hi everyone it's been months since we've
given an update on Jordan or my family's
health and it's time for one so here it
is the last year has been extremely
difficult for our family dad was put on
a low dose of a benzodiazepine a few
years ago for anxiety following an
extremely severe autoimmune reaction to
food he took the medication as
prescribed last April when my mom was
diagnosed with terminal cancer the dose
of the medication was increased it
became apparent that he was suffering
from both a physical dependency and a
paradoxical reaction to the medication a
paradoxical reaction means the drugs do
the opposite of what they're supposed to
these reactions are rare but not unheard
of for the last eight months he's been
an unbearable discomfort from this drug
made worse when trying to remove it
because of the additional withdrawal
symptoms stemming from physical
dependence he experienced terrible
akathisia which is a condition where the
person feels an incredible endless
irresistible restlessness bordering on
panic and an inability to sit still the
reaction made him suicidal after several
failed treatment attempts in North
American hospitals including attempts at
tapering and micro tapering we had to
seek an emergency medical benzodiazepine
detox which we were only able to find in
Russia it was incredibly grueling and
was further complicated by severe
pneumonia which we've been told he
developed in one of the previous
hospitals he's had to spend four weeks
in the ICU in terrible shape but with
the help of some extremely competent and
courageous doctors he survived the
decision to bring him to Russia was made
in extreme desperation when we couldn't
find any better option the uncertainty
around his recovery has been one of the
most difficult and scary experiences
we've ever had so finally dad is on the
mend even though there's a lot of
physiological damage that he needs to
recover from he's improving and is off
with the horrible medication his sense
of humor is back he's smiling again for
the first time in months but he still
has a long way to go to recover fully
it appears that we're going to get
through this by the skin of our teeth
so let me make a couple of things clear
now there are family nor the doctors
here believe that this is a case of
psychological addiction benzodiazepine
physical dependence due to brain changes
can occur in a matter of weeks it can be
made even worse by paradoxical reactions
that are difficult to diagnose and can
be extremely dangerous we've been told
and hoped that Dad will recover fully
but it will take time and he still has a
ways to go we're extremely lucky and
grateful that he's alive the next update
will come from him directly thanks again
for all the support