My husband has taken my diazepam, again!!

[Givenup2026]

This is at least the second time that it has happened. My GP is very kind that they give me 6 pills very much every now and then that I use when to relax as a “one off “. They’re great, and genuinely maybe I’ve taken like 12 pills in my entire life.

anyway I’ve just discovered my husband took my whole stash at some point because of “hip pain”. The irony is don’t even work for him!!!! I’m furious!!

Most of this advice is within the context of treating phobias and for dental work. While the use of benzodiazepines are contraindicated for short term mental health problems, they are licensed for short-term use in a generalised anxiety crisis. Which is what OP is describing. The GP is prescribing within these guidelines because they are only supplying a small number of tablets. Why would she take long term medication to suppress a condition which escalates to a crisis so rarely, when this medication does the same job ?

My husband has had diazepam from
the GP for fear of flying so it definitely does happen. Regular NHS gp.

This thread has been seriously de-railed by people questioning the OP's use of these pills.
The issue is her DH stealing them.

@Givenup2026
Make sure you listen in to him when he calls the GP surgery, because you can't trust him to do what he says he will. You can't trust him not to lie.
If you can't be there to listen, make your own call to the GP.

What do you want the outcome to be? This is the question you need to focus on.
Do you want a new prescription?
If you get a new prescription, how will you prevent DH stealing them again? Because he will try. You cannot trust him around drugs, ever again.

If you want the outcome to be that DH will apologise and change his behaviour and not take drugs again, that is not going to happen. That is not who he is. You need to realise and accept this.

That's if it's prescribed responsibly and taken as prescribed. I'm not suggesting the OP is not taking it as prescribed or that her GP is being irresponsible. But valium can do more than just calming you down when you're having a panic attack, otherwise it wouldn't be so frequently abused. There's a reason GPs are so careful with it - it's incredibly addictive and alongside alcohol is a drug that causes extremely dangerous withdrawal symptoms.

I think it's worth being aware of the dangers and exploring alternatives incase the symptoms you're using valium to treat become more frequent. And also the GP may not prescribe more since OPs husband has stolen two of the prescriptions. It's a drug that is high risk for abuse and needs to be kept safe if there's someone in the house who might steal it (ie in a locked box). Again I'm not suggesting OP is abusing it or that the GP is wrong to prescribe it. Just that I don't think the dangers should be minimised, having known someone who's addicted to benzodiazepines myself. There's a reason they're tightly controlled.

This. Same experience here. I don’t understand why posters are fine with taking drugs like SSRI’s long term, which have various unpleasant and long term side effects and in some cases invoke intrusive and suicidal thoughts, but heaven forbid Diazepam should be used - even if it’s just as effective, strictly controlled and taken responsibly and very short term. Not to mention clearly within the clinical guidelines.

This.

The GP is obviously not going to answer today, but he’s sending a message through their system explicitly saying he stole my prescription and screen recording the whole thing.

If you have a look at the link to the NHS app supplied by a poster upthread you’ll find that that very definitely is against GP prescribing guidelines.

I think this is sensible OP. I hope it won’t affect the GP’s willingness to prescribe in the future, but I think you’re going to have to convince them that the tablets will be locked out of reach of anyone but yourself from now on. Someone upthread suggested you enquire about propranolol. A good friend of mine has generalised anxiety and it escalates sometimes into full blown panic and crowded thoughts, and propranolol seems to work. I realise they may not be appropriate for you, but if you’ve not tried them before, it might be worth asking your GP about them.

OK. I do think you also need to call the GP, or make an appointment to see them, and explain the situation yourself.

Why is everyone so concerned when this clearly works for you and you only get a very limited prescription?! It's the husband that is the problem, not the OP. She takes the benzo very responsibly for the exact reason they were invented.

If her anxiety becomes more frequent she can always start an SSRI...

I’ve read about it before but apart from that day a few weeks ago when I was shaking, I don’t get any physical symptoms. My brain just becomes a broken record, HR stays the same, I don’t get physically agitated either. I just get clarity. It completely removes all the mental noise.

I think Diazepam is more risky in terms of addiction. Not in the way that OP is using it, but it's probably a drug that people are more likely to steal, abuse, or potentially get addicted to if it's prescribed irresponsibly (again not suggesting OP's GP is doing that). And withdrawal can be fatal if the addiction is serious enough (again not suggesting there's a risk of that based on how the OPs GP is prescribing!).

Benzodiazepine addiction is serious though so I can understand why people are wary of them (I am wary, having known someone who's addicted). I think your point about them being safe when strictly controlled and taken responsibly and very short term is sensible, I'm just saying I can understand the stigma.

Personally I think it's worth exploring other types of therapy just in case your GP refuses to prescribe more, or just as an additional tool. It doesn't have to be either or. Some therapists and types of therapy are more effective for some people/circumstances/issues than others.

I think there's a risk that if your H steals your prescription it may be difficult to get another prescription. If you do get another prescription then I think you really need a locked box to put them in, a padlock that only you know the combination to etc.

I’m not closed to it (which is why I’m on the waiting list for a different type) but I get extremely frustrated when people simply don’t understand what I’m trying to say and give it some interpretation.

I also have hyperphantasia and synesthesia which is partially to blame for the “mental overload”. I enjoy it 99% of the time, so I wouldn’t never want to stop experiencing it.

I have ADHD so can totally understand the frustration with people not understanding, suggesting solutions that you know won't work for you etc.

I hope you're able to sort things out with your GP, good luck!

I’m prescribed them because my heart arteries go into spasm

Tell your husband some weed would work far better for his pain which diazepam will not, unless and I suspect highly it’s more for the buzz, then yeah, tell him to get his high off whatever kid sells on your street.
i have diazepam, my partner wouldn’t dream of touching it.

I actually did tell him to just go and get a dealer!

besides he smoked pot for years on a daily basis (before we met), so probably not the answer

My GP will only prescribe 2 tabs at once for severe phobia when flying - my DD has them, and can only pick up her prescription within days of her flights.
It’s concerning that your GP is happy to prescribe such a serious medication ‘just in case’ you might need it. I thought it could only be prescribed on the basis of it’s needed immediately, so in your case there would be a note on your records to indicate this.

Surely he’d just phone up the surgery and explain to the receptionist?

Like I said for my last “refill” we had a brief chat that there were other more “modern” options (still benzos) but I said I’d rather not experiment and was happy with that.

They're also very aware on how I take them and the effect they have, and zero issues so….

I have severe life debilitating anxiety and depression. My gp will prescribe 16 tablets when needed, I take as needed which is probably once every blue moon, some gps are in tune with their patients and know who will abuse and not abuse their prescriptions.

Sorry, OP I wasn’t clear. You actually don’t have to take Propranolol on a regular basis - it works along the same lines as what you do now, which is taking it only at the time you need it. As I say, what works for one person doesn’t for everyone and from your clarifications, your condition is clearly more complicated, but maybe worth keeping in mind.

This is exactly the point isn’t it ? The black and white thinking from some is hard to understand. OP has clarified again and again why they are prescribed and the basis on which they are supplied, but the lectures are still happening. It wasn’t, and still isn’t the point of OP’s thread. She posted for advice because her DH stole her prescription but she’s ended up posting repeatedly trying to satisfy posters who are all but accusing her of addiction and her GP of malpractice !!