Reinstating diazepam

[decca]

Hi All,
Has anyone had to reinstate or up dose the amount of Diazepam they take ?
Is it safe to go back to a higher dosage after a failed withdrawal ?

Best wishes
Decca.

[prism]

If you are just going back to the level you were taking before the drop, you will just be giving your body the medication to the level it craves. You shouldn't need to higher than your previous level as the withdrawal effects will calm down pretty quickly.
It is easier to continue the drop if you realise that if you go back up, all you have gone through was for nothing.
I know what hell it is to drop diazepam as i am in the process of coming off it and withdrawal for me lasts up to 12 weeks for every drop i do.

[decca]

Thanks prism,
I'm really battling at staying at .5mg, but yea you're right to go back would be a waste and I know I would only have to go through the battlefield again to withdraw further.
Perhaps I've been withdrawing to much to fast at .5mg every 2 or 3 weeks and I need to stabilise on the last .5mg for longer.
I've noticed the symptoms last a lot longer than the book says.
Another part of me says that I need the 2mg per day I used to take to prevent the tension etc. I used to suffer before starting them.

I hope your withdrawal goes well ,how much are you down to ?

Decca.

[prism]

Hi Decca,
I am down to 1mg now and i intend to drop again after Christmas. I have been dropping a mg at a time but this drop will be split into two drops a couple of weeks apart.
It takes me 12 weeks from a drop to feel ok again so i don't drop til i have stabilised.
I have been told i will be able to use it again once i am completely off it though i doubt if i will. Also i don't think it has made a difference to me for years so what is the point of me taking it.

Prism

[decca]

Sounds like you're nearly there, at 2mg I split the dose into 4 equal quarters,.5mg morning,mid day,evening and bedtime,I dropped the mid day one,then 3 weeks later dropped the evening one then another 3 weeks dropped the bedtime one leaving just .5mg each morning.
I think I'll try holding this dose until after Christmas and see how it goes.

I've found this video on water tapering if it's any use to you
http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl66122.swf&video_id=EeMz6NcPqQ0&rel=1&showsearch=1&eurl=&iurl=http%3A//i2.ytimg.com/vi/EeMz6NcPqQ0/hqdefault.jpg&sk=HD0keUTLj8qQ0EERE9Kv9UluOJifW7PyC&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&amp=&fs=1&hl=en

it sposed to make things easier on the final stages - the mg to ml conversion is -
1 ml = 0.4 mg
0.75 ml = 0.3 mg
0.5 ml = 0.2 mg
0.4 ml = 0.16 mg
0.3 ml = 0.12 mg
0.25 ml = 0.1 mg
0.2 ml = 0.08 mg
0.1 ml = 0.04 mg

Best wishes.
Decca

[Cathy V]

Hi Decca, just wanted to wish you good luck with the withdrawal, its not a walk in the park is it. Stay strong...:yesyes:

Cath xxx

[decca]

Thanks Cath,
I never thought 2mg per day would effect me like this on withdrawal, 'spose it's 'cos I've been on it for 10 months continuous.
Problem is I'm now getting my old symptoms back as before I started the Diaz. plus PA's thrown in for good measure -strange thing is I wasn't getting PA's until I started coming off the stuff.
The question now is do I withdraw further,go back up to 1mg per day or just try to stabilise at 0.5mg per day ? - I've been at .5mg per day for 3 weeks now so I would have thought I should have stabilised by now.
When I told my heart Doc. that I'd halved my dose tp 1mg she said she was pleased but to hold it at 1mg.

I read your last email and I'm pleased they've started to sort your problems out.

Best wishes
Decca.

[Elaine19825]

Hi Decca,

Keep up with the good work. you're doing really well. Just thought i'd post to let you know i've not taken a D for 26 days and am very proud of myself. Not sure how long the withdrawal goes on for cos still get symptoms but am trying really hard not to take it.

Keep strong - you will get there

E x

[Sleepless999]

Hi Decca - I have been withdrawaing from 10mg Diazepam daily for 18 months, following the Ashton Manual. The manual states that you should never reduce by more than 10% at a time, and you should then allow your body to stabilise. If you cut from 2mg to 1.5mg, I'm sure that drop was way too big at these small amounts (25% in fact). I am down to 1mg and have been using liquid Diazepam (5mg in 5ml) and a 1ml syringe. A full syringe is 1mg and this can be reduced down to .9 mg, .8mg etc. I have found that even these small reductions have hit me hard by about day 3 and it's amazing how your body notices. Most doctors don't have a clue about withdrawal - mine told me to cold turkey which could have been very dangerous. It may help you to read the Ashton Manual online - it's free and it really works, but it takes patience! They prefer you not to updose, but it sounds as if you should go back to where you were, stabilise and then begin a much slower withdrawal - if your symptoms are unbearable. Obviously if you can put up with whatever is happening, stay where you are for maybe a month and then take it MUCH slower.

[decca]

Thanks Elaine,
Congrats on your 26 days,you must feel that you've really achieved something, I'm told the symptoms can go on for a few months after withdrawal but with windows of normality becoming more frequent.
I've managed to get past the last few days and still holding at 0.5mg per day,probably 'till after the Christmas social events.
Like Cath says - it aint a walk in the park.

It's good to get the support of others going through withdrawal - Where's that withdrawal support section ? http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30635&highlight=withdrawal+section


Best wishes
Decca.

[decca]

Hi Skippy,
Where did you get the Diaz, syrup ? - my Doc. said it was no longer available in the UK. Also said that it was OK to jump off at .25mg, not to happy about cutting further yet tho. I'm seeing my Doc. on Friday to some bloods results so I'll tackle her about it again.

Decca.

[Sleepless999]

Hi Decca - The 5mg in 5ml Diazepam is available on a private prescription through your GP (it costs about £12 but lasts for ages, as a bottle is 100ml!)The pharmacy at my local surgery order it in for me, but it's there the next day. The one that is readily available is 2mg in 5ml, but the maths are easier with the other. Looking on my bottle, it's called Diazepam Forte Syrup from a company called Sandoz. It hasn't been withdrawn, it's just not on the NHS list of recommended drugs. Hope this helps!:)

[decca]

Thanks Skippy that's absalutely brilliant , you're a star. I'm not very experienced in private medicine - do you pay the Doc. for the prescription and the pharmacy for the drug ( in my case Boots ) ? would I also have to pay for a private consultation with my Doc. to get the script ?.
I felt quite a bit better yesterday and loads better today, almost normal - well as I remember it anyway, so I guess my body and ze leetle grey cells need that amount of time to adjust. Yea you're right about .5 mg (25%) is a very big cut and I shouldn't have been so impatient.If my Doc. still pleads ignorance about the D. liquid I'll try the water titration method as in the video - http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf...=&fs=1&hl= en (http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl66122.swf&video_id=EeMz6NcPqQ0&rel=1&showsearch=1&eurl=&iurl=http%3A//i2.ytimg.com/vi/EeMz6NcPqQ0/hqdefault.jpg&sk=HD0keUTLj8qQ0EERE9Kv9UluOJifW7PyC&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&amp=&fs=1&hl=en)

In the 60's I was addicted to Phenobarbitone and other barbiturates,I had to wean myself off of that but it was a doddle compared to this stuff,even giving up smoking 9 years ago was easier in comparison.

BTW -
Strangely I think we're going around in circles a bit with our replies ,Lol - I replied to you and put the conversion table for 2mg in 5ml a couple of posts back, before I know you were on liquid. I also added a link to the Ashton manual in a reply to you on your other thread here -
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=40297

Lol -never mind it all adds good info.

Very best wishes and hope you're feeling OK.
Decca.

[Sleepless999]

Hi Decca - Becauase I live in a small village, my local GP practice dispenses prescriptions from their own pharmacy - from what I gather, the Doctor writes out the prescription in the normal way when you go and see him/her (no need for a private consultation) and in your case, Boots would do the ordering and you would pay them. I do believe that using this syrup is more accurate than water titration because it's in a suspension and therefore very evenly distributed - I don't even have to shake the bottle, although I always do! I've noticed that down at this level, I've had to be SO exact, or my GABA receptors and nervous system go bananas!! I'm staying on 1mg for a while at the moment because I had some wicked withdrawal a couple of weeks ago - keep in touch because I'd be very intersted to know how you are getting on! Take care, Skippy. :)

[decca]

Thanks Skippy,
Yea syrup is the recomended method at the lower doses,even cutting a 2mg tablet in two is hit and miss,you always get one bit bigger even though it's scored.
I'm seeing my Doc. on Friday so I'll post back after that.

Keep well,
Decca.

[decca]

Well, I saw my Doc. today for the results of my last round of routine heart and blood tests,the stats showed that my heart condition had regressed to how they were before they put me on Diazepam back in February, so I've been told to reinstate to 1mg per day for now and not to try withdrawing any further.
So I guess I'm dependant on it in a way, I'm a bit dissapointed really and still a bit worried about building up a tolerance to it again and will need to increase the dose , although they told me that this should only happen on doses above 6mg per day.

Decca.

[Sleepless999]

Hi Decca - I'm having to stay on 1mg for now as well - my body can't take any reduction at the moment. It IS a very small dose and now I'm down this low, I'm not going to worry about it! Would be interested to know what your heart condition is and how 1mg can help? Take care, Skippy x

[decca]

Hi Skippy,
Thanks for your reply. I think the Diaz. is just to help keep me calm really rather than as a part of my heart meds. Last October my heart condition worsened and by Jan/Feb. I was experiencing extreme tension which in turn pushed up my heart rate and BP, I was already on the highest dose of my heart meds so one of my Docs. suggested I try Diaz. The script was for 8mg per day, but I decided to restrict myself to 2mg per day,within a week or so I was almost back to normal and able to carry on more or less as usual.
In Sept/Oct. as I was feeling better I thought I would try reduce the amount of Diaz, so I started dropping .5mg every fortnight but regretably my symptoms returned.

Best wishes
Decca.

[Sleepless999]

Hi Decca - Well if you can manage on 1mg that's brilliant! I guess we've both found our minimum level, although I don't have heart problems (other than arrhythmias) - Well Done!!:)

[decca]

Yea I think you're right and I'm not that worried if I have to go back up to 2mg per day, I just want to be able to function as normal as I can for myself and family.
How do you take your 1mg, I take .5mg in the morning and another .5mg in the evening.

Decca.

[Sleepless999]

Hi Decca - Because my original problem was insomnia, I got into the habit of taking all my Diazepam at night because it made me sleep. As I have reduced, I have continued to do so because the half life of this drug is so long, that I don't think it makes much difference. Personally, because I used to be on so much, I don't think 1mg does anything at all for me, but I need to take it to prevent withdrawal symptoms. As far as anxiety goes, I'm pretty sure that it doesn't make any difference to me. My anxiety is caused by benzo. withdrawal, but I'm nearly there now and I'm hoping that once I stop altogether, my symptoms will eventually go away!:)

[decca]

I think you're right about your anxiety,I didn't have pa's until I started reducing my Diaz. I was OK until I got down to .75mg and a lot worse on .5mg.
You might want to have a chat with CathV about the last bit of your withdrawal,she's been though it and come out OK, she's also a very good councillor.

Decca.

[jodie]

hiya decca

i just wanted to ask how easy was it to get this drug of your doc ?
i was very panic last week and my friend gave me a diaz and well it did make me feel woozy and wobbly but it did calm me down some
my ex is a lot better than it was last year and when i called my doctor he said he would not give me any as he feels people get dependant on then and i should try and get through this without them ? can you take the odd one when your not feeling good or do you need to take them every day to get the best affects?.
i have never taken anything before for my ex as i have ha and it scares me taking anything but these did help so much just on that day

jodix

[Cathy V]

Hi Jodie, just in case decca doesnt pick this up today for you, im sure he wont mind me answering your question. As far as im aware, docs will give these out on an 'as and when' basis, for times of stress such as flying or taking exams etc. and usually in very low doses. But not all of the docs like to do it, just depends on what your doc thinks about the idea. Also, the one you took might have been a high dose so maybe thats why you felt so woozy.

Cath xx

[decca]

No probs Cath,
Yea my daughter gets them when she has to fly and I think that is the norm. there are other users like myself where the Doc. knows we would't abuse them that are able to get them on repeat - I get 56 x 2mg tabs along with my heart meds every 2 months.

Decca.