Posted by Alan on November 18, 2002, at 20:06:17
In reply to Re: What do Benzo's do exactly? » catmint, posted by Mr.Scott on November 18, 2002, at 16:14:53
I would definately think of benzos as a third line med. I would try antidepressants, anticonvulsants first such as Neurontin, and therapy first. In the end however doctors who believe science has advanced so far as to never prescribe benzodiazepines for people who suffer are foolish and unwise. Not wanting to create a second problem is understandable, however unwillingness to treat the initial problem effectively is not.
=============================================
Dear Mr. Scott,In light of the recent report by the World Health Organisation regarding the frequency of complaints surrounding AD's (especially in relation to the bzds), in the case of anxiety disorders, why would you not think that bzds shouldn't be offered by the physician on an equal footing with the aforementioned AD's and AC's?
The efficacy rates comparatively speaking are not close to those of the anxiolytics - the bzds far ahead by every credible published report I and my pdoc have seen, even comparing the AD manufacturer's own published reports (30 - 50% - barely above placebo*)?
With discontinuation syndrome/poop out euphemistically used interchangeably with the tolerance/withdrawl effect of bzds, isn't the issue about the superiority of AD's in this regard at the very best a comparative wash?
Best,
Alan
*"Significantly better" than placebo refers only to statistical significance, i.e. validity of the conclusion. The difference between 10% success on placebo and 11% success on Lexapro for instance could make Lexapro "significantly better" than Celexa in statistical terms if the sample were large enough.
This glossing over of success rates that often are in fact less than 50% is all too common. For several SSRIs, an ordinary doc with poor info-search skills may be unable to find actual success rates. And IMO that's no accident.
poster:Alan
thread:128143
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021116/msgs/128191.html