Anxiety-stop anti-anxiety drugs?-Help!!!!!

Hi everyone,
I was prescribed the anti-anxiety drug Oxazepam (similar to Diazepam) 30 years ago and take it to this day. Before my Hyst. a new Doc to the Practice decided in his infinate wisdom that he was determined to stop this medication, all be it slowly. He suspended this idea through my Hyst. but has now decided to carry on with the original plan. I tried to do this approx. 10 years ago when a Doc that has now left the Practice insisted I should. I reduced down to 1 tab. a day (from 4). I got to the stage where I would only leave the house to shop when I had taken that 1 tab. At all other times I couldn't face leaving the house, I felt that my life had ceased to exist. The only support I had came from talking to this Doc and the fact that I had almost become housebound didn't seem to bother him. Do they get some sort of amazing "bonus" for every patient they wean off these drugs?
I felt constant anxiety and panic and wasn't sleeping and in desperation approached another Practice Doc, who has also now left, and he immediately re prescribed my original dosage. He gave me my life back. I know we should be able to cope without these drugs, but I wasn't told 30 years ago that they are addictive and hell to come off. It now fills me with dread that I am going to have to go through this all over again, as well as coping with menopause and recovery. The only other Doc in the Practice is not very sympathetic and I would be wasting my time approaching him. Why after all these years can't they just leave me alone, if this medication helps me to function as a fairly "normal" human being? How is it there in the States, do your Docs happily prescribe these things if they help? I know if I couldn't do it 10 years ago I won't be able to now. I am toying with the idea of seeing a therapist, maybe he/she could override my GP? I am sorry for going on about this and I know it isn't totally Hyst. related but I thought maybe someone out there might be able to relate to the situation. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Well, here in the U.S. therapists can't prescribe, but they can recommend to your Family Doctor/GP/Primary Care Physician, who can prescribe, or refer you to a psychiatrist who can prescribe.

Insurance companies are reluctant to pay for anxiety meds, because they are addictive. It gets to the ridiculous point where they won't prescribe a sedative to a cancer patient, because using the med for more than a month may cause drug interaction, but the patient isn't expected to live more than a week. Duh.

The trick here (Kansas) is finding a prescribing doctor who is willing to advocate for good quality of life, even if it means high dosages of "addictive" meds. Never mind the fact that research shows that a person who suffers from true anxiety doesn't get addicted; their brains are chemically different from those who have normal brains. In fact, a person who medically needs the drug can't get the type of high off it that a normal person can, because their brain chemistry is completely different.

Problem here is that psychiatric prescribers are hard to come by, because they're overloaded with patients.

Things to look up on the web:

The work of Daniel Amen, to show the brain research, and for checklists of symptoms to take to Doc appointments for concrete proof of symptoms, and to prove you're a true medical case, not a drug seeker.

Also Thought Field Therapy, which is a non drug approach to lowering anxiety. It's like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but with a kick behind it. But therapists, not MD's, know about it.

I don't know how it works in the UK about switching doctors, but try to find one who specializes in your symptoms, and they may have an alternate drug or treatment to try, or may continue your current meds.

Here, to switch doctors and have insurance company pay, there's lots of paperwork. Ack.

Write back so we can see what happens. It took me a year and several different doctors, therapists and psych providers (if not for insurance, fewer providers would be involved) and lots of meds changes to find a combination that works for me.

Before, I couldn't go to the market, answer the phone, open mail, anything like that. Now it's much better. Of course, getting off the large amounts of pain relievers I was on pre-hysto helps a lot, because drug interactions are troublesome.

Good Luck!

The problem with coming off these meds, especially after such a long time, is that there is a rebound effect. The drug actually causes the symptoms that you are treating for. That is why it takes so much of the drug to get the effect you want. When you go through the withdrawals associated with weaning off the drug, you also get the bad anxiety that you are trying to avoid. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it can take months and even longer. A person has to be motivated to come off a drug like that because they have to be willing to accept at least some level of discomfort. It doesn't do any good to force someone off of these drugs without their cooperation because they are not going to be willing to accept the levels of discomfort necessary to get off the drug. I'm very sorry you are going through this. I am facing physical addiction to the narcotic oxycontin because of pain issues before my hysterectomy. So I do understand the hell that it takes to come off of these drugs. I would rather not go through it either, but the damage these drugs do to our bodies is not worth it. I think that you could possibly have a good quality of life without the drugs if you were willing to go for it. But that is each of our own decision. God bless you in your trials.


Take care,
Wendy

Butterfly,
Thank you so very much for your reply. I never realised about the difference in brain chemistry between certain individuals. I never get a high off these pills or even feel floaty and calm, I just feel as relaxed as I will ever feel when life throws its numerous "spanners in the works" :hair: I still panic and worry but thats the way I have always been. I keep telling myself "well we are all different" thats just the way it is. I have been told that they are a very mild anti-anxiety drug, and find it hard to see my Docs reasoning. But I will see what I can do to resolve things. Your reply gave me a wealth of new avenues to explore and I am so glad that I posted when I did. I so nearly didn't as it is hard to admit to any form of addiction. I can fully relate to your not going to the market, answering the 'phone etc. These meds do help but it is the thought of stopping them that fills me with fear. But thank you from the bottom of my heart for the information you have given, I now do not feel so alone in dealing with this.

Weewolf,
Thank you also for your very caring reply, I hadn't seen it when I replied to "Butterfly" as I believe I was typing at the time yours must have been posted, I am not the fastest of typers I will face the thought of having to come of these meds. but it is just the memory of my previous attempt that scares me mg: . Thank you for sharing the problem you are having with the drug you were prescribed for pain and I am sorry that you are having to go through this trial along with the recovery from your Hysterectomy. These drugs are so needed at the time of prescribing but I don't think we ever realise they will also bring addiction problems. I deeply wish you well in getting through all of this and thank you again for your kind words.

Love and hugs,