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[Rowan]

I have to agree with what CLKD has said her post is very true.

[honeybun]

I think they are well aware of the issues with this kind of medication.
I trust my GP and will go by what he says.....ie...at the rate I take them there is NO danger of addiction.



Honeyb
x

[CLKD]

    I've been around various mental health drugs since my Dad began being ill in the early 1960s  so have watched and learned.  Having had severe mental health issues I have been lucky with a very good GP who has had oodles of patience, kindness and knowledge and a loving DH  ………… it is learning to listen to the GP when in the depths of wanting an instant 'cure' that I found difficult, I wanted to feel well and I wanted to feel well yesterday, not have to wait until the drug 'kicked in'  ………..

[catlady]

I am addicted to Valium, though they are called Diazepam now.
Iv'e been taking them every day for 40 years due to not being told they were addictive.
I have cut them down from taking 3 x 5mg tabs  a day to 2x 2mg tabs a day  but I was told
that I will never be able to stop them altogether or cut down anymore due to the severe withdrawal
that can be dangerous. 

I would never had taken them if I knew then what I know now .

Ann x

[JJ]

I think they have their place . A good gp prescribes carefully. When i started my peri meltdown four days with 2 x 2 mg a day gave me respite from the crippling anxiety and I was then in a position to discuss with my doc, next line of treatment. Years ago they were given out too freely with no monitoring. I still have valium if I feel really rough, maybe a low dose pill to enable me if I feel really jittery. I can't take beta blockers and not on hrt .

Acute Anxiety can be extremely uncomfortable .

[CLKD]

Acute anxiety can be fatal.

Ann - do they affect your daily Life or is it that you fear withdrawal symptoms?  If you are 'coping' then try not to worry about the small amount that you are taking.  The brain is an organ that we often forget to support  and you may find that you are able to cut down further with supervision. How would 'severe withdrawal be dangerous', was it explained to you ?

[catlady]

Hi  CKLD
I'M sure I am suffering from  tolerance symptoms now, it's like withdrawal without
lowering the dose.

I was told that cutting down more could give me seizures  so I'm very scared about that.
It seems so hard to cut down tablets has you don't get the same dosage with every cut.

I really need guidance and supervision but gp's are not good with cuting down benzos,
they want you yo do it too quickly.

Ann x

[Rowan]

This maybe of help Ann

http://www.bcnc.org.uk/howtowithdraw.htm

[Hurdity]

Hi Ann

The recommendation I understand is to do it very slowly by microtapering - and you won't be able to do this by cutting the pills. You need to get the same product as a syrup and reduce it in minute doses so that your body does not notice it ie it would not be severe withdrawal.

I gather it can take a year. There is a member on here who knows about this but I won't speak for her and I am sure she will post if she reads this.


You might like to Google microtapering benzo... in the meantime

Hurdity x

[Rowan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySD_UIMVFg0

You will have to be dedicated to this I have read about it,  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php'topic=56009.0

[CLKD]

It took me 9 weeks to taper off an anti-depressant.  If you want to come off then maybe ask if you can be referred to a Psychiastrist or contact MIND charity for advice.  If you are OK with where you are now, then continue with your regime.  It's all about getting through the day 

GPs do offer support, mine certainly helped me by offering me advice, appropriate withdrawal amounts of the drug and I learned to rest on the day after the dosage was lowered.  My worry was that the side-effects would never go away and also that the next drug wouldn't help, so my feelings as well as physical were psychological driven by fear of being ill again.

My symptoms were: fear, headaches, queasy tummy, woozy feelings …….. then for 3-5 days I would feel OK until the next low dose ……….. but it did work. 

[Dana]

You will have to be dedicated to this I have read about it,  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php'topic=56009.0

Benzo Buddies is an excellent support forum, and I would recommend anyone go there and read some of the information to find out exactly what benzos can do - before you start taking them. The sad and scary stories hopefully will be enough to scare the pants off you, and a lot of these people were taking low doses on an irregular basis.

A lot of people just have no idea what benzos can do, because happily they've never been in the position to know. I will repeat what I've said before - a lot of doctors just have no idea either, and are the reason why there are so many people posting on BB. If some doctors aren't educated properly in meno treatments (which have been around for a long time) why would we assume they are educated about benzos, which have been around about as long.

Check out the BB link, particularly the introduction stories. It will be an eye-opener for most people. This is the link to the general forum http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php

[Rowan]

It is an excellent site as MM is in all its diversity, that is to say there is much advice and lots of different opinions about what  works and how it works on each individual. 

I noticed that many are on high doses and trying to wean off.

In the insomnia section  I read that one person was taking 9 mgs! of Melatonin and saying how unwell it made her, well that is no surprise as  and I have never anywhere read that you should take that amount as it is recommended 3mgs or less, much less is recommended.

I also read that that there is a book by Jane Hill ( microtapering benzo"  that some swore by and others suggested not to buy, I just glanced at this so may not have got all the facts.

If you need to or want to  taper off its best to see your GP, there is a notice in my GPs waiting room about coming off  ( its lists drugs) and go from there.

[honeybun]

I also read some of the posts and it does not make happy reading. One thing they did have in common from what I read was the amount they had been taking.

My occasional 2mg pales into comparison.


Honeyb
x

[Rowan]

Just to add I am not at all worried about taking a sliver of zopiclone once in a while when needed, but there is one substance which is highly addictive I would like to taper off and that's sugar. They say its as addictive as Heroine and I do crave it every day. We have been told it causes heart disease to skin aging, I don't crave any drugs but I do crave sugar and I do worry about that.

I am not being flippant but taking a  very low dose valium or a zopiclone once in a while with your doctors knowledge is not an addiction,I have read that it may cause more problems if you have an addicted personality which is genetic I believe , but you shouldn't feel terrified if you do succumb now and then.