Posted by Crazy_Charlie on November 3, 2004, at 3:28:33
In reply to I need a new pdoc and I need some SLEEP!, posted by erik98225 on November 2, 2004, at 15:32:50
Hi Erik
I can't answer for your doctor, but what I can do is explain how the doctors at my work place were thinking about sleep and benzos. Now, that doesn't mean that I think you should NOT have them, I don't really have an opinion of that.The docs at my (former) place rarely prescribed benzo for sleep problems, and they had several reasons for that. You are mentioning addiction vs dependence, which I find interesting since we don't really have two different words for what you describe in my country. But here is the explanation of why our docs are very careful with prescribing benzos for sleep problems:
If you take benzo to sleep, you will most likely sleep very good. So good that you drop out of most dreamsleep (REM). This is usually not a problem, but in the long run it is. Dream sleep is just as important for you as deep sleep is, and lack of it will make you feel tired, have a hangover effect etcetc. If you stop using the benzos for sleep, you will find it more difficult than ever to sleep, and the only solution would be to go back on benzos. In addition, you have the problem with addiction/dependence in terms of needing more and similar. Continuous use of benzos to make you sleep, would actually make it so that you will need the benzos to sleep at some point, at least it works like that for most people after long time use. Whatever is keeping you from falling asleep wont be cured from using benzo, but if you use benzo anyway to sleep, you will still have the origin of your sleep problems, and thereby you will always need benzos to sleep. This means that you at some point also will need a bigger dose, because the dose that used to be effective is not effective anymore. This will very fast go into a downward spiral.
Maybe your doc means that benzos ar eno good for you because of this?This is a general problem with using sleeping medications, it simply ruins your ability to sleep without them. Now I see that you have had a sleeping problem all your life (and so have I, I know how it's tearing you apart), I really understand that you want benzo. You can also say that since it has never been normal, what difference does it makes...
What I wonder of is... have your doctor given you a proper check up on your sleeping problems? Have you been at a sleeping laboratory where they can monitor your sleep for example? There they would be able to see your rythm, what problems you have and when you have problems. In addition you should get a proper physical and neurological test... everyone with ANY kind of mental/physical problem should automaticly go through a proper check up BEFORE drugs are prescribed. In that way the chance of getting the wrong drug is reduced.
I hope I didn't step on your toes here, I didn't want to defend your doctor, it's just that after working for years with both mental patients and drug addicts, you get a bit wary. I often met patients that could tell me a story about what their doctors had given them, that made it prickle up my back when I saw what they looked like then... not necessarily becaus eof the medication they got, but the complete lack of proper diagnosis, check ups and follow ups... which at some point made the weakest ones tople over.
Good luck with your sleeping problem, I hope you find a solution.
poster:Crazy_Charlie
thread:410701
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041029/msgs/410936.html