Tablet Weight (Stupid Question??)

[steveo]

I'm trying to cut down on Diazepam. It's proving to me ALOT harder than I originally suspected it to be.

The lowest dose tablet you can get is 2mg and I need to be cutting about 0.5mg every 2 weeks or so.

It's very hard to be accurate with this so I bought an 'accurate' digital gram scale. Unfortunately I bought the cheapest one off eBay that China had to offer!

Because I'm not sure of the accuracy of the scales, that also led me on to another question which might just be the most stupid question ever asked and I am ready to delete this thread as soon as people start laughing at me....

Is a 2mg tablet....2mg in weight?? Because my 5mg Diazepam are the same size and weight as my 2mg.... and a 10mg Escitalopram doesn't read as 10mg. Nor does a 20mg Citalopram read 20mg.

I understand this is probably such a stupid question but my head is so hazy that getting out of bed seems like the krypton factor to me.

I'm sure if I bothered spending any decent money on a good set of scales that this would be answered for me.

Sorry for my dumbnes... I look forward to humiliation.

And to think I have a nursing degree......

[Sparkle1984]

I'd always assumed that the weight given on the box refers to the weight of the active ingredient within the tablet, rather than the weight of the tablet itself. No one will laugh, its actually a good question!

[AlexandriaUK]

Nothing to laugh at, firstly has the decrease been decided by your Dr or another medical professional? next question what is your daily dosage and frequency? its looking at the big picture that helps not just the reduction amount, and yes the active ingredient that is what weighs 2 mg, buying scales to weigh milligrams will not be cheap as they would need to be scientific scales to give accurate readings.

[Tufty]

This is not a stupid question and has got me thinking :unsure: and I'm still not sure. I thought 2mg of Diazepam would weigh more than 2mg because of the bulking agents etc., maybe it's the molecular weight of the active drug they measure - I thought 2mg was 2mg and that was it but not so.

Have you considered crushing the Diazepam adding juice to the crush and syringing up the juice and measuring it that way? As long as you crush it till it's dusty and mix it well I find it's the most accurate method of taking drugs.

Sam

[steveo]

Well it turns out the scales don't seem accurate anyway so they will be going in the bin.

To answer your question Alexandria - It's been mutually decided by myself mainly with the agreement of my psychiatrist. I have been taking 4-6mg a day since January this year and I hit tolerance a few months ago so basically for the last few months it's been doing nothing for me. Either I up it to continue getting benefit from it or I stop taking it. I'd rather stop completely.

I'm down to 1mg morning and 1.5mg evening. The last cut was murder. According to nearly all sources, I should cut about 0.5mg every 2 - 4 weeks but I'd rather just be off it sooner so cutting 0.5mg every 8ish days.

I might just ask my GP for liquid diazepam. I can me much more accurate that way.
Guess I'm going to cut another 0.5mg tonight...... eeek. Time for Depersonalisation hell.

[AlexandriaUK]

Thats good then, just take 2 daily for a while, 5 months is not too long so you will not get too many withdrawel symptoms, but dont try to rush it, they helped get you over a bad patch I presume and I can totally understand your desire to be off of them but they are not the worst thing to be on and remember, when you are off them completely you can always keep a few for dire emergencies.
I have had a 6 pack for as long as I can remember and have never used them except for the time I had a problem with Heart and they kept me sane :ohmy:
So get down to 2 a day the cut them in half and if necessary use 3 halves a day.
You can do this with the help and support you get from here I am sure :hugs:
PS 4-6 mg a day is a small dose, I know people on 25-30 mg a day, they do live on the ceiling though LOL

[steveo]

Thanks so much for your support.

I understand how lucky I am to have only been on a low dose for a fairly short period of time. Unfortunately it's still fairly symptomatic to try and withdraw from :(

The sooner I do it the better! And yes... once I am off the meds I can use them as a one off emergency basis which I can no longer do. I won't doubt how good Diazepam is! They really do work. Unfortunately it only took me a couple of months to hit tolerance.

So I will be making another cut tonight.

Have you ever used them long term at all?

[AlexandriaUK]

Not for long term but was on them for about a week, not long I know and only took 2 mg a day but they saved my sanity at the time, as I said my friend has been on them since her early 20s and is still on them at 50 something, she is also on about 3 other meds and cannot get of them because she says she cant live without them, I can say that I am scared to be without the diaz as they are my safety blanket and when I changed Drs because we had moved I had thrown my 6 away as they were old and new Dr said he wouldn't give me any, then 2 years ago he said I could have 6 same as before once he checked my records and saw that I hadn't had any new ones for ages except what the cardi man had given me, he asked me the other week how many I had left, I took the 6 out of my purse and he was impressed :) they just don't get it do they, we are not addicts just frightened and alarmed, if you need meds you need them, no contest
I was on Bisoprolol and they had to wean you of the V slowly and I was in a right state with them after seeing Dr Google.

[flori]

Steveo,
Good luck in reducing diazepam and eventually coming off them. I have been getting prescribed them for about 10 years for anxiety and panic attacks. I don`t take them daily. 28/5mgs usually last about 3 months. I only take them when attacks are really bad.
I halved one on Saturday night and listened to a relaxation video on you tube and I got attack under control instead of freaking out and thinking I was going mad, as I have felt the past few times. I was pleased with myself for managing it. Was at therapist on Tuesday and she was pleased I managed it, but said I should be able to do it without diazepam. Your psychiatrist seems understanding. I feel there is pressure on me to stop taking them now, and go it alone.

---------- Post added at 23:36 ---------- Previous post was at 23:30 ----------

AlexandriaUK

What is the problem with some doctors and therapists ! I know exactly what you mean, I would feel scared if I didn`t have the diazepam either. The original gp that prescribed them for me said she saw no problem with me having them, she understood how I felt. Then I changed gps and it became a concern until he too got to know that I didn`t abuse them.
Now the therapist is making me feel bad for taking them.