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joannap
24-12-10, 22:31
i know there are similar posts but just looking for some reassurance. i have posted in the panic attack section to explain what has been happening to me but basically my anxiety has been so high over the last 3 weeks i have been taken up to casualty for psychiatric assessment and have made several desperate calls to the out of hours gp too plus seeing my gp every 2 days. my mum and husband have not been able to leave me alone for a minute i have been that bad and i am no stranger to anxiety but i have never experienced fear on this level before - it has been HELL.

What finally tipped me over the edge 3 weeks ago after coming off citalopram plus a lot of family tragedy was a bad reaction to a stomach drug which left me unable to sit still for 24 hrs - the doctor simply put it down to anxiety and gave me citalopram and 14 x 2mg diazapam. when i made the connection to the stomach drug - i had to take valium to stop the terrible restlessness which did leave me the next day. Over the next few days i then spiralled into a big black hole but was absolutely terrified about re starting medication due to the reaction i had had to the stomach drug.

2 weeks ago i was persuaded to take prozac and these 2 weeks have been HELL with side effects - hence the trips to out of hours/assessments etc. even though i have been climbing the walls - i have taken the 2mg diazapam sparingly and not every day. the psychiatrist who carried out my assessment gave me 7 x 5mg diazapam - however - i was only still 4-5 days into taking prozac and so still had some terrible days where i literally spent all day sat crying my eyes out with my mum holding my hand.

this was only on tuesday - so very recently i have been in a dire state. my gp prescribed me some more 5mg diazapam and told me to take 2 a day for two days and then one today and then see how i go until i see her next wednesday. i am also on zoplicone to help me sleep.

she has reassured me that i do not have an addictive personality and is confident that the more the prozac kicks in - the less i will need anything else to take along side. all in all i have had 14 x 2mg diazapam (of which i still have a few left) and 21 x 5mg of which i have taken 7 - all over the space of three weeks. my gp says that i am in such crisis that it is a case that i need this at present to get me through.

has anyone else been in the same situation? :weep:

jonny
03-01-11, 18:26
First off DO NOT WORRY about taking Diazepam. Its a god send.
Diazepam is a wonder drug for us with anxiety, in fact it is on the World Health Organisations essential medicines list. You should not fear it.
Diazepam has a certain mystique that can create a fear in us that are easily scared, don't allow that to happen as it WILL help you short term.

How are you feeling now after taking it? It is not a drug that takes time to work so you should be feeling it straight away.

Follow you doctors advice and you will be fine.


I have had it prescribed twice, once by a psychiatrist and once by my GP at my request.
When the psychiatrist gave it me i didn't take it as i was too scared of addiction. The second time i got it was to get me on holiday and it worked like a charm and now laugh at my previous fear of it.

I take it only at times of crisis. I am going on a skiing holiday on saturday and expect to be taking 6mg for the flight and maybe a couple of 6mg days whilst i am there. It allows me to enjoy normal life in situations that are unfamiliar to me.
When i am at home i can tolerate my anxiety but i cannot ruin my families holidays by freaking out.

joannap
13-01-11, 20:14
hi jonny

thanks for your reply. i am 5 weeks into prozac and neither me or the gp are sure it is working as i have some days where i am more stable but still feel very on edge and then i have days where i am literally crying and panicking all day. my gp has insisted i take valium - she says that even if i take it every day for weeks until i get stable on a medication - she will withdraw it slowly. i took 5mg yesterday (it definitely takes the edge of and softens anxiety) but none today - trying to keep it for when i feel really bad. hope you enjoyed your hols x

ElizabethJane
13-01-11, 20:38
Dear Joanna I had no idea that you were suffering like this. Are you waiting to see a psychiatrist? It sounds like your poor body is on 'high alert' I have experienced terrible anxiety too interspersed with panic attacks. I was prescribed diazepan too. I didn't get addicted to it either and I found it useful too. It took the edge off the anxiety. I have no experience of prozac and I hope as your GP has said it will start to kick in soon. Trying to keep yourself 'calm' is difficult I expect. It is diffucult to climb out of anxiety once it has started to take a hold. Is zopiclone working? EJ

joannap
13-01-11, 21:11
hi EJ

many thanks for your reply. i honestly feel like i have been in a version of a living hell for around 7 weeks now. all the other times i have been on an ssri - it has pulled me out in around 2 weeks - having said that - i think i was the worst i had ever been before starting medication this time.

i saw my gp yesterday after 4 days of crying virtually all day and not knowing where to put myself with panic and depression (my poor mother and husband!) and she rang the on duty psychiatrist at the hospital. he is in agreement with her to double the prozac and if no significant improvement happens within 2 weeks they will have to try something else - perhaps an older type of ad - although i explained that two tricyclics i have tried just made my heart race and did nothing else but she told me the name of one that is not meant to have these affects but i cannot remember it offhand. she also said that anti convulsant medicines can be useful too.

the zoplicone is working to some degree - i am getting some sleep although quite broken. i am a little concerned about doubling the prozac (started today) but have read quite a few posts on here about people who have done so and not appeared to have suffered the initial start up effects as i really do not think i could cope with feeling worse.

can i ask how long you had to take diazapam for? x

JT69
15-01-11, 14:51
Hi Joanna,

Just wanted to send you a hug:hugs:and hopefully some re-assurance. You sound like you have been going through it. I have taken diazepam when my anxiety hits high levels. When I first became ill this last time (October 2009), I started out back on citalopram which didnt work and ended up on mirtazipine. I was suffering with terriable anxiety like you describe and just could hardly get out of bed. The diazepam did help me an awful lot and I couldnt sleep either so was on zopilone for that. I just took the diazepam when I felt I just couldn't cope instead of regularly but I did this for around 3 weeks....I think like you I dont get addictive to meds so I can easlily take or leave it.

So please dont be afraid to use it until your meds kick in...I hope they do soon. I was like you too though on srri's where you have some good days then you go back into dispair and think you have gone totally back to where you started...this isn' t the case...the good days become more and the bad ones less.

I really hope you feel better soon.

TC
Jo.xx

Trizzy
07-04-11, 17:15
I have been on prozac for five weeks and still have horrendous side effects, today i practically begged the gp to help me cos i am so desperate. She has given me 2mg of diazepan to take three times a day for the next week. I spend all day crying and am now such a burden to my family. i have taken my first diazepan and slept for a while but woke feeling lke i have a hangover, is this normal?

Lizzyg
07-04-11, 22:49
I tried prozac it was horrendous!!! I am on Sertraline now which I have found is far less stimulating.
I took diazepam as well for a number of weeks can't remember how long as that time is a bit of a blur. I did come off them really easy just stopped no problem at all. They did help a little but I found they did make me drowsy and hungover. on't be scared to take the diazepam I found it a godsend during a very difficult 2 months. xx

haz
08-04-11, 01:19
i know there are similar posts but just looking for some reassurance. i have posted in the panic attack section to explain what has been happening to me but basically my anxiety has been so high over the last 3 weeks i have been taken up to casualty for psychiatric assessment and have made several desperate calls to the out of hours gp too plus seeing my gp every 2 days. my mum and husband have not been able to leave me alone for a minute i have been that bad and i am no stranger to anxiety but i have never experienced fear on this level before - it has been HELL.

What finally tipped me over the edge 3 weeks ago after coming off citalopram plus a lot of family tragedy was a bad reaction to a stomach drug which left me unable to sit still for 24 hrs - the doctor simply put it down to anxiety and gave me citalopram and 14 x 2mg diazapam. when i made the connection to the stomach drug - i had to take valium to stop the terrible restlessness which did leave me the next day. Over the next few days i then spiralled into a big black hole but was absolutely terrified about re starting medication due to the reaction i had had to the stomach drug.

2 weeks ago i was persuaded to take prozac and these 2 weeks have been HELL with side effects - hence the trips to out of hours/assessments etc. even though i have been climbing the walls - i have taken the 2mg diazapam sparingly and not every day. the psychiatrist who carried out my assessment gave me 7 x 5mg diazapam - however - i was only still 4-5 days into taking prozac and so still had some terrible days where i literally spent all day sat crying my eyes out with my mum holding my hand.

this was only on tuesday - so very recently i have been in a dire state. my gp prescribed me some more 5mg diazapam and told me to take 2 a day for two days and then one today and then see how i go until i see her next wednesday. i am also on zoplicone to help me sleep.

she has reassured me that i do not have an addictive personality and is confident that the more the prozac kicks in - the less i will need anything else to take along side. all in all i have had 14 x 2mg diazapam (of which i still have a few left) and 21 x 5mg of which i have taken 7 - all over the space of three weeks. my gp says that i am in such crisis that it is a case that i need this at present to get me through.

has anyone else been in the same situation? :weep:

YES! Take the diazepam. Your psychiatrist and GP are quite right.

Best Wishes. x

laurel
08-04-11, 11:41
Tbh I wouldn't worry about taking it at all. If your anxiety is anywhere near as bad as mine then 2mg will have no effect on you whatsoever.

VickiS
28-05-11, 08:56
Take the diazepam, it works wonders for short term use honestly I've been in your situation and it was a god send for me x