After 40 years meds are to be stopped...

[budgiesinmyhair]

Just hanging on until Thursday after another rough night. Over the last couple of days I increased the Citalopram as suggested by the psychiatrist and wonder if this has kicked off the dread and panic again. Waiting in the queue in Sainsburys I felt as if I had to get outside for no reason at all. I don't think reading in the letter to my GP about the withdrawal plan has made me feel so bad as I coped well enough over the weekend. I even lost my nerve about phoning other GPs yesterday just in case they said 'no I can't take you.' I'm just hoping it's the Citalopram as I can at least cut them back to 10mg with hopefully some relief.

Jan.x

[budgiesinmyhair]

All OK now thank goodness. You would have thought I was going to the guillotine the state I managed to get myself in. My psychiatrist explained that he'd written what he had in the letter as he had to be seen to be doing his job. He wasn't going to force me to stop them if I didn't want to and would still get them to back off if I wanted. What he did say was that if I just try to cut them down by half a day to start with he would help with a non addictive anti anxiety drug. He's going to see me twice more then refer me to a NHS psychiatrist and also see me with the GP after surgery within the next couple of weeks. I hope I've done the right thing but I'm going to give it a go.

Jan.x

[ElizabethJane]

I think that you are being very brave. You will still have the psychiatrists support for the next few sessions. Did he tell you what anti anxiety non addictive drug he was going to use to help in the weaning process? Is this what you want? Sorry loads of questions. Are you going to try to give them up or are you staying on them?

[KK77]

So glad you're making some progress Jan! The main issue here I think is for you to have time to do things your way. Being pushed into things causes anxiety, and when you're ready I'm sure you'd love to be free of benzos, because although they do appear to help, in my opinion, they also rob you of your ability to face life's ups and downs. The same can be said for all pych meds I suppose, but it's just that benzos are so addictive, as you've said yourself. There are "nonaddictive" alternatives like trazodone and buspirone but the withdrawal symptoms from the oxazepam will still remain, as the nonaddictive ones don't act immediately like benzoz do.

The problem is not whether you should or shouldn't come off but for you to have absolutely no pressure from others. Consequently, I'm sure you'll do the right thing for you in your own time.

Take care x

[budgiesinmyhair]

Thank you ElizabethJane and Mel for your words of support and also highlighting questions I'd thought of too. To be honest as good as these benzos have been in the past I think after all these years they probably help less than they did initially. It's just the total addiction to them that fuels the need after all these years in my experience.
ElizabethJane, please don't apologise for the questions as I'd been asking myself the same things I've been having just a few doubts as you do but the support is supposedly going to be there. It would be nice to be able to have them back if I couldn't cope but maybe that's asking too much of the professionals. He didn't say what anti anxiety drug but I'll update as soon as I know. I've been reading about buspirone and it seems as if the effects are comparable to diazepam. I wonder if they'll leave me on them if I need something if and when I'm hopefully weaned? More Q's for my psych.
Mel, yes I absolutely agree as it was the pressure of cutting back too quickly that sent me into such a panic. I was in such a state this morning that I think he could see that if he pushed me any further I would have happily gone into hospital. The fact that he's not pushed but just offered a lifeline seems to have pulled me back. Again I feel as long as I'm left with something then all will be well. I'm hoping it will be a positive experience and that I'll be able to offer hope and advice eventually on here to others in the same postion. I dread to think what would have happened if I'd been lumbered with my first young GP? So my first advice to anyone would be to go over their heads if you possibly can and fight all the way if you feel they are in the wrong.

Jan.x

[budgiesinmyhair]

Hi to everyone who helped me here Just an update to let you know how I've come through. I saw my psychiatrist again on Tuesday, he's been so supportive. I must be lucky that he's a senior consultant? and has said that whatever his opinion my GP will go along with it. He sees fit to keep me on my meds (Oxazepam) for the forseable future. I'm sure he understood that nothing would be gained by stopping them after all these years. The alternative would have been to prescribe a Tamazepine? while I reduced Oxapepam but because I was so upset about stopping them he's not going to push things. He's advised that I take vitamin B stong and folic acid to help with any damage that Oxazepam may have caused over the years and said that maybe in 20 years or so I might get a slight tremor but understands that I'm happy to take the risk. I feel that after all this time I'm probably physically addicted to these meds but that it goes with the territory of taking a benzodiazepine for so long. At last I feel at peace now that they are going to leave me alone. My GP made me feel as if I'm weak because I didn't want to stop them (statements like 'patients like you' etc.) but my psychiatrist has made me feel worthwhile again.

Jan.x

[KK77]

Hi Jan
Good to hear that you've finally got things sorted out. Not sure why you'd be switched to temazepam, which is just another benzo? But anyway, I'm glad that you've been given the choice whether or not to stay on your medication and you're being supported by your psychiatrist.
For some reason my GP didn't give me a repeat script and I've been left without sertraline over the weekend after I left a note for my GP to call me. There'll be hell to pay for on monday though, when I go in...
Take care of yourself! xx

[ElizabethJane]

Hello Jan I'm glad that you have made the right decision for you to stay on the oxazepan. I am having a hellish time at the moment because I am coming off dothiepin after twenty years of use. I dont seem to have any panic or anxiety b ut overwhelming feelings of sleepiness, wanting to be sick and feeling as if I am going to pass out. I just hope in a week or sos time I will be feeling better. Well done for sticking with your decision and being strong. I have alot to learn from your posts Jan.

[budgiesinmyhair]

Hi Mel and ElizabethJane and thank you both for your replies,

Mel I thought the same too and after researching Temazepam it seems as if it's much stronger than the benzos I already take. Surely it would have been even harder to give them up eventually as I can't imagine he would have left me on them so I'm really confused about that one too. I did read that they make you very sleepy and can make you extremely over confident etc. so I'm glad he is letting me stay with the one that just calm me down enough to function normally. I hope that you sorted your repeat scrip out and that it was just an oversight with your GP? It's not pleasant being without this kind of medication when used to taking it so I'll be thinking of you, take care of yourself too, Jan.x

ElizabethJane, yes I'm sure now too that it's the right decision after such a long time. I do hope that your GP is supporting you while reducing Dothiepin and that you are feeling better soon. The symptoms sound very unpleasant and he/she will hopefully be monitering them? I'm so glad you have been able to learn some things from my posts and I'll be thinking of you while you are cutting down the meds and hope it's the right thing for you. Take care, Jan.x

[budgiesinmyhair]

Sorry for a mix up with my 'azepines' due to thinking that my psychiatrist had said temazepine (temazepam?) when he must have said mirtazepine. As mirtazepine is an anti-depressant I believe that they would have 'helped' while I reduced the Oxazepam. I'm not sure how that works though. Jan.x