Tuesday, February 22, 2005

A Host of Anxiety Drugs, Begat by Valium New York Times story - "...Valium reached the height of its popularity in 1978, a year when Americans consumed 2.3 billion of the little yellow pills. But by the 1980's its reputation for creating abuse and withdrawal problems was well known, and the new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac were widely considered better treatments for anxiety and panic disorders. Still, the benzodiazepines - there are now more than a dozen others available besides Valium - never disappeared. They are still widely prescribed and, in the view of many doctors, extremely effective in treating not only anxiety and panic disorder, but bipolar illness, insomnia, catatonia and alcohol and drug withdrawal. 'The key is to use them correctly,' said Dr. Eric Hollander, director of clinical psychopharmacology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Using them correctly is not so simple. Benzodiazepines cause sedation, which can be either therapeutic or a side effect, depending on the patient's ailment. " [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].