Diazepam

[Wyominganxiety]

I took 2.5 mg at 9 am it's now 1230 pm should it be ok to take my other half? And does anybody else get a crash when it wears off ?

[Jeff1943]

Yes take the other half whenever you feel you need it, up to 15mg a day is o.k. for adults for this miraculous med. No never experienced a crash after it wears off which is 3 to 4 hours in my experience. But often anxiety doesn't come back for the rest of the day after taking one tablet.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Jeff1943]

In fact the maximum dosage per day for anxiety is up to 30mg ie six 5mg tablets according to the official instructions but I've never taken more than 7.5mg a day.

[Wyominganxiety in reply to Jeff1943]

I usually only take it if I have meetings or lots of running around to do. Think the max I have taken is 10 mg over a weeks time, I'm really careful with them and my doc said in such small doses I should be ok

[241951]

Hi Wyoming

I have just seen your post but feel l must reply to you l am not a doctor but as to diazapam it a drug that should only been taken for 2 to 4 weeks it's one of the most addictive drugs you can take l was on them for 2 years small dosages a day but it addictive has now been of them for 6months now and still finding it hard the doc says it will get better and l admitt most days now are getting better but l wish l was never prescribed them it works well in the beginning but then you need more l have been taking amitriplyline to help me of them and it is working talk to your doctor and take care ( by the way without the support of this site l think it would of been harder

Take Care

[Wyominganxiety in reply to 241951]

I only use it if I have to think the max I have taken is maybe 10 mg in a week. I'm terrified of getting addicted to anything so I am very careful

[Jeff1943 in reply to 241951]

It's sad that the medical profession is running scared about diazepam, which is the most yseful anti anxiety drug ever invented. I've been taking it for 42 years and it cintinues to work wonders for me. In the early days I took 2.5mg three or 4 times a day every day. Then I decided to stop after 2 years and had withdrawal symptomsso went back on it and tapered off it for 6 months and then for the last 40 years I only take it when really necessary: my doctor allows me 28 5mg tablets every 6 months, I break them in half because 2.5mg is quite sufficient. Often weeks go by without taking one.

They are fine to take every day for a month or two but no longer because their effectiveness decreases and people are tempted to up their intake though I never had a problem with that when I took it for 2 years in the 1970s.

The trouble is the attitude of some doctirs that they're almost lethal communicates itself to patients and they start worrying about taking their prescribed dose and even only taking a quarter of a tablet i.e. 1.25mg which is not an effective dose.

Diazepam should be prescribed much more than it is for say a maximum of two months or for occasional use by people who can be trusted not to abuse them but the demonisation of this wonder drug should cease. Let's remember that Mahatma Ghandi started each day with a porridge made if rawawulfa root which is the original source that diazepam was sythesised from abd it didn't do him any harm.

241951, I suggest that the reason you're finding it hard after stopping diazepam is that you are feeling the underlying anxiety once more and that it is not the fault of the diazepam or its after effect.

Amitriptyline is good, it's been around since the 1960s so there are no surprises waiting to present themselves. I took it for many years abd it worked well for the first year but then became much less effective. I tried coming off it three times tapering down very slowly but felt really bad. I think it is more addictive than diazepam and much, much more difficult to come off. It makes some people put on weight and makes your mouth and eyes dry (antichologenic effect) and makes removing contact lens very difficult because they stick like glue, you have to flood your eyes with wetting fluid to get them out.

[Wyominganxiety in reply to Jeff1943]

Diazepam is definitely a life saver for me it has helped me get back out in the world slowly but I'm agoraphobic so being able to run around town take my kids to appointments it's amazing to me I no longer feel trapped in my house! I feel like I'm getting my life back, it's been pointed out that without it I would probably not be able to do the things I am which kinda makes me scared that I'm not accomplishing anything it's just the drug helping me cope..

[Jeff1943 in reply to Wyominganxiety]

I know what you mean, Wyoming, its just helping you cope. Look at it as a short holday from the agoraphobia and other symptoms of anxiety and use that time to familiarise yourself with self help methods when you stop the duazepam, you probably know which self help method I'm thinking of.

The diazepam at least proves to you that your problems are 100% anxiety and if you can overcome the anxiety you will feel normal once more. But I think he way you use them is right, if ut's some biggish day and you don't want to let others down it's justified to use them then. But proper recovery only comes with desensutising your nervous system by accepting the symptoms with a minimum of fear.

[Wyominganxiety in reply to Jeff1943]

Absolutely I honestly haven't even finished my first bottle of 30 pills that was prescribed in September, I only use them if I have to otherwise I practice positive thinking breathing exercises and lots of praying, I understand they are a crutch but I also think feeling so great will make my mind focus more on how great life can be and it will change my train of thought eventually.

[missymo]

I've been on them 30 years. My family has a history of anxiety and panic attacks. I don't intend to come off them. There's been a lot of sorrow & worries in my family and I take it all on my shoulders. My health is poor a lot of the time so if something helps me I.love take it forever.

[Wyominganxiety in reply to missymo]

It really helps me a lot but I don't think my doctor wants me on it for much longer.

[missymo in reply to Wyominganxiety]

No doctor wants to prescribe diazapam anymore but the sooner called "nerve damage" pills they shove at us are lethal leading to depression anxiety & zombie like states!! Just my opinion guys. Keep well. X