Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice • Hacker News Board

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#81

Post by cameronh90 » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:47 PM UTC

Nextgrid wrote: post #61

blagie wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are sources of anxiety without clear solutions. I have a stalker. There's low-level harassment continuously, but every few months, she does something crazy, and my life is completely disrupted. I have no idea what to do about it. It's nearing a decade....

Can police help? Alternatively, (non-violent) retaliation? Seems like there's no downside for this person to be harassing you. Creating a downside might make her think twice next time.

Assuming GP is male, he probably doesn't want to do something that might be seen as being aggressive, harassing or upsetting to her, even if not violent.

Threatening to involve the police is a common way women abuse men. You can of course involve the police yourself but they often won't listen.

I had an ex try to create a situation where I would be framed for rape by creating fake social media accounts purporting to be me. Luckily she wasn't smart and the police saw that all the accounts were obviously created by her. Yet they still didn't help protect me from further harassment or do anything to her for trying to frame me and making false police reports.

Sad as it is, probably best to just try and ignore her and consider going by an alias online and moving house.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#82

Post by blantonl » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:47 PM UTC

SemanticStrengh wrote: post #45

The world of medecine is degenerate. Sustainable, non addictive and non neurotoxic anxiolytics exists: the #1 being opipramol the sigmaergic. emoxypine (which btw cure hangover) and guanfacine are worth mentioning. Maybe beta blockers to some extent. NMDA antagonists such as memantine have side effects but are not neurotoxic to my knowledge and there are milder ones such as mg-lthreonate. afobazole is interesting but…

also fun fact: the benzo cartel was so strong it was the most prescribed drug in the world, all classes, in the 70s

"Mother's little helper" was a term coined during the 60s and 70s (Diazepam - aka Valium)

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#83

Post by 77pt77 » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:48 PM UTC

Commodore63 wrote: post #40

Jordan Peterson had a horrible time with these drugs and resorted to extreme measures to get off them (eight days in an induced coma!) Even today he might still be on them - he is pretty cagey about his present pharma situation when asked about it on podcasts. https://nationalpost.com/health/jordan-peterson-benzodiazepi... Horrible drug.

He claimed he had no idea what they were.

Someone that identifies as a neuroscientist.

He knew very well but thought he was special.

The only thing special is that he went cold turkey (extremely dangerous) and had to be placed into an induced coma in Russia because no one else would do it.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#84

Post by rhexs » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:48 PM UTC

SemanticStrengh wrote: post #64

rhexs wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. What's the quality of Russian medical research versus western? What journals are considered prestigious? (Not trying to troll -- I honestly have no idea and can't judge it accurately).

I have much more respect for russian papers in pharmacology in general than for your average american study. There are many reasons to this: 1) a lot of their research is public. They don't have broken incentives, e.g. they can study the tech that the body use, such as peptides. Big pharma can't leverage endogenous peptides because they're not patentable, a true tragedy that considerably sets back medecine progress.…

Thanks, interesting to get this perspective. I have seen a lot of interesting research chemicals and nootropics redditors are using, most of which are prescription drugs in Russia (semax, selank, probably others). Shame there doesn't seem to be any pharmaceutical crossover, would love to see some studies done in the West. I'd be too scared to experiment on myself.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#85

Post by jotm » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:48 PM UTC

shepardrtc wrote: post #29

I was prescribed benzos because of sleeping issues, but I was also taking phenibut at the same time. After about 3 weeks of using large doses of the benzos every night, I stopped taking them, but a year later I still feel pangs of withdrawal sometimes when I get stressed. It took me another 4 months to get off the phenibut and a month or so after that before my sleep returned to normal. There were months where I mayb…

Wow, 1. who tf gave you phenibut before gabapentin/pregabalin? Phenibut is notoriously hard to quit. It takes at least a few weeks of gradual tapering down. 2. Together with a benzodiazepine? Wew, lad. Should've also taken a few shots of vodka before sleep for the insanity trifecta.

Edit: sorry, I always assume other people have access to medication. I don't so I shouldn't have laughed.

Yeah, so there are a few gabapentinoids/gabaergics out there, and they can help a lot.

But please read everything you can before deciding on something.

Just a couple of pages of Phenibut experiences have convinced me to not try it because there are better alternatives with fewer side effects.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#86

Post by SemanticStrengh » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:48 PM UTC

retrac wrote: post #75

SemanticStrengh wrote: post #45

The world of medecine is degenerate. Sustainable, non addictive and non neurotoxic anxiolytics exists: the #1 being opipramol the sigmaergic. emoxypine (which btw cure hangover) and guanfacine are worth mentioning. Maybe beta blockers to some extent. NMDA antagonists such as memantine have side effects but are not neurotoxic to my knowledge and there are milder ones such as mg-lthreonate. afobazole is interesting but…

Anecdotally, I can attest to the surprising efficacy of alpha blockers. I have used prazosin as a sleep aid for the last decade, a few times a month. There were some limited studies that suggest it is effective in helping sleep quality in people with nightmares and PTSD. Now, I don't have PTSD, but I do have a mind that will not shut off at night, running in useless circles that jolt me back awake. It does nothing fo…

Good to hear! Glycine 3 gram before sleep can be useful as a combination. it relaxes the body too and relaxe the mind also. There are interesting studies showing positive effects on sleep and no tolerance.

magnesium l threonate before sleep, the lthreonate variant penetarte the brain far more than regular magnesium, and it acts as a mild NMDA antagonist, which means it decrease maximal excitation. it is also a great synaptotrophic.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#87

Post by sibeliuss » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:49 PM UTC

As someone with a few family members addicted to Xanax (long term) and have repeatedly bore witness to the destruction, I can say with certainty that it's an evil drug. It's like the person crawls inside a space where they can safely project all of their anxieties onto others. Their problems becomes your problems, a fully projected virtual experience. It's definitely psychosis-like, and I've always wondered if there was some brain damage involved. Well, here's the answer to that.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#88

Post by [deleted] » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:49 PM UTC

maleldil wrote: post #65

anonymoushn wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

antipsychotics are horrifying. do therapeutic doses of stimulants cause problems other than heart disease over the long term?

Antipsychotics are terrifying, but I'd rather deal with the physical side-effects than the disorder, and they're pretty effective at treating that.

[deleted]

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#89

Post by fb03 » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:49 PM UTC

cameronh90 wrote: post #71

natly wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recommend working out, it helped me a ton with anxiety. It basically cured it (I don't work out much anymore but a short intense few months of hard workouts seems to have almost removed it from my system years afterwards).

Interestingly working out is a trigger for my anxiety. I'm currently trying graded exposure therapy for exercise, but so far it's not working.

Was about to say this.

Do you also trigger while trying to exercise? I have had pretty intense panic attacks while trying to work. to the point of having dizziness, weakness, closing throat feelings, the works! Pretty shitty stuff. 15 minutes later, you are absolutely normal and feeling bummed and sometimes embarrassed as well.

I would also not wish a panic attack to my worst enemy.

What I'm trying to do now is short walks and getting more 'confidence'. I think what gets us/me is the "what if I trigger" thing.

So, going slow helps build a little of confidence. That's my current plan, at least. I know an attack is bound to happen, and I will not win every time, but I'm not gonna be deterred by it. I know exercise helps a ton.

Thank you for this reply and wish you well!

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#90

Post by RGamma » Sat, May 14, 2022, 9:49 PM UTC

SemanticStrengh wrote: post #59

RGamma wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doctors prescribe benzos for sleep issues and tell you they are safe? Do you live in the US?

is that a question? Benzos are not safe despite what many doctor believe. I'm in EU.

Weird this can happen in the EU to be honest.

In Germany these things are really difficult to come by for these minor reasons (it's probably different for the critically ill but I wouldn't know).

Briefly, doctors have to have special permissions to prescribe potentially addictive or mentally altering substances and it's only with a special, bureaucratic kind of prescription ("BtM-Rezept").

That's why I always wonder how this can happen so casually. If I'd ask my GP for benzos for sleep problems I'd most certainly not get them even if he'd be allowed to prescribe them and reckless prescription in this case could lose him his license.