View Full Version : 6mg max diazepam per day for 23 days can I just stop? Please help!
Help!! Have been on diazepam (2mg tablets) taking usually 3 per day (6mg) sometimes 4 or 5mg for the last 24 days. Can I just atop them or should I taper off and if so by how many each day? Please help, I feel ready to come off them now and have only taken 2mg this morning and feel ok. Thanks, Sal x:shrug:
Hard to say 24 days isn't really that long. Everyone reacts differently - what does your doctor say?
Diazepam has a long half life so is easier than some of the other benzos to stop - just because you missed 1 dose doesn't mean it will be ok.
I would take 5mg tomorrow, 4mg the day after etc. and just see how it goes. Should be fine.
Hi Sal, I assume you have been taking them for anxiety.....I would be very cautious about stopping them completley...your original symptoms may return and you could experience some withdrawal symptoms too including heightened anxiety. Best to chat to your GP really, but I would at least reccommend that you reduce slowly before getting professional advice....ie. if you have been on 5mg per day and been ok, try reducing by half a tablet every few days and see how you go. They should not just be stopped suddenly. Good luck.
Kitti :)
Thank you so much Dan & Kitti for responding so fast. Will take your advice and contact drs on Monday. Sal x
Is there a reason you want to stop?
Is there a reason you want to stop?
hi Dan, I don't want to become tolerant or dependant and my dr said to take for up to 4 weeks. If I find I can't manage without them then I won't taper too far and definitely won't stop altogether. I have had good test results which have eased my anxiety and also I have one more test on Tuesday. I just need to wait for the results of a sleep study which should be through in about 3 weeks. To be honest I don't know how I would have managed without the diazepam during my worst times. What are your thoughts/experiences of benzos? Really appreciate your help, thanks, Sal x :wacko:
Hiya - do you feel that you have gained a tolerance to diazepam?
Out of all of the benzos diazepam is the easiest to stop.. Personally I think benzos are useful, and have their place. If you need them, and are aware of the risks take them..
Hi Dan,
No, I don't think i have built up a tolerance, they still work really well and I always take 2mg at night and now sleep which I wasn't doing before. I don't ever need more than 6 mg a day.
Thanks, Sal x
Hiya - do you feel that you have gained a tolerance to diazepam?
Out of all of the benzos diazepam is the easiest to stop.. Personally I think benzos are useful, and have their place. If you need them, and are aware of the risks take them..
Sal, I have been on 12mg day since last November and we are only just 'considering' tapering off now that I am having CBT.
I do not feel that I have gained a tolerance to diaz, felt no need to increase my dose and I have had minimum side effects...just a little tired now and then and possibly slightly more forgetful than usual :doh: but I am able to 'function' day to day and get to work.
I am actually looking forward to the prospect of slowly reducing my dose, and I believe this will start to happen within the next couple of weeks. Diazepam has been a godsend for me and I totally agree with dan1234's comments.
Good luck, Kitti :) x
Sal, I have been on 12mg day since last November and we are only just 'considering' tapering off now that I am having CBT.
I do not feel that I have gained a tolerance to diaz, felt no need to increase my dose and I have had minimum side effects...just a little tired now and then and possibly slightly more forgetful than usual :doh: but I am able to 'function' day to day and get to work.
I am actually looking forward to the prospect of slowly reducing my dose, and I believe this will start to happen within the next couple of weeks. Diazepam has been a godsend for me and I totally agree with dan1234's comments.
Good luck, Kitti :) x
Thank you Kitti for sharing your experience. I think from what has been said that I need not to beat myself up about this and stay on my 6mg a day. I only had 4mg yesterday (2mg am & 2mg at bedtime). I slept really well but I am feeling really crap today. I have taken 2mg am and 1mg at 3pm and am thinking about taking another 1mg shortly and then either 1 or 2mg at bedtime. When I originally posted I think I was feeling really good and wrongly assumed I was fixed, I was so comforted by your post that I am going to carry on with the diazepam as I want a life and clearly however much I thought I could yesterday, I am not ready to taper. I assume my GP will not just be able to stop prescribing when I run out? Otherwise I don't know what will happen. I have a lovely husband and two young boys to look after so I do get scared sometimes that I won't be able to function enough to take care of them. Sorry for the long post, please let me know your thoughts when you have time, thank you again, Sal x
---------- Post added at 17:05 ---------- Previous post was at 16:59 ----------
Hi Dan, I am taking your advice, as well as Kitti's and carrying on with the diazepam. As you can see from my above post I am clearly not ready to taper and I am going to focus on the positives of diazepam. Your feedback and comments have been so appreciated and I feel very supported - thank you, Sal x
The thing is you WILL have really good days, but you will also experience 'blips'...I have had many of those even whilst on the diaz, in fact I had a really bad one this morning. Some days I think 'wow, great, I am beating this' and then it's all back to square one again :wacko:
I really don't believe your GP will just stop prescribing them, especially if you are still having a bit of a bad time. Just make sure you let them know how you are or have been feeling. At worst, they will 'taper' you....they don't usually like to prescribe them for too long due to dependency, but they may offer you other drugs such as SSRI's and allow you to use the diaz 'as and when' whilst getting used to something else. Personally, for me, I couldn't handle the side effects of other drugs prescribed and diaz is the only thing that has really helped me. Try not to run before you can walk....it's a bit of a rocky road but hopefully you will get there soon enough. Five months ago I couldn't even leave my house so I have come quite a long way since then thankfully, but I still have a long way to go!!!
Let me know how you get on and feel free to PM me anytime if you are worried about anything or just need a bit of support. Kitti :) x
I think you need to discuss this with your GP. He may be unwilling to prescribe you more diazepam, and he will suggest something else, or he will be fine with it and taper you down once the time comes.
The thing is you WILL have really good days, but you will also experience 'blips'...I have had many of those even whilst on the diaz, in fact I had a really bad one this morning. Some days I think 'wow, great, I am beating this' and then it's all back to square one again :wacko:
I really don't believe your GP will just stop prescribing them, especially if you are still having a bit of a bad time. Just make sure you let them know how you are or have been feeling. At worst, they will 'taper' you....they don't usually like to prescribe them for too long due to dependency, but they may offer you other drugs such as SSRI's and allow you to use the diaz 'as and when' whilst getting used to something else. Personally, for me, I couldn't handle the side effects of other drugs prescribed and diaz is the only thing that has really helped me. Try not to run before you can walk....it's a bit of a rocky road but hopefully you will get there soon enough. Five months ago I couldn't even leave my house so I have come quite a long way since then thankfully, but I still have a long way to go!!!
Let me know how you get on and feel free to PM me anytime if you are worried about anything or just need a bit of support. Kitti :) x
Thank you so much Kitti, I will PM you when, as a newbie, I can work out how to do it! Sal X:flowers:
Hello chaps! Steadying at 5mg and going to stick at this for now with a view to dropping to 4mg. My neurologist has suggested gabapentin for my periodic limb movement disorder to take 100mg at 9pm each night for a week and then increase to 200mg the next week and so on until the right dose is reached that gives me a decent nights sleep. She wants me to get to 4mg diazepam first so I shall try and do this sometime in the next couple of weeks. Hope it works, bit scared as the side effects sould horrendous but hopefully I won't get all of them!! Sal x
If you suffer from anxiety may I suggest you try pregabalin - it is very similar to gabapentin except that it is licenced for GAD and a lot more expensive.
Gabapentin may also help with anxiety. I took it the odd time to good effect.
Dan
Hi - do not just stop them even after those few days - taper off gently - ask your GP.
If you suffer from anxiety may I suggest you try pregabalin - it is very similar to gabapentin except that it is licenced for GAD and a lot more expensive.
Gabapentin may also help with anxiety. I took it the odd time to good effect.
Dan
Thanks for the advice Dan. I have now had my sleep study results and small amount of restless legs early in night and then some periodic limb movement later on but no apnea. Neurologist says to stay on diazepam until she sees me in the next month and not to take the gabapentin. My gp says 5mg per day is a low dose of diazepam and he is happy to prescribe and then when the time comes gradually taper. Feeling much happier now just hope the anxiety starts to reduce slightly during the next few months and that the CBT helps. Will mention the pregabalin to the neurologist and see what she says. Thanks again for your help!
---------- Post added at 13:47 ---------- Previous post was at 13:45 ----------
Hi - do not just stop them even after those few days - taper off gently - ask your GP.
Hi Laura, thanks for your advice. As you can see from post to Dan my GP is onside and I think all will be fine. I won't rush, couldn't bear to experience debilitating extreme anxiety again! Thanks again, Sal x
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