Has anyone taken diazepam in the short term?

[HeirloomTomato]

Recently my insomnia has been getting worse and I am starting to get panic attacks at night time (stomach churning, cold sweats and nausea) when I can't sleep. I was visiting family recently and went a long time without sleep and was feeling desperate so I went to see my old family GP. He prescribed me a short 10 day course of diazepam / Valium (5mg dose I think) to help with the sleep problems I was having. I never took it because I was worried about side effects.

Now I"m back home my insomnia is getting bad again and I've been getting anxious at night. It's affecting my ability to do my job so I was wondering if I should try the short course of diazepam to see if it gets me out of this panic I'm in recently.

Has anyone taken diazepam for a short term purpose like this or is it addictive? I wouldn't like to be dependent on it to sleep and I worry that if I took it and it helped me, I'd have a hard time getting off it again. Right now I am just battling through the insomnia and panic attacks but it's horrible...

I've taken it as a short term solution for exactly this reason. Panic attacks can be debilitating.
It helped me briefly get some respite

Please take it. I have and it helped hugely. The reason it has gained a bad name is because decades ago GPS used to dole it out like Smarties on repeat prescription.

Thank you both. That’s really helpful to know. I have never taken any medication like this before but the level of panic / insomnia I’ve been feeling recently has been so intense I don’t know if I can get out of this phase without some help.

When you stopped taking it, did you get any withdrawal / addiction issues?

Could peri-menopause be a factor? Insomnia and anxiety, increased anxiety, and panic attacks are very, very common symptoms.

I take it, and have done for a couple of years. Not daily, it's as a 'last resort'. It does help, particularly as I'm in perimenopause right now.

No side effects no addiction for me.
It honestly helped and I wouldn't hesitate to call the GP and request it again.

It can make you a bit irritable the next day sometimes, but far less so than no sleep. Don't drink alcohol and don't get pregnant while on it, that's it really.

@Rifalo

No side effects no addiction for me. It honestly helped and I wouldn't hesitate to call the GP and request it again.

Same here.

I was prescribed Valium for when my back seized as a muscle relaxant. I had a few days prescribed and had absolutely no withdrawal symptoms when I finished the course.

I definitely would be dead if hadn't had it. Wouldn't care but don't want to kill myself. Only if doctor could legally do it. My life circumstances very bad not safe ongoing. Very little help from places meant to help cos postcode lottery and my area very bad so have to fight by myself.

Think if wasn't such big fuss over diazepam bad reputation, think I might've got a better life. Was in very bad state by time managed to get small amount prescribed.

Think helpful if you can have it short term to get back mental strength to stop you falling into worse state that maybe can't recover from.

I personally don't care if get addicted cos very bad life but can't cos problem getting regular supply.

Best thing to do is only take one at first. Maybe enough for you and also try not take everyday. Maybe two days then take day or two break. Use it to reset yourself. It doesn't have to be addictive. It's what other poster said. In old days doctors started people on large doses straight away and gave out loads regularly without any checks on personal circumstances. If given smaller dose and not much like short term, is ok.

Better to take something that helps you through and be mentally strong so you don't fall apart and end up in long term bad way.

I had it for a fear of flying. A few pills, and they worked.

However I worked in a rehab and I can see that I liked the feeling just a tiny bit too much. So be very honest with yourself about them and don't take another if you want it. IYSWIM.

I’m quite surprised at this thread. I was prescribed diazepam when I was in agonising pain, actually screaming, but only a very few tablets, and they wouldn’t prescribe any more. It was the only thing that did anything for the pain. I thought it was extremely hard to get hold of.

Perfectly ok to take short term, my only caution would be is check how long you need to wait after taking it in order to legally drive.

Thanks, everyone. I tried a half tablet to see if it helps take the horrible anxiety down a notch. If it works, I will just take it for a few days. If not, I guess I’ll have to go back to my own doctor here and see what she would recommend.

I took it for 10 days when I was suffering badly with ocd and anxiety and in a crisis it really helped me down and was probably the only thing that did.. it was then down to me afterwards to try and find ways to manage the anxiety myself which I found very difficult as it was a nee concept to me that I could directly help myself. Don’t worry, you won’t become addicted from a few just be aware they may start to advise other means of coping once the course is over. Give yourself a break from the tiredness for now and build your resilience xxx

Twas lovely. I was on it for 3 weeks. The doctor would not give me any more though . It wasn't a problem coming off it but I can see why it might be moreish . It took off the edges. When Verve sang the drugs don't work, and someone said, 'you're not taking the right ones then mate!' I did think of diazepam. It has been the only med I have been given that did work in the short-term. That said, a friend of mine who was given it for anxiety said it made no difference to her whatsoever no, she wouldn't give it me instead yes, I am kidding, well, mostly
It is also what the Rolling Stones song Mother's Little Helper was about iirc. Bottom line, it helped me. I hope it does the same for you. Insomnia is awful. I know, as I suffer from it a lot.
Take care x

I was given over 25 Years ago to help with sleep post divorce. I agree that they are lovely to kerb anxiety and I can see how easily you could become addicted. Fortunately Drs are super strict with prescriptions . Be interesting to see if they help you

Yep I agree, it one of the only things I've had that actually did anything. Great feeling, only time I've ever felt really calm and relaxed, would take it again if I could.

Update: I took the half tablet last night and it really helped . I slept through for about 10 hours last night, longest sleep I’ve had in over a year. Phew! I feel relatively sane and functional today. Still anxious but I feel like I can cope and more importantly I have the energy for mindfulness and exercise and all the healthy stuff for anxiety rather than just surviving on adrenaline like I have been recently. I hope I won’t need the diazepam tonight but if the sweats and churning stomach / panic attack feelings come back at least I know it’s there as an emergency back up for when I can’t sleep at all.

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences. I hope we all find the right ways to cope with insomnia / anxiety that work for us long term.

@HeirloomTomato that’s great you got a really good nights rest. Sometimes just having the tablets to hand knowing you have “back up” can be enough to reduce anxiety and get a restful nights sleep. I’d also recommend drinking plenty water today to help flush any residual effects out of your system. All the best

That’s lovely @HeirloomTomato

@Lemonsyellow

I’m quite surprised at this thread. I was prescribed diazepam when I was in agonising pain, actually screaming, but only a very few tablets, and they wouldn’t prescribe any more. It was the only thing that did anything for the pain. I thought it was extremely hard to get hold of.

This! ..anyone that gets 3 days prescription is VERY lucky , and I've suffered with insomnia for years However it gave me 4 hours of unbroken sleep and that is all ... it felt like I was on caffeine afterwards ..and at 4am that's not good but whilst on it I felt very floaty I've even bought it on the black market..same.. floaty , then sleep for 4 hours ..then caffeine when tho I dont drink anything caffeinated

I use the minimum dose as a last resort for anxiety/panic attacks if they're going to stop me sleeping.

First prescribed in 2016...I would say I probably get one prescription (28 x 2mg) per year so nearly always have to have a convo with the GP.

Most recent renewal I had to had a convo with the practice pharmacist who suggested I should try propranolol in the future. That was about 4 weeks ago and I've taken one tablet since...have never had any issues with becoming reliant on them.

Good to hear it helped and you’re being cautious about potential problems. I have had it prescribed for flying (don’t bother any longer as the lower dosage my gp now permits for this purpose doesn’t do anything), for one-off things like medical tests and as a week-long course after an accident. Never had any concerns about addiction as I was only ever prescribed as much as I needed and at the lowest dose to start with.

If you want to have something to hand in future, you could ask your GP about propranolol. I don’t find it as effective, unfortunately, but it does help anxiety, is not addictive in the same way as Valium and does not need to be taken as rigidly as many antidepressants doctors tend to prescribe when faced with anxiety.

This! ..anyone that gets 3 days prescription is VERY lucky , and I've suffered with insomnia for years
My 3 week prescription was 25 years ago and was for anxiety (well, more than that but won't bore you with the details). I dare say that times have changed, in terms of what GPs are told they can prescribe and how long for (although I can guarantee the waiting times for counselling haven't).