Diazepam

[decca]

Hi,
I'm thinking of stopping my 2mg per day Diaz. been taking it now for 13 weeks but I'm a bit worried that I'll hit problems and was wondering if you can restart it again with the same effect.
I was thinking of tapering by 1/4 mg per day in 2 week intervals.
Has anyone withdrawn from Diazepam and had to start taking it again ?
Does it still work ?
Cheers
Decca

[Tom_M]

Hi decca

Diazepam is just a muscle relaxant. If you stay off it for some time, it will have the same effect as when you first started taking it.

[decca]

Thanks Tom,
I was thinking more on the lines of can I reinstate after reducing for a couple of weeks and it doesn't agree with me.
I've read The Ashton manual and it seems to concentrate on high dose long term users ( 20 years ) which aint much use to someone that's been taking 2mg for 3 months.
Cheers
Decca.

[kazzie]

Hi Decca

I have 5mg Diaz tabs on an as and when basis


They always work for me whether I take one 3 days running or none for a month

I would just stop them dead and taper if you have withdrawels

That said Im not a doctor this is my opinion and if your doc says otherwise then ignore me!!!!!

Kaz x

[decca]

Hi & thanks Kaz,
Have you ever taken them for longer periods, I've been taken them for 3 months now,Doc said to just stop them dead and Pharmacist said to taper them down slowly.
Decca

[maddie]

2mg is a very low dose. They are short acting, so there is no permanent build up in your system. You shouldn't have any problem just stopping them. If you really want to taper off, take one tablet every other day for a week.

[decca]

Thanks Maddie,
I thought Diaz. had the longest half life of all the Benzo's -aprox 100 hours, so therefore surely there would be a build up in the system, wouldn't there ? or am I looking at it the wrong way ?
Decca.

[prism]

I have been taking diazepam for 8 years and i am coming off them slowly. I have got it down to 2mg and i have been dropping at a mg at a time. From now on i will be dropping at a half a mg at a time as the lower i go the bigger the percentage drop. You will be able to take them again when you are totally free of them and they will work as they should do but only on a ad hoc basis, never more than 3 times a week is recommended. I have been on them so long i get bad withdrawal from them. Lasting up to 10-12 weeks. Diazepams half life is 200 hours.

[decca]

Hi Prism,
That's very helpful thank you.
Sorry to hear you're getting nasty withdrawals, where you getting them before you started withdrawing ?
is it because you are making to large a cut 1mg seems a fairly big cut, according to the Ashton manual 10% of the previous dose is recomended.
http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha00.htm

Best wishes
Decca

[kazzie]

Hi Decca

I have never taken them on a long term basis only ever as and when

Kaz x x x