Benzos Would benzos help me? (therapeutically)

[rave_itsrealfun!!!]

Trippy definitely get an MRI if you haven't already, as well. It might shine some light on your back problems, or at least rule out anything glaringly wrong with the spinal column.

There's totally something wrong with one of my facet joints but the doctors sort of just write me off, cause it's tough to see in the imaging. I am diagnosed with "chronic pain" like so many others, that's the label you get when they don't understand what the fuck is wrong, and they usually try to attribute it to anxiety or something that's "all in your head" since I suppose this form of ego response makes them feel less stupid.

The treatments offered are guesswork such as steroid injections, which was a horrible experience for me and didn't help. Then they recommended that I get a second one done... the fuck I will fall victim to that trickery again.

I completely wrecked my spine through strenuous exercise and physical labour by the way, which is completely obvious to me so it's annoying to hear that shit. The anxiety came afterwards, as the pain slowly ruined my life.

I'd also recommend asking for lots of bloodwork done. Challenge them to actually do something to try and figure out if anything is physically wrong with you.

 

[bobjayne]

There's totally something wrong with one of my facet joints but the doctors sort of just write me off,

I've got sclerosis, both facet joints as well as spondylolysis. The sclerosis can be seen in an xray just as the spondylolysis. Get your dr to get an xray specifying ?facet joint sclerosis.

Failing that an MRI will show a much clearer picture.

You may be in the beginning stages where dx can be tricky. Best of luck getting a proper dx and prognosis.

 

[Doldrugs]

I wouldn't call 4 years of rotating from ~10 different SSRI/SNRIs hearsay.

I'd call it small sample size. I don't know your situation or how good your doctor was, but SSRIs don't work for everyone. That doesn't mean they don't work for ANYONE. That's just bad logic.

On the one side we have people saying SSRIs don't work for anyone, have no science behind them, and ruin people's lives. On the other, I'm saying they've helped me, helped people I know, are tricky to prescribe and require patience, and don't help everyone. One of these two stances is unscientific, illogical, and black and white where reality is always more complex than that. Benzos didn't work for me and had shitty side effects, but I'd never say they don't work for everyone.

 

[Beavesmx44]

Venlafaxine/Effexor created more problems than it solved for me personally. ymmv. Never bothered with the other's. Count me in the anti-SSRI crowd.

 

[Doldrugs]

Venlafaxine/Effexor created more problems than it solved for me personally. ymmv. Never bothered with the other's. Count me in the anti-SSRI crowd.

Based on your experience with a single drug? Surely you see how completely unscientific that is. If you don't go through the correct process that's your fault, not the drug's.

 

[Beavesmx44]

Based on your experience with a single drug? Surely you see how completely unscientific that is. If you don't go through the correct process that's your fault, not the drug's.

I gave MY experience with a single drug. Nobody said they can't help other people. Your grasping at straws on your pro ssri witch hunt/crusade. Slow your role and realize it's one persons subjective experience. Grab a beer/benzo and chill out. Would you say every ssri/snri you tried had a completely different character and effect on you? That's a real question btw. As in give me any strain of mj and I know it's mj. I like them all. Give me any opiate and yes they have differences but I still would like them all. Are they completely different one to the next? Maybe you could explain in detail with all your experience vs throwing out lame one liners?

 

[Rybee]

That doesn't mean they don't work for ANYONE. That's just bad logic.

No one suggested that they don't work for anyone.

On the one side we have people saying SSRIs don't work for anyone

No one said that.

have no science behind them

No one said that.



I honestly think you're posting from a different thread.

 

[Doldrugs]

Why lie about what you said if I can just quote where you said it and prove you wrong?

No one suggested that they don't work for anyone.
No one said that.
No one said that.

Nobody said they can't help other people.

That's weird, I feel like you both said exactly those things.

there's no evidence that they treat anything

SSRIs suck dick.

Count me in the anti-SSRI crowd.

So you never said they don't help people, just that there was no evidence they did anything and that they are terrible. Sure, that's not blatantly contradictory.

Would you say every ssri/snri you tried had a completely different character and effect on you? That's a real question btw. As in give me any strain of mj and I know it's mj. I like them all. Give me any opiate and yes they have differences but I still would like them all. Are they completely different one to the next? Maybe you could explain in detail with all your experience vs throwing out lame one liners?

I've already explained this, but since you apparently couldn't be bothered to read the posts you disagreed with so strongly I'll repeat myself.

No, SSRIs aren't like opiates (all derived from the same plant) or marijuana strains (literally all the same species). SSRIs aren't recreational. People respond differently to different chemicals, sometimes dramatically so. The same antidepressant that helps one person might worsen symptoms in another person. That's why you are supposed to try different ones until you find the right one. And for some people they may not work at all or have shitty side effects that aren't worth the benefits. But for some people it's the only thing that works. Having dealt with severe depression my whole life I wanted to make sure I tried everything with science behind it and I'm glad I did.

Since you apparently have no idea how they work or are supposed to be prescribed, maybe you should hold off on making broad statements about them.

 

[bobjayne]

^so where do I find your office when I'm feeling blue

 

[star15389]

If you have constant or near-constant anxiety benzos will only help for a while, possibly a very short while. I found that alprazolam required an increase in dosage in no more than a week's time and was obviosly increasing anxiety rather than decreasing it within two weeks. Everyone is different but you can't expect the benefits from this class to last. If you're depressed they're an absolute no-go; even if they work for anxiety they will make your depression worse. Ask to give hydroxyzine a try. I find it to be a very effective anxiolytic and hypnotic and unlike benzos it isn't reinforcing.

 

[ChipTrippyFox]

I'm having a hard time understanding. . If anxiety is ussualy a consistent problem.. what kind of anxiety would benzos be aimed at. Are they designed only to prevent full blown panic attacks or somthing?

Overall I'm so frustrated with the antidepressant roullette; I've only been on 4 in total though..
I smoked a bit of marijuana yesterday without my partner knowing; I felt better than I had in months.. I wish I could just get a medical mj card :/

 

[Beavesmx44]

Why lie about what you said if I can just quote where you said it and prove you wrong?





That's weird, I feel like you both said exactly those things.







So you never said they don't help people, just that there was no evidence they did anything and that they are terrible. Sure, that's not blatantly contradictory.



I've already explained this, but since you apparently couldn't be bothered to read the posts you disagreed with so strongly I'll repeat myself.

No, SSRIs aren't like opiates (all derived from the same plant) or marijuana strains (literally all the same species). SSRIs aren't recreational. People respond differently to different chemicals, sometimes dramatically so. The same antidepressant that helps one person might worsen symptoms in another person. That's why you are supposed to try different ones until you find the right one. And for some people they may not work at all or have shitty side effects that aren't worth the benefits. But for some people it's the only thing that works. Having dealt with severe depression my whole life I wanted to make sure I tried everything with science behind it and I'm glad I did.

Since you apparently have no idea how they work or are supposed to be prescribed, maybe you should hold off on making broad statements about them.

Due to you still being on your rampage and not paying attention let me break it down for you son. (Was assuming you had a clue and giving you the benefit of doubt beforehand. My mistake) Pretty sure you knew what I was getting at. All SSRI do the same thing through different mechanisms. I was alluding to all opiates raise the levels of the same chemicals just through different pathways. End up with same/close result.

No shit they aren't recreational.
Once again if you weren't such a hurt little bitch you would clearly see nobody made broad statements. I said they don't work for ME. Never spoke about anyone else. When your done bleeding out your vagina and get your double dose of midol in you go back and read what you said again. You will see how you make my girlfriend look tough. You can't be a guy right? Not possible.

 

[Doldrugs]

Pretty sure you knew what I was getting at. All SSRI do the same thing through different mechanisms. I was alluding to all opiates raise the levels of the same chemicals just through different pathways. End up with same/close result.

Yes I knew what you were getting at, and it's still wrong. Different SSRIs can affect people in vastly different, sometimes paradoxical ways. I'm not sure why you think repeating what you said makes it any less wrong. SSRIs are nothing like marijuana strains or opiates. Your analogy was wrong. How many times do I need to make this point before it sinks in?

No shit they aren't recreational.
Once again if you weren't such a hurt little bitch you would clearly see nobody made broad statements. I said they don't work for ME. Never spoke about anyone else.

If you're gonna get angry about how people interpret your words you should probably learn how to use them correctly. When you're anti-war, does that mean you're ok with other people making war? When you're anti-drug does that mean you're ok with other people using drugs?

 

[Beavesmx44]

^^^ I think your grasping at straws and falling way off topic at this point. You were asked what ssri prescriptions you took and the differences you experienced between them? I have used ONE and it didn't work for me. You started off with a random remark about my personal experience being claimed as scientific fact. This was not the case and you simply jumped the gun. We get it. You cycled through and found an ssri that worked for you. That's great even if the majority of BL has had more negative than positive experiences with this class of drugs. Like i stated earlier I truly was interested in your thoughts/ experience since it seems more extensive than most.The broad questions were set up so you could give an honest reply without me leading/guiding your answer. Or we could continue to play with semantics....

 

[ChipTrippyFox]

^^^ Or we could continue to play with semantics....

Yeah let's do that because you two seeing who can fling their tears harder at eachother is REALLY helping me in my thread.
Stop getting at each other's throats, I don't give a fuck who started it you're both being jerks. :/


I'm all for hearing what does and does not work for people, it's comforting if nothing else; but when people start getting at eachother cause they're too proud to apologize and/or back down due to pride...


UUUGH

 

[Beavesmx44]

^^^which was the point. Let's hear the claimed experience........ not the tears. You already have an ongoing thread dealing with both benzos and your ssri use Chip. One thread is more than enough for the same issue.

 

[star15389]

They are suited for short-term anxiety (for example while waiting for an SSRI to start working) and control over panic attacks. Doctors still often prescribe benzos long-term for anxiety control despite the lack of evidence for their efficacy, though. I find them pretty useless for panic tbh, even with the fast-acting ones you have to take them when you feel the attack coming on to get any benefit, and with the inevitable rebound anxiety they'll cause you'll feel a lot more panic attacks coming on than you might think

 

[adder]

ChipTrippyFox, no drug is ever going to help you with your depression and/or anxiety if you don't find the reason why you feel this way and fix it. I assure you that once you find the reason behind it all (unless you have already found it) and manage to win it over, things will start becoming clearer and clearer.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

They are suited for short-term anxiety (for example while waiting for an SSRI to start working) and control over panic attacks. Doctors still often prescribe benzos long-term for anxiety control despite the lack of evidence for their efficacy, though. I find them pretty useless for panic tbh, even with the fast-acting ones you have to take them when you feel the attack coming on to get any benefit, and with the inevitable rebound anxiety they'll cause you'll feel a lot more panic attacks coming on than you might think

The research I've read on benzodiazepines actually points to them having pretty robust long-term efficacy as far as anxiolysis is concerned. (Their efficacy as hypnotics is rather limited though.)

 

[yteek]

ChipTrippyFox, no drug is ever going to help you with your depression and/or anxiety if you don't find the reason why you feel this way and fix it. I assure you that once you find the reason behind it all (unless you have already found it) and manage to win it over, things will start becoming clearer and clearer.

What if the basis is a faulty/defective neurological system?