Please help ! Diazipam taper , having a hard time

I seem to be utterly stuck on the level of diaz ive been on for many months now.  Dr just keeps prescribing them.  I take 5mg at night, gets me to about 4am then wake feeling i need another, i try to sleep on but wake feeling very distressed.  End up taking 2mg then feel terrible all day, needing 2mgs lunchtime and in pm.  My level used to be only one 2mg during day.  I see in Ashton i should be trying to cut down but im going up and its very uncomfortable, i dont know how to start drop when its worse.  I cannot tolerate anti deps thats how ive ended up like this.  Psychiatrist seems unable to do much else. Any suggestions

 

Hi Ann

I can’t give you any advice as I’m struggling too the taper is really distressing me and making me feel ill , I’m very sensitive to meds , I’m hoping this latest drop will settle down in a few days then I’ll stsy on that dose for a while .

You should see if there is any drug withdrawal clinics in your area and talk to them who will help you set up a tapering program with your GP or call your GP surgery and ask if they have a Dr trained in withdrawal or if they know of a local service that can help you.

I have been given propanalol to help when the anxiety is really bad whilst withdrawing its a beta blocker and takes the edge off the anxiety we feel when reducing.

You call always call 111 if your freaking out and they might know of a local service that can help you.

Sorry I can’t be of more help but I’m in this nightmare too and struggling on to get off this stuff , helped so much when I started it but not so easy to stop it 💪

Hi jean

I’m gonna call a benzo help line , I’m really really feeling terrible, I can’t believe that dropping just 0.5 mg is having this effect on me , it’s awful.

Did you get off it ? How did you do it and how long do you think each drop takes to stabilise? 

I would also be grateful if you can give me the benzo helpline you find is most useful and i will use it.  Be sure i know how youre feeling, its the worst but everyone says you can get over it so keep,the faith

Please let me know. If you get in touch with the benzo org as i think it might also help me.   Im only through today with 3mg. 

Hi Ann

I had a look at the links Jean sent , the Ashton Manual is very good I had a look at some short YouTube talks she gave on benzodiazepines her name is Dr Heather Ashton . I called a couple of helplines but they can’t give individual medication advice but I called “Frank” they found a centre fairly local to me , hey deal with all addictions including Diazipam, they work out a taper with you and work closely with the GP, I think I’ll go on Monday for a chat with them, you may have a local service too.

I’m ok , about the same as yesterday but I’ve also got an upset tummy today and slept really terrible 😩

Check out the links Jean sent .

I’ve been for a walk this morning but gonna take it easy for the rest of the day 

Matt 

That sounds a lot more positive in many ways.  Yes i too have read ashton manual.  I am in scotland and cant see any links for help here, maybe im looking in wrong place.  Is Frank a serice you spoke to and whereabouts on site did you find that?   Im not very computer literate so this along with the brain fog and anxiety isnt helping!

Hi Ann

It’s called talk to frank , if you goggle it you’ll see it , like I say that can’t give you personal advice but if you tell them where you live they can look on their data base and see if there’s anything local to you .

Hi Ann

Not sure why my reply is being moderated, google talk to frank , you’ll get a telephone number so you can call and ask about help in your local area .

Hope your ok today ?

I’m very tired and have nausea 😩

I will try that thanks. Seems to be an area nobody really knows much or cares about.  Pity Heather Ashton isnt still around.

today managed to keep level down so that was better.  Never good in night though. 

Nausea is a frequent visitor to my life too.  I try to enjoy the days i get without it. Dr did give me something to take which helps.

sending you wishes for a better night.

Hello 

Does anyone out there find dropping 0.5mg to much ?

I was down to 2mg morning and 2mg evening I dropped to 1.5mg in Monday and am struggling like hell , shaking, nausea, exhausted with disrupting sleep, don’t feel human , crying, very dry mouth .

No appetite.

Anyone know when this drop should settle down ?

Please reply if you have and advise.

Hi Matt, sorry to hear you are still battling away and can only send you best regards for things to settle.  From what ive researched your symptoms of the drop are completely normal, although very disturbing.  The advice i have found is either reinstate for a while then tr again ( i know you dont want to do this and quite understand why) or make thr drop of a lesser size.  It seems that the lower you get on this, the harder the body takes the change.  I am sorry i cannot be any mor help, im in same boat too but it would be helpful to me to hear how you progress.  Keep chin up.  Everyone says we will get there.

Hi Ann

This is so horrible I just don’t know what to do ! Don’t know whether to go back up on the dose or ride it out , I feel so unwell, don’t know if I can even make myself go for a walk I’m just laying on my bed feeling like total crap .

I wish I hadn’t made that cut on Monday I’m really not handling it to good at all , I just get my head round how such a small reduction can have such a terrible effect , maybe I’m weak and need to toughen up maybe most people are stronger than me and I’m being pathetic I just don’t know.

Thank you for replying 

Hello, its been a week since you dropped your dose? Do you think you feel worse now, than at the start of the reduction? If you feel worse, i would say go back up. How long was it between your latest drop and the previous one?

Hi Nigel

Yes I dropped 0.5mg on Monday and I feel awful, the last drop I done I stayed at for 3 weeks, do you think I should go back to what I was taking Sunday 2mg morning and 2mg evening? 

Matt, yes i do think you should go back up. I dont think youd fully got over the previous drop, with hindsight. If your current drop feels worse than your previous drop go back up. It might be annoying, but you want to be sure you dont undo any of the work youve done. I cant say for certain what you should do. Looking at it long term, i wouldnt want the risk of your latest drop undoing anything.

Hi Nigel

I called primary care and a very nice informative Dr called me back he said I’d probably dropped to quickly from my last drop so said to reinstate back up to 4mg , he also told me to take 2mg extra today as a one off as he could hear how distraught I was , he said it’s not a race and to take my time , yes I want off it but I’ve come down from 15mg and came off two antidepressants in the last few months so to give myself a break.

I split my dose but he said maybe try talking all 4mg at bedtime as it might help me sleep but said that would be my choice, not sure about that mmmmmm will have to have a think.

Sounds good, and the extra one, to get you under control. It was beginning to sound like you needed to go back up. Not sure about 4mg at night. I split mine. 4mg at night might make you sleep better, but youll get more anxious during the day, ie a more even feel. I would do as the person said, and then forget about dropping for a few months. Give yourself time to unwind. All the best.

Hi, just checking how you are today and if you have done what was suggested. This med is such a difficult one its hard for us to know when were getting it right or not.  Are you feeling down and depressed in the mornings when you waken? Or is it only anxiety which is your main problem.  I did what they asked and take the main amount at night, yes it helps sleep but i think it may be making wake up worse.  Its so hard to tell.    I know like me you tried sertraline and mirtazapine neither of which helped me at all.  Have you depression at all or only anxiety?  I hope you get some answers and can let ke know how it goes.

Hi Ann

I did reply to your private message.

I mainly have anxiety which is so much worse in the morning, I think when you’re life changes so much as mine has it can make me feel depressed too.

My sleep is awful I wake anytime between 3-4am then lay awake until it’s a reasonable time to get up around 7, I go for a 20 minuet walk as soon as o get up to try and do something positive but then I start feeling anxious about leaving the house .

I worked all my life and always been busy and around other people, now I am in my own every day and the days are so long , I try to go to Tesco or for another walk , I just can’t seem to be able to get on top of the anxiety I’m almost agoraphobic, it’s horrible 😩

I’m waiting for CBT which I’m hoping will help me , I just want some sort of life back .

How are you Ann , do you suffer any of what I’m going through or have you and how did you help yourself?

Matt 

I empathise with all that and have replied to your pm