Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears

[Guest guest]

[ sent this.  It could not be posted in the form it was sent.  I

reformatted it and posted the entire article.  I want to comment on

the article.  The information given in this article clearly indicates

the hand of the drug industry was the driving force of the info given

in this article.

The notion that problems with addiction and benzodiazepines is a

problem just being recognized is false.  It's been acknowledged for at

least 25 - 30 years now.  There ARE some who don't recognize it --

younger docs who are totally enamored with and impressed by their

careers become sitting ducks for Big Pharma's misinformation and

brainwashing.  Most docs over the age of 55 do not hand out these

drugs with the frequency of younger docs.  They also tend to give

lower doses which minimizes the possibility of needing a higher dose

later on.  In my experience, those who stay on the lower doses

(example: 0.25 mg of xanax 2-3x a day instead of 0.5 or more 3x a

day).

There is a statement about antidepressants being a better choice.

This is a drug-industry driven lie.  It is very important to counter

these lies by commenting on the lies in this article.  The URL to

comment is at the end of the article.  I think you'll have to sign in.

 Please take the time to do this.  Remember, if others had all done

this when they knew of the problems, you may have never ended up on

these drugs having the problems you're having. By commenting you're

not letting Big Pharma have the entire playground.  The person helped

by you standing up for the truth may be someone you care about.

Here's another outrageous lie that is insulting -- " ...those with

problems are most likely to be people who've had issues with addiction

in the past. "

I looked up the author to see why she sought input from people who

were bound to put a spin on things.  It turns out she is a young

journalism student.  Sher's not experienced enough to have the

discernment necessary to write an article like this,  There are some

NT Times writers that would have been able to do a much better job

with this.

Please read and comment to the Post.  Thanks.

--]

Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears

By Balestra Special to The Washington Post

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Stan Starr, a 54-year-old financial consultant, sat in the back of the

room filled with blue chairs, quietly tapping his Converse sneakers on

the carpet. The 12 steps to recovery, enshrined by Alcoholics

Anonymous, were printed in large black letters on a wall. But Starr

was there because of a different drug -- a class of prescription

medication called benzodiazepines.

Five years ago, he couldn't sleep at night, his heart raced, he had

wrenching stomach pains and felt as if his skin were crawling off his

bones. He was in the midst of a 2 1/2 -year battle to withdraw from

the drug Klonopin, which his psychiatrist had prescribed to him for

anxiety. " I went through sheer living hell, " he said. " I didn't know

if I was going to make it. "

Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep

disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally

pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly

in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have

gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are

increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few

weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling

withdrawal.

The benefits of the drugs have been heralded by both physicians and

patients. On Askapatient.com, a Web site where consumers can rate

medicines, one person wrote in April that Xanax was the " best thing

that ever happened to me. " Another wrote in March, " This drug saved my

life. "

In 2008, 85 million prescriptions were filled for the top 20

benzodiazepines, an increase of 10 million over 2004, according to IMS

Health, a health-care information company based in Norwalk, Conn.

Those getting prescriptions in 2004 included 66,000 veterans suffering

from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study released by

Department of Veterans Affairs physicians last summer.

Worldwide revenue for Xanax rose to $350 million last year, up nearly

50 percent from 2003, according to pharmaceutical company Pfizer's

financial reports.

Critics say benzodiazepines are broadly over-prescribed and can have

serious side effects. Some patients find themselves on high dosages

after a few years because their bodies need more of the drug to get

the same effect, according to health experts.

Medical guidebooks say the drugs bind to receptors in the brain and

spinal cord, intensifying the effects of the neurotransmitter

gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. " So pretty much it kind of tells

your brain to slow down, " creating a calming effect, said

Licata, a Harvard Medical School behavioral pharmacologist who studies

the medications. In some people, that can lead to memory loss and

impaired motor skills.

Steinberg, a physician and former medical director of the

chemical dependency program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center,

estimates that 10 to 20 percent of those taking the drugs for extended

periods will have problems with dose escalation and physical

dependence. " For a serious side effect, that's a fairly large,

significant number, " he said. " It is, after all, a devastating and

debilitating adverse effect for those who experience it. "

Benzodiazepine dependence has received greater attention in Great

Britain than in the United States. In 2004, the British government

took a stand in limiting prolonged use, issuing advice to all doctors

that the drugs should be prescribed only for short periods.

Ashton, a professor of clinical psychopharmacology at

Newcastle University in England, who has studied the drugs since the

early 1980s, said long-term use also affects one's mental state. " For

one thing, which is what people regret most, there is a breakup of

family life, because you're in a sort of daze; you don't realize that

you're neglecting your children, or not listening to them or forget

what they're saying, " she said.

Some doctors have been turning to selective serotonin reuptake

inhibitors, such as Paxil, to replace benzodiazepines in the treatment

of anxiety, although those antidepressants may also produce withdrawal

symptoms. s, chairman of psychiatry at the Baltimore

Washington Medical Center, said SSRIs are a safer alternative for

panic and anxiety disorders, with less risk for dependence and a less

dangerous withdrawal.

The ordeal of withdrawing from benzodiazepines can rival that of

kicking a heroin habit, according to some who have had success. Abrupt

withdrawal can result in hallucinations, seizures and even death,

experts say.

Last year, after jail officials in Cleveland denied R & B singer

Levert's repeated requests for his Xanax, he hallucinated for hours

and ultimately died from the effects of withdrawal, according to the

coroner's report cited in court records. His widow sued the

corrections center and medical staff. The suit is pending.

Some seeking to withdraw from the drugs have turned to online support

groups. Debra Standiford, a nurse who leads a benzodiazepine support

site on the Yahoo Web site, said membership has grown to 3,800 people

from 200 in 2000, gaining two to three members each day.

For Starr, the financial consultant who attends addiction meetings,

his withdrawal from Klonopin was life-altering. He said he started

taking the drug in 1996, after experiencing anxiety about a pending

divorce. A psychiatrist he saw had recommended the medication. " I was

overwhelmed by life at the time, " Starr said. " I didn't really feel

that mood-altering substances were necessarily the answer to life, but

at the time that was my alternative. "

Soon after starting to take the drug, Starr's anxiety began to

disappear. But over time, it came back, and the medication was not as

effective. Six years later, he said, he went to see a new

psychiatrist, and she told him he needed to get off Klonopin, that he

had become addicted. " It was like a shock to me, " he said. Shortly

after, Starr made the decision to withdraw and began to taper off the

drug. He felt withdrawal symptoms immediately and took an extended

leave from work. " It was ripping me apart inside, " he said.

After taking his last pill in February 2002, Starr said, " the

fireworks started. " Over a year and a half, he could sleep for no more

than a few hours at a time, his heart raced and he had night sweats.

Sometimes he couldn't tell if he was speaking clearly, and he

completely withdrew from family and friends.

No one could tell him how long the symptoms would last. " All I saw was

horror, and I didn't see any way out, " he said. After 2 1/2 years, he

started to return to eight hours of sleep.

As benzodiazepines grew in popularity, studies began to document their

abuse potential. In 1979, the Senate Subcommittee on Health and

Scientific Research held a hearing on the drugs, where Sen.

Kennedy (D-Mass.) said, " If you require a daily dose of Valium to get

through each day, you are hooked and you should seek help. "

The next year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse declared that

withdrawal from the drugs was in fact mild, " seldom leading to any

serious consequences, " and physical dependence was mostly avoidable.

Pharmaceutical companies began releasing new types of benzodiazepines,

marketing some for panic attacks and sleep problems.

DuPont, former director of the National Institute on Drug

Abuse, who has written several books on addiction and anxiety and

maintains a psychiatric practice in Rockville, said the drugs are

widely successful in treating panic and anxiety. He said that 90

percent of his patients have no difficulty taking the medicine, and

those with problems are most likely to be people who've had issues

with addiction in the past.

" The typical patient that I see with anxiety is taking

[benzodiazepines] well within the green-light zone, " he said.

Addiction is an entirely different issue, having to do with a person

" essentially falling in love with a chemical high, " he said. " For

those people, they're booze in the form of a pill. "

Some physicians recommend that people experiencing anxiety and panic

attacks exhaust other options before turning to the drugs. According

to Jerilyn Ross, the director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and

Related Disorders in Washington, cognitive behavioral therapy is one

of the most effective ways to treat anxiety and panic disorders; she

said it is effective on its own 90 percent of the time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062903105_\

pf.html

Balestra is a freelance writer based in Washington. Comments:

health@....

[Guest guest]

Thanks . It was my purpose to share this article with the group so others can comment about it. I totally agree with you, and hope others comments can be posted too.

I am a psych drug user for 5 years,  it is interesting to read comments from non users like this journalist.

Fortunately I never let Doctors put me on high doses, so now I am totally free and just trying to recover from all the physical and psychological damage done by drugs.

It is a very hard journey, but it is worth.

 

 

2009/7/6 Creel

[ sent this.  It could not be posted in the form it was sent.  Ireformatted it and posted the entire article.  I want to comment onthe article.  The information given in this article clearly indicatesthe hand of the drug industry was the driving force of the info given

in this article.The notion that problems with addiction and benzodiazepines is aproblem just being recognized is false.  It's been acknowledged for atleast 25 - 30 years now.  There ARE some who don't recognize it --

younger docs who are totally enamored with and impressed by theircareers become sitting ducks for Big Pharma's misinformation andbrainwashing.  Most docs over the age of 55 do not hand out thesedrugs with the frequency of younger docs.  They also tend to give

lower doses which minimizes the possibility of needing a higher doselater on.  In my experience, those who stay on the lower doses(example: 0.25 mg of xanax 2-3x a day instead of 0.5 or more 3x aday).There is a statement about antidepressants being a better choice.

This is a drug-industry driven lie.  It is very important to counterthese lies by commenting on the lies in this article.  The URL tocomment is at the end of the article.  I think you'll have to sign in. Please take the time to do this.  Remember, if others had all done

this when they knew of the problems, you may have never ended up onthese drugs having the problems you're having. By commenting you'renot letting Big Pharma have the entire playground.  The person helped

by you standing up for the truth may be someone you care about.Here's another outrageous lie that is insulting -- " ...those withproblems are most likely to be people who've had issues with addiction

in the past. " I looked up the author to see why she sought input from people whowere bound to put a spin on things.  It turns out she is a youngjournalism student.  Sher's not experienced enough to have the

discernment necessary to write an article like this,  There are someNT Times writers that would have been able to do a much better jobwith this.Please read and comment to the Post.  Thanks.--]

Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New FearsBy Balestra Special to The Washington PostTuesday, June 30, 2009Stan Starr, a 54-year-old financial consultant, sat in the back of theroom filled with blue chairs, quietly tapping his Converse sneakers on

the carpet. The 12 steps to recovery, enshrined by AlcoholicsAnonymous, were printed in large black letters on a wall. But Starrwas there because of a different drug -- a class of prescriptionmedication called benzodiazepines.

Five years ago, he couldn't sleep at night, his heart raced, he hadwrenching stomach pains and felt as if his skin were crawling off hisbones. He was in the midst of a 2 1/2 -year battle to withdraw from

the drug Klonopin, which his psychiatrist had prescribed to him foranxiety. " I went through sheer living hell, " he said. " I didn't knowif I was going to make it. " Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep

disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originallypushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidlyin the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects havegone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are

increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a fewweeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a gruelingwithdrawal.The benefits of the drugs have been heralded by both physicians and

patients. On Askapatient.com, a Web site where consumers can ratemedicines, one person wrote in April that Xanax was the " best thingthat ever happened to me. " Another wrote in March, " This drug saved my

life. " In 2008, 85 million prescriptions were filled for the top 20benzodiazepines, an increase of 10 million over 2004, according to IMSHealth, a health-care information company based in Norwalk, Conn.

Those getting prescriptions in 2004 included 66,000 veterans sufferingfrom post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study released byDepartment of Veterans Affairs physicians last summer.Worldwide revenue for Xanax rose to $350 million last year, up nearly

50 percent from 2003, according to pharmaceutical company Pfizer'sfinancial reports.Critics say benzodiazepines are broadly over-prescribed and can haveserious side effects. Some patients find themselves on high dosages

after a few years because their bodies need more of the drug to getthe same effect, according to health experts.Medical guidebooks say the drugs bind to receptors in the brain andspinal cord, intensifying the effects of the neurotransmitter

gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. " So pretty much it kind of tellsyour brain to slow down, " creating a calming effect, said Licata, a Harvard Medical School behavioral pharmacologist who studies

the medications. In some people, that can lead to memory loss andimpaired motor skills. Steinberg, a physician and former medical director of thechemical dependency program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center,

estimates that 10 to 20 percent of those taking the drugs for extendedperiods will have problems with dose escalation and physicaldependence. " For a serious side effect, that's a fairly large,significant number, " he said. " It is, after all, a devastating and

debilitating adverse effect for those who experience it. " Benzodiazepine dependence has received greater attention in GreatBritain than in the United States. In 2004, the British governmenttook a stand in limiting prolonged use, issuing advice to all doctors

that the drugs should be prescribed only for short periods. Ashton, a professor of clinical psychopharmacology atNewcastle University in England, who has studied the drugs since theearly 1980s, said long-term use also affects one's mental state. " For

one thing, which is what people regret most, there is a breakup offamily life, because you're in a sort of daze; you don't realize thatyou're neglecting your children, or not listening to them or forget

what they're saying, " she said.Some doctors have been turning to selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitors, such as Paxil, to replace benzodiazepines in the treatmentof anxiety, although those antidepressants may also produce withdrawal

symptoms. s, chairman of psychiatry at the BaltimoreWashington Medical Center, said SSRIs are a safer alternative forpanic and anxiety disorders, with less risk for dependence and a lessdangerous withdrawal.

The ordeal of withdrawing from benzodiazepines can rival that ofkicking a heroin habit, according to some who have had success. Abruptwithdrawal can result in hallucinations, seizures and even death,experts say.

Last year, after jail officials in Cleveland denied R & B singer Levert's repeated requests for his Xanax, he hallucinated for hoursand ultimately died from the effects of withdrawal, according to the

coroner's report cited in court records. His widow sued thecorrections center and medical staff. The suit is pending.Some seeking to withdraw from the drugs have turned to online supportgroups. Debra Standiford, a nurse who leads a benzodiazepine support

site on the Yahoo Web site, said membership has grown to 3,800 peoplefrom 200 in 2000, gaining two to three members each day.For Starr, the financial consultant who attends addiction meetings,his withdrawal from Klonopin was life-altering. He said he started

taking the drug in 1996, after experiencing anxiety about a pendingdivorce. A psychiatrist he saw had recommended the medication. " I wasoverwhelmed by life at the time, " Starr said. " I didn't really feel

that mood-altering substances were necessarily the answer to life, butat the time that was my alternative. " Soon after starting to take the drug, Starr's anxiety began todisappear. But over time, it came back, and the medication was not as

effective. Six years later, he said, he went to see a newpsychiatrist, and she told him he needed to get off Klonopin, that hehad become addicted. " It was like a shock to me, " he said. Shortlyafter, Starr made the decision to withdraw and began to taper off the

drug. He felt withdrawal symptoms immediately and took an extendedleave from work. " It was ripping me apart inside, " he said.After taking his last pill in February 2002, Starr said, " thefireworks started. " Over a year and a half, he could sleep for no more

than a few hours at a time, his heart raced and he had night sweats.Sometimes he couldn't tell if he was speaking clearly, and hecompletely withdrew from family and friends.No one could tell him how long the symptoms would last. " All I saw was

horror, and I didn't see any way out, " he said. After 2 1/2 years, hestarted to return to eight hours of sleep.As benzodiazepines grew in popularity, studies began to document theirabuse potential. In 1979, the Senate Subcommittee on Health and

Scientific Research held a hearing on the drugs, where Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said, " If you require a daily dose of Valium to getthrough each day, you are hooked and you should seek help. " The next year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse declared that

withdrawal from the drugs was in fact mild, " seldom leading to anyserious consequences, " and physical dependence was mostly avoidable.Pharmaceutical companies began releasing new types of benzodiazepines,

marketing some for panic attacks and sleep problems. DuPont, former director of the National Institute on DrugAbuse, who has written several books on addiction and anxiety andmaintains a psychiatric practice in Rockville, said the drugs are

widely successful in treating panic and anxiety. He said that 90percent of his patients have no difficulty taking the medicine, andthose with problems are most likely to be people who've had issueswith addiction in the past.

" The typical patient that I see with anxiety is taking[benzodiazepines] well within the green-light zone, " he said.Addiction is an entirely different issue, having to do with a person " essentially falling in love with a chemical high, " he said. " For

those people, they're booze in the form of a pill. " Some physicians recommend that people experiencing anxiety and panicattacks exhaust other options before turning to the drugs. Accordingto Jerilyn Ross, the director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and

Related Disorders in Washington, cognitive behavioral therapy is oneof the most effective ways to treat anxiety and panic disorders; shesaid it is effective on its own 90 percent of the time.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062903105_pf.html

Balestra is a freelance writer based in Washington. Comments:health@....

[Guest guest]

>

> Thanks . It was my purpose to share this article with the group so

> others can comment about it. I totally agree with you, and hope others

> comments can be posted too.

I am a psych drug user for 5 years, it is interesting to read comments from

non users like this journalist.

Fortunately I never let Doctors put me on high doses, so now I am totally

free and just trying to recover from all the physical and psychological

damage done by drugs.

It is a very hard journey, but it is worth.

> 2009/7/6 Creel

>

> >

> >

> > [ sent this. It could not be posted in the form it was sent. I

> > reformatted it and posted the entire article. I want to comment on

> > the article. The information given in this article clearly indicates

> > the hand of the drug industry was the driving force of the info given

> > in this article.

> >

> > The notion that problems with addiction and benzodiazepines is a

> > problem just being recognized is false. It's been acknowledged for at

> > least 25 - 30 years now. There ARE some who don't recognize it --

> > younger docs who are totally enamored with and impressed by their

> > careers become sitting ducks for Big Pharma's misinformation and

> > brainwashing. Most docs over the age of 55 do not hand out these

> > drugs with the frequency of younger docs. They also tend to give

> > lower doses which minimizes the possibility of needing a higher dose

> > later on. In my experience, those who stay on the lower doses

> > (example: 0.25 mg of xanax 2-3x a day instead of 0.5 or more 3x a

> > day).

> >

> > There is a statement about antidepressants being a better choice.

> > This is a drug-industry driven lie. It is very important to counter

> > these lies by commenting on the lies in this article. The URL to

> > comment is at the end of the article. I think you'll have to sign in.

> > Please take the time to do this. Remember, if others had all done

> > this when they knew of the problems, you may have never ended up on

> > these drugs having the problems you're having. By commenting you're

> > not letting Big Pharma have the entire playground. The person helped

> > by you standing up for the truth may be someone you care about.

> > Here's another outrageous lie that is insulting -- " ...those with

> > problems are most likely to be people who've had issues with addiction

> > in the past. "

> >

> > I looked up the author to see why she sought input from people who

> > were bound to put a spin on things. It turns out she is a young

> > journalism student. Sher's not experienced enough to have the

> > discernment necessary to write an article like this, There are some

> > NT Times writers that would have been able to do a much better job

> > with this.

> > Please read and comment to the Post. Thanks.

> >

> > --]

> >

> > Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears

> > By Balestra Special to The Washington Post

> > Tuesday, June 30, 2009

> >

> > Stan Starr, a 54-year-old financial consultant, sat in the back of the

> > room filled with blue chairs, quietly tapping his Converse sneakers on

> > the carpet. The 12 steps to recovery, enshrined by Alcoholics

> > Anonymous, were printed in large black letters on a wall. But Starr

> > was there because of a different drug -- a class of prescription

> > medication called benzodiazepines.

> >

> > Five years ago, he couldn't sleep at night, his heart raced, he had

> > wrenching stomach pains and felt as if his skin were crawling off his

> > bones. He was in the midst of a 2 1/2 -year battle to withdraw from

> > the drug Klonopin, which his psychiatrist had prescribed to him for

> > anxiety. " I went through sheer living hell, " he said. " I didn't know

> > if I was going to make it. "

> >

> > Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep

> > disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally

> > pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly

> > in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have

> > gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are

> > increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few

> > weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling

> > withdrawal.

> >

> > The benefits of the drugs have been heralded by both physicians and

> > patients. On Askapatient.com, a Web site where consumers can rate

> > medicines, one person wrote in April that Xanax was the " best thing

> > that ever happened to me. " Another wrote in March, " This drug saved my

> > life. "

> >

> > In 2008, 85 million prescriptions were filled for the top 20

> > benzodiazepines, an increase of 10 million over 2004, according to IMS

> > Health, a health-care information company based in Norwalk, Conn.

> > Those getting prescriptions in 2004 included 66,000 veterans suffering

> > from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study released by

> > Department of Veterans Affairs physicians last summer.

> >

> > Worldwide revenue for Xanax rose to $350 million last year, up nearly

> > 50 percent from 2003, according to pharmaceutical company Pfizer's

> > financial reports.

> >

> > Critics say benzodiazepines are broadly over-prescribed and can have

> > serious side effects. Some patients find themselves on high dosages

> > after a few years because their bodies need more of the drug to get

> > the same effect, according to health experts.

> > Medical guidebooks say the drugs bind to receptors in the brain and

> > spinal cord, intensifying the effects of the neurotransmitter

> > gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. " So pretty much it kind of tells

> > your brain to slow down, " creating a calming effect, said

> > Licata, a Harvard Medical School behavioral pharmacologist who studies

> > the medications. In some people, that can lead to memory loss and

> > impaired motor skills.

> >

> > Steinberg, a physician and former medical director of the

> > chemical dependency program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center,

> > estimates that 10 to 20 percent of those taking the drugs for extended

> > periods will have problems with dose escalation and physical

> > dependence. " For a serious side effect, that's a fairly large,

> > significant number, " he said. " It is, after all, a devastating and

> > debilitating adverse effect for those who experience it. "

> >

> > Benzodiazepine dependence has received greater attention in Great

> > Britain than in the United States. In 2004, the British government

> > took a stand in limiting prolonged use, issuing advice to all doctors

> > that the drugs should be prescribed only for short periods.

> >

> > Ashton, a professor of clinical psychopharmacology at

> > Newcastle University in England, who has studied the drugs since the

> > early 1980s, said long-term use also affects one's mental state. " For

> > one thing, which is what people regret most, there is a breakup of

> > family life, because you're in a sort of daze; you don't realize that

> > you're neglecting your children, or not listening to them or forget

> > what they're saying, " she said.

> >

> > Some doctors have been turning to selective serotonin reuptake

> > inhibitors, such as Paxil, to replace benzodiazepines in the treatment

> > of anxiety, although those antidepressants may also produce withdrawal

> > symptoms. s, chairman of psychiatry at the Baltimore

> > Washington Medical Center, said SSRIs are a safer alternative for

> > panic and anxiety disorders, with less risk for dependence and a less

> > dangerous withdrawal.

> >

> > The ordeal of withdrawing from benzodiazepines can rival that of

> > kicking a heroin habit, according to some who have had success. Abrupt

> > withdrawal can result in hallucinations, seizures and even death,

> > experts say.

> >

> > Last year, after jail officials in Cleveland denied R & B singer

> > Levert's repeated requests for his Xanax, he hallucinated for hours

> > and ultimately died from the effects of withdrawal, according to the

> > coroner's report cited in court records. His widow sued the

> > corrections center and medical staff. The suit is pending.

> >

> > Some seeking to withdraw from the drugs have turned to online support

> > groups. Debra Standiford, a nurse who leads a benzodiazepine support

> > site on the Yahoo Web site, said membership has grown to 3,800 people

> > from 200 in 2000, gaining two to three members each day.

> >

> > For Starr, the financial consultant who attends addiction meetings,

> > his withdrawal from Klonopin was life-altering. He said he started

> > taking the drug in 1996, after experiencing anxiety about a pending

> > divorce. A psychiatrist he saw had recommended the medication. " I was

> > overwhelmed by life at the time, " Starr said. " I didn't really feel

> > that mood-altering substances were necessarily the answer to life, but

> > at the time that was my alternative. "

> >

> > Soon after starting to take the drug, Starr's anxiety began to

> > disappear. But over time, it came back, and the medication was not as

> > effective. Six years later, he said, he went to see a new

> > psychiatrist, and she told him he needed to get off Klonopin, that he

> > had become addicted. " It was like a shock to me, " he said. Shortly

> > after, Starr made the decision to withdraw and began to taper off the

> > drug. He felt withdrawal symptoms immediately and took an extended

> > leave from work. " It was ripping me apart inside, " he said.

> >

> > After taking his last pill in February 2002, Starr said, " the

> > fireworks started. " Over a year and a half, he could sleep for no more

> > than a few hours at a time, his heart raced and he had night sweats.

> > Sometimes he couldn't tell if he was speaking clearly, and he

> > completely withdrew from family and friends.

> >

> > No one could tell him how long the symptoms would last. " All I saw was

> > horror, and I didn't see any way out, " he said. After 2 1/2 years, he

> > started to return to eight hours of sleep.

> >

> > As benzodiazepines grew in popularity, studies began to document their

> > abuse potential. In 1979, the Senate Subcommittee on Health and

> > Scientific Research held a hearing on the drugs, where Sen.

> > Kennedy (D-Mass.) said, " If you require a daily dose of Valium to get

> > through each day, you are hooked and you should seek help. "

> >

> > The next year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse declared that

> > withdrawal from the drugs was in fact mild, " seldom leading to any

> > serious consequences, " and physical dependence was mostly avoidable.

> > Pharmaceutical companies began releasing new types of benzodiazepines,

> > marketing some for panic attacks and sleep problems.

> >

> > DuPont, former director of the National Institute on Drug

> > Abuse, who has written several books on addiction and anxiety and

> > maintains a psychiatric practice in Rockville, said the drugs are

> > widely successful in treating panic and anxiety. He said that 90

> > percent of his patients have no difficulty taking the medicine, and

> > those with problems are most likely to be people who've had issues

> > with addiction in the past.

> >

> > " The typical patient that I see with anxiety is taking

> > [benzodiazepines] well within the green-light zone, " he said.

> > Addiction is an entirely different issue, having to do with a person

> > " essentially falling in love with a chemical high, " he said. " For

> > those people, they're booze in the form of a pill. "

> >

> > Some physicians recommend that people experiencing anxiety and panic

> > attacks exhaust other options before turning to the drugs. According

> > to Jerilyn Ross, the director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and

> > Related Disorders in Washington, cognitive behavioral therapy is one

> > of the most effective ways to treat anxiety and panic disorders; she

> > said it is effective on its own 90 percent of the time.

> >

> >Benzodiazepines are one of the leading causes of Alzheimer's disease which

indicates that they kill brain cells.

Studies have shown that they increase hostility and agitation , things they are

supposed to remedy.

> >

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062903105_\

pf.html

> >

> > Balestra is a freelance writer based in Washington. Comments:

> > health@... <health%40washpost.com>.

> >

> >Benzodiaz

>