Taking diazapam for the first time. Handhold?

[PinkLemonadee]

I have a small prescription for diazapam for severe anxiety around my mum's funeral. My GP has advised me to take half (1mg) at home first and I'm freaking terrified of taking it. I'm on my own too which isn't helping.

Definitely try it first. I had 2mg for muscle spasms in my neck. It did not suit me at all. We give toddlers with fractured femur ls bigger doses than I had!

💐 Sending hugs and lots of support at this horrible time, I'm so sorry you for your loss!

Thank you!

I haven't taken any today and aside from some anxiety this morning I feel okay so far. Not craving them or anything and don't feel addicted. I am mildly worried about running out but that's more because I have had the least amount of anxiety I've had in ages in the past week. I've even deep cleaned my house and been eating properly (and gone shopping on my own). My oldest kiddo also gave me a hug yesterday and said I was the mama he remembered.

I have fluoxetine to collect from the pharmacy on Monday and I'm wondering if I should ask the GP for another prescription of diazapam because I found starting antidepressants horrific the last couple of times I've tried them.

It genuinely has been a miracle for me. I feel the most normal I have in absolutely ages.

There is zero chance that you will be addicted after taking three quarters of a 1mg tablet spread over several days! Absolutely zero. It's practically a homeopathic dose.

But am I genuinely pleased it's helping as anxiety is horrible. Good luck with starting the Fluoxetine.

I was given sertraline but stopped them after three days. The occasional Diazepam seems to work better for me.

Just for info: The addictive component of diazepam is not that it gives you any kind of high. It is the simple fact that your body quickly develops a tolerance, so that the dose that made you feel better yesterday won't be enough to replicate the same effect tomorrow. This tolerance also means that after a very short while you would need a dose just to get you to the baseline level that you previously had without the medication. (Luckily a responsible GP won't prescribe for a long enough period for you to encounter this problem).

This absolutely shouldn't stop you using it with confidence, especially for the time-limited difficult challenges you are facing atm. But do be aware that it will soon cease to help, and that you might have a bit of an 'anxiety hangover' the day after using it, as your body reacts to the absence of a substance that has tilted its natural homeostasis.

I haven't taken more than a quarter of a tablet a day yet so hopefully it'll keep working for a while yet. I'm thinking about asking my GP if I can continue them for a while until I'm used to the other tablets.

It's great stuff, it got me through very similar circumstances.

I'm sorry for your loss.