Posted on 04/20/2020 11:30:09 PM PDT by knighthawk
The coronavirus quarantine has contributed to a surge in the demand for prescription tranquilizers and sleep aids in the United States, as Americans continue to feel on edge about the uncertainty of the disease, according to a new research report.
The largest spike was in prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs, which rose 34.1 percent from mid-February to mid-March, per the pharmacy benefit management organization Express Scripts.
From February 16 to March 15, prescriptions for antidepressants rose 18.6 percent, while sleeping medications ticked up by 14.8 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
It’s not causing me any anxiety. However falling and cracking a few ribs can get your psyche rattled.
Did that happen to you? Sorry of it did and hope you’re on the mend.
I take klonopin 2mgs for seizures upon waking from head injury more than a dozen years old now.
But doctor put me up to 3mg during the lockdown.
I won’t lie. The third one has come in handy. I’ll go back to 2 when it’s over and I don’t use the 3rd one every day.
I remember being 18 and taking 18mgs of xanax in the course of a day. Wasn’t an addict. Didn’t take em regularly.
It just seemed like the thing to do that day. Got a little tired but that’s it.
This is just the tip of the iceberg if we stay shut. We will lose more to suicide than Covid. Suicides are already the #10 leading cause of death in the U.S., almost 48,000. . Every 1% increase in unemployment results in thousands more committing suicide. ( medical journal Lancet).
I can tell you that suicide intervention centers are getting more calls in 72 hours than we usually see in 3 months. For a concise analysis see the following excerpt below that estimates an increase from suicide and drugs of 70,000 this is from https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/04/13/shutdown_could_kill_more_americans_than_covid-19_142934.html
No model or guesswork is required to foresee the deadly impact. Job losses cause extreme suffering. Every 1% hike in the unemployment rate will likely produce a 3.3% increase in drug overdose deaths and a 0.99% increase in suicides according to data provided by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the medical journal Lancet. These are facts based on experience, not models. If unemployment hits 32%, some 77,000 Americans are likely to die from suicide and drug overdoses as a result of layoffs. Scientists call these fatalities deaths of despair.
Then add the predictable deaths from alcohol abuse caused by unemployment. Health economist Michael French from the University of Miami and a co-author found a “significant association between job loss” and binge drinking and alcoholism.
The impact of layoffs goes beyond suicide, drug overdosing and drinking. Overall, the death rate for an unemployed person is 63% higher than for someone with a job, according to findings in Social Science & Medicine.
Thanks. It happened two weeks ago. Mending is slow.
I took lorazepam on and off for several years. That doc retired and my new doc won’t prescribe it for me.
I really don’t need it now, but I did while I was working—stressful job. Lorazepam helped me sleep.
Having seizures must have been scary. Glad your klonopin is helping.
I’ve been on anti-anxiety medication for about two years. Partly because of medication for the pacemaker I have and partly because of a general anxiety condition. Not happy about it too much but I’m on two feet and breathing. I’m grateful for that.
The real headline would read: “Crazy Democrats Gobble Up Anxiety Medicines, Tell Others to Eat Cake”.
A few ribs..gotta hurt!! I fractured one slightly a long time ago and it sucked!
I am glad you are getting better.
As for xanax and klonopin etc...they are VERY HARD to get for anxiety...but just like the painkillers it hurts the folks that won’t abuse.
I hate seeing young livers ruined so I do think they should be very controlled for the young..under 30 set.
I dunno.
I took neurontin and cymbalta and baclofen i think and nothing worked. The klonopin doesn’t get rid of them all but helps a lot
Oddest thing...only upon waking. Head injury damaged sleep wake cycle area..caused me to lose most hearing in right ear.
Mend WELL and FAST FRiend.
Dang, people are fragile these days. No wonder we have to shut down the nation because of this crap.
Apparently I told them they were turning me into a Borg.
Check out benzobuddies.org. My wife was on that (1.5 mg) for several years. The withdrawl was horrific and you can get the withdrawl symptoms while still on the drug. She was virtually housebound for over 2 years and is still only partially functioning. A benzo crises may follow the opioid crises It’s unknown what percentage of people get the withdrawl problem but it seems pretty high. Many doctors won’t tell you about the horrible withdrawl problem. Good luck!
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