2009.06.30
In anxiety, irony
As if you didn't have anything else to worry about, The Washington Post has a timely warning for the anxiety-prone (and who isn't these days?): Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears.
"Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling withdrawal.
"The benefits of the drugs have been heralded by both physicians and patients. On Askapatient.com, a Web site where consumers can rate medicines, one person wrote in April that Xanax was the "best thing that ever happened to me." Another wrote in March, "This drug saved my life."
As the adage goes: Moderation in all things ...
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Comment by waynep — August 26, 2009 @ 11:41 am