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Original poster

Diazepam is Awesome. I Heart it,

28 replies

PavlovtheCat · 20/12/2012 09:09

I am always reluctant to use it. As life goes on when my back is in spasm and the kids need taking care of and DH still has to work and I don't like feeling really spaced out. I am also reluctant to ask for it from gp for fear of sounding like i want it rather than need it (probably due to my work with people who do that and are addicted and knowing many gps refuse to prescribe).

I have been prescribed it once by emergency gp, was offered it, and another time I asked, and was given 10 2ml tablets.

I normally lay down with my other painkillers and keep very very still to avoid pain, and then slowly start moving after a day (well, every 2 hours or so in the first day, but in pain). But, yesterday I was in so much pain and it was made worse by having a coughing bug, not unwell with it any more just the remnants of the bug, however, each and every cough sent my back into excrutiating spasm which made me cry out with pain.

My GP, when I telephoned and asked for diazepam said no problem immediately, good idea, and gave me a whole box. I guess he knows from my records I dont ask very often.

And they have made such a difference I wish I had not been so reluctant to use it before. I took 4ml at around 2pm, then 4ml at 8pm, and I can stand straighter and walk with much less pain on the third day of my back 'going' than ever before. Amazing. I have taken 2ml this morning as DH is out and I have DS on my own. And I am going to take another 2ml later, and then 4ml before bed. And then none tomorrow.

If this works so well all the time, and I can be up and about within 3 days, and stand a chance of being able to work after 3 days, I might be able to avoid surgery! I can tolerate 3-4 days debilitating condition every 5-6 weeks over surgery, just can't take 2-3 weeks out of action every 5-6 weeks (or less as it has been).

DH is like 'oh dear, she likes valium'

OP posts:

GleamingHeels · 20/12/2012 09:17

Sounds to me like you have found the medication that works for you, GPs will know who is taking it for the right reasons and will know that you are one of those people. Hurray though, am very happy for you

ReindeerHooves · 20/12/2012 09:25

do you have any gin to wash it down with

seriously, good to hear it works for you.

SoggySummer · 20/12/2012 09:27

I love this stuff too. I also get prescribed a very low dose 2mg for muscle spasm. Mine is for extreme bruxism and jaw pain.

I get prescribed it once a year and only take it when I am in severe pain. It works a treat. Amazing stuff. I sat on my first box for almost a year terrified to take it incase I passed out or lost sense on reality but at low dose it just relaxes the muscles enough to ease the spasms.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 20/12/2012 09:28

thank you, of course I feel a little happy because thats what diazepam does but I am so impressed that I actually feel able to move around without treading carefully with each step. I mean I do, but not the usual holding on to the wall and bannister carefully putting one foot forward and testing pain levels before putting weight down. I can walk reasonably normally, just not 100% straight, and a little slowly and tentatively. Which is good, because moving is the best thing to get back on track.

And I was so worried that christmas would be like last year where I was unable to do pretty much anything.

OP posts:

HelpOneAnother · 20/12/2012 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 20/12/2012 09:55

She absolutely won't get addicted on it if she takes it for up to 3 days at that low dose. Some of the people I work with are on 20mls 3 x daily! I am pretty sure that would kill me

Tell her it is very worth it from me, it really has helped so much more than I thought, and I can cope with the sleepiness on 2ml. on 4ml it wiped me out, but was ok yesterday as DH was here.

I know 2ml is a low dose, but my body reacts like some people do on 10ml!

OP posts:

noisytoys · 20/12/2012 10:02

Be careful with diazepam. It's great but I am prescribed it when I am high (bipolar) while the real meds kick in. Diazepam is addictive!!!

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 20/12/2012 10:09

noisy oh i will be careful! two days of taking it and that should be plenty this time as the diclofenac will take over reducing and keeping inflammation down once serious spasms are reduced. I would not take it for longer than 3 days at a time, and if it works this well all the time I can't imagine it would need to be taken for longer than 3 days maxium.

OP posts:

SoggySummer · 20/12/2012 17:43

I take it now and again 3, 4 or 5 nights on the trot then not again for weeks or months. I usually get a packet once a year/every 18 months.

I was worried initially about addiction but dont seem to go cold turkey after a few nights of it. I think its a drug you need to responsible with but it has tranformed my life with regards to pain relief and management of my jaw spasms.

Meglet · 20/12/2012 17:47

It's great stuff. I don't need it for pain, just to make me sleep and less highly strung. I get more done in the evenings when I've had it as I relax.

Sadly, but sensibly, my GP only let's me have 5 tablets every 2 months. But I'm a lightweight and even half a tablet knocks me out so I 'eek' them out and save them for very bad days.

corblimeymadam · 21/12/2012 04:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 23/12/2012 07:53

belgianbun thank you so much. My back pain has fluctuated this week. I am struggling to control it. But, I can control it easily with diazepam I have found. The reason it is fluctuating is I am being ultra cautious about taking it. I took it the first day, then a little on the second, and was pretty good on that day nothing on the third as I felt ok, stiff and a little sore, continued with diclofenac (never stop that!) and painkillers, and nothing on friday daytime as I had to go into town to shop, but increased tramadol as I was in a lot of pain. I managed only a little shopping. I went to a christmas party with the children in the evening and by the time I drove him my back was in spasms and sciatic pain was bad, so I took 4mg before bed, don't remember DH getting home from work at 1am, or DS climbing into bed, and I vaguely heard DH get back up for work at 7am thinking it was the middle of the night . I woke a little cloudy headed, but almost pain free. No diazepam all day yesterday, managed to commando shop for 3 hours, with little pain relief (wanted to drink a glass of mulled wine last night with friends over to swap christmas pressies) and by the time they left at about 10pm I was in a lot of pain again

This morning I hurt a lot, it woke me up at 5am, just before DD came in crying with a sore throat, but luckily I have not too much to do today. So I am going to take 2mg when DH gets up.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 23/12/2012 07:55

so, basically, I have, as gleaming says, I found the medication that works for me. Unfortunately I can't take it for long enough as 1) I can't function on it really, not without looking like I am out of my tree and 2) I am worried about taking it for too long due to addictiveness.

Really, how long can I take it for, in terms of days before it becomes a problem? 2 days? 3 days? Can I actually take it for a whole week?

OP posts:

digerd · 23/12/2012 19:55

I've been on Valium since 1997, not for pain but after the death of DH as I could not sleep. I took 10mg before going to bed. Never during the day.
A year later it was reduced to 5mg at night. I decided myself to stop taking them years later, and was fine, and at first, had so much more energy during the day. But after 5 days, I began to feel nervy and shakey. After these effects carried on and seemed to be getting worse, I went back onto them and was back to normal. I managed to reduce them to 2mg and have stayed on them. They don't stop the current pain in my arm, though, that began 3 months ago. Pysio has banned me from using laptop for a week, last Thursday < naughty face>

flow4 · 23/12/2012 20:11

I was prescribed diazepam several years ago - just 7 tabs of 2mg - because I hadn't slept at all for 3 nights and was wired and close to hysterical. It was the most amazing drug: as well as sorting out my sleeplessness, it made me feel wonderful and I could feel the muscles in my face relaxing... It was probably the most relaxed I have been in 18 years! :D I saved 3 of the 7 tablets and used them at another period of high stress a few years later.

But I am really, really wary of it, because my mum was a 70s/80s 'valium and white wine' addict (all through my childhood). I vividly remember her alternating between weeping and being cheerful, and forgetting to do important little things like feed us...

So to answer your Qs, pavlov, I reckon you could take it 7 days running, IF (a) you dropped your dose after day 3 and kept dropping it (say 8mg, 8, 8, 6, 4, 4, 2) and (b) you didn't have to go to work or do anything else important, and had back-up at home looking after kids...

digerd · 23/12/2012 21:22

I know someone who said 2mgs did nothing for her. My Mum was given 10mg the night after dad's funeral, and we had to carry her into bed she was so out of it. I think people have a different reaction to them. Mum didn't drink and neither do I, which would affect the dosage too. And people who have high amounts of adrenalin need higher doses to affect them. But for all, years of usage does cause the body to become addicted. I was shocked at my reaction after 5 days without them as I had felt good till then. Staying on the 2mgs at night, as I naturally have a high pulse, and for 4 hours the valium slows it down, so my heart gets some respite.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 23/12/2012 21:53

dig 4mg wipes me out, 2mg helps a lot, probably enough unless it is really really bad. I would never ever drink alcohol on valium, because I have/do work with people who have behaved violently and out of character after mixing alcohol and valium, admittedly those people have drunk more than one or two glasses of wine and taken more than 4mg of valium but still I have it in my head that things affect people differently and don't want to take the chance that mixing would adversely affect me this way.

Funny you say about high adrenalin needing a higher dose, as I am quite a highly strung person shall we say always rush rush rush, can't sit still, fidget, a friend says that is why I am so skinny even though I eat used to so much! but, definitely 4mg is plenty for me.

There is not going to be any time that I could take it for 7 days with constant support at home/back up with the children. DH works random shifts with little notice, and I need to be functional. I mean, I am not asleep on 2mg, but don't feel on the ball enough to care for the children for longer than 2 hours. I tried this when DH went out this week to get DD from school and do some shopping, I had DS and was fine, but only because I plugged him into Thomas on youtube. I can't do that all day every day !

So, I guess it's just going to have to be when I have the opportunity and accept the muscles are not going to relax for long enough to stop spasming completely.

I have not been able to take any today, and my back muscles are rock solid now. And every move sends them into spasm. I will take 2mg before I go to bed, but no more, as on friday 4mg knocked me out and I was not aware of anything all night and DH has work early tomorrow.

OP posts:

digerd · 24/12/2012 10:34

Sorry about your awful pain, and good that 4mg helps you so much. My DH was prescribed 10 mg when he was going through his cancer treatment, not for the pain but for his " inability to cope phsycologically with his illness" according to GP. But he said they didn't help him at all to feel better - not surprising. Even when later he was on morphine, for his pain it didn't give him a good feeling either, poor love.
On a lighter note, I recently took a 2 mg diazepam in the morning instead of my Thyroxine, in error, before going dancing for 2 hours. And was amazed to feel so relaxed and was smiling all the time, but shall not be doing that again. Although my muscles were not as stiff afterwards as normal and was tempted to perhaps take 1mg, but resisted.

GP in Germany gave me magnesium injections to relax me and increase my appetite, during that terrible time. Magnesium is know to be a muscle relaxant, without affecting the brain, I was told.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 24/12/2012 11:30

Oh is it? I am hoping to be going to the pain clinic soon so will talk to them about that. Ideally I want pain relief injections of some kind so they affect my day to day functioning less, as painkillers and muscles relaxants, while they are fab in many ways they have side affects which stop me taking them for very long. Apart from tramadol which I can't function without.

I have taken 2mg diazepam this morning as muscles are spasming badly, not really touched it. Can't take more as I have the kids on my own and lots to do, so will just have to go with it until Dh is home.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 24/12/2012 11:30

Sorry to hear about your Dh having to have cancer treatment

OP posts:

digerd · 24/12/2012 12:07

I did not have any physical pain, so magnesium might not be strong enough for you, but the injections had an amazing effect on me. Good luck at the pain clinic.

LostInWales · 24/12/2012 12:12

Glad it's working Pavlov, have a lovely Christmas

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 24/12/2012 12:39

lostie oh you got some sr100! It works much better than the normal ones yes? Glad you are having less pain.merry Christmas and hope you stay with low pain levels through the festive season

OP posts:

LostInWales · 24/12/2012 17:02

It's brilliant stuff, I thought I was broken this morning but I've walked the dog and everything this afternoon and I'm all ready for Christmas with a big happy smile. Thanks for your advice, here's to not only a low pain Christmas but a mobile new year (where someone manages to discover how to explain to muscles that spasms are not nearly as helpful as they think )

fledtoscotland · 24/12/2012 19:27

I use it for my anxiety. Hate the feeling of antidepressants and have some good coping strategies but every now and then I feel the panic surging. 2mg usually is enough. Needed 4mg last night. I don't think I'm addicted as have only taken 4 x 2mg tablets in the last 9 months

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