Dr won’t prescribe me diazepam aibu ?

[Bluewaterbottlebig]

So been mad stressed since the summer
building work going wrong
costing loads and non stop stress
mess hassle etc

as a result of this I’ve had bad bad insomnia and generally stressed
never been like this before

anyway asked for diazepam for given 14x 2mg
so have to take 3 to get any effect to help me sleep

so that’s only 4 and a half doses

so in 6 months I’ve only had 8 doses
but it’s massively massively helped
and I don’t get any side effects from it

dr did give me 14 zopiclone but I get bad side effects
Brain zaps
and feeling wired and feeling horrible in general and v v dry mouth
i still have about six of these to take as gave up on them
due to how horrible they make you feel

I've done all the good sleep hygiene practices
bath milk no screen time before bed
already don’t read the news at night
avoiding stress as much as I can

but I know this is a temporary situation
but I need help getting through the next few weeks
as the lack of sleep is making me unable to function properly

bit the dr os refusing to prescribe me anymore diazepam but I’ve only had it prescribed twice to me in six months
2 lots of 14 x 2mg tabs
Which having to 6mg to get any effect to sleep works out to 9 doses !!!

the dr won’t prescribe me anymore
so aibu

i desperately need sleep and these doenst cause me side effects
even if I could only take it once or twice a week it would be such a relief

I’m also been trying loads of other complimentary treatments too
massage etc and I’m booked in to try acupuncture
reflex only

please help
cant function properly without sleep and I’ve tried all the otc sleep stuff too

what are you doing for the MD? maybe sort that out first and then you have a bigger range of medications to try. (I'm optometrist, so can help with solutions).

@MakeMineALarge1 nytol really helps me too but it is an antihistamine which OP says she can’t have because of dry eyes.

GPs can prescribe melatonin to over 55s but it is also really easy to buy on numerous websites. I have been doing this for years for DD and I with no issues. A doctor actually suggested we did it.

My insomnia was caused by anxiety and perimenopause z 50mg Sertraline stopped the over rumination and physical symptoms of anxiety. HRT has helped massively massively with sleep. Topical oestrogen daily and utrogestan (for second half of month). I realise my perimenopause symptoms actually started in my late 30s but did not get HRT til 44 as I did not connect the dots until i was about 43. As I was under 45, lots of other tests were done to rule out other issues and then I was prescribed HRT and it worked so fast. Wouldn't be with without that and Sertraline. The latter I only realised once I'd started it and also did some Neurocycling (see Dr Caroline Leaf online. - game changer) that I realised how long i'd been living with prior trauma and existing stress.

Good post. Drugs are not the way. Find another way.

What kind of building work and why is it still going since summer? What went wrong? I agree that building/renovations can be stressful, but needing diazepam? Really?

I asked my GP for sleeping tablets around June last year, he said doctors are no longer prescribing them because they find they don't help, you become desensitised to it and need more and more, and become addicted. I asked a few other people locally and they all said the same thing that GPs are phasing out sleeping pills and no longer prescribing them if you aren't already on them.

They seem to be pushing Melatonin these days, because I was given a script for that. And told to try and create regular sleep patterns. Lol. As if it were so easy.

As a fellow insomniac I understand you just want to sleep and you feel you know what will fix that (medication). It's great for a night or two to reset and get over the sick feeling that comes from lack of sleep but as everyone else has said it isn't a long term solution.

Therapy, tech detox, eating right, sleep hygiene is the way to go. Antidepressants are also good, they often come with the side effect of making you sleep. Diazepam is an absolute last resort.

Yes they can, that is exactly what they are prescribing now, instead of things like Diazepam.

I’ve been on diazepam, it’s highly addictive. Was prescribed it after a severe trauma as a 14 day course 3x a day. The withdrawals are something else altogether and caused me worsening mental health because of it. Your doctor is very right not to prescribe it, it should be as heavily restricted as opiate medications.

Melatonin really depends where you are. Locally no gp will prescribe it at all, and psychiatrist will predominantly prescribe for children and older adults.
bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/melatonin/
It will depend what's on your local formulary

It's off licence in a typical adult, a few GPs will prescribe, its more likely that a specialist will bend licencing than a gp.

However some doctors don't take much notice and prescribe what they like!

It's why you'll see very strict use of benzos, antibiotics etc by one doctor and others that are off piste

Try promethazine- it's an anti histamine now used for anxiety and insomnia

Re melatonin, this for example is a local formulary of who is eligible for it. It will be different in different areas
So if your gp refuses to prescribe melatonin, or even a specialist refuses, it might not be them being difficult. It really depends on national guidance, and local guidance

The problem being often people hear of friends etc being prescribed, and it might be one maverick doctor not following prescribing guidance, it might be a doctor in a different ccg or even country with totally different recommendations

@Bluewaterbottlebig wise decision by your doctor since you don’t follow the prescribed dosage and are abusing the medication. Why not tell the doctor you had to take 3 at a time, see what they think or even your pharmacist

I appreciate where you are coming from. I had terrible insomnia only sleeping 2 hours a night for 3 months and then I had a breakdown. None of the z drugs worked, I'm allergic to promethazine and had bad side effects with melatonin. When I had to go into hospital I was given lorazapam and it was such a relief. I now get 14 1mg prescribed every month. I just take them when I need them. 1mg for stress/anxiety relief and 2mg for insomnia. But I know they can be very addictive. So just sending solidarity. Insomnia sucks.

Diazeapam is addictive and not a long term solution. The packet even says use for no more than four weeks.

I saw a private psychiatrist who prescribed two packets of 2mg in Dec 2021 and still have some left. I take it once a day very infrequently.

My GP prescribes 4 diazepam every summer to enable me to fly without losing the plot. I had a very bad flying experience years ago and am now paralysed with fear each time I board a plane. Diazepam takes the edge off and allows me to actually get on. I’ve tried other meds including beta blockers. I’ve also done courses and had hypnosis. My GP knows all this. She has been prescribing it for me for almost 10yrs and I have no side affects and no craving or desire to take it any other time.

She did say that she now needs a very good reason why she’s prescribed it and why alternatives won’t work. I don’t think she’d been keen on prescribing any more than she does but I’m very grateful she’s so understanding.

Yes OP, gently you are being unreasonable, but you’re also likely very desperate.

GPs have to work within prescription guidelines and pharmacies also scrutinise prescriptions so you can’t expect them all to break out of those guidelines, which are in place for your safety.

You’ll need to find another solution. It’s out there, you just haven’t found it yet.

the simple fact that your body begins to build tolerances very quickly so each dose becomes ineffective surprisingly quickly

It is quite scary how quickly you build up tolerance. My daughter has a prescription for diazepam to help her deal with some symptoms of her disability.

She started with 1 x 2mg but it didn’t take long for her to have to take 2 x 2mg to get any relief.

Shes had 2 boxes of 14 tablets in 2 years, she’s still got 10 tablets left in the second box, that’s how rarely she takes them, but she’s still managed to build up that tolerance

I struggle with insomnia too and it is awful and I’m very, very sympathetic but diazepam is just not worth the potential addiction problems

I was addicted to diazepam from 19-23 and it's no joke. The 14 a month my dr was prescribing wasn't enough in the end and I was buying them off the internet (please please do not do this, it is not safe) but that's how addicted I was.

I've been on 3.75mg zopiclone every other night for 3 years as it really helps my insomnia and I can take it or leave it. If I go away on holiday, where I know I'll be relaxed or busy, I only take 3 with me and I never use them. If I've had a couple glasses of wine I don't take them and I'm currently 21 weeks pregnant and don't take them at the moment either. My GP (different to GP who was prescribing me lots of diazepam) believes the benefits of a good nights sleep every couple of nights will override any negative things about them. I get 14 prescribed every 28 days or more if I don't use them.

But, benzos are no joke and so addictive. I'd cry and be so angry if I didn't have my fix. At one point I was taking 5 20mg diazepam a day. It's a horrible addiction and horrible to withdraw from.

You need to address your life and the things making you stressed, not pump yourself with medication and carry on as you are.

I am addressing my life and the things that are causing me stress
like completing the building work etc
and I’m trying everything else possible too
bit I need a bit of help in the mean time

I have to say 3 x diazepam to be able to sleep sounds like you're already well on the way to dependency OP. It's very strong and highly habit forming.

I know it's not as simple as saying medication isn't the answer because I know some people need it but I do think there must be a less dangerous alternative.

This! You're already craving the quick fix they gave you. GP is right, you need to manage your stress in other ways.

My GP is reluctant to prescribe any more than 3 zopiclone at a time as they're so addictive. Dh had the worst withdrawal ever and that was after taking only 2 weeks worth. He's now on amyltriptoline for insomnia but that takes a good 6 weeks to start working and had side effects to begin with.

The Antipsychotic Quetiapine can be prescribed for insomnia in very low dose( 25mg IIRC) and it's not addictive
That may be something to discuss with your GP