For anyone scheduled for surgery, be absolutely 100% honest and very specific with the anesthesiologist about the last dose of a benzodiazepine, and how much is taken. The drug "cocktails" used before surgery may include midazolam. The anesthesiologist needs to know the COMPLETE pharmacologic profile of the patient having surgery, as some drugs, such as theophylline, will actually reduce the anesthesia. Long story short, just be HONEST with the anesthesiologist!! No one needs any surprises!
Not sure where to start… after years since early teens I struggled with severe depression and anxiety. I have been on every SSRI in the book to no avail. My life was a living hell until at the age of 45 genetic testing revealed that I have TRD. No wonder I didn’t respond to any medication. Benzos were the only thing I did respond to and they likley saved my life. From there I was referred for ketamine and that opened up a whole new world to me. I could truly function but it did not take away the anxiety that threatened my life. Benzodiazepines were needed to complete my path to wellness. The combined ketamine treatment’s on a regular basis with Clonopin gave me my life back. I have been through CBT,DBT and 35 years of therapy yet none of the skills I have reduce my anxiety without benzos. I am a speech language pathologist and worked with dementia for years. My mother currently had AD. As insidious a disease dementia is I have made the informed decision to take that risk and will likley be a ketamine/Benzo lifer. What’s the point in having no life at all because of the potential risk of dementia. I have a plan should I be aware of symptoms of dementia, but I have no plan on how to handle a life without these life saving drugs. Anxiety kills and when other means of treatment have been futile and exhausted benzos have been the answer. I agree with what you are saying in this piece, and after a good deal of contemplating risk benefit analysis I choose to stay on them. Why not enjoy and function in the life one has because of the threat of future risk. I choose to live in the present and deal with the future when it arrives. At my ketamine appointment now. I simplified this all but thought it might be worth sharing.
I rarely comment, but you should look into the mushroom Amanita muscaria. It works on gaba, just like benzos to reduce anxiety. I had severe depression and anxiety and when I started microdosing amanita, all the stress that I didn’t realize I was carrying lifted off my shoulders. I have also heard of lots of people replacing benzo usage with it. Of course there are risks as well, and this is microdosing not macro dosing. Just a thought ♥️🍄
Thank you for sharing; lots of risk and benefits...sounds like you've thought about it carefully.
For anyone scheduled for surgery, be absolutely 100% honest and very specific with the anesthesiologist about the last dose of a benzodiazepine, and how much is taken. The drug "cocktails" used before surgery may include midazolam. The anesthesiologist needs to know the COMPLETE pharmacologic profile of the patient having surgery, as some drugs, such as theophylline, will actually reduce the anesthesia. Long story short, just be HONEST with the anesthesiologist!! No one needs any surprises!
Not sure where to start… after years since early teens I struggled with severe depression and anxiety. I have been on every SSRI in the book to no avail. My life was a living hell until at the age of 45 genetic testing revealed that I have TRD. No wonder I didn’t respond to any medication. Benzos were the only thing I did respond to and they likley saved my life. From there I was referred for ketamine and that opened up a whole new world to me. I could truly function but it did not take away the anxiety that threatened my life. Benzodiazepines were needed to complete my path to wellness. The combined ketamine treatment’s on a regular basis with Clonopin gave me my life back. I have been through CBT,DBT and 35 years of therapy yet none of the skills I have reduce my anxiety without benzos. I am a speech language pathologist and worked with dementia for years. My mother currently had AD. As insidious a disease dementia is I have made the informed decision to take that risk and will likley be a ketamine/Benzo lifer. What’s the point in having no life at all because of the potential risk of dementia. I have a plan should I be aware of symptoms of dementia, but I have no plan on how to handle a life without these life saving drugs. Anxiety kills and when other means of treatment have been futile and exhausted benzos have been the answer. I agree with what you are saying in this piece, and after a good deal of contemplating risk benefit analysis I choose to stay on them. Why not enjoy and function in the life one has because of the threat of future risk. I choose to live in the present and deal with the future when it arrives. At my ketamine appointment now. I simplified this all but thought it might be worth sharing.
I rarely comment, but you should look into the mushroom Amanita muscaria. It works on gaba, just like benzos to reduce anxiety. I had severe depression and anxiety and when I started microdosing amanita, all the stress that I didn’t realize I was carrying lifted off my shoulders. I have also heard of lots of people replacing benzo usage with it. Of course there are risks as well, and this is microdosing not macro dosing. Just a thought ♥️🍄
Thank you, great post.
thank you!
thanks for your thoughtful comment! complicated topic...