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katebris
04-04-18, 16:33
Hello,

My GP has always said he won't prescribe more than a few diazepam for me because of addiction. I'm just wondered if some GP's will actually provide longer use of it? The reason I'm asking is because I'm in a really bad situation and can't take antidepressants because I'm intolerant to them.
Many thanks in advance for any information.

BikerMatt
04-04-18, 17:15
My GP will only prescribe me diazepam for medical tests and procedures. He will give me maybe 4. To be honest i think it's all a stitch up by pharmaceutical companies, yes benzo's are addictive but so are antidepressants, you have to taper off both of them, but they dish out antidepressants like sweets. Without doubt benzo's work better than anything else but it's all about how much money the pharmaceutical companies make.

Maybe i'm just cynical:shrug:

Benjammin69
04-04-18, 17:20
Hello,



My GP has always said he won't prescribe more than a few diazepam for me because of addiction. I'm just wondered if some GP's will actually provide longer use of it? The reason I'm asking is because I'm in a really bad situation and can't take antidepressants because I'm intolerant to them.

Many thanks in advance for any information.



Hi

Do you have a psychiatrist? Or just a Gp the reason I ask is a GP needs to adhere to the BNF which means prescribing an absolute maximum of 4 weeks usage and strength of tablets minimum effective so my GP will prescribe me at maximum 28 10mg diazepam lately even less maybe 14 tablets. But my psychiatrist has suggested longer term treatment with diazepam so will prescribe me a months worth of tablets and we have a consultation and he will prescribe another month but it comes with balancing tolerance and dependence issues which is tough

You will not get relief from long term diazepam usage so maybe therapy can help or try a difference class of anti depressant moclobemide is meant to be really good!




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katebris
06-04-18, 13:39
Just to say thank you for your replies much appreciated!

Benjammin69
07-04-18, 09:42
My GP will only prescribe me diazepam for medical tests and procedures. He will give me maybe 4. To be honest i think it's all a stitch up by pharmaceutical companies, yes benzo's are addictive but so are antidepressants, you have to taper off both of them, but they dish out antidepressants like sweets. Without doubt benzo's work better than anything else but it's all about how much money the pharmaceutical companies make.

Maybe i'm just cynical:shrug:

I agree :-)

Mindprison
14-04-18, 17:13
If i'm in a rough state, my doctor will give me a box to use SPARINGLY. As in, only when absolutely required if my panic attacks get to the point of making me hysterical.

I got a fresh box 3 months ago and still haven't used any.

Diazepam is an incredible drug, but only for dire circumstances. The more you take, the more you need next time for you to get the same effect.

As mentioned as well, cost is probably a factor.

Mike998e
11-09-18, 21:49
My GP prescribes me 28x 2mg Diazepam Tablets every 3 weeks. I take 2-3 tablets a day for muscle spasms. He has prescribed them to me regularly since June of this year. He has mentioned the risk of addiction but he knows how much the medication is helping me so I guess that’s why he is happy to continue to prescribe it. I also take Pregabalin 75mg for Mild General Anxiety twice daily.

skymaid
16-10-18, 01:41
i've been prescribed 28 x 5mg for about 18 months now. I use them for exposure therapy to help with agoraphobia (under the advice of a psychiatrist and physiologist).

Since i'm having them alongside therapy i'm just finding i'm gradually needing them less and less and often wish i hadn't taken as much before whatever thing im planning to do since they don't just kill anxiety then kinda kill all your emotions too (or at least they do for me).

I haven't experienced any issues of tolerance but perhaps because i only take them every couple of days, very rarely 2 days in a row.

I guess eventually i'll build up some or need to come off them slowly but in the mean time i feel its better to have some quality of life.

They are a little demonized i feel but i guess because they are rather easy to abuse.

Phill2
16-10-18, 06:25
Diazepam is an incredible drug, but only for dire circumstances. The more you take, the more you need next time for you to get the same effect.

As mentioned as well, cost is probably a factor.

I've been on 5mg 2 x daily for 15 years with no need to increase.
My GP prescribes 100 at a time with 3 repeats each time.

skymaid
17-10-18, 02:02
I haven't needed to increase either (in 18 months or so). Perhaps because my anxiety has gone down (therapy+hardwork) so i need it less.

It's used for whatever you were prescribed it for. Mine certainly isn't for dire emergencies, it's been used as a tool to help me get back a good quality of life.

Mike998e
21-11-18, 02:26
I've been on 5mg 2 x daily for 15 years with no need to increase.
My GP prescribes 100 at a time with 3 repeats each time.

It took me a long time to find a GP in London who isn’t ANTI-BENZODIAZEPINES. I have chronic severe muscle spasm and diazepam is the only thing that helps. I used to get a weeks worth and then the GP said you can’t get any more until 3 months time... anyway beginning of this year I found a Senior GP who owns the practice and I told him everything since then he prescribes me 28 Diazepam 2mg every 3-4 weeks. I went to see him today and he actually put it onto my repeat prescriptions now.

Phill2
21-11-18, 05:10
It took me a long time to find a GP in London who isn’t ANTI-BENZODIAZEPINES. I have chronic severe muscle spasm and diazepam is the only thing that helps. I used to get a weeks worth and then the GP said you can’t get any more until 3 months time... anyway beginning of this year I found a Senior GP who owns the practice and I told him everything since then he prescribes me 28 Diazepam 2mg every 3-4 weeks. I went to see him today and he actually put it onto my repeat prescriptions now.

Good to hear

Benjammin69
21-11-18, 17:02
It took me a long time to find a GP in London who isn’t ANTI-BENZODIAZEPINES. I have chronic severe muscle spasm and diazepam is the only thing that helps. I used to get a weeks worth and then the GP said you can’t get any more until 3 months time... anyway beginning of this year I found a Senior GP who owns the practice and I told him everything since then he prescribes me 28 Diazepam 2mg every 3-4 weeks. I went to see him today and he actually put it onto my repeat prescriptions now.



If you do research you will find that benzos are prescribed long term for conditions that are less exposed to addiction. So muscle relxant, pain, epilepsy and seizures are all conditions where benzos can be prescribed long term. They are usually in higher doses too. Clonazepam is an anti epileptic and can go to doses of 20mg a day but when prescribed for panic disorder It is 1mg a day. Given the nature of the illness you are more likely to get an addiction to a product the provides immediate relief than a product that maintains a health wellbeing. You take diazepam because it relaxes your muscles in your back, you don’t take diazepam because it gets rid of life’s problems and makes you feel warm and fuzzy. That’s the difference.


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Phill2
22-11-18, 00:04
I also take it as a muscle relaxant.
When I broke my neck many years ago a GP put me on 90mg/day.
I only took 45 but it was still hard getting off it.
I take 5mg x twice daily now for my back.

Sandra1980
22-11-18, 23:25
My gp gives me 42x2mg when I need them I take more than one but only if I am really really bad and that doesn't happen very often because I'm on disability so they last me a long time.