dentist disaster benzo overload - anyone else? advice? (w/response)

[Guest guest]

writes:

<<nearly three months ago, I had to have several teeth removed (they actually

wanted to remove them all - way too much for me to handle). The dentist didn't

tell me that the 'anaesthesia' he would be giving me was actually a benzo!! My

reaction to benzos is paradoxical - it causes horrible waves of terror and

anxiety attacks, rapid heart beat... They just kept pumping more and more into

me because I was not " calming down " He went ahead and ripped the teeth out with

great difficulty even tho I was not even totally frozen. I was trying to tell

them, paradoxical rx! anxiety attack! not frozen! He just kept going faster to

try to finish, stopping the benzo finally and giving me nitrous, which nearly

made me pass out. I really thought that I was dying!! They nearly called an

ambulance!>>

** Your reaction was to epinephrine, an ingredient in the anesthesia, not

the benzodiazepine.

Epinephrine is basically synthetic adrenaline. It causes a surge. This

can be left out of the anesthesia if you ask beforehand.

" milisabelle " writes:

<<So I have been trying to recover from the horribleness of that. I am still

cutting my doses of valium now every 2 weeks. I have been told I should do it

every month!! but This experience has made my 'opposite' reaction to the valium

worse, and I desperately need off this stuff as soon as I can manage!

Has anyone else had something like this happen? How did you manage? What did

you experience with your withdrawal? Please, I SO need advice! >>

** Every two weeks is too soon because the half-life of Valium is so long.

Did you read my explanation to you why you think you are reacting to the Valium

but probably are not and are instead, reacting to the cold turkey withdrawal of

Klonopin?

We don't recommend doing decreases by following the calendar. Instead, we

prefer people follow their body. The rule of thumb is that if you don't feel as

well or better than you felt prior to the last decrease, it is not time for the

next decrease.

I believe at this point you have reduced too often too quickly and are not in

a place where you will ever catch up with yourself unless you increase your

dose. You concern me because you are so desperate. Desperate people take the

advice they like best and end up making themselves worse. You have to get out

of crisis in order to proceed. If you're truly looking for help, let me know.

If you are just looking for answers you find emotionally pleasing, this is not

the place for that.

Regards,