Can long term benzo use/alcohol abuse cause agoraphobia?

[behindblueeyes]

Lately I've been having these weird spells of anxiety around certain people and situations... like I'm afraid my body is going to convulse, and I get weird head tremors. Especially if I'm standing in the middle of a room around people who are talking to me... I get really shakey and panicky.

I wasn't like this before, I'm thinking the fact I've been prescribed klonopin for a year and binge drink may have something to do with it.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Binge-drinking, yes, clonazepam, no.

It would have come on a lot sooner and worse if you hadn't been taking the clonazepam

 

[BSB]

Benzos can, in fact, have a paradoxical effect (correct phrase?) of increasing anxiety. Especially in the long term.

Am typing from phone but the studies are out there...also, both have been linked with long lasting brain damage.

What fun.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

So can any drug. The aptly named benzo-phobia gripping the pharmaceutical world blows it way out of proportion.

And to clarify, abuse of clonazepam definitely results in a worsening condition.

Actually the most recent scans of benzo users reveal no abnormalities. Sources? Bring it on.

 

[BSB]

This is why I don't come online.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Because you don't want to give sources? Start at Wikipedia.

 

[electrodevo]

Like this article? Seems like brain damage is a possibility (though not a definite fact yet) with long term abuse of benzodiazepines.

I don't think I see anything on brain damage with normal, standard prescribed benzo usage though.

I will say that binge drinking *while* on a benzo prescription is a _very_ bad idea, this is a rather dangerous combination, and I can easily see benzos enhancing the negative health effects of ethanol binging.