THE SLEEPING PILL NIGHTMARE

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November 11, 2002

 

SECOND OPINION

 

THE SLEEPING PILL NIGHTMARE

Doctors Continue To Prescribe Dangerous And Addictive Sleep Drugs

 

By Nicholas Regush

 

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/second_opinion/2002_nov11.html

 

Millions of patients each year tell their doctors that they can1t sleep.

Their insomnia may be due to the habitual downing of ten cups of coffee a

day or to being a " regular " at Sally1s Bar. Or they may be so stressed out

that counting sheep or thousand-dollar bills doesn1t do it. Depression and

other illnesses also cause sleepless nights.

 

The effects of insomnia can be wicked. Some individuals can1t function

properly on the job; others are strapped into an emotional roller coaster.

Those deprived of sleep for longer than a month may even hallucinate.

 

Since the 1970s, more and more of these sleepless souls have been reaching

for a sleeping pill known as a benzodiazepine or " benzo. " These pills act on

brain receptors and calm excitable nerve cells. But they can have serious

side-effects, including dizziness, lightheadedness, coordination disorders,

aggression, hostility, and concentration and memory problems. They can also

be addictive, and sudden withdrawal can cause epileptic-like seizures.

 

Benzos are on the market because regulatory agencies believe their benefits

outweigh their risks. But are consumers properly informed of the risks?

You1ve got to be kidding. The regulators don1t want people to lose sleep

over it.

 

One thing is clear: Doctors prescribe sleeping pills like candy. They

started to do so back in the 1970s with the arrival of the " benzos, " and

they seem to like to keep this habit intact. It1s apparently as addictive as

a " benzo. "

 

How many times does the medical profession need to be told that these drugs

are not very effective in improving sleep. The science is there to read; so

why don1t these sleeping pill purveyors read it?

 

One reason is that people like their " benzos. " Yes, the pills have been

shown to cause next day problems - including the inability to do work

properly and think clearly (because brain activity is reduced), and they

also make people quite tired during the day. But " benzos " make a lot of

people feel more tranquil. That1s right. Tranquilized. That mushy feeling of

gliding through life with little fear and trouble on the mind. Is this what

sleeping pills are all about? Probably - and the doctors who dispense them

grandly should know this by now.

 

Right, the matter of addiction. Dr. Feelgood, unfortunately often does not

have enough working upstairs to notice that sleeping pills are not meant to

be used for long periods of time; yet, more than half of users keep taking

them until Hell freezes over. Good for you, Dr. Feelgood, we guess that1s

what modern medicine refers to as " following patients. "

 

These drugs are addictive, pure and simple. Withdrawal effects include such

nice treats as panic, hyperactivity, rapid heart rate, seizures, and, oh,

yes, even death.

 

That1s a lot of risk for efficacy not worth a damn, particularly in patients

with chronic insomnia.

 

As a health writer, I1ve been looking at this nightmarish problem for three

decades, ever since the " benzos " hit the market and began replacing the more

toxic barbiturates, which were used as early sleeping pills. While there are

some new pharmacological twists these days - some therapies may not have

quite as bad an effect as the " benzos, " frankly, it1s not worth writing home

about.

 

Sleeping pills were prescribed dangerously back then and they are prescribed

dangerously now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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