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www.faxfn.org Dangerous Prescriptions.21mar99: Susan Bibby: Misprescibing tranquillisers and sleeping pills.(See also Susan's website www.benzact.org) The most commonly prescribed tranquillisers (and the ones that are causing the most problems) are the Benzodiazepines, colloquially known as bennys. These powerful drugs do have a place in the medical armoury but they are not for long-term use. Additionally they should not be used in pregnancy or for nursing mothers and children. It must be said the fault lies with our doctors and psychiatrists: the drug companies are now careful in providing information to the medical profession and, quite sensibly, are now providing leaflets aimed at the potential consumer or patient. This group of drugs has been used for over thirty years, and the dangerous effects of long term use are well documented and researched in adults. More recently, their dangerous interference on the developing baby before and after birth is serious cause for concern, now that further research is emerging. The Committee On Safety of Medicines sent out a bulletin in September 1997 to all doctors warning of the danger of use in pregnancy, but many prescribers have ignored this and the warnings from the drug companies which have been available for ten years. Some doctors are still prescribing these drugs to pregnant women, women of childbearing age and continue to prescribe long term. Warnings not to prescribe for longer than between two and four weeks have been in place since 1988. These drugs are neurotoxins and much harder to withdraw from than heroin: the WHO state that after alcohol world-wide they are the most addictive drug. An estimated one million adults in this country are on long term prescriptions today (over 10 years), many getting repeat prescriptions from their doctors for over thirty years. There is no comprehensive help for these people nationally but benzodiazepines are cheap to manufacture and obviously attractive to practices on limited budgets. People with alcohol and opiate problems are now being "chronically" prescribed benzodiazepines (many of childbearing age) by their doctors, often with tragic results. Benzodiazepines, when mixed with other central nevous system depressants such as alcohol or opiates, can be fatal. There are many recent deaths attributable to this, especially in young street misusers who have been prescribed these drugs by their doctor and taken other "street drugs" as well without any knowledge of the lethal combination. Police forces concerned with drug misuse (from Strathclyde to London) are now reporting that benzodiazepines are misused in large amounts and, although most of the illcit use is coming from diverted prescriptions, "counterfeits" are now appearing on the streets in some areas around Britain. The damage that these drugs cause can last for many years after withdrawal including neurolgical, endocrine, and immune system damage. In children it can cause dyspraxia, dyslexia, growth disturbances, behaviour problems and many other symptoms. Empical research shows that that this escalates as dosage rises. If the parents of these children are also long-term users they are doubly compromised as the long-term ill health, both behavioral and physiological will make it impossible to look after their children effectively. Doctors are not adhering to guidelines and are relying on their "clinical judgement" with little knowledge of the actual action of these drugs. So several bodies have proposed that they should have a national computerised system with constantly updated information on all drugs and drug interactions at their fingertips The law-enforcement professionals (police, magistrates, the probation and prison services) are worried. These drugs lead to crime in many ways. Some of us think it is the medical profession that should be in the dock. 16jul99: Residential care worker A: Using the chemical cosh. In the summer of 1998, I answered an advert in a Job Centre. The job advertised was for Night Care assistants in a residential home for elderly mentally infirm: no experience required and training would be given. I attended an interview and the manager offered me the post of Senior Care on day shifts. When I explained I had no qualifications, I was told it did not matter as it would only take six weeks to train me. I was employed immediately at £3.50 per hour. The nursing home had twenty four residents, most of whom suffered from dementia or Parkinson's disease, a third of these were high dependency patients. My shift was managed by myself with three members of staff. In addition to that there was a manager in the office. All staff including the manager were working under pressure at all times. I usually worked a forty/fifty hour week. Within the first week of working there I had two consecutive fourteen hour shifts but as Senior Care I had to take a mobile phone home to be on call. It was after these two shifts I was called in to escort a resident to hospital which meant spending twelve hours unpaid at the hospital. (About once a fortnight Senior Care (me) or Head of Care was called out for emergencies. I was on call two weeks in every four.) The first week was typical of the three months I worked there. General conditions for the residents were pretty dire i.e., no activities, no empathy from members of staff. On the day shift starting at 7am all residents would be washed, dressed, and escorted downstairs where one member would serve breakfast. The remaining three would make beds, clean sinks and commodes and collect laundry. This all had to be done by 10am, in time to serve residents coffee and for toileting duties. After breakfast residents would be sat in chairs, but were free to wander if they wanted to. The staff did laundry, distributed clothes back to residents rooms, at 12pm served lunch, after which residents would be toileted again and sat back in the chairs watching TV. Staff would clean dishes after each meal. All staff breaks were taken in the home and were often disrupted by residents needs. Staff also escorted residents on hospital appointments in either taxi or ambulance; there were one to five appointments weekly. After tea residents would be washed and put into night-clothes in time for night staff coming on and would be served a hot drink. Day staff would put as many residents as possible to bed before two members of night staff come on duty. Residents rarely went outside except for hospital appointment and occasional escapes. I understand there were occasional trips out for selected residents in the summer, but generally life for residents was spent in chairs and wandering around, which was quite chaotic. When several residents behaved irrationally they would then be sedated sometimes because staff found it easier to control and less irritating. One lovely little lady who suffered from dementia was refused her cigarettes if she refused to take her medication, which was basically given to keep her quiet (when she couldn't have her cigarettes she used to cry like a three-year-old). One lady had Parkinson's disease and used to wander round making a funny noise in her throat that used to annoy other residents and members of staff so she would be given medication to quieten her. My stay there I objected on several occasions to residents being given drugs when it wasn't really necessary. Within the first week I was shown how to distribute drugs to those residents that required them by a girl who had severe learning difficulties and worked under a great deal of stress because she was bullied by both management and staff. The drugs used were Thorizadine, Warfarin, Lythium and many others. But the one I was concerned about was Thorizadine, a bit of a chemical cosh. Many of the staff weren't very caring. Perhaps that was because they were young and naive. A typical example of verbal bullying or misunderstanding: one lady constantly asked what day it was and on one occasion a member of staff snapped - "You do realise you are getting on my nerves". This really upset the old lady, she said: "I'm sorry I'm frightened". When I confronted the staff member about the way she spoke to the lady she replied: "I said it with a smile on my face." The problem was we didn't have proper time to spend with residents, so often the chemical cosh was an easy solution to a stressful day. When I got home I used to feel stressed, guilty and worried and sat and cried. But clearly this was a successfully run business as it was expanding and buying more homes. I challenged the lack of personal care the residents received (ie. inadequate bathing and denture hygiene) also what I considered bullying (eg. not being allowed cigarettes if they refused to take medication). When I turned to the owner and the management for support they closed ranks and accused me of being radical. Quote: "You've had no formal training, so where have you gained your knowledge of Care Work." "These are basic human rights", I answered. I worked at this home until the autumn of 1998. I resigned as Senior Care and 4 days later I was sacked. I must say not all the staff I worked with were abusive. Shifts were often 14 hours long, 2 or 3 days in a row with inadequate break times. How can these places be allowed to exist? These people are placed in residential care to be looked after because both they and their families aren't capable of doing so. Their families trust that their loved ones are receiving a humane quality of life for however much time they have left. Aren't the vulnerable people of our society entitled to spend the last days of their lives with respect and dignity? Postscript. In comparison, the place I work in now is in a different town, residents are respected and happy. Staff are loathe to leave the establishment. I'm not allowed to give drugs in this home but my impression is that not many liquid coshes are going round. There are many varied activities for residents too. And shifts are no more than seven and a half hours. But when I last heard my old employers were still expanding their business. 12oct99: Parliamentary Questions: Waiting for the answers This is the contents of a mail-out from Susan Bibby to various MPs, MEPs and journalists: For Your Diary: 19th October 1999 Benzos - the Questions(Benzodiazapines: Valium, Ativan etc)Serious questions are being raised about drugs prescribed by the medical profession. BENZACT (and similar organisations) has distressing contact with the problems this causes. It is decades since the damage these drugs do has been known. It is a fast growing problem amongst young people as these drugs are finding their way onto the streets from GPs prescriptions. Look at parliamentary questions tabled by Phil Woolas MP. Contact Susan Bibby (0771 441 1558 and 01670 517397) (See my section on www.faxfn.org for updates) Coming soon : The Health Select Committee Report.
Notice of questions given on Monday 26. 07.'99.
RE: Phil Woolas 21. To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to review the classification of benzodiazepine drugs. 22. To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what action he is taking to prevent the illegal trade of benzodiazepine drugs. 157. To ask the Secretary of State for health if he will establish respite care and detoxification units for people who are addicted to benzodiazepine drugs. 158. To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to carry out research into the effects of long term use of benzodiazepine drugs. 159. To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement the advice of the Commitee on Review of Medicines on the prescription of of benzodiazepine drugs. 160. To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to implement the advice of the Committee on Review on Medicines that benzodiazepines should not be prescribed to pregnant women. 161. To ask the Secretary of State for health what plans he has to request the Medicines Control Agency to review the use and prescription of benzodiazepine drugs. 162. To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many newborn babies in each of the last five years have been damaged by the prescribing of benzodiazepine drugs to their mothers. 230. To ask the secretary of State for Social Security, what advice he has issued regarding the handling of disability and incapacity benefit claims by people suffering from addiction to benzodiazepine drugs. |
One in eight babies born at a large maternity hospital have been exposed to cannabis before birth, says a shocking scientific study.
And more than one in six had been fed benzodiazepine tranquillisers in the womb - some prescribed to their pregnant mothers, others obtained illegally in the street.
The story, by Janet Boyle, can be found in The Sunday Post news section.
On this subject see Sue Bibby's pieces above.
When my sister was in her mid teens she was diagnosed as being hyperactive. She was sent to institution for behavioural problems and put on a well known benzodiazepine. She stayed in the institution for 3-4 yrs but She stayed on this drug for 15 years, possibly more.
She lived a normal life until the medics recognised that patients should not be on this drug for such a long time We were told that after five weeks a patient would be hooked for life and we have heard the drug may now be banned . The drugs were withdrawn suddenly and within days she developed both agoraphobia and claustrophobia. Fifteen years later she is still not right.
She is now on other drugs but has a panic attacks, has no self-confidence and still does not like going out much. She is rather paranoid and thinks every body is talking and out to get her.
She did work before coming off original drug but has not felt confident enough to work since.
It has ruined her life.
Blues (valium) are available on the streets in Yorkshire for £1 each. I know of load of youngsters on my estate that take them. I don't want to take them again I first tried them with extacy and booze - it was a bad experience. I don't remember much. I just woke up in the morning feeling dreadful.
Kids start on diazes at thirteen - I remember a kid coming with a big tub of them and ten of my friends took them and they just fell asleep. Whenever someone gets a prescription they sell them on . I see people with big tubs containing a hundred tablets. Sometimes I see them sold from big tubs sometimes in boxes with pop out packaging.
The junkies love them. They sell them for heroin or take them themselves.
Wobbly eggs, tamazepam, I don't see so often but when they are around there are lots of them.
I think the government lets them in because they have Xray machines that can look through lorrys. They spend so much on Customs and Excise that they must be stop them if they want to. I've seen it in the paper - a camera that could see every thing inside a lorry.
The kids have been shown that drug taking is a way of having fun. But they don't see the full picture. They don't see that when you run out of money you're addicted and you have to steal. You depend on them to have a good time and socialise.
Life goes in circles. you go around and come to the same point again until you see where you are going wrong. You can't break out.
Drug use is wrong because you start using and abusing people.
No-one I know will use diazes, temazes, for what they should be used for. People get a weekly script - 7 tablets and be able to sell them for #20.
People that use them rely on them. I did a couple of years ago. I was on smack as well. I had a subutex detox. These are tablets you put under your tongue and let them dissolve. They have stopped me from taking smack.
Smack gives you a very bad look at life. Temazes and diazes stop the rattling - they are very good at that. You can be on smack feeling terrible and a temazepam makes you feel its not so bad after all - but it only lasts a few hours.
I work in home care. I am aware that many of the staff I work with must have NVQs by 2005 - 60% must have it by then. Many of them are older ladies who just won't do this - it's to academic. By 2005 we will have a real crisis.
I recruit and select people for these jobs and it is a waste of skills and experience to set up this situation where many will leave to avoid this imposed pressure.
I don't think the government will change their "minimum care standards" and we will loose some of the best workers. The relevant document is "National minimum standards for ancillary care" by the Department of Health.
(also in Education/Training >> Vocational Training)
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