We are pleased to introduce a collaborative Benzodiazepine Action Work Group.
Some members of Benzodiazepine Information Coalition have joined with members of the University of Colorado, Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse, Schreiber Research Group, Benzo Wise Colorado, Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices, The Benzo Free Podcast, and other knowledgeable individuals, to form Coloradoās Benzodiazepine Action Work Group.
Co-chaired by Dr. Alexis Ritvo and Dr. Stephen Wright, with a mission of increasing benzodiazepine safety through education, patient support, and informed prescribing and deprescribing practices, our group is diligently working to prevent further patient harm and create meaningful resources for both patients and prescribers in Colorado.
We at Benzodiazepine Information Coalition understand that harmed patients outside of Colorado are also urgently in need of prescriber awareness about prescribing risks, safe deprescribing and appropriate medical support. We hope that this work group can ultimately serve as a model for other future potential groups worldwide.
In the coming months, the work groupās website will include the most current information on benzodiazepines and the latest updates of our progress.
To clarify, please know that Benzodiazepine Information Coalition is still a nonprofit independent of this work group, and is operating as usual. This work group is one of our many projects. Donations may be made here to support BICās work.
I suffer from severe anxiety and depression, I can no longer find a doctor to prescribe this medication for me, even though my dosages have always been very small and occasional. Xanax has saved my life more than once during times of psychological distress. I am currently changing medications and am suffering under a severe bout of suicidal ideation, I am very afraid that in this transition, I might harm myself bc there is nothing to ease or soothe my painful thoughts. I feel that I am one of the people who legitimately need this medication and I feel angry at the people who have abused a drug to such a point that I canāt get it for what it was designed for.
I am three years and three months free of clonazepam and five years free of Ambien, after being prescribed both drugs for insomnia by a psychiatrist. I went for counseling and was sent on to the psychiatrist for sleep problems. My journey lasted close to 20 years during which time I tried twice to taper off of both drugs and immediately stopped sleeping, so gave up. After finding an online support site, I was able to slowly taper off of clonazepam after nine months. I did a CT off of Ambien approx two yeas before. I am at four years of averaging 3 hours of sleep each night. In so many ways I am better but with insomnia, night time anxiety, and tinnitus still with me.
I am on no other medications, nor do I smoke or drink alcohol.
It’s been 5 years now since I was cold turkey’d from Klonopin, for the first year I had no idea what was going on with me. My PCP did all kinds of tests trying to figure out what was going on
Just ended a two year detox from Valium.Ashton manual invaluable.Still feeling anxiety,to be expected.
I noticed that my name appeared a couple of times in the comments to this article. Thank you for mentioning me. Yes, I’ve been involved with this workgroup from the beginning and have hinted about it a few times on the podcast. We’ve even had several members of the workgroup on our show (Dr. Valuck, Dr. Wright, Dr. Huff). Until now, we kept it quiet since we were just ramping up.
Next month, The Benzo Free Podcast is launching our new round-table which will include members of this workgroup. Thanks to BIC and the Alliance for all of their amazing work in the benzo community. I’ll post more on our site soon.
Take care, D š
Easing Anxiety / Benzo Free
I am so glad to see the creation of an organization in the U.S.
Is there an easier way to get off a benzo without losing sleep and being so anxious and panic attacks? From what I am reading it is very hard and very long with a lot of suffering. Thanks for any help.
Super slowly (iāve been taking a dose every 12 hours for 10 years; December 9 I started skipping every other morning dose (25% reduction)
I am 5.5 years off a 25 year use of Valium. I am in protracted withdrawal and applaud your efforts to help educate people concerning benzodiazepines. I am hoping “some” medical personnel will glean some information from your site and be able to safely direct their patients who are on these drugs.
I am 2.5 years into tapering off 1.5mg Xanax prescribed for sleep x10yrs. Working with a knowledgeable and helpful Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. This is one of the hardest things Iāve ever done. So glad to see a local initiative that makes the risk of benzodiazepines and the challenges of deprescribing more available.
I am currently off 16 months after an 8 year off and on use of no more than .25 use of clonazepam. During my time of use,I had no idea of how dangerous this drug was and is, nor how to properly wean off of this.
I am still very sick with protracted withdrawal. I suffer from terrible insomnia, nausea, dizziness and many other symptoms. This has been a total. Ignition are for me and my family. By the way my husband is an internist and had no clue how dangerous this is and why I was suffering so until I happened upon benzo buddies.
I am sure you are all working diligently to improve things, however, I sure hope you aren’t going to lobby against Clonazepam by trying to get it taken off the market.
This Benzo prescribed medication has helped me cope and manage my anxiety every single day. I have tolerated the side effects and am on a low dose. Have been on this
for almost five years.
There are many other ways to deal with anxiety than taking an extremely addicting drug. Those of us forced to cold-turkey off our benzodiazepine by healthcare providers then left to die at home alone, is not what I consider ‘healthcare’. I too believe that until Doctors & psychiatrists can prescribe benzodiazepine’s responsibly & abide by the regulations, 2-4 weeks, instead of years & decades, they need to take it off the market. I’m guessing you’ve never experienced the absolute terror & horror & seizures of a c/t benzo withdrawal that’s extremely hard to survive from like we have, along with the permanent brain damage from it. Please realize, it’s people like you we’re trying to warn, if not protect, not to hurt you or anyone else.
Hi, Sandra, Abbie and Lori,
I absolutely agree with you! Benzos need to be entirely OFF THE
MARKET. I was never been notified by any of my psychiatrists or
psychologists about the meds they prescribed for my anxiety for 8
years were Benzos(Xanax and (Clonazepam) until 2 years ago.
Now I am stuck with them, still trying very very hard to taper off
with hundreds of withdrawal symptoms I can’t even describe.
I had to educate my psychiatrist and psychologist how to taper off
with ASHTON METHOD that I, myself found on line after digging
into hundreds of articles on Benzo’s. I feel that I need to get my
brain checked, because my memory loss is so terrible and
affecting my marriage. It really scares me when I find myself off
the memory of those important moments in my marriage. Benzo
manufacturing pharmaceutical companies are killing people who
are already killed in many ways. They are no different than drug
dealers. Psychiatrist/Psychologists are either ignorant or care
about money than patients who die or bodily or cognitive damage
from long term prescription. I believe they keep on prescribing
because of the latter. All of them know what Benzos are made of
and what kind of horrible impact they could have on their
patients.
Benzos are 16th most prescribed doctors in the U.S. There have
to be movements or acts carried out by those whose lives are
impaired because of this total recklessness business and medical
practices. Even if none of class action suits in the past years both
in Europe and US have never been successful, which is total
power of money trying to control innocent people, we truly have
to take action for the generations to come. It is a great news that
the state of Colorado is acting out on this issue. Hope people get
to know about Benzos better because of these brave people.
So encouraging.
Please include D. Foster.
This is just wonderful!!! Thanks for all your hard work!
I wish you guys much success. I hope that you include D. Foster in your work, he has some great insight to share