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Decision not to withdraw from diazepam

Posted , 5 users are following.

liz57
liz57

Hello I'm in my 60's and have been taking 20 mg diazepam daily for 30 years now . My GP did suggest a while back I cut down and hopefully withdraw eventually .He drew up a plan . I joined a Facebook group who said his plan to reduce to 15 mg a day was too fast .Then their horror stories began I was told ' poor me for believing they are harmless albeit addictive'

I returned to GP and said I was not going to reduce or withdraw .He respected my decision . I have many illnesses and young girls in their 30.s are have morphine patches ,strong painkillers .I believe they are much more harmful. to liver for example long term.  I keep my mind active even though body isn't .Anyone out there with me?

4 likes, 32 replies

32 Replies

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  • pat97152
    pat97152 liz57

    Posted

    Hi Liz ...great to hear your story ..I too have been on Valium for over 40 years ..came off twice and wanted to die ..in fact I would rather die than go through withdrawal.I dread my GP retiring in case a new doctor isn't supportive.What is the group called on FB?..I am fine on my meds ..so it's stupid to change for no reason other than government directives.
    • liz57
      liz57 pat97152

      Posted

      Hello Pat

      Good to hear fro you..I am in Northern Ireland.What dose are you on?.I rreally don't think at an older age we can be forced to withdraw .I don't find my GP practice particularly good but I said I did not make myself an addict .I can't remember the name of the group .I put in Diazepam withdrawal and there were a few options

    • pat97152
      pat97152 liz57

      Posted

      Hi Liz I take 40 5mg tabs every 28 days !! Seems complicated I know..my GP halved my dose about 6 months ago and I thought I was going to die ..we compromised at 40 tabs a month..I take 10mg most days and a couple at  5mg a day..not ideal but better than before..should have stood up for myself more..prior to that I was on 10mg a day.Started off in 1970 on 30mg a day ..I call myself involuntarily dependent on diazepam which I am ..it was not my fault ...doctors cannot now turn round and forcibly take us off pills they have been happy to prescribe for over 40 years !
    • pat97152
      pat97152 liz57

      Posted

      Liz ..so glad you came on here ..your views and comments have boosted my mood ..I was living in fear that I could forceably be taken off my meds...when you think about it we have done nothing wrong ..all we have done is what the doctor told us to do ...they cannot change their ming

      ds because of some pen pushers in Westminster who say so without knowing the horrors of withdral,which for some never ends .Thanks Liz

      regards 

      Pat ..keep in touch 

    • liz57
      liz57 pat97152

      Posted

      Pat Thank you ,to know I have helped someone means everything .You are on a very low dose compared to me 20 mg a day at least .I'm not an assertive person by any means particularly with the medical profession but no one told me these were addictive tablets  just kept dishing  them out .GP has tried the fear thing -now you are older they will slow your brain even more . So what -it will be like my body . I tried to find the FB group but couldn't .I just found their stories very scary and their judgements that I don't think the pills are worse than strong painkillers i would  be prescribed already very judgemental.I don;t take the pain killlers just these and paracetemol for pain and then a load of others for different ailments . Take care .Liz
  • pat97152
    pat97152 liz57

    Posted

    ...I too keep my mind active and I also have OA ,so the tabs help my pain too...It's great to hear you say that we need to stand up for what we know our bodies need .

    keep in touch ..let me know the FB page please ..I would be interested ..the horror stories are all too true 

    I am just outside Preston ..where are you ?

    kind regards 

    Pat

  • pat03161
    pat03161 liz57

    Posted

    hi Liz..just read your post.  I respect your decision.  I also began Diazepam in the late 1980s and am in your age group too,  My GP is soon to retire and other GPs in the practice are not in agreement with my prescription.  I only use a half a milligram at night now BUT cannot seem to withdraw from having a low dose in my body.  The government have spent zero on addressing this problem (of long term users and the shocking array of un-livable side effects after withdrawal)...but are willing to dictate who will be removed from prescription lists without care or follow up or support. It's a concern.  I hope we will all be OK with using a prescription given to us for specific reasons..which generally kept us all functioning and out of their practices whilst we continued to become totally dependent neurologically and biologically too!  If any of us had known or been informed of the aspects of our prescribed Meds long term use problems I highly doubt any of us would have been willing to use them.
    • liz57
      liz57 pat03161

      Posted

      Hello Pat

      How did you manage to get to half a mg and from what dosage?

      This group I joined and left was full of horror stories and I asked a couple of others privately in a health group I'm in and they said NO don't put yourself through WD if you don't want .As you say it's a concern that pills are just being given out  without thought to long term effects .I wish I had never been put on these but the scare/addict stories came to late.Actually this GP has been the first to mention WD .If forced I would buy them online which I said to GP

    • pat03161
      pat03161 liz57

      Posted

      Hi Liz..In the 1990s I seemed to pop Diazepam like candy ..and I worked in Mental Health and should have known better..anything to stop anxiety and panic though!   I researched Diazepam and weaned myself to no use at all for two,years - then started again following family deaths and personal illness BUT keeping to 2mgs. I became calm and happy and well again and so weighed up using and not using...and started the weaning off programme again myself.  Without them I am a bit of an anxious human being and feel quite unŵell, so I decided to try three quarters of a 2mg tab for a few months, then half for a few months and realised within that time that one quarter is all I need at night and another quarter if I feel unŵell or extra stressed or anxiou...which is rare.  I have tried NOT using any for weeks but quickly feel,unŵell and remain unŵell..for months. It seems my body is unable anymore to cope with no Diazepam.  I will never resort to more than 1mg on any day because the weaning off programme is too hard.  So, it's taken me about 2 years to get down to this doseage and feel OK.  My GP, like so many GPs, it's NOT informed about Diazepam Withdrawal issues and neither sympathetic, interested nor empathetic about how our lives are ruined by stress...we humans are not designed the same are we and some of us work incredibly hard to stay calm and functioning to the best of our abilities...I feel we are in that bleak zone of "always giving life our best effort" and striving to be what GPs consider normal...I also believe that if there is something which DOES allow me to join the masses and allow me to function well then I will,use it sensibly and keep myself alert to any news which might signal problems by keeping up to,date with news regarding Diazepam. Like many others I do,this because it was prescribed by a Doctor ..he keeps on giving me prescriptions without ever seeing me and will probably only be alerted that I have used the drug since 1993 when a government watchdog asks to see a list of all of his patients who,use this drug. Shows me how much he is concerned or cares.  I take care of myself as best I can in this climate of a system which is so,stressed that it has no time to empathise or support some patients.  Hope you do ŵell Liz.  I shall be thinking of you. Pat x
  • jessie51
    jessie51 liz57

    Posted

    Hello Liz,

    I hope your practice continues to support you,  I was Told I was coming off Diaz. and that was that,  monthly reminders were put on my repeat prescription form  ( a very childish action )   and I was not given a plan or any support at all from anyone.  No consideration towards my health or my circumstanes  or the reason why I was taking it.  

    These actions were taken by young new GPs taking over an established practice whose previous GPs had retired. 

    I am in my 60s, had taken Diaz for over 30 years for the relief of spasms,  due to arthritis

    I have been off it for several months now,  I did not have much of a life,  but got by,  now I do not have a life worth living.  The hell goes on and on,  I only exist.

    Best wishes to you,  I hope your Drs continue to support you, and you never ever know the nightmare of being taken off them.

    Jessie.

    • pat97152
      pat97152 jessie51

      Posted

      Oh Jessie I feel for you ..that is my worst nightmare...I have been on diazepam for over 40 years ..came off twice and wanted to die...your doctor has a duty of care to you ...I know someone who is suing the practice for negligence ..government guidelines state that a patient cannot be forced off the pills ..their wishes have to be taken into consideration..please seek advice ..change doctors..do your research and go back and tell the GP you want to die or something similar ..you have a life to live not to exist ..please keep in touch 

      Regards 

      Pat

  • jessie51
    jessie51 liz57

    Posted

    Hi Pat,  thank you for the reply.  I took the last one on the 5th Jan this year,  have not seen my GP since Sept last year and only spoken to him once on the phone this year - is the system they have,  you don't make an app. to go in and see them.  I would be wasteing my time trying to get an appointment to even talk about it,  last time I spoke to him he did not even have my details up on his comp. screen when he rang me - eventually.   I have nothing to fight with inside me,   nothing matters any more, I am alone and not up to taking on a bunch of young know it alls.   I just get through what ever 24 hour period of time I am in,  hope it all comes to an end one way or another in the not to distant future.

    I hope others have support and help,  know now Pat you cant be forced to come off, unless Ireland has a different policy  - stay strong and look after yourself,  don't ever give in to them.

    Best wishes and good luck

    Jessie.

    • pat97152
      pat97152 jessie51

      Posted

      Dear God you should not feel like that ..I am appalled at your doctors ..tell them you have nothing to live for and that you hope it ends soon..they are supposed to save life not encourage it's ending ..do you have family ? 
    • pat97152
      pat97152

      Posted

      ..are you in N Ireland?..I cannot get you out of my head ..if I could help in any way I would ..cases like yours should be highlighted in the press ..doctors should not be getting away with ruining peoples lives ..we have done nothing wrong..only took the meds they prescribed for years ..
    • pat97152
      pat97152

      Posted

      Jesse I have sent you a private message 
    • liz57
      liz57 jessie51

      Posted

      Jesse I am not in Ireland but in Northern Ireland part of UK so we fall under same rules as you . Still think they are not any worse than tramadol and pregablin which I 've been given and didn't take.I hope and trust I will never be forced of my diazepam .All these other drugs are addictive ,Tramadol is now a controllled drug .What is the harm in diazepam? I still haven't seen it 30 years on

      Best W ishes

    • liz57
      liz57 jessie51

      Posted

      Hello Jessie Haven't been on for ages and I lose my way on these forums .Hope you are doing alright.Can't believe you were forced of diazepams .I'm not in Ireland I'm in Northern Ireland so am under the same NHS as you .I will continue to hold my corner re my pills and so far no one has said again about WD ,Thinking of you Liz
    • jessie51
      jessie51 liz57

      Posted

      Hello Liz,     private message on its way to you - re these site replies.

      Today,  just 2 minutes ago in fact is the first time I have seen the above two replies from yourself !!      I have only been on this site about a month and do have difficulty following where what goes,  but really,   to not see your replies is bad.      I need all the support I can get right now and did start a discussion   about being totally off the Diaz   and having problems.    Found a 'hero'  to help me along which is great,   we all need all the support we can get.   

      I do hope you are not worrying about this too much,    but you must be,  is natural.    Fingers crossed your GP  stays of a mind that you can take them as long as you need,       have to say tho,  there are benefits from being off them,  quite a few,  it is just the withdrawal that is so terrible,  and not  thought out at all by the Docs.

      Regards

      Jessie. 

      PS   will pm soon re the lost replies.     x

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