Antidepressants / Benzodiazepines: Withdrawals, Symptoms, Devastating Effects of Medications
Antidepressants / Benzodiazepines: Withdrawals, Symptoms, Devastating Effects of Medications
Today is a topic about which I don’t enjoy talking, but is necessary information to get to you. It is about the horrible, sustained, and protracted withdrawal some people go through when trying to come off antidepressants and/or benzodiazepines.
A great book to read to gain perspective on this subject is called, Recovery and Renewal by Baylissa Fredreick. My eyes were opened to this horrible withdrawal only within the last 2 years, and just this week I have spoken to 4 people who are still going through withdrawal.
The withdrawal is constant, intermittent, and always present. It can last, not atypically, for 3 years from the time you stop the medication, and there are reports of it lasting up to 15 years. Symptoms come and go without warning.
Symptoms consist of feelings of zaps in the head, a band vice-like feeling around the head, severe nausea, dry heaves, diarrhea, abdominal pains, not being able to sleep, feeling like you are crawling out of your skin, huge floaters in your eyes, being extremely hot and then extremely cold, severe aggression, wanting to shut yourself off from all people and not go out of your room. The person deals with a variety of the symptoms at one time.
Symptoms never go completely away during withdrawal, but constantly attack your body. If the person goes to the ER for symptoms or sees their doctor, they will find nothing wrong with them, and will be offered more anti-depressants or benzos. One of the patients I see saw 63 doctors before seeing me. So far I haven’t run into anyone who knows anything that helps these people. I am trying different approaches currently to try to break this absolutely devastating withdrawal which takes previously productive people out of society for long periods of time. It is the next “opiod” crisis waiting to be uncovered.
You can now understand how the biggest side effects of antidepressants and benzos are suicide and homicide. I wonder how many of the mass shooters were on medications at the time of their attack? For a while it was running 100% and then the reporting stopped.
Does this happen to everyone getting these drugs? No.
Can it be predicted who these people are? Yes.
Genetic testing can help identify these people before they are put on these devastating medications. The technology has been available for 30 years.
Why has this testing not been used? Because they are moderately expensive tests, often costing around $600, and insurance does not pay for them, and most doctors don’t know they exist.
Does this make sense? No, absolutely not. In my opinion it is an example of how insurance companies are dictating our health care. We all have fallen prey to this one way or another, and those of you coming into my practice are the pioneers of changing it.
I honor all of you, am grateful for you, and thank you. Please spread the word how devastating these drugs can be.
Allianna, 412-303-4082, who is delivering healthy meals to people, is one of these people. If you want a first-hand account, she is more than willing to share her story. She pulled herself off 13 medications in college without help of her doctors who told her she would die if she stopped her medications. She did it alone, sadly without her doctor’s help.
Have an awesome day! Eat well and exercise!
Dr. D