Just saw this and joined to post really, and I find that they do last a very long time especially for anxiety. On Saturday I had a melt down (I'd ran out of my Citalopram for a week, forgot to get my script like an idiot) and ended up going to the emergency doctor.
At first she would only give me some of the Citalopram, but after I left I went into a rage and flung the bathroom door open smashing into the back wall which broke the vent off the back off of it; I was in tears and I just couldn't control myself, I was was so sorry about the door, the old security guard was like no it's fine, I felt horrible about it :( anyway I asked the receptionist if I could go back in but the waiting time would be another hour, she tried to ring the doctor but she was in with someone else so she didn't pick up, I went and sat down and tried to calm down then ended up just telling the receptionist it was fine and it didn't matter, thinking I could get some Nytol (Diphenhydramine) from the chemist when I picked up my Citalopram.
Wrong. He wouldn't give me it because I was getting the SSRI, which in my opinion was unfair and incorrect but oh well he's the chemist not me. I got home and 5 minutes later the phone rang, it was the doctor and she heard what happened and said she'd fax through a prescription to this late night chemist for some diazepam; relief at last!
I went and picked it up, 21 x 2mg tablets, take 1 or 2 up to three times a day when needed, I usually found 2mg was enough and I felt the effects start within 30 to 45 minutes, with lingering calmness for a good 4 or 5 hours really, perhaps more
Wow that was much longer than intended, anyway I'd just like to say I think that diazepam when used extremely occasionally and only for extremely stressful situations is a godsend, this morning I got this other doctor to prescribe me 15 more 2mg pills because I have a massive singing showcase in Coventry on monday and I'm staying over 2 nights so it's just incase I get worked up really in a foreign environment; the doctor was brilliant about it when I spoke to her, think I'll make her my new doctor