to want to continue to take lovely pharmacueticals when I want to?

[Nemofish]

My doctor prescribed me diazepam 2mg up to 3 times per day as I suffer from anxiety disorder and was going on holiday (HUGE trigger for me).

It was great. I actually managed to enjoy myself. They were some times of stress but generally the medication worked extremely well.

I have some ishoos that I am working on, and the 2 biggest ones are going to get close to being resolved in the next few weeks. Also I will be having some extra counselling and help.

AIBU to want to continue taking this lovely medication which allows me to smile everyday and just get through for the time being? Or am I being a loon that will end up accosting old ladies for their pensions so I can buy more vallies off Dodgy Dave down the road

I can tell you right now that my GP's will tell me to piss off as they are tightfisted careful about prescribing.

But AIBU?

no do what u need to

I love valium I would quite happily stay on it permanently. So I totally get where you are coming from, and YANBU to want to continue to take it.

However - it is very addictive. And dealing with all the Stuff after you're off it, if you've been on it for a long time, is so much harder.

I hope everything works out for you.

YANU to want to keep taking it, of course not. But it's not gonna be long term. Of course you know that and are taking action.

Good luck

You can take it up to 3 times a day - so how often are you taking it?

I found having a pack in my bag almost made me not need it as I could take it whenever I wanted

SirBoobAlot if I could I would adopt you as my sister!

Yes I guess there is a time when the last tablet has been takien and the shit rises to the surface... sigh... but at least this gives me control.

I feel that way about pinot noir. Sadly it has consequences. Prescription or not. Sorry.

GPs will only prescribe diazepam as a short term measure to help with acute anxiety. It's not intended for longer term use except in cases of severe mental illness or perhaps in the elderly. Diazepam is very addictive and no doctor worth his salt would prescribe such a medication unless there are other alternatives, which there are in cases of anxiety disorder.

Ask your doctor to prescribe some propranolol instead. It helps with the anxiety, but is non addictive.

The chances of you persuading your GP to put diazepam on repeat prescription are virtually nil.

You're GP isn't being tightfisted about prescribing, merely following the guidelines which are laid down for them when prescribing for anxiety disorder. Your GP is risking being in serious trouble if he was found to be prescribing such a drug for anything other than short term use.

Mind you I'm on citalopram but that doesn't make me feel great, just OK.

Depended Katymac, one day of the holiday it rained so we just stayed in, doing this and that. So I had one tablet in the morning, and didn't need anymore.

Some days were definitely 3 tablet days.

Thanks atomicsnowflake I do get that they are being careful for a reason - I had a doctor (now struck off) that prescribed me some lethal stuff in huge bottles, for years, without following any of the proper procedures - will research propanolol.

Ah, Nemo, you know you are my online buddy

I think you should be really proud of yourself for going, medication or not. That's such a huge thing.

But you aren't on holiday now - how often would you need one?

Propranolol is great.

oh nemo!!!

Thinking of you and really hope you can get on an even keel soon.

Things arent easy with the little fishes I know but please try and get some help xx

Only people I know who get it on repeat (and at a much higher dose) use it as a muscle relaxant.

It's not a good med to be on...

Oh fuck it I know that IABU.

I would use it to make the bad stuff go away.

But it wouldn't last forever, and I know that I have to face up to everything eventually.

I will carry on taking my usual sleeping tablets that I go to silly lengths to obtain ((I go to different towns and get 1 pack in every pharmacy... I am a loon I know) until I get my extra help and advice. I will try to drop my dosage and implement all the other alternative stuff that I know I should.

I suppose that we all, or most of us, like the easy option, even if it's only temporary.

I luuurrrve valium

BUT, Nemo, I'm old enough to remember when it was prescribed willy-nilly as the 'housewives panacea'. It is an absolute bastard to get off. The withdrawal includes horrendous depression. And, like any addictive drug, you have to escalate it quite dramatically to continue getting the rosy glow.

So, my love, YABU. Sorry.

Can't you go to a sensible GP, explain, and get him to do you a transference to a normal antidepressant? he might even give you Prozac (more dramatic than the others) given your current state of mind.

Got to be worth a try ... Good luck with everything! You deserve some breaks

Ohhhh I was prescribed 7 Diazepam tablets last year when I got whiplash. It was totally bliss, I loved it! I don't blame you for wishing you could take them more often...

Oh it's yummy isn't it?

But unfortunately highly addictive. Most GPs will not prescribe it anew now due to this. I recently had a bit of a tough time and managed to get to re-prescribed - I had had it before so she knew I knew what I was doing IYSWIM. But - she would only give me 10 tablets as she was so worried about addiction. Maybe beta blockers would be a better alternative?

Oh, good idea about beta-blockers! I'd forgotten about them. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, I'm told

My doc said I couldn't have them, because then I wouldn't do my therapy. Not sure how that would impact on you, Nemo?

I get it once in a blue moon from my GP, but only 5 tablets a time and I make them last months.

Mind you, I called him for a repeat prescription this week as my Dad just died and he said "in that case you can have 10" . I refused and pointed out I'll be able to get back to the gym next week and get back to normal.

Am only posting so late as I didn't take any this evening and therefore cannot relax. I am horribly hyper so only diazepam slows me down, either that or a total beasting at the gym which I haven't had chance to do.

I did take some before the dc's bath night yesterday and it was the calmest bath night I'd ever done. Pity I can't have the stuff in my water supply, I'd get more done and shout less. But it's addictive so I know I cannot rely on it and it is only very short term.

You need to look into different ways of managing your anxiety long term.

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, Meglet. Hope you get some sleep soon.

Have you ever tried hypnotherapy? It's good for stuff like sleep problems.

Just realised Nemo's probably tripped out and I should be going to bed, too! I'll try a hot shower & some breathing thingies ...

... or just stay up & watch the rest of the music awards

Wish I was! No it's off to bed for a normal, natural sleep for me. Pah.

I take Diazepam regularly for muscle spasm from prolapsed discs in my back. I take a high dose and the problem is, the longer, and the more you take, the more tolerance you build to it, herein lies the addiction... its physical in majority of cases dependant on reason for being on it.

It is HORRIBLE to stop taking, having done so, in the past. It was probably the worst withdrawal I've ever experienced and due to the nature of the drug, you don't actually get a proper withdrawal for almost 3 weeks post cessation. Nasty, nasty nasty.

THat said, if you need it, then you need it. I need it, along with many other different meds and am monitored by my GP, I've had it prescribed now for almost 18months along with high doses of morphine whichi've had to take for longer than that. Luckily,i'm not a zombie! I manage ok day to day, pain almost controlled. I'm not a zomie due to taking it all long term. HOwever, it really does only have any decent active properties for about 3-5 if used for spasm relief. Which is why i dont take it every day, 3 times a day etc... I would imagine, it must have a better length of time if used for anxiety, as it is prescribed for longer periods of time.

I have been known to take it, in times of great stress and it has been fabulous. I did eventually have to admit I needed slightly longer term help for those issues and take Sertraline which is a good antidepressant. For me, it has been much better than citalopram. I started this due to my inability to cope with the fact my career was pretty much taken away from going to work one day, have a patient fall on me and cause me huge back injuries.

I did just want to add, I'm a staff nurse, so do 'know my drugs' ! So i'm not talking completely out of my bottom...

THough, have just taken my night time dose of various meds, so have waffled faaaar toooo long, said faaar tooo much about me, and I'm very sorry

I really hope you get your issues sorted out, please contemplate the longer term solutions too. There is no reason why you cant have and anti depressant and some diazepam as a back up should you need it.