Observations placeholder
Green, Drs Elmer and Alyce – Healing Hypertension, stress and Benzodiazepine dependence using biofeedback – a case study
Identifier
027311
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medication of the benzodiazepine family. It is used these days to treat “anxiety, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, seizures, trouble sleeping, and restless legs syndrome”. Interestingly not high blood pressure, doctors clearly have had to find a new market, since this book was written.
Serious side effects include agitation, tremors, decreased breathing, an increased risk of seizures, and suicide. But far more serious is the fact that long term use can result in tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms on dose reduction. Valium, like all benzodiazepines, is highly addictive and any form of abrupt withdrawal after long-term use can be potentially dangerous, in fact it can lead to death. After stopping, “cognitive problems may persist for six months and longer”. Meaning people suffer from permanent brain damage.
The eHealthme site analysis of Valium side effects by the time on the drug, gender and age of the people who have side effects while taking Valium, and shown below, is based on 30,271 people who have had side effects while taking the drug and which resulted in an Adverse Drug Report to the FDA
Most common side effects by gender *:
female:
- Vomiting
- Weight decreased
- Weight increased
- Nausea (feeling of having an urge to vomit)
- Drug ineffective
- Tremor (trembling or shaking movements in one or more parts of your body)
- Somnolence (a state of near-sleep, a strong desire for sleep)
- Pain
- Drug hypersensitivity
- Vision blurred
male:
- Weight decreased
- Vomiting
- Weight increased
- Drug ineffective
- Somnolence (a state of near-sleep, a strong desire for sleep)
- Tremor (trembling or shaking movements in one or more parts of your body)
- Death
- Suicide attempt
- Pain
- Suicidal ideation
As we can see from the observation, it is possible that biofeedback has the potential to ween people off these drugs and also to lower blood pressure at the same time, by teaching people relaxation methods.
A description of the experience
Beyond Biofeedback – Drs Elmer and Alyce Green
Margaret Olwine, a medical writer for the Kansas City Star magazine, was writing a story on our research and visited Topeka to get information. She was impressed by our statement that we had trained more than two thousand people to warm their hands at will, and asked if she could undergo a training session…………..
Margaret had been taking a drug for relaxation (Valium) under doctor's orders in order to control blood pressure [sic], but when she left Topeka with the temperature trainer she decided to stop taking the medicine.
That was possibly a risky thing to do and is something we warn people against, suggesting that they get their doctor's advice before making changes in a drug regimen. She did not notify her cardiologist of her intentions, but did make an appointment with him for a blood-pressure test on the day she was to return the meter to us in Topeka.
Margaret practiced with the meter morning and night for one week, then went for her appointment. When the doctor took the pressure he was surprised and pleased to find that it was normal. She then told him that she was not taking her medication, and he said that perhaps something had changed and that so long as she hadn't been taking it and the blood pressure seemed normal, it would be useful to continue on a little longer and see if it remained that way.
Then Margaret came to Topeka and told us about her experience with the temperature meter and her decreased blood pressure.