Posted by Caper on May 16, 2004, at 1:19:53
In reply to Why not benzos for sleep?, posted by Guy on May 15, 2004, at 14:37:45
Just wanted to say that I agree with you on the benzos for sleep issue, IF they are prescribed and taken responsibly. My mother has been taking a low dose of Klonopin every night for years now and has never had to increase the dosage. Without it, she simply cannot get a decent night's sleep but with it, she's just fine. And to answer your question: No, not everyone ends up needing something in addition to benzos. My Mom has never expressed the slightest interest in adding something else to the Klonopin. She's been fine with just a half milligram of it for years. She takes nothing else for sleep and never has.
I guess people's concern, which is valid I think, is that some people cannot control their usage and may wind up addicted, conning doctors out of more pills, seeing more than one doctor, using the meds in the daytime too...that sort of thing.
But in general I think the benzos have an unfairly bad reputation. They are very safe, very affordable, and very tolerable as far as side effects. I believe that if people get in trouble with benzos, the doctor is to blame, not the medication. As long as a person is not seeing multiple doctors or lying to the doctor who prescribes his benzos, he should not be able to obtain enough of the pills to get in trouble with them.
Best wishes.
Caper
> I don't understand why so many say benzos can't be used for sleep. What good are these meds if they don't let you sleep? Clonazepam reduces my anxiety and lets me sleep through the night. Without this med I have severe agitation and insomnia. Does everybody who takes clonazepam or valium end up taking something extra for sleep?
poster:Caper
thread:347048
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040515/msgs/347323.html