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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

Shortage in Australia

chenka44

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 23, 2017
Messages
38
So I finally decide to get off the 5 year Valium habit, only to discover there is a shortage in Australia due to tampering. I have 12 days left and have already dropped 30% which I know is too fast. My doctor , who is clueless, has agreed with my proposed 10% every two week plan but there may not be any Valium left to prescribe.
Can someone please tell me the nearest equivalent benzo to try to switch to?...my main symptom is extreme anxiety
 
That's very good you are getting off of benzos, can you talk to your doctor about this or which benzo to take besides valium?

Lorazepam is apparently a more mild benzo than valium, and it's prescribed in Australia.

I have zero experience with benzo addiction or even using them recreationally; but I moved your thread to Aussie drug discussion for you so someone will answer.
 
So I finally decide to get off the 5 year Valium habit, only to discover there is a shortage in Australia due to tampering. I have 12 days left and have already dropped 30% which I know is too fast. My doctor , who is clueless, has agreed with my proposed 10% every two week plan but there may not be any Valium left to prescribe.
Can someone please tell me the nearest equivalent benzo to try to switch to?...my main symptom is extreme anxiety

Do not assume you are physically dependent. By all means taper off, but do not assume the symptoms you are feeling are withdrawal related. The likely scenario is that the anxiety you are experiencing is the return of the anxiety that you originally sought help for. The obvious choice of medication to switch to in my opinion, is Oxazepam, as it is a metabolite of Diazepam (Valium). It is highly effective for anxiety and has no active metabolites itself, meaning once it is broken down, that is the end of the medication's effect. As to why you have decided to get off Valium: if you have an anxiety disorder that causes distress, it is better to be medicated with a safe and effective medication (Valium, Oxazepam etc) than to suffer. Benzos are the only truly effective medication for anxiety. Just be aware of the anti-benzo propaganda out there. Most of what you read and hear about 'addiction' and other alleged negative aspects of the medication class is not true.
 
I'm prescribed valium and I haven't heard of any shortage. There was a recall, but that was over a month ago, and only for one brand of valium, the Roche brand. Even if there is a shortage of Roche Valium, you should easily be able to swap to another brand of diazepam (APO-Diazepam or Antenex from Alphapharm) with no problems.

Who told you there was a shortage? Sounds like you're getting dodgy info from somewhere.
 
It's only Roche and just a recall - who do own a few brands, I've never actually had any benzo with the Roche brand on it. I'm on Valium long term and my packaging has changed since the tampering but no mention of a shortage.

In any case, definitely a great idea to get off, benzo withdrawals are beyond horrid.

Clonazepam and Valium are generally used to taper due to their long half life so depending on your dosage you could swap to that (clonazepam equivalency to diazepam is about the same as Xanax but much longer half life) - but I really don't think you have to worry about a shortage, as you said your dr is a bit clueless!

Also, there are literally so many different benzos you could chAnge to if the need did arise. Lorazepam seems to be what they like to prescribe in Qld psych wards, ive been in a few and it was always lorazepam)

Fully support you getting off them for good though!
 
I ran out of valium or 10 days and ended up at the psych ward because of suicidal thoughts. One Valium later, all good..I think that says it all. These drugs are evil
 
3 chemists in my town have said they have little or no valium, either brand name or generic, and no idea when they will get any
 
That's odd. How small is your town and how many valium scripts have you been filling at these pharmacies exactly? Pharmacists aren't beyond claiming a shortage when they don't want to fill a script but also don't want a confrontation.
 
So odd. There is definitely no big emergency or shortage in Australia!!! - but if this is what they are saying (for whatever strange reason) then you really need to change to another benzo and get that sorted before you have nothing and go into serious withdrawals. Benzo withdrawal is evil!!!!

What is your dr saying????? Hopefully you can find a dr that is well versed in benzo withdrawal and doesn't just cut you off - as some aren't ?? which is so dangerous! But really, there are so many benzos out there that you could change to. Ask about clonazepam maybe, depending on your diazepam dose. Lorazepam is prescribed alot in this country.

I would honestly find a new dr!! I know what it's like to live in small town though - I lived in a 400 person town when I first became addicted to benzos.

But you asked what the closest to diazepam is - and all my drs including my addiction specialist have said people are switched to either diazepam or clonazepam for benzo withdrawal as they are similar in their action and half life (not dosage.)
 
I had stupidly asked to changed to Temazepam, not realising one cannot just switch without tapering. Obviously idiot doctor was clueless too, as were the medicos at emergency and psych ward triage, who said I could not possibly be addicted..WTF do they teach these people?
 
GP has agreed to taper but I am worried the Valium will run out whilst I am doing it
 
Got all day headache yesterday and woke up today feeling nervous. Just like when I ran out of valium a few weeks ago. I dropped 5 mg out of 15 last week..too fast I guess. What should I do next?...will I go into full on extreme panic like last time?..should I add the 5 mg back and then try to taper 10% in two weeks?
 
Did you ask about clonazepam? Still weirded out they're telling you Valium is running out. Just at the chemist picking mine up now.
 
But yes, taper slower. Have you seen the Ashton Manual. Seems to be the most effective way to taper and very well known. I would print it out and show your dr if he's clueless. I've been tapering 4 years but I've been on 20mg for at least a year (from 500mg) and not going down any further for quite awhile.
 
This is day 7 of dropping 5 mg from 15mg..apart from some nightmares and slightly elevated heart rate am, I feel ok. Having said that, it was on day 10 of cold tukey that I lost my shit last time. Should I just hold for a few more days..wait and see or resume the deleted 5 mg ? I plan to start 10% taper after day 14 if all is ok
 
Generally speaking, nobody was ever hurt by tapering too slowly. If you're uncomfortable at 10, you could go up to 12.5, or 14, then slowly reduce again. You could do 1mg a week, or a 1mg a fortnight, or 1mg a month. Don't stress too much, just go with what feelstable.rtable.
 
Agree ^ the slower the better.

I'm not surprised you still feel ok. I've done it a few times but the biggest was the one I did in hospital. And apart from a few symptoms, I actually not too and for the 2 weeks I was in there. It was after I got home that I got super bad. I was in bed for at least 3 weeks which is terribly hard with 5 Kids! It was so bad in had to reinstate and tepee slower. And as I said its been a few years. I'm stuck on 20mg Valium which is super low for me but I feel ok, especially with the methadone.

The sting in the end of the tail is the worst part for me (and others I've heard) and that's when you really need to slow dose and go to tiny doses.

Keep us updated.!
 
What the fuck? Something is not right about that. In no way at all am i suggesting that your bsing as im not its just got me brain storming now like a riddle. These following obstacles are in our path to finding why-:

All three being dry at once.

*Pharmaceutical distribution is way different too say retail. If they havnt got your medicine in stock they have to say that they can order it in for you if you want (then its up to you to say you will try somewhere else so the duty of care has been conducted)
Unless you live in absolute whoop whoop then it will be in the following morning. My brother works 2pm-12am fulltime at Sigma in the factorys pick/packing and loading the trucks. They have trucks leaving from around 4pm untill 11pm which enables them to service all of the state by morning. I know smallertowns that they deviate to stop at, and the fact theres 3..hmm

*Amoxysillon and diazepam are from memory the two most prescribed scripts (i know for sure diazepam is definitely in then top 3) So to have three seperate chemists do that just wouldnt happen.

Also you can just call surrounding towns and drive to them. As others have said theres certainly no diazepam shortage. Antenex and usually valpam will be at most.

Why? I have no clue but they are lying about the reason dude
 
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