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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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  • jessie51
    jessie51 liz57

    Posted

    Hello Pat,   I am not in Ireland - sorry it is Liz who is in Ireland, she has told her Dr she will not come off Diaz. and he is NOT going to force her, he will continue to prescribe them .

    This is Liz 's post I am on just now.

    I am in Cumbria,  have no family - am totally alone.   It would be a waste of time trying to speak to the Drs,  they are not interested,  strange system they have, you ring and they ring you back,   the one time I did this the Dr did not even have my notes in front of him,  and would not reply to any mention of how ill I felt.   The descion has been made and that is that.    

    I hope others read this post put on by Liz and realise that they can stay on them if they are older and have been on them for years.  Too late for me though.    

    Thank you for the reply,   I hope you are able to stay with what is a comfortable dose for you,  and that you have a supportive GP.

    Best wishes  Jessie.

    • liz57
      liz57 jessie51

      Posted

      Hello I've replied to you .I'm not in Ireland but UK same as you .Same rules . Liz
    • jessie51
      jessie51 liz57

      Posted

      Pardon me for missing out the initial N. or the word Northern.  

      Jessie

  • Ness101010
    Ness101010 liz57

    Posted

    Hi Liz and Ladies.  Bless you all. I'm come across your helpful forum out of desperation - my 67 year old mother had a meds "review" over the phone a couple of weeks ago, during which the young GP forced her to come off Nitrazepam (saying they were no longer being produced and using scare tactics such as they can lead to dementia). The GP said she would prescribe my Mum Diazepam temporarily as a substitute to get her over the side effects. I'm not sure if this is the correct procedure for coming off Nitrazepam, but my Mum was on both drugs from the early 1970s - following two nervous breakdowns (hospitalised) she eventually managed (took a long time) to get herself off the Diazepam. She tried to come off Nitrazepam a few years ago but the side effects were so horrendous compared with when she weaned herself off the Diaz - that  she continued taking them. Now the GP is forcing her to come off Nitraz completely and go onto Diaz (which she took herself off successfully) which she said she didn't feel strong enough to do, but the GP just didn't listen to her. My poor Mum is now in a complete state about it, contemplating suicide, not wanting to live or fight any more (most certainly not the correct state to even consider coming off these tablets). I've complained to the GP surgery officially and it sounds like they're going to say that the "over-the-phone" review stands - even though my Mum was effectively bullied into coming off the tablets on the spot over the phone (like some nasty sales call) and she is completely beside herself at the prospects. I can only hope that they will reconsider, but it's not looking promising at the moment, and I'm living in complete dread at what will become of her if they continue down the path of what they want and do not listen to her wishes.

    I thank you all for taking the time to read this.

     

    • pat97152
      pat97152 Ness101010

      Posted

      Hi Ness ..the GP has a duty of care to your mum ..government guidelines sat a patient cannot be forced to come off a tablet that they are dependent on..they have to be asked IF they want to come off it...do not let her go back on Diaz ..I am dependent in Diaz for over 40 years ..the nitrates miss the same family of drugs as Diazepam...Complain to the health Ombudsman and tell the GP that you fear for your mothers life..look over previous posts on the diazepam forums ..there is good helpful comments there ..if I can help anymore please just ask ..where do you live ?
    • pat97152
      pat97152

      Posted

      ..nitrazepam is the same family of drugs as Diazepam..if she's free from that drug it is horrendous that a GP would put her back on it..there are several people on these forums who live in fear that doctors are going to take their pills away 
    • pat97152
      pat97152

      Posted

      Mention the governments guidelines ..no patient can be forced off their tablets 
    • pat97152
      pat97152

      Posted

      These doctors are ignorant of the facts 
    • Ness101010
      Ness101010 pat97152

      Posted

      Hi Pat. Thanks for your helpful advice. I agree with you - I printed out the NICE guidance (latest revision I believe was July 2013 at: http://cks.nice.org.uk/benzodiazepine-and-z-drug-withdrawal#!scenario) which, as you say, states it MUST be the patient's choice - and I've quoted this over the phone to the senior partner of the practice when he called me a week ago. I've copied "Healthwatch York" (York is where we are based), MIND, the Patient Advocacy Service, the General Medical Council and NHS England in on my complaints correspondence (Healthwatch York are the only ones who have responded helpfully - to me anyway), and I agree with you, I think it's crazy that she spent all those years taking herself off Diazepam successfully only to be put back on them again now in order to try and take her off Nitrazepam - I keep thinking if this goes ahead and is unsuccessful (which it most probably will be seeing at it's being forced upon her), then she'll be addicted to both drugs - complete and utter stupidity on their part. My Mum's thinking of demanding a referral to a mental health specialist when she has her face-to-face appointment with the GP to "talk this out" - after all her medical history involves a mental health issue rather than an insomnia issue, and GPs are after all what they say on the tin "General" Practitioners, and they shouldn't be playing with people's mind and lives like this.

      Warm wishes. Ness

    • Ness101010
      Ness101010 pat97152

      Posted

      Hi Pat. Thanks for your helpful advice. Not sure if you're aware but I sent a longer response to you but it's stuck waiting to be "moderated" because I included a NICE guidance web site (sorry, I'm new to this), so I hope they will release my post in the next 24 hours. I agree with all you say and will continue to fight for my Mum to actually have a say in her own life and preferences (we're based in York). Best wishes, Ness
    • liz57
      liz57 Ness101010

      Posted

      Hello Ness Your poor Mum .Don't think GP should be forcing her to  do this .Can she not move to a different surgery? .I know if my doctor hadn't backed down and said I could stay on diaz I would have bought them of internet with all its risks .Hope you get matters sorted
    • pat97152
      pat97152 Ness101010

      Posted

      Hi Ness ..the full message finally came through..thank you.

      I am in contact with a man whose wife was forcibly taken off 2 mg of diazepam...she is agoraphobic and this has sent her over the edge.Her husband and daughter confronted the doctor and practice manager and they reluctantly agreed that they had NOT followed the guidelines...they came out of the meeting with a script for Diazepam!!!

      stick to your guns...knowledge is power ..the more facts you can throw at them the better .

      keep in touch

      best wishes ..Pat

    • Ness101010
      Ness101010 liz57

      Posted

      Hello Liz. Thanks for your kind note. It is completely rotten - Mum was feeling fine before all of this, and the doctors talk about a risk of dementia? - what about the negative and damaging psychological effects all of this is having on her right now (and on her family trying to support her too) - the doctors venture so far as to think about that kind of effect sadly. The surgery has a number of different locations around York so she's considering perhaps using one of the others, but is meeting with the senior GP with my Dad next Friday, so we'll know more then. All the best to you Liz. Ness
    • Ness101010
      Ness101010 pat97152

      Posted

      Hi Pat. I think we're all so used to traditionally treating GPs like "gods" that we find it hard to confront them - but it's much easier to do on somebody else's behalf and when it's clear to all around that they've flouted the guidelines. As I mentioned to Liz, my Mum's got an appointment to see the senior GP a week on Friday, so we'll be going armed with hard copy of the guidelines and other facts, and hopefully things might return back to some kind of normality. It's all so unnecessary having to battle your corner just because they don't do their job with enough care, or according to the guidelines - leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. I feel so sorry for those vulnerable people who are not able to defend themselves, or with no family or friends to stick up for or support them - goodness knows what some people must go through that we'll never be aware of.  I'll keep you informed. Take care. Ness
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