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Thread: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

  1. #1

    Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Hi all

    I have GAD. I usually need to take 10mg of Diazepam to get on a flight. I’ve got my best mates stag do this weekend which will obviously involve alcohol, I’m both terrified to go and terrified to miss it! (First flight without my partner)

    - If I take diazepam at 5am for my Friday morning flight, will it be safe to have a few drinks the same evening?
    - or if I wait til the Saturday night to have a drink, is it then safe to take diazepam the Sunday morning after for my flight home?

    I have never even considered the effect the two have on each other til now as I’m not a big drinker. If holidaying with my girlfriend I usually have 2-3 drinks the night of arrival with diazepam still in my system and never felt side effects except being a bit tired. It is only now reading up on it ahead of this trip I am wondering if I have been/will be putting myself in danger

    Apologies if this subject has been done to death on the forum, but any honest advice/your own experiences would be massively appreciated

    Jonny

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    122

    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    I'm sure you will be fine with a few drinks on the night you arrive. But I would consider taking just 5mg before leaving home and then another 5mg at the airport if you still feel very anxious. I think with all your mates around you, the lower dose would be enough. Same on the way home. Wait and take them until you really really need them. Amazing what the support of some good friends can do to your nerves!
    Have fun.

  3. #3

    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Quote Originally Posted by Cherryade View Post
    I'm sure you will be fine with a few drinks on the night you arrive. But I would consider taking just 5mg before leaving home and then another 5mg at the airport if you still feel very anxious. I think with all your mates around you, the lower dose would be enough. Same on the way home. Wait and take them until you really really need them. Amazing what the support of some good friends can do to your nerves!
    Have fun.
    Thanks so much for your advice. I will try to space out 2 doses as suggested, hopefully that stops any panic escalating in the airport

    Unfortunately though, it’s going with my friends that’s making me most nervous! It’s my first trip without my partner so not having that support is really worrying me. My friends aren’t aware of my mental health problems and I want to keep it that way if I can. (They’re good friends but not the most mature!)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    You might be surprised at how mature one or two of them might be if you told them, and it would make your life a WHOLE lot easier if they knew.

  5. #5

    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Quote Originally Posted by ankietyjoe View Post
    You might be surprised at how mature one or two of them might be if you told them, and it would make your life a WHOLE lot easier if they knew.
    Yeah I guess. I suppose part of me likes them not knowing and treating me any different, so on my good days with them I can be back to feeling how I used to before i developed GAD.

    Either way, the diazepam/alcohol thing is still going to be an issue for me so any advice/personal experience from anyone would be a huge help

  6. #6
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    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Well mixing booze and benzo's is a bad idea in my opinion. I think the effects are unpredictable and potentially (very) dangerous.

    I know you've come here to reduce your anxiety about mixing these two things, but I have first hand experience of somebody who used to do the same.

    If it were me, I'd choose one or the other. Mixing them is a bit of a lottery.

  7. #7

    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Quote Originally Posted by ankietyjoe View Post
    Well mixing booze and benzo's is a bad idea in my opinion. I think the effects are unpredictable and potentially (very) dangerous.

    I know you've come here to reduce your anxiety about mixing these two things, but I have first hand experience of somebody who used to do the same.

    If it were me, I'd choose one or the other. Mixing them is a bit of a lottery.
    Thanks for honest advice. Much appreciated.

    Do you think there would be enough diazepam in my system to warrant avoiding alcohol the following evening? So 36 hours after taking it.

  8. #8
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    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Quote Originally Posted by Jonnyboy1973 View Post
    Thanks for honest advice. Much appreciated.

    Do you think there would be enough diazepam in my system to warrant avoiding alcohol the following evening? So 36 hours after taking it.
    I would imagine the risk there would be extremely low to the point of being irrelevant.

    I would also suggest spacing your drinks out to maybe one unit every hour or so and a maximum of three drinks? Maybe tell your mates you're taking some medication and can't get drunk? They don't need to know what it is.

    I would be mindful of having a 'reaction' to both chemicals in your system which might freak you out, on top of being abroad without your partner. If you start to feel weird or dizzy, that might really spike the chances of having a bad panic attack, it would for me anyway! To be honest you'll probably be ok if you take a small dose at 5am then drink later than evening...if you keep the volume of alcohol low. I would just prefer to err on the side of caution. And make sure you eat loads during the day!

    Kudos for going too, I'm sure you'll be fine.

  9. #9

    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    Quote Originally Posted by ankietyjoe View Post
    I would imagine the risk there would be extremely low to the point of being irrelevant.

    I would also suggest spacing your drinks out to maybe one unit every hour or so and a maximum of three drinks? Maybe tell your mates you're taking some medication and can't get drunk? They don't need to know what it is.

    I would be mindful of having a 'reaction' to both chemicals in your system which might freak you out, on top of being abroad without your partner. If you start to feel weird or dizzy, that might really spike the chances of having a bad panic attack, it would for me anyway! To be honest you'll probably be ok if you take a small dose at 5am then drink later than evening...if you keep the volume of alcohol low. I would just prefer to err on the side of caution. And make sure you eat loads during the day!

    Kudos for going too, I'm sure you'll be fine.
    Yeah I was thinking of trying to space drinks out in that way. Maybe ordering a few shandies or soft drinks and hope they don’t notice! Ill be disciplined with my intake, I know my limits quite well and am experienced now with diazepam, it just shocked me to read some of the warnings about mixing online when no GP has mentioned this to me before!

    ( And trust me, eating won’t be a problem! )

    It doesn’t feel brave to be going at the moment, more insanely stupid. It’s all I can think about at the moment, lots of irrational thoughts about what could happen and how my friends would react etc. Very concerned about sleep, or lack of, and how that might affect me.

    Doing my very best to stay in as positive frame of mind as I can, you’ve certainly helped with that so thanks!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    4,889

    Re: Diazepam and Alcohol - Staying safe

    One thing I've learned over the years is to trust in other people to look after you if it all goes to shit (which it never does....).

    There's an in built compassion in all people and if your friends see you struggling, they will help you.

    The issue, is in US! The issue is that we don't want to feel vulnerable.

    It's the thinking about it that's always worse than the actual event!

    Whatifitis!

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