Have you ever taken valium or something similar? Can you tell me about it please.

[CrikeyOHare]

I have anxiety for which I refuse to take ADs for. I can just about cope without them and since I have a bit of a drug phobia, taking anything long term would probably just add to my worries.

But there are times when my anxiety gets the better of me - like going to the dentist for example.

I was thinking of seeing my GP to ask whether I could have something that I could take very occasionally to help me get through something specific, like dental treatment.

Would valium do this? What are the side effects? How do they make you feel?

Thanks to anyone willing to share :)

Valium is bloody lovely stuff, very effective and morish. Anti ds are great for anxiety, they pretty much saved my life,but I am off them now because I have started meditating with the help of an app (give me some headspace) which I am finding wonderful and amazing!

I would need some help to get through something like that too, Ruthless. I panicked the other day having one of those dental x-ray things that go round your head. Don't know how the hell I'd cope actually being inside a big scanner!

Interested to hear about your experience with ADs, Glasto. Did they just make you feel calmer about things you'd normally have panicked about?

I had an issue with dentists many years ago after a bad experience, so my next dentist gave me Valium pills to get me through a couple of fillings (2 tablets per filling) - actually he offered me intravenous Valium but I declined that.

Fabulous stuff, made me feel great and I sailed through the fillings, and have been ok with dentists ever since, including a couple of root canals. But a bit too nice - I can definitely see why you'd get hooked.

I got one of those old skool docs who would give out handfuls of xanax to anyone who asked for them. Used them for the dentist. I can go with nothing now though, as the fear just disappeared with the xanax and whatever the trigger was lost its power.

Crikey because my anxiety/stress levels were so high when my Mum was ill and dying my GP let me have them for the 11 weeks she was in hospital and after too because I was so traumatised. I came off them gradually after that but needed them again 2 years later when my marriage ended. I was on them for much longer then - the best part of 2 years! I was on 2.5mg and told to take 1 or 2 as needed. Found that just the 1 never did anything. My blood pressure is high at the best of times and it went out of control during the divorce and I think the GP thought that while Diazepam (and also Zopiclone for sleep) weren't usually given for long periods, that they a) helped my BP and also helped me cope with some pretty serious shit going on during the divorce. I never had any problems stopping them though and haven't had any for over 5 years now.

Sorry, haven't read all the thread, but i take 2 Mg of diazepam before the dentist. After many years of being anxious, it has enabled me to go to the dentist and get myself sorted. They do not
Make me feel out of control but just take the edge off. Best thing I ever did!

I have had various tranqs at points of crisis - ie prescribed by a hospital - or as a kind of talisman - I would keep one in my purse and I would be somehow braver. A hospital doctor started being an arse about it though - I already have mood stabilisers, which are miracle drugs, but before I got the dose ight I would till have the odd episode. The bloody doctor was trying to have me on mega strong ani psychotics all the time, instead of the 7 days of tranqs that I had previously had uccessfully (as opposed to the three types of anti psychotics that I have tried with no success...)

I am going to try to get some more soon - my teeth are literally falling out, and I have managed o get as far as opening my mouth to the dentist but no further. I went on the year long waiting list for dental sedation in January. Also never had a smear test, dodgy mole, etc etc etc. sigh.