On Wednesday 19th July BCNC had a meeting with Professor Heather Ashton at the School of Neurosciences, Newcastle. The discussions covered many aspects of problems associated with the long term use of benzodiazepines. The area of particular interest was that of withdrawal from benzodiazepines, a subject which has over the years been controversial and in many cases confusing.
The following joint statement was agreed between the two parties both of whom hope that it will be used to try to eliminate some if not all of these confusions:-
BCNC met with Professor Heather Ashton and had discussions on "coming off benzodiazepines". It was quite clear from the discussions that Professor Ashton, does not advocate that people should necessarily withdraw on a 1-2 week basis but should proceed at the rate that suits the individual. We agreed that Doctors should not use the 1-2 week reduction rate and suggested schedules, shown in her manual, as an edict but they should only be used when patients have decided that this rate of withdrawal is acceptable to them and even then the rates of reduction and schedules must be flexible throughout the whole of the period of withdrawal. This only clarifies what has been written consistently in her manual but which doctors and individuals, often choose to misinterpret or ignore.
This statement has been agreed with Professor Ashton.
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