RidingRollerCoaster,

I don't mean to alarm you, but I have found some fairly devastating research. I don't have any PDFs to attach, but I'll try to attach some links if I am able. In the mean time, you might want to take a look at a forum from last year by lacrossefan, whose story bears startling resemblance to mine. Unfortunately I cannot attach links as I am a new user, but if you search the site for "lacrossefan," the appropriate thread will come up.

Lacrossefan mentioned that after taking prescription lorazepam (ativan) he found that his cognitive symptoms worsened severely, in particular depersonalization, feeling in a fog, headaches, and memory loss. In my experience, mild PCS developed into debilitating memory loss, brain fog/general sense of being confused/in a dream, worsening of cognitive function (reading, communicating), and vision problems after taking valium and xanax. For both of us, the more physical symptoms (such as exercise intolerance) have now abated but the cognitive remain several months after tapering off these drugs.

The research I've found involves a couple of studies in which brain injured rats were given valium for three weeks. Researchers discovered "further neural degeneration" and reported that at the end of 9 months recovery was "delayed indefinitely." In rats without any benzodiazepam use, full recovery occurred over several months.

It is also interesting that Mass General banned the usage of Xanax back in the late 1980s as evidence of its negative cognitive effects on brain injured patients (in particular veterans, I believe) came to light. The name of study is "Recovery of function after brain damage: severe and chronic disruption by diazepam." Again, I can't attach a link yet but it should come up on google, and if you PM me, I'd be happy to send more of what I've found. Have you seen no improvement since taking the ativan? Or just less improvement than you would have hoped?

Here's to hoping that human brains are more resilient than those of rats, and that in the long term the benzo damage might heal! Would be good to raise awareness among fellow brain injury survivors, though, as it seems many doctors are not aware of the risks and prescribe benzos for the insomnia/anxiety found in PCS.