slightly strange discussion about prescription pill addiction

Benzo addiction is a huge problem in general practice. We have a list size of about 14000 and I would say we have at least a few hundred people, probably many more, on benzos long term who are addicted. Many of them have very inadequate personalities or mental health problems that are so entrenched that even the most intensive pyshcotherapy wouldn't cure them. We do the scripts because a) we don't have the time to detox them and there aren't the resources in the secondary sector to do so, b) they get them anyway from other sources, c) they don't believe they're addicted so don't want to address their other problems. I've come to accept that whilst I will always try to broach the subject of addiction with those addicts whom I do see, the best I can do is offer help to those who want it, and formulate a plan to reduce the dose for those people. The rest - I just have to wait unti they accept there's a problem or ask for help, or wait until they die. I very rarely initiate scripts for benzos for this reason - having seen the long term sequelae - they're a dangerous group of drugs.

On a slightly smaller scale but I'm addicted to Amitriptyline. It bothers me sometimes but most of the time I realise it actually helps and that's all that matters. I started on 10mg in 1997 for pain, now I'm on 150mg for depression. I was on a fairy static dose of 75mg for a couple of years until two months ago, when my psychiatrist doubled it to try me on a depression dose. Everyone seems fairly happy for me to be on it, I have less pain, I sleep and at the moment, I'm doing ok depression wise. I absolutely hate being dependant on it.

I cannot sleep without it, at all. On the few occasions I forgot to take it (I thought I had so no placebo), I was awake until 6am feeling dreadful. I dread to think how I will cope during a withdrawal, or even if I am moved back down to 75mg in the near future.

? Mrs Magic. I'm sure amitriptyline is addictive; I only ever had the 10mg dose for pain and the idea of stopping it did make me fretful and anxious. I did just go cold turkey off it and had a few nights of terrible sleep and nightmares -and that was only 10mg. I didn't think it was used as an antidepressant any more?

Amitriptiline is still a widely used and effective antidepressant, with useful pain killing and sleep-improving side effects. It's officially non-addictive, though its interesting to hear what you're saying here.

? right back atchya! MF has had the same withdrawal as you too, even just the thought of it scares me!

I questioned my psychiatrist on that as I thought that too but he said it's not used commonly any more but it's still used when other options don't work. Because I'm so used to it, it wasn't likely to cause me to be knocked out and he said it's still a very effective anti-depressant. I know it used to be a "sleep all day so forget you are depressed" drug ? but apart from being more dopey in the evening (much to MF and Mr MF's amusement ?), I'm not sleeping any more than I was on 75mg. So far it's working as an AD (I actually feel pretty good atm) but with my history, it's a case of take every day/week as it comes!

ETA, on 75mg, I had to take it at least 4 hours before I wanted to get to sleep, often more. Now it's more like 2-3 hours, with the last hour being dopey mcdopey.

Yes, I had to take it by 7pm if I was going to be able to function th

e next day at work ? I've remembered the reason I came off it was that it meant that I never saw Mr Layabout as I'd be incapable of saying anything beyond "burble" by 7.10pm, and comatose by 7.15

I wonder if it's more that it's psychologically addictive, Zoay? It definitely gets you to sleep and if one of the reasons you're not sleeping in the first place is anxiety, then it follows that the prospect of losing the little blue sleepy magic pill would keep you awake and jittery?

On 75mg, if I wanted to sleep at 11pm, I needed to take it at 7pm. Now I take it between 7pm and 8pm to ge to sleep between 9.30pm and 11pm. I used to be able to drive for up to a hour but now I don't think I could. I soooo wish I could be asleep within 15 minutes!

Sleep for me has always been a positive side effect of taking it, I love my sleep and need it to function properly (well as properly as I can! ?)

Zoay, it's interesting to read it's not offically addictive, especially with the grim withdrawal people seem to have with it.

How interesting. My hypodchondriac MIL has been on amitryptaline for years. Her life now basically comprises of getting up, sitting on the settee all day, grumbling, taking as many tablets as she can get prescribed (including multiple vitamin potions, plus Chinese herbal medicine) and going to bed. Did I mention grumbling? ?

On a related anti-depressant note, I am on Prozac and have horrible withdrawal symptoms (mainly horrible anxiety) if I forget to take tablets. Last weekend I had a tummy bug so effectively missed 3 days - and it's taken me until yesterday to feel back to normal. I don't think I am addicted to the Prozac, more that going cold turkey is physically and emotionally shocking. If I have perservered it would have been interesting to see if I felt back to normal by this stage anyway.

This is really fascinating. Mrs M I'm sorry to hear about your problems.

I have actually been prescribed valium, although My doctor refused to prescribe more than 7 days worth- It is terribly addictive, in fact I toyed with just buying it on the internet after he cut me off- in the end I think I realised I would become so addicted to the person I was on it it was pointless, and I was going to go down that road I may as well just go and score some coke.

at the end of the programme they did a one month later update- the benzo addict was down to 14mgs a day and aiming to be off it by March - the alcoholic and crack addict had both stayed clean.

Just to clarify- I didn't score the cok either ?

I could recommend some drug rehab centres for anyone that is struggling?