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popsy
25-05-08, 17:02
Was just wondering what levels of diazepam people are mostly taking for anxiety? I am finding mine is slowley creeping up so im interested in what other people finds helps.

decca
25-05-08, 19:02
Hi Popsy,
Good idea, I'm between 2 & 4mg per day.
Decca.

jo61
25-05-08, 19:52
I used to take huge amounts, 30mg per day but thankfully no more

decca
25-05-08, 20:29
Well done jo, how long have you been off them & how did you do it ?
Decca.

smudgie
26-05-08, 09:15
Hi all

I was given Diazepam 3 yrs ago for severe pain due to my phsyical illness. I was put on 40mg per day, yeh I know what your thinking, I was out of it.

Its only the last 8 mths that Ive managed to get down to 20mg and now im stuck.
I dropped by 5mg at first then 2mg, terrible.

I m now frightened to drop anymore. I cant go through the feelings and phsyical effects, I have tried.
The docs says this is the worse bit now.

I wish I never took the stuff, it should be band.

Sorry it sounds a negative post but its true.

take care of you
smudgie:hugs:

decca
26-05-08, 09:28
Hi smudgie,
You've done very well to half the dose,sometime reducing the dose is the best we can hope for .
When did you make your last cut, perhaps you ought to stay as you are for a while to allow your body to adjust.
Have you tried liquid diazepam to make your cuts smaller ?
Are you still symptomatic on 20mg ?
Best wishes
Decca

EmilyJane
26-05-08, 09:50
Hi,
I used to take 20 mg a day but got it down to 8 mg a day and was steady on that, when I dropped to 6 mg it became a living nightmare and then down to 4 and I was struggling badly, I was given beta blockers and efexor to help. By the time I was down to 2 mg I had my own privtate clinical psychologist who helped a little. The day I stopped taking them altogether was when the nightmare became living hell. It took over a year for me to start feeling 'human' again.
I had been taking them for over 10 years, I can't believe, even now, why my GP didn't tell me what it would be like to stop taking them before he presribed them.
I am a true believer in that they are good for very short term use, but for long term, they eventually do far more harm than good.
The only good thing is, I learned to control endless panics and no longer fear them. I am left with what I think is agoraphobia but I won't let that beat me either.
I've learned how to whistle in the dark.
Emi

decca
26-05-08, 10:52
Hi Emi,
Glad to hear you're free, I don't think the Doc's know enough about Benzo's when they prescribe them.I've been prescribed 8mg per day but I've only ever taken 2mg per day and I'm strugling to not increase it.
I've tried cutting by 1/4 of a tablet ( 1/2 mg) but soon reinstated to 2mg because of the extra anx. and tension the reduction caused.
Best wishes
Decca.

jo61
26-05-08, 12:14
Hi Decca, I came off them gradually after I'd found the antidepressant cocktail that worked for me. I always keep some in my bag just in case but rarely take them. I have bucketloads of them under my bed but I suspect they'll be out of date soon and then I'll dispose of them:yesyes:

smudgie
26-05-08, 15:54
Hi all

Personally i think they should be banned. The doctors give them out like smarties with us not understanding what effect it has on us.

yes I feel good Ive managed to drop to 20mg but Im going to wait a while before I attempt again. you see I dont want to take other meds to combat the diazepam as Im taking enough drugs as it is already.

Time I guess.

take care all
smudgie:hugs:

pete69
26-05-08, 16:10
10mg when required used to do the trick and i could go into town,do shopping etc.this dose lasted about 5 years or more.
then it just decided to stop working,i can take 20mg and just feel slightly chilled but then i zzz an hour later...rarely take em now,only when im drinking as my prefered drug is klonopin but drinking on em makes u v v tired.

a trip to chelsea on weds i had 20mg valium and 2 cans beer,(dont do trains unless i have these helpers) felt kinda ok but still edgy..got to chelsea and had another 10mg tab,then drank till 11pm...funnily i can drink a lot more and not feel sick etc while on valium...anyways enough said about that night,trying to forget:lac:

Alabasterlyn
07-07-08, 13:29
I take Librium which is kind of similar to Diazepam and I take the equivalent of 8mgs of Diazepam. I've been taking it for years and I have to say I don't think they really work after awhile. I also think Dr's should stop giving these out so readily and try to tackle the problems behind the need for them.

tamo
07-07-08, 13:41
Hi .You are doing well by reducing .

I agree with some others above.This stuff should be banned.I had a terrible time comming off them once. They are good for very short term use but as the member above stated,they cause more problems than we had in the first place if used long term.

If you could read the Linden Method and follow this guys story about the over use of diazepam then you would see what I mean.

Sorry if this is negative but you should all be very very careful with diazepam use.

Good luck

sunshine-lady
11-01-09, 19:37
I was on a huge 40mg whilst in Psychiatric care. I am now down to 15mg per day and seem to have stuck. I know they are very addictive, but I think some of mine is psychological, I think I can't cope taking less, therefore I don't even try.

Like others have mentioned, they are good in the short term, but become a living hell coming off them when you take a high doseage for a prelonged time

prism
13-02-09, 14:00
I have been taking diazepam for over 8 years now and for the last 2 1/2 i have been coming off it. I was on 16mg but now i have it down to 1/2 mg and next month it wil be none. Something that has made it easier for me to cope with the psycological side of it, was to realise that it no longer helped me as i was use to the dose i was taking. Knowing it does nothing anymore to help with anxiety has made the withdrawal a bit easier. Withdrawal is still hideous though but i know i am doing the right thing.

nanny
13-02-09, 14:29
I have been addited to Diazepam for 11 years nows and life is a living hell, i Panic when i'm halfway through my last pack incase i don't get more on time.

They were a godsend when i first needed them but now as i said it's hell.
The doctor should give them to you for no more than short term use, 2 to 4 weeks, but I chose to take to take them so can't blame any doctor for my addicton. I wish to hell i'd never started them in the first place.
I have cut down by half and that was from 12mg straight to 6mg a day I didn't know if i was coming or going felt seriously ill whilst doing so, but I just can't seem to cut down anymore and after so long on them it's true to say that i am scared stiff to do so.:lac:

decca
09-03-09, 13:44
Further to my posts last year.
I've managed to reduce my Diaz. to 1mg per day,0.5mg during the day and 0.5mg at night feel pretty much back to normal on that and I don't feel the need to take any before going out like I used to.
I've tried cutting to .5 mg per day but did not feel very comfortable at all so I guess I'm taking them just to stop the withdrawal symptoms.

Best wishes.

severina
29-03-09, 00:10
i've just been given several 5mg tablets to use as an when needed as they are yet to find a long term med that doesn't make me like a zombie. i took one yesterday, worked great but now i'm worried about the side effects as it leaves my system. i've got the shakes and am still 24+ hours later totally emotionless. I can find info about long term withdrawal but nothing about when you only take it occasionally. Does anyone have ideas? I've also been given Cipralex for every day use, but the idea of combinning 2 meds with such sedative effects is concerning..

Can you tell i don't like taking tablets?

Thanks
sev

anx mum
28-05-09, 22:02
On 12mg a day

lizzie27
18-06-09, 23:33
Was just wondering what levels of diazepam people are mostly taking for anxiety? I am finding mine is slowley creeping up so im interested in what other people finds helps.

I agree with the addictive nature of diazepam, am taking over 25mg a day at moment, used to be content with 2mg a day. Stress levels don't seem to be going down. Don't feel anxious though. Someone wrote that they felt stoned after taking 4mg, wish I did!

lizzie27
18-06-09, 23:38
it's better to feel emotionless in the short term whilst I deal with the underlying problems that won't fix themselves overnight.

gypsywomen
25-06-09, 12:57
i stopped after 2 years last week withdrawel is herendoes thing is they ut me on zanax another drug ,but still got bad feelings withdrawel, i need to take a dimaz but on 0,25zanax cant stand feeling s anybody else on zanax and dimazipem

blossom
25-06-09, 23:49
I am on 20 mgs a day forover 30 years, it was 15mgs until they took me off SEROXAT cold turkey, was so ill they upped the diazeam to 20 mgs and all the doctorsntell me if I started to cut down I would be climbing the walls, so I will just have to keep popping them, I could not face the withdrawal, I am bad enough with anxiety now. Was not told they were addictive, and am on Cipralex, I could not face that trauma. from Blossom

drronnie
11-08-09, 09:57
Switched from Clonazepam to Diazepam. 10mg every second day. It is okay. Hope I do not get tolerant.

Luci-loo
16-09-09, 18:10
I only take it rarely. For me it's more of a comfort blanket- I know it's there if I need it (I have some in every jacket handbag and purse I owe, even my OH has some in his wallet for me) but in over 2 years I only got through 2 packets and just got a brand new 3rd pack. I think I like the idea of it and often say "OK if I get worse I'll have some diazepam" or "If I'm not sleeping in 2 hours I'll take some".

I have the 5mg tabs and take half a tb for during the day panics and 5mg for night panics when I want them to put me into a coma.

mikedomican
23-09-09, 22:07
i been giving 5mg take 2 a day but i have had 2 all ready, i want one before bed will i be ok guys?

fishman65
25-09-09, 14:41
I've been on diazepam for 17 years now.My GP wanted to get me back to work in 1992 so put me on 2mg a day.This gradually crept up to 10mg per day.During the mid 90s I would take bigger doses i.e between 20 and 40mg on especially difficult events.However my daily dose is now 10 to 12mg a day....currently 12 as I'm going through a bad spell.One other question...when do you guys take them?I take mine in the morning as one dose to get me down town to buy my newspaper.