New to diazepam

[Mojo61]

Hi,

I am on day 18 of 10mg Citalopram and my doctor prescribed diazepam to help me through the worst side effects. I haven't needed to take any during the day, but I always wake up around 4am and I usually take 2x2mg tablets which enables me to get back to sleep for another couple of hours.

However this morning I didn't wake up until 5am so took one 2mg diazepam and fell back to sleep, but when I woke up again at 8am I just couldn't keep my eyes open, I felt so tired and drowsy, sort of "stoned" if you like. I lay in bed until 11.30am when I managed to drag myself up but I'm still feeling odd, drowsy and not quite with it.

I really don't want to get addicted to benzos, could I already be addicted to them as I've been taking them every night for 18 days!

[MyNameIsTerry]

They normally only allow 14 days supply of Diazepam. Although a psychiatrist may prescribe it much longer in order to get the anxiety/panic under control and then deal with a supported withdrawal later but a GP should not be doing this.

If you were tolerant, you would find it wasn't doing much and would need to increase. Also, if you stopped taking what you have and felt an increase in anxiety beyond what you had before you went on them, it would suggest tolerance.

I really would suggest talking to whoever is prescribing these because they are only ever meant to be short term without specialist agreement i.e. a psychiatrist.

They did make me drowsy and like you I used them to get back to sleep on the odd occasion. They would also give me headaches after about 3 hours when they wore off.

It could also be the Citalopram that is making you fatigued in the mornings. The Diazepam would wear off very quickly.