HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Is Alternative Medication Required While Weaning Off Diazepam?

Posted on Fri, 5 Dec 2014

Question: My wife has been on Diazepam for the past 42 years. She does have generalized anxiety and the diazepam has helped. One doctor in the past put her on Prozac which I really do not know why. She is not depressed and dose not have panic attacks. Her current doctor wants to wean her off diazepam but is not prescribing anything to take its place. I am wondering whether a drug such as alprazolam would be beneficial as she is just becoming more and more anxious.

Answered by Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Gradual tapering is advised for diazepam

Detailed Answer:
Hello, Welcome to Health Care Magic

Diazepam is a long acting benzodiazepine drug useful in anxiety, seizures. She has been taking the drug for long time and this has resulted in dependence. So abrupt stoppage of its use can cause severe withdrawal in form of rebound anxiety, dizziness, restlessness, giddiness, brain fog and in more severe cases seizures or delirium can occur.

To prevent the side effects gradual tapering of drug is advised. The doses are reduced gradually about 20-25% every two weeks and stopped completely at about 6-10 weeks. Even after this some individuals may experience mild anxiety and craving for long. This is the reason for her anxiety.

Alprazolam is a short acting drug and it can cause dependence so it should be avoided completely. Other benzodiazepine drugs like Etizolam can be used. Etizolam is free of serious dependence and it is also very short acting. This will help in decreasing her anxiety due to craving.

Yoga, relaxation exercises, meditation also have beneficial effects in such situations.

Consult her doctor for treatment and as per my opinion alprazolam should not be given to her because of fear of dependence of one more drug.

Thanks, if you have more questions you can ask again.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E

Follow up: Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi (1 hour later)

She has actually been tapering off since April of this year. From what I am now witnessing, she is back to having the type of anxiety she had 35 plus years ago. We will suggest Etizolam to her doctor. Because of her history of anxiety, I wonder about it now being caused by craving???

It should be noted that she has never taken more than prescribed i.e. 10 mg per day. As such the diazepam really has not presented a problem to date.

We will ask about Etizolam and do hope this will resolve her anxiety. Also, since she is not depressed we wonder about her still taking Prozac??

Answered by Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi (38 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Both withdrawal and anxiety can cause

Detailed Answer:
Hello again

Diazepam withdrawal symptoms can even present after long time. Also called as protracted withdrawal, symptoms in form of mild anxiety are seen. But she is having severe anxiety so it could be due to relapse and long term withdrawal both.

Prozac is SSRIs drug and the drug is antidepressant and Antianxiety drug. She should be on this drug because of her anxiety. Benzodiazepines can decrease symptoms of anxiety but Prozac will treat anxiety.

Consult about Etizolam or other drug Oxazepam for symptoms relief.

Thanks, you can ask again for any unresolved doubts

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju