How To Get Xanax From Doctor
Equally an bookish psychiatrist who treats people with anxiety and trauma, I often hear questions most a specific class of medications called benzodiazepines. I also often receive referrals for patients who are on these medications and reluctant to discontinue them.
There has been increasing attention into long-term risks of benzodiazepines, including potential for addiction, overdose and cognitive impairment. The overdose death rate amid patients receiving both benzodiazepines and opioids is 10 times higher than those just receiving opioids, and benzo misuse is a serious concern.
What are benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines are a class of anti-anxiety medications, or anxiolytics, that increase the action of the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter, a molecule that helps brain cells, or neurons, communicate with each other. GABA receptors are widely bachelor across the encephalon, and benzodiazepines piece of work to reduce feet by enhancing GABA inhibitory function.
The benzo family unit includes diazepam, or Valium; clonazepam, or Klonopin; lorazepam, or Ativan; chlordiazepoxide, or Librium; and the i most commonly known to the pop culture, alprazolan, or Xanax, among others.
Dissimilar benzos have similar effects, but they differ in force, how long it takes for them to work and half-life, a measure of how long the drug stays in your system. For example, while diazepam has a half-life of up to 48 hours, the half-life of alprazolam tin be as curt as six hours. This is important, as a shorter one-half-life is linked with college potential for habit and dependence. That is i reason physicians typically are not excited well-nigh prescribing Xanax for long periods of time.
When are they used?
When benzos were introduced to the market place in the 1950s, there was excitement as they were considered safer compared to barbiturates, which had been used to care for feet. Past the 1970s, benzos fabricated it to the listing of the near highly prescribed medications.
Benzos are mainly used to treat anxiety disorders, such as phobias, panic disorder and generalized feet disorder. They are mostly used for a short period at the beginning of the handling. That is because information technology may take a few weeks for the primary pharmacological handling for anxiety, antidepressants, to kick in. During that time, if anxiety is severe and debilitating, benzodiazepines may be prescribed for temporary utilize.
Benzos are also prescribed for occasional situations of loftier anxiety, such every bit that acquired by phobias. The master treatment of phobias, such equally excessive fear of animals, places and social interactions, is psychotherapy. Sometimes, still, phobias can interfere with i's operation just sporadically, and the person may not exist interested in investing in therapy. For example, a person with fear of flying who may fly on a plane one time or twice a year may choose to take a benzo earlier flight. However, for a businessman or adult female who flies several times a months, psychotherapy is recommended.
Benzos may also exist used for situations of short-term stress, such equally a stressful job interview.
Benzos are too used for other medical atmospheric condition, such equally treatment of seizures or alcohol withdrawal in the hospital. In that location is no good evidence for use of benzos in mail service-traumatic stress disorder.
So why the worry?
Now nosotros get to the role nearly why I and other doctors are not eager to prescribe benzodiazepines for long-term use: Nosotros have a Hippocratic oath to "first do not harm." I sometimes tell patients who insist on getting benzos: "I am not paid differently based on the medication I prescribe, and my life would be much easier not arguing with you about this medication. I do this because I care near you."
A major take a chance of long-term use of benzos is addiction. That means you lot may get dependent on these meds and that you take to keep increasing the dose to become the same effect. Actually benzos, specially Xanax, have street value because of the pleasant feeling they induce. In 2017, in that location were more 11,000 deaths involving benzos alone or with other drugs, and in 2015, a fifth of those who died of opioid overdose too had benzos in their blood.
Benzos to anxiety can be seen like opioids to pain. They both are by and large for short utilize, have a potential for addiction and are not a cure. Benzo overdose, especially when mixed with booze or opioids, may lead to slowing of breathing, and potentially expiry. Benzo misuse can besides lead to lack of restraint of ambitious or impulsive behavior.
Every bit benzos are sedating medications, they also increase the take chances of accidents and falls, especially in the elderly. This is worse when they are mixed with other cardinal nervous organisation suppressants like alcohol or opioids.
Recently, we have been learning more about the potential cerebral, memory and psychomotor damage in long-term employ of benzodiazepines, especially in older adults. Cognitive functions impacted may include processing speed and learning among others. Such effects may persist fifty-fifty after discontinuation of long-term use of the benzos.
Stopping benzos abruptly, especially if high dose, can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as restlessness, irritability, indisposition, muscle tension, blurred vision and racing heart. Withdrawal from high doses of benzos, specially those that are shorter interim, may be dangerous, leading to seizure, and getting off of these medications should be done under supervision of a md.
Safer options abound
There are safer effective treatments for anxiety, but they require patience to work. A showtime line handling for feet disorders is psychotherapy, mainly cognitive behavioral therapy. During therapy, the person learns more adaptive coping skills, and corrects cerebral distortions to reduce stress.
Exposure therapy is an constructive treatment for phobias, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and PTSD. During exposure therapy, the person is gradually exposed to the feared situation under the guidance of the therapist, until the situation does not create anxiety anymore. Importantly, the skills earned during therapy tin always be used, allowing amend long-term result compared to medications.
Medications are too used for treatment of anxiety disorders. The master group of such medications is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, normally known as antidepressants. Examples of such medications are fluoxetine, sertraline and citalopram. Peculiarly when combined with psychotherapy, these medications are effective and are safer options than the benzos, and without a take a chance of addiction.
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Source: https://theconversation.com/where-is-my-xanax-rx-why-your-doctor-may-be-concerned-about-prescribing-benzodiazepines-125346
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