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how to work out new drug driving law of 550 mcg/l of diazepam into how many mg of tablets!!!

Posted , 10 users are following.

lukep78
lukep78

Hi.

i am currently prescribed 8mg of diazepam daily and have seen that a new drug drive law (in the uk) says you will be illegally driving under the influence if you have more than 550 micrograms per litre in your bloodstream.

i have been on diazepam for 10 years and i'm on a tapering regime and my doctor is wanting to try me on beta blockers and lamotrigine in 6 weeks time when i reduce down to 7mg.

what i am wanting to know is, is the 8mg i am currently prescribed off my doctor and dvla say (at the moment) im okay to drive on actualy illeagal under the new drug driving law?

I wish i could wave a magic wand to come off these evil tablet but as you will all know it is not so easy.

any help will be great.

thanks in advance and merry xmas

0 likes, 64 replies

64 Replies

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  • pat97152
    pat97152 lukep78

    Posted

    Only if you are abusing the drug and are in an accident where your driving is impaired..it's directed at people who abuse 

    taken as a therapeutic dose is not illegal 

    • pat97152
      pat97152

      Posted

      ..I have been involuntarily dependent on them for 44 years..never had an accident ...never felt impaired in any way ,in any situation
    • lukep78
      lukep78 pat97152

      Posted

      Iv never had an accident on them either but from what i can see if you are prescribed valium the max you will be aloud in your system if drug tested will be the 550mcg/L with a zero tolerance if you are not prescribed it. 

      My doctor is going to look it up for me and let me know if i am on to high of a dosage. This new law has not been looked into properly and will be getting alot of people off the road, also my doc said from April 2015 they will have to inform dvla of all patients on any benzo meds sad

      This is not looking good imo

    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate pat97152

      Posted

      Pat not sure if that quite right as my GP has told me I must stop diazapam. If you do get pulled over you will fail the road side test and are likely to be arrested. I have  been told this by a police officer, my gp and also my driving instructor.

      The maybe some process for exemption but its far from clear.

    • pat97152
      pat97152 UK-Ven-medicate

      Posted

      I agree..I cannot believe that it will becoming law in its present form though 
    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate pat97152

      Posted

      There is to much nanny state. Apparently we cant make these judgements ourselves. Oddly there is no mention of sleeping tablets. I have moved tablets to something that is not quite as good ( Propananol )
    • pat97152
      pat97152 UK-Ven-medicate

      Posted

      It's farsical if sleeping tablets are not included..how long have you been on diazepam?-and what dose ?
    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate pat97152

      Posted

      I guess i am lucky I was on Diazepam as required 5mg three time a day. I only needed it in extreme anxiety and it wasnt for very long in comparison to some of the rest of you.
    • sphrah95270
      sphrah95270 UK-Ven-medicate

      Posted

      Apparently if your Gp is prepared to write a letter explaining that you have a tolerance and are safe to drive - thats the process from exemption. Its litterally a case of making sure you take proof that its from a Dr - I dont think they will bother to arrest you then unless you are involved in an accident which is why Im investing in a dash cam to prove I am a safe driver...
    • sphrah95270
      sphrah95270 UK-Ven-medicate

      Posted

      Not only can we not make judgement for ourselves it seems - none of us can be indivuals either - apparently everyone is effected the same way! Certainly not the case. Some people cant handle alchohol (Gaza) but most are fine - we are all different.  I am ready to write/sign a petetion. I think some Drs are more anti Benzos than others - mine is not against them but has made sure to tell me never to take them every day and to beware of tollerance etc I think she would be very worried about this law, Im telling you this medication has been a life saver for me and I dont know what I will do without it. 
    • Mchawk
      Mchawk sphrah95270

      Posted

      Love this site and comments.

      My names Martin, hello all!

      I have been on many tablets over the years and oy Diazipam seems to work for which they don't like subscribing because its addictive.

      If it makes you better then why not?

      But also i have the problem about driving, i love my driving and my family are spread all over and need my car.

      Back in the days when i took it for a short time i was driving as no one told me.

      I now face the same situation where i need to drive to work but can't because worried about beung arrested.

      This isnt fair as before i was fine i have never had an accident in my life which was my fault.

      Im only on 2mg up to 3 daily. Tbh 1 is enough for the day.

      I want reassurance i wont be arrested not no bases of it might be ok i need a yes or no?

      All other meds gives you side affects but i have had none from Diazepam as of yet.

      I dont understand why there isn't something out there which does help without all this trouble.

      As its only a case chemical imbalance in brain which Diazepam helps with.

  • sphrah95270
    sphrah95270 lukep78

    Posted

    Hey 

    I would really appreciate to know exactly the same thing. I have been on diazepam for 10 years and have never had a problem with it in terms of addiction or withdrawels (when I dont need it I dont take it)  I do not consider myself addicted but it is curing my agorophia and social anxiety brilliantly! smile  I am able to do things I could never do before, and I am taking less than I was before gradually..

    However I do take a high dose due to tollerance and my nature (I was first given 5mgs after I couldn't sleep after an opertation and it didn't do a thing!!) I have a very anxious natural state - a cup of coffee would be very dangerous to me as I am intollerant to caffiene - I was given 'non drowsy' flu medicine by mistake and had a heart rate of 100bpm for two days. 

    Im anxious (what a suprise) about it this law - I mean how the flying buzzards much is 550 micro grams? Is that 10 pills? or 15 or what? how many mgs of diazepam is over 550micrograms of blood? Simple question (for those who know - for those who don't its impossible to know!)  how are people supposed to know?My Gp carefully monitors my medications however I am on a higher dose than most folks due to natural tollerence and nature... which is why I am especially concerned. 

    There is SO MUCH negative press about diazepam these days - but hardly anyone on the postitive - for many people it is a great treatment.

    I wonder if a lot of this is because the patent on diazepam ran out about 3/4 years ago - which means now the drug companies make no money from selling it (less than 2p per pill) but guess how much they make on the new anti depressants (look up the side effects of those/withdrawing from those - and say they are 100% safe drive on?? NOPE) but the drug companies make a good 50p per pill on the new anti-depressants?? A co-incidence? 

    I have read the entire 160 page thing including the medical panel about how they devised these new laws and I was thinking, these statistics do not make sense - they have not taken into account accidents caused by anxiety, pain, (these will go up if people can not take their medication) caffiene (teenagers on 4 cans of redbull for example can not be safe)-  but this has not been addressed - in all honesty - thinking of it all, I would rather be on the road with someone on diazepam than with someone having a panic attack? what about you?

    and I would have thought, if someone is taking medication without a prescription that is taking it illegally right? That is abusing it - So that should simply be stated as illegal drugs - if they are medications you cant drive on (such as morphine) well that should be illegal to drive on - just like alchohol - no limit just a "dont drive on morphine"  "dont drive on drugs you are not presribed or did not get from a chemist" and Chemists and Drs tell you if you can drive on not on what they presribe - Simple? so why not? 

    Patients are not going to know what 550micrograms in blood is!

    The half life of diazepam is incredibly LONG aswell (someone else said short) It can stay in your system for over a year, if you have been taking it for 6 months!!

    For a first time user it takes over a week for just 10mgs to leave your system and two months for 20mgs!! 

    Thanks for any help 

    Sphrah 

     

    • lukep78
      lukep78 sphrah95270

      Posted

      Its shocking what they have passed isnt it. I can see alot of people loosing their licences and getting a criminal record very unjustified indeed.
    • sphrah95270
      sphrah95270 lukep78

      Posted

      It is very worrying indeed - very unfair on responsible people - people who abbuse benzos would probably need less than people prescribed them, and tolerance varies so much - I can not understand it, my abbility to drive is not effect AT ALL by what I take. 

      I wish you good news when you speak to your Dr and find out if you are on high dose - if you could let me know what they say about how much is over 550 I would be very grateful

      As per the contacting DVLA - that might not be a bad thing, I think if its declared and your dr says you are fine that helps - in a way if it was on record that I am prescribed these meds and are safe on them then that is great.

      If they ban people from driving and taking diazepam then I honestly dont know what I will do...I cant do anything without my car and I cant socialise/do volunteering without my meds. I will try not to but Im worried that could send me into a very deep depression. I wouldnt take them just anyway as I wouldnt want the criminal record etc. So harsh on law abiding people with illness's. 

      I imagine the amount of accidents will go up - people with anxiety and pain driving without their meds does not seem like a good idea to me. As for the attempting to get people back into work - how is that going to happen if anxious people cant use their meds when they most need them - ie interviews, first days etc. 

    • BrandoN87
      BrandoN87 sphrah95270

      Posted

      Yes can someone please tell me what's this about,I've been on 10mg a day,for over a 22 years,which just makes me normal'will I have to stop driving
    • pat97152
      pat97152 BrandoN87

      Posted

      I think it will be ok if it's on prescription..people are panicking ..until we know there's no point worrying..I too am on the same dose as you and csnt do without it 
    • Alan494
      Alan494 sphrah95270

      Posted

      As far as I know this is 3.5 mg, have asked my Doc, and he advises to keep copy of prescription to show if you are required , should be no problem if you are capable of driving.

       

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