Originally Posted by
chickenhawk
I have depended on Ativan for the past 4 years as a safety net for occasional panic, and to get an occasional good nights sleep. I have used it at the rate of 1/2mg per week, (ie once a week, sometimes twice a week, sometimes none). Because I keep a meds diary, I know I have taken between 20 and 30 mgs a year. This year so far I am up to 25mg. Now I am too scared to take it anymore because I have read articles that say that benzos, along with tri-cyclics and sedating antihistamines, ie anticholinergics, are linked to brain damage and 'frontal temporal dementia'. As if I dont have enough to panic about already! I have long-standing GAD and agaraphobia, and am facing a home move in the next couple of weeks and not coping well. Doc prescribed some valium to help me over the worst of it, but again, too scared to take this stuff anymore, as I am in the older age group and feel like a sitting duck for dementia as it is! Now I feel I have nothing to fall back on and don;t know what to do. I am not on any other meds, but at this rate will end up on something, if I have a complete breakdown over this move (which is huge for me). Anyone else worried about this? I'm really sorry to bring up a stressful subject.