Benzodiazepines have been used for decades, and are considered a relatively safe replacement for barbiturates. But it’s well-known that they’re prone to abuse
This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.News that controversial Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson has been struggling with the negative effects of a common anti-anxiety medication came as no surprise to Dennis Amott. The Vancouver resident has dealt with the same thing.
His is the latest high-profile case to raise questions about the risks involved in taking benzodiazepines, a class of depressant drugs that includes Valium, Ativan, Klonopin and Xanax. In recent years, actress Lena Dunham has publicly discussed recovering from a dependency to Klonopin, which she took for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, while singer Justin Bieber has opened up about his past misuse of Xanax.
According to Health Canada, short-term effects can include memory loss, drowsiness and loss of coordination, while long-term effects can also include physical dependence, problems learning or concentrating, and substance use disorder. Despite slowly and successfully tapering off the drug five years ago, under professional guidance of another doctor, Mr. Amott said his health problems are worse than ever. These issues, he said, include a constant headache, memory loss, and sensory and motor symptoms, such as muscle aches, tingling throughout his body, heart palpitations, leg cramps and tinnitus.
It can be difficult to tease apart whether an individual’s symptoms arise from their withdrawal of the medication, from the condition it was intended to treat, or from another underlying or co-morbid disorder, she said. Moreover, individuals can react differently.
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