Benzos Sertraline & Diazepam

[pjtrix]

Hi there,

So about 2 months back my Doctor put me on back on Sertraline (zoloft) as i had a relapse of general anxiety and panic attacks. Prior to this i was taking sertraline for about 3 years but stopped taking it about 7 months ago as my anxiety had improved.

When i started my second round of Sertraline 2 months ago my doctor prescribed me 20 x 2mg tabs of Diazepam to help with the initial side effects of the SSRI. i struggled a lot and another shitty doctor toook me of the sertraline and put me on mirtazpine for 2 weeks which really made me sick with tremors. Now my latest doctor has put me back on the sertaline but this time i have no Diazepam to help me through the unbearable startup symptoms .

Initially the first doctor who prescribed sertaline advised me to take 2mg diazpeam 2-3 times daily however, i only used 2mg as and when needed and made the 20 x 2mg tabs last me over the 2 months period.

Now im back on sertaline again, im struggling quite a bit with panic and heightened anxiety and i dont have any support of diazepam to help me through the worst days.

ive managed to aquired some 10mg diazepam off label and my question is, will it be safe for me to take an additional round of diazepam considering i only took such a small does (20 x 2mg) over the 2 month period ?

the doc the second time round also prescribed me 5 x 7.5 zopiclone for sleep but they have not been working. I found diazepam is the only thing that helps my sleeping,eating and anxiety

Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Mracid]

I suppose you had a 5mg diazepam pill that you cut in half to make a 2.5mg right? then you can cut the 10mg pill in 4 to get the same dose it should be pretty much the same and because diazepam has a freakishly long half life the additive effect makes for most of the long lasting effects. Also I understand that zopiclone sucks for sleep issues, my doc prescribed me 15mg zopiclone instead of 30mg temazepam and found out that not only it is half the dose but it is also a crappy med for sleep, and if it helps fall asleep it will cost you to wake up in the middle of the night because of its short half life of like 3 hours.

Also if you care for herbal help, chamomile and peppermint tea taken with the diazepam can make it more potent, anxiety wise, it will not increase the side effects just the good effects. And Green tea or Oolong tea are a great alternative to coffee in the morning or even afternoon for energy, but calm and focus energy instead of Raw energy that coffee gives.
But regarding herbal helps, since you take an SSRI you should avoid, Maté, passion flower and specially Saint-johns-wort as they can create serotonin syndrome when mixed with antidepressants.

Also mirtazapine SUCKS its like the middle between really low dose of atypical antipsychotics and buspirone. I respond badly to every antidepressant but that one was yucky.

Good luck with your anxiety issues, and have a nice day.

 

[pjtrix]

I suppose you had a 5mg diazepam pill that you cut in half to make a 2.5mg right? then you can cut the 10mg pill in 4 to get the same dose it should be pretty much the same and because diazepam has a freakishly long half life the additive effect makes for most of the long lasting effects. Also I understand that zopiclone sucks for sleep issues, my doc prescribed me 15mg zopiclone instead of 30mg temazepam and found out that not only it is half the dose but it is also a crappy med for sleep, and if it helps fall asleep it will cost you to wake up in the middle of the night because of its short half life of like 3 hours.

Also if you care for herbal help, chamomile and peppermint tea taken with the diazepam can make it more potent, anxiety wise, it will not increase the side effects just the good effects. And Green tea or Oolong tea are a great alternative to coffee in the morning or even afternoon for energy, but calm and focus energy instead of Raw energy that coffee gives.
But regarding herbal helps, since you take an SSRI you should avoid, Maté, passion flower and specially Saint-johns-wort as they can create serotonin syndrome when mixed with antidepressants.

Also mirtazapine SUCKS its like the middle between really low dose of atypical antipsychotics and buspirone. I respond badly to every antidepressant but that one was yucky.

Good luck with your anxiety issues, and have a nice day.

Hi, thank you very much for the advice!

I do have some camomille tea in the house but ive never tried it before. Interesting that you said it can help with anxiety and make the diazepam more potent. Never knew that!

Well i got on the phone with my doctor after i had a really rough time on 50mg sertraline on week 2. He advised me to reduce down to 25mg again on third week. I am down on 25mg sertraline now for 3 days and i am feeling much better. I have been able to sleep quite well after the reduction.

So i just want to confirm. the total amount of diazepam taken is 30mg over about a 2 month period

19/09/16 to 7/11/16 - 20 x 2mg (as and when needed.)
8/11/16 half 10mg (5mg) before bed
9/11/16 quarter 10mg(2.5mg in the morning
10/11/16 quarter 10mg(2.5mg) before uni lecture
11/11/16 none taken

Do i risk having withdrawal from this amount or risk of seizure?
also how much longer could i go on for taking as and when needed at this small dosage without the risk of major withdrawal?

I have read a lot of horror stories on here but most have been at pretty large doses.

EDIT: i have no history of major abuse with any drug in the past. Occasional x and coke use when clubbing over the years but nothing major. Quit all that now, just lost its appeal to me.

thank you

 

[Keif' Richards]

I really think that if the induction symptoms are severe enough to warrant powerful sedative, then you should probably be considering a different medication. It's not a normal thing that you're going through. Antidepressants like SSRI's (Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram) etc. are supposed to be mild during induction, maintenance and cessation. There are often some discontinuation symptoms, but they shouldn't be anything more than mild discomfort.

I don't know about this, but it's your choice. Do you really, really want to be on an SSRI for a particular reason?

As far as the Diazepam goes, there shouldn't be any danger involved with you using it, especially if it's only temporary. 10mg Diazepam (Valium) isn't a significantly large dose and Benzodiazepines are essentially non-lethal when not taken with other central nervous system depressants. So, as far as your immediate safety is concerned, you have nothing to worry about. In reality, the oft-more dangerous aspect of Benzodiazepines is their propensity for causing waking blackouts and amnesia, leading to potentially serious consequences.

All things considered, you're using Benzodiazepines pretty much how they would be prescribed by a credible physician; to control symptoms, for a short course and not as a permanent solution to your problems. I hope your antidepressant experience improves post-induction.