quite severe.
 
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jcdenton said:
Right, hence why I used the word "may" as opposed to "will." Whether or not the relationship between benzos and Alzheimer's is causal or correlative really isn't important, at least within the scope of this case study. From the study it is pretty clear that if you use benzos you have a higher risk of Alzheimer's, for whatever reason. The study itself says that it may be that benzo use is actually an early indicator of risk of Alzheimer's. But either way, if someone is using benzodiazepines it is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's, clear and simple.

Edit: To be perfectly honest, although there is no proof of cause here, it seems silly to assume that it is only correlation. It seems more likely that it is a causal relationship, and the repercussions of assuming it is only correlative (not that I am saying you are) and being wrong can clearly be quite severe.
Click to expand...


Still, from what I am reading from what everyone here is saying, it seems unlikely to assume that MOST benzo users will suffer PERMANENT memory loss from their usage.

I'd also think it would be even more unlikely for someone who uses them according to a doctor's supervision like myself.

I'm also not even talking just about alzheimer's which I'm assuming usually happens to elderly people, but PERMAMENT memory loss in younger (under age 50 at least) healthy people.
 
pbuilder said:
There are a lot of anecdotal reports from benzo users, especially heavy users, who experience post acute withdrawal effects, that include memory impairment, for up to 2 years after they quit the benzos all together. Just look up benzo paws, this is especially prominent if the person had a large benzo habit and didn't taper off slowly and correctly.
Click to expand...

Well as long as it isn't usually permanent.

Also, I am talking more about people who use low dose benzos under doctor supervision than recreational users.
 
Of course it would be unreasonable to believe that most users will have memory problems, the point is that some will though.

The study purports a 43-51% increased risk of Alzheimer's among benzodiazepine users. They found the risk increased as dosage and length of use increased, as well as a correlation between relatively higher risk and use of long acting benzos, which gives credence to a causal relationship. You may want to give the study a read, it's not super long and it's pretty comprehensive.

I realize not all memory loss is Alzheimer's related, but Alzheimer's causes permanent memory loss so there's not a huge distinction here.

The amount of use helped to determine how big the risk for Alzheimer's was, not whether it existed at all. So yes, it applies to people who use benzos medically.
 
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^^^

Well, I'm still not going to stop taking as-needed Klonopin out of fear.

I guess all drugs have their risks.

I guess I'm just looking to hear that when I forgot a couple things the other day on Klonopin that it wasn't some kind of an effect which is most likely going to be permanent one day...
 
While on BZD's was it difficult for you guys to remember books you read, learn new material?

I consider BZD to be a great acronym for benzos. (Bonafide-Zombie-Drugs) :\
 
It's not permanent but can last a REALLY long time after quitting. I only abused etizolam for 10 months and it took 8 months clean for my brain to even START to recover. I couldn't make sense of the instructions on microwave dinners...would forget things my gf said and then argue about it...couldn't follow the plot of TV shows. It felt like legit dementia. But it does get better. You just have to abstain from alcohol, benzos and other GABA drugs for a long time.

I've found that tianeptine and Prozac have helped both my mood and cognitive function, but the benefits are modest. Time is the best healer.
 
when i take my daily 30mg dose of serapax im bound to forget some shit, mostly during the day i will go why am i here and what am i doing??, im used to it, im so chilled out i dont care, , i cant see long term problem. You might want to try lower the dose or use caffiene nicotine to combat this...thats what i do.
 
I've taken Xanax (0.25mg) twice a day for like 20 years. The doctors were always worried about me getting "addicted" to them, but I have stopped them voluntarily for days without any side effects or cravings. It is a small dose too. Then again, I don't have an addictive personality for anything.

I don't think it has affected my memory. I think normal aging has affected my memory, unless I am "deluding" myself ? For example, I've read articles where people say they go out to the kitchen to get something, but when they get there, they can't remember what it is that they wanted. The reply from the experts is that it is normal aging.

There were antidepressants that I have taken where the doctors didn't warn me of side effects (i.e. like biting your tongue = tardive dyskinesia). I read an article from London that found a link between Prozac and brain cancer. I showed it to my doctor and she "pooh-poohed" it telling me not to worry ?
 
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