Jump to content
SurvivingAntidepressants.org is temporarily closed to new registrations until 1 April ×

Massachusetts Bill H4062 for informed benzo use


Wildflower0214

Recommended Posts

There is a bill that is being considered in Massachusetts that would mandate that all patients being prescribed benzos are given a full list of possible side effects involved with long-term use, that the prescription for benzos be written on very brightly colored paper, and that no patient be removed from these drugs without their full consent AND that a safe and slow taper schedule would be followed if patient decides to come off the drug. 

 

They are asking for emails of testimony about how benzo use has harmed people. You do not need to be a resident of MA, or even a US citizen to submit your story. 

 

Here is the link to the article. 

http://www.madinamerica.com/2016/03/call-to-action-massachusetts-bill-h4062-for-informed-benzodiazepine-use-is-official/

 

And, here is the email address to submit your story: Garrett.burns@mahouse.gov

 

Please feel free to move this post wherever would be most appropriate.

 

**and please excuse my extra e in Massachusetts in the title. 

2005-Zoloft bad reaction.....2006-Lexepro......2012-Upped Lexepro.......2013-Upped Lexepro......2/2014- Attempted Taper Lexepro...2/2014- Updosed Lexepro.......3/2014-Ativan.....5/2014- CT switch from Lexpro to Effexor.....

5/2014-7/2014-Tapered Ativan from 1mg to .25mg.....6/2014-Bad reaction to Effexor........7/2014- Rapid taper Effexor every other day......7/5/2014- Off Effexor.......7/2014-12/2014 - Ativan .25mg.......12/25/2014 -Taper Ativan by 4% due to paradoxical reaction .24mg...11/18/2015-Taper Ativan 1% CURRENTLY ON: .2376mg Ativan taken in 6 .0396mg doses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderator Emeritus

Thanks for posting.

I do not have a medical background, any opinions are my own.

 

I took zopiclone ( z-drug) for situational insomnia. Three weeks later I was having panic attacks. I was given Benzos, A/D, anti-psychotics, "mood stabilizers" and I kept getting worse and worse. I got very sick.

 

I have been off all drugs now for over 5 years and I'm healing nicely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Wow !

 

What about the ad bill ?? Is that in the pipeline too??

 

Later ....

Just sent an email congratulating them on such an excellent bill proposal and though didnt have a benzo story suggested that they consider doing an antidepressant bill too!

Hey ...silence is not acceptance! Lets speak up.

 

nz11

Go Masachusetts..! (Wherever that is!)

(Did i spell it right?)

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

" all patients being prescribed benzos are given a full list of full list of possible side effects involved "

"that the prescription for benzos be written on very brightly colored paper,"

 

Not sure why the script is on bright paper... the first bit would sure be an problem for people on antidepressants (sorry not up on my benzo side effects)  I do know that the side effects listed at the FDA for Effexor is 36? 37? pages long... should the drug store have to present each patient with this booklet of side effects... it would take a lot of trees to make the paper... 

 

I wonder if people would read it.. think twice before they took the drug... 

This is one of the only ways to truly give informed consent...but I would think a list of side effects serious adverse reactions and withdrawal complications would have to be added to make this a truly informed decision... 

 

All of that would take 1000 pages... I don't think anyone would read it all. 

So what else could be done to protect people from these meds maybe after they see the trouble they will make a new plan. 

peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy