re: Has anyone in here successfully weened off benzodiazepines?

I’m going to reply in strictly medical facts and will not opine. His Zoloft is placebo. I am 100% positive, almost certainly created by knowing the false sense of security is forever just a Xanax away. So why not let his brain tell him this random very hit or miss medication is doing it’s job. I know that because people have the kind of anxiety and panic problems that absolutely require benzodiazepines would see no benefit from Zoloft before 200mg a day minimum and those symptoms would be very hard for him until his body adjusted.

I don’t think SSRIs have much place in medicine. They go against human nature just by their very mechanism of action. They often create more problems like a benzo being added (remember taking something once given is never gong be near as easy as saying no).

Man I appreciate your help but what you’re saying goes against what the vast majority of the medical community says. SSRI’s for anxiety management are THE front line medication, along with cognitive behavioral therapy. Calling it a placebo is pretty ignorant. They’ve helped millions of depressed, anxiety ridden people live normal lives.

Cousin is fine. His panic disorder ceased and he decided to stay on the Zoloft for his general anxiety. Was with him the whole way through. He only used the Xanax for the first few weeks as needed. Again, to say the Zoloft is a placebo is almost crazy to hear from a doctor such as yourself.

I know it’s 1st line. The DSM requires using 2 before moving to anything else. And CBT and SSRIs aren’t the same so I’m not sure what you’re saying. I put every person I can in CBT. It’s not a placebo by its existence. It is because it almost never brought to a dose high enough to deal with their needs. It requires patience, tolerance for terrible symptoms, anger about why can’t they just immediate relief from benzos. It’s not how humans work. Also, you are referencing old data man. I am a fairly young professional stimulants for depression will be 1st line over SSRIs within 10 years and it can’t come soon enough. Their mechanics and goal are largely the same, one just works and the other could maybe in 6-8 weeks after we make you feel like dying but hey we always 15 more we can try

Now Remeron an SNRI I like and will use as often as possible

I think you’re taking My view they’re placebos too literally. Some work for some people. It’s more likely to work the less severe symptoms are because obviously you will not have o tolerate escalation as much. The problem is there is absolutely no discernible way to choose one other than throw a dart at a board and try. Remeron like I said is the one I use true most because it is a sedative taken at night and that leads to less problems with escalation. They work sometimes. But trust me man I work with this and these people every day often in really bad shape who choose to quit the symptoms are so bad. It way it blocks reuptake of serotonin and various other sub receptors has been confirmed recently to have a lot to do with genetics, specifically how long it will be able to do its job which is one thing to block serotonin being removed from the brain. I understand you trust them and they are popular but because the initial research and first rush to market was super successful. The way pharmacology works is we learn but it takes a long time and we have learned. They’re not that good. They a ton of flaws with only slight possible benefit. There’s a bunch of other medication classes I would choose and see much better quality of life improvement with than those.

Thanks for explaining, definitely makes more sense now. Very interesting field to be in. From an outsiders perspective, really really fascinating.

Right, but if an SSRI works for a person, with very minimal side effects, then why stop taking them?

They wouldn’t. However they’re the exception most likely and not a rule. Someone might try Celexa and it works perfect life is peaches and cream immediately. That’s awesome. The a guy may spend a year trying a new one every 6 weeks.

Which is why we have the DSM and 1st line, 2nd line, etc

No problem. Always try to refeain from identifiable info as much as any doctor knows; but I love answering questions about my field. Especially because of how misunderstood psychiatry still is