2mg diazepam for anxiety?! Help I’m worrying myself sick!!

[Dana98]

just been prescribed 2mg diazepam for my chronic anxiety disorder. But I can’t seem to shake the feeling of being even more anxious at taking something, I don’t know anyone who’s taken them to try and understand what they will make me feel like, if they don’t help they said they will increase the dosage. But I can’t bring myself to take one! How long will I feel the effects, I have to be up every day for the school run, so if I took it at 10pm would I feel like crap 7am? I’m absolutely s@#tting myself , thanks for any replies in advance I appreciate it x

Follow up from earlier. I took my first one 12:32pm.
it’s been 50 mins and I feel ok, don’t feel any different which is I suppose good?
however anxiety is still pumping through me and I’m still on edge. Going to give it another hour before I judge them as it could just be a while to take effect on me.
thanks to each and everyone of you who got back to me. I appreciate it so much

Have you looked into CBT?

I've struggled with mental health and anxiety my whole life and working through the issues on a personal level is the only thing that I believe can really help in the long-term.

Everyone reacts differently, it could be that the dose isn't quite enough for you. It might also be that while you're not feeling an obvious difference, you're able to manage better once you're out.

If the dose isn't doing it for you, I'd suggest talking to your GP about it rather than increasing the dose yourself — doctors tend to get their caution flags raised if you increase your own diazepam dose.

Aww yes you’re right, it could just be me, I have been told 2mg 3 times a day as needed, but try to space them out. And for a max on 3 consecutive days, but they don’t recommend it as they are addictive, my mental health nurse along with my gp said to take them an hour or so before I need to go out or go somewhere I feel anxious about and to not take more than 6mg in one sitting, but to try the 2mg first, I think il see how I get on the next few hours on this 2mg.
im starting to feel a bit “ lazy “ I’d say, eyes are heavy and I could definitely go to sleep if I got in bed.
so hoping when I have to go out in an hour I feel like it’s helped take that edge off xx

Aw yes CBT I am currently doing 1to1 sessions. And still at the min can’t figure out why I am this way x

2 mgs would not affect me at all. Its such a low dose I doubt you will even notice. I cannot imagine what good it will do. Seems a bizarre thing to prescribe.
If I was your doctor I'd be asking why you have such severe anxiety you can't even take a tiny white pill that is unlikely to do anything for you.

It sounds like it is starting to take effect for you then.

Diazepam lasts a long time in your body compared to similar drugs like lorazepam, so if you take three doses in a day, the level will gradually build up. I'm glad you've been given lots of info on how and when to use it.

@Dana98 I can see you've taken it and it took the edge off. That's exactly how I'd describe 2mg diazepam. However, it's not recommended for long term use. Has your GP suggested a long term option? Apologies if you've already mentioned that and I have missed it.

We're all still figuring things out.

Sorry not sure how to take this comment, as I’m unsure how your saying that to me and what way you mean about me not being able to take a “small pill”
I chocked when I was 9 on a clarithromycin antibiotic and had to me hospitalised and given muscle relaxant to allow my throat to loosen and unlodge the tablet. Also I have a 9 cm tumour in my thyroid that restricts my swallowing. So that’s why I struggle taking small tablets, or any tablets for that matter.
however I do take them and try to take them with a yoghurt that’s more likely to drag it down that a liquid as water or milk.

@Covidwoes yes he’s explained no more then 3 a day. And not more than 3 days a week and I was only prescribed 2mg to get me used to them in my body before I get them increased to 5. I suffer with severe anxiety and agoraphobia ( the thought of everything being a threat or bringing danger)
my stomach churns at the idea of going out.
but also I have severe hypertension and a tumour in my thyroid I’m currently undergoing tests for. Had my biopsy this time last week and still no further to the answers.
anxiety is through the roof and the diazepam was given to me to reduce the feeling of needing to bolt away from everything and take my mind off the fear of everything xxx

Half 2 now and I’m feeling the same. Little tired and feel like I could crawl to bed, however I won’t be doing that ( I wish :,) ) haha!
thanks for the lovely replies and well wishes I appreciate you all taking your time to advise and give me some feedback x
will continue to update x

2mg is such a small dose. I've been allowed up to 15mg (a day, but can take them all in one go) for no more than 15 days.

TBH when I toon them I felt like I had an epiphany, so would definitely take them again.

"Sorry not sure how to take this comment, as I’m unsure how your saying that to me and what way you mean about me not being able to take a “small pill”
I chocked when I was 9 on a clarithromycin antibiotic and had to me hospitalised and given muscle relaxant to allow my throat to loosen and unlodge the tablet. Also I have a 9 cm tumour in my thyroid that restricts my swallowing. So that’s why I struggle taking small tablets, or any tablets for that matter.
however I do take them and try to take them with a yoghurt that’s more likely to drag it down that a liquid as water or milk."

Bet you feel like shit now, Bestcatmum. You should anyway. What a shitty post.

OP, I hope somehow the diazepam helps. I've been where you are and it's truly debilitating. You may find you need a higher dose for a more noticeable effect.

I get prescribed diazepam every so often to help with my anxiety when it gets really bad, I suffered a breakdown and have been taking 2mg once or twice a day or sometimes none at all depending on how I feel, when have an anxiety attack it helps to take the edge off, I have never been addicted to them but do like to have a stash I can go to if anxiety very bad, I live in the UK also and as long as its not abused my Dr is happy to prescribe 2mg 21 tablets and sometimes they will last me a few months.

This video on how not to feel anxious about anxiety might go some way to helping you;

Yes me too, I have still got most of them actually since being prescribed them, I find when I’m on my monthly woman’s week my anxiety is shocking and I find taking one 2mg just gives me that feeling of actually it might just be ok, I am so glad I hit the bullet and took one and I’m grateful my doctors gave me them, iv never taken two together however my doc has said this is ok to do if I’m super bad

Thankyou So much I’m going to watch this now 😀

I appreciate you ❤️ this message really threw me off and wasn’t sure what they meant and it did make me feel a type of way, I deffo value your message response ❤️
yes 2mg didn’t do much so going to fry 4mg x

@Dana98 I take the same dose as you for anxiety. Am also UK based.

As others have said it is different for everyone, however for me they are a godsend.

When I need them I take 1 in the morning when I first get up so by the time I need to go out I am calmer. I have been on and off them for 20 years as they are the only ones that have ever helped me.

You are on a very low dose, addiction is a problem with any drug but I have had them for 6 weeks at a time with no ill effects.

If you find they make you drowsy then I would take them at night. They normally only make me drowsy for an hour or so after the third dose of the day.

Good luck and feel free to pm if you need

Thank you so much I did find the first couple of doses. I did feel rather drowsy. However now my body must be used to them and they don’t do that but they do make me feel a little calmer , but sometimes don’t feel like they make my anxiety any better so I will try doubling up and taking a 4 mg dosage. Thank you so much the same applies to you xxx

@Dana98 any anti anxiety or anti depression medication can take up to 14 days to build up a therapeutic dose in your system and start to take the long term edge off

Benzos and SSRIs are quite different beasts; while you need a few weeks of consistent use for SSRIs to start having a chance of working (outside unusual use cases like intermittent use for PMDD), benzos are best used intermittently because consistent everyday use for more than a few weeks is the best way to give yourself a nasty benzo addiction. You don't need them to build up in your system for them to work.

Was waiting for such an empathetic person to reply … 🙄

As the saying goes, if you
cant say something kind, then don’t say anything at all.

What a shitty post.

Anyway, back to op.

Glad you took it OP. I really am. It’s one of those things that can make you have a lot of trepidation before you take it. I know that’s how I felt about taking it and to be honest, I never took it for a long time for fear of how it would make me feel. And like you, I have children and have to do school runs etc.
I have severe anxiety and anxiety disorder/ OCD. It’s horrible as I can’t work because of it and due to my worries around medication, Diazepam is one of the few medicines I will take when needed. I too am on 2mg. Psychiatrist wanted to increase it to 5mg but I was like whoa and it worried me. Sometimes I will feel utterly awful and completely overwhelmed and I will bite half of one and take a 2mg , so in my mind ( which is clearly a bit skewed) then I’ve taken three mg and that takes the edge of that bit more. I’ve told my GP I do this and I am not suggesting for one second you do this - I’m just sharing what I do and that even then the side effects aren’t too bad and I am okay.

I worry about medication a lot and the side effects and how it will impact me and my family, so I totally understand how you feel.

When my anxiety is really bad ( which is a lot) I try to distract myself as best as I can: listen to music or go on the calm app on my phone. Scroll
through Netflix and try to watch something funny or lighthearted. It is especially difficult as sometimes even doing that is overwhelming.

Be kind to yourself and remember that your thoughts can’t hurt you. As much as we believe them , they can’t hurt us because they are just that- a thought.

Take things day by day and sometimes less if you feel really shitty. Sometimes I have to go hour by hour. And if you have someone to talk to about it then that’s good , but I understand how hard that can be too.
I also have a small item
( a scarf) in my favourite colour that I use as a comfort and was advised to do this by a former therapist. I hug it , smell it and try to picture myself somewhere nice ( a beach or somewhere where you would feel happy) and I close my eyes and imagine the sounds and smells of that place. It can bring comfort so that may be something you might want to do.

Try and eat as best you can and get some sleep. That’s crucial ( says she who never sleeps and eats like a bird) but I know from personal experience, this really really doesn’t help.
Surround yourself with good people too. Try and stay away from negativity ( I’m thinking school playgrounds aren’t the best place and can make anxiety worse) and try to be to yourself as you would be to your best friend. Again, easier said than done.

Keep in touch with your MH team and Gp and if ever you want a chat, DM me. Am here too.

Big hugs xxx