Valium calms the central nervous system by binding with brain receptors that respond to a neurotransmitter called GABA. At therapeutic doses, Valium can make you feel more relaxed, less stressed and more capable of coping with the demands of life. Valium is also used as a sedative before certain surgical procedures. In a hospital setting, it is given intravenously to treat status epilepticus, or a state of continuous seizures. In the s, Valium was the gold standard of treatment for anxiety disorders.
In the 21st century, less addictive medications may be prescribed first for anxiety. Spasticity can be caused by conditions like cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and even exercise and dehydration. In another use, Valium may be used as an add-on medication to help people who have seizure disorders. Finally, the drug may be prescribed to treat the symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal, where it may help control tremors, agitation and even the DTs known in scientific terms as delirium tremens.
Valium, which is potentially addictive, was one of the first drugs that are popularly known as the Benzodiazepine tranquilizers. It was approved in According to the manufacturer, Valium should not be given to children under the age of six months.
Also, there are other possible contraindications in patients with sleep apnea, serious difficulty breathing, severe liver disease, or myasthenia gravis a condition that causes weakness in your muscles. Make sure you know whether you have open-angle glaucoma where Valium use is okay as long as you are receiving appropriate treatment or acute narrow-angle glaucoma where Valium should not be used.
You should contact your ophthalmologist if you are prescribed Valium. In addition, if you're taking Valium to help treat a seizure disorder, you shouldn't stop taking it suddenly, because doing so may increase your risk for seizures.
Because Valium slows the activity of your central nervous system, your doctor should be careful when prescribing other drugs that can affect your central nervous system. There also are several drugs that can potentially lead to increased Valium levels or even toxicity when taken with Valium. These include:.
You should always make certain both your physician and your pharmacist know what other drugs you're taking if you're starting a Valium prescription since it interacts with so many drugs. Valium is a member of the benzodiazepine family. These drugs can lead to dependence even if you're only taking the prescribed dose.
Valium can also be abused. You should also never stop taking these drugs abruptly. Stopping these drugs too quickly can lead to withdrawal. Diazepam and alprazolam are effective in treating several conditions, including acute anxiety. However, each drug also treats different conditions.
Talk with your doctor about your symptoms and medical history to help them determine what medication may be best for you. Learn about the most addictive prescription drugs, including Adderall and Xanax. Xanax, the brand name for alprazolam, is a prescription medication used to treat anxiety and panic disorder.
But can you accidentally overdose? Wondering if you can take Adderall and Xanax together? What happens when you mix Xanax and weed? Here's everything you need to know, including whether it's safe to add alcohol into the mix. Does worrying put a damper on your day? Try these techniques to free yourself.
Though autism and social anxiety have similarities, the two conditions are very different. Learn why. Check out our picks for the best anxiety products and gift ideas, from books to herbal supplements. People who have generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, worry uncontrollably about common situations. Dependence People become dependent on benzodiazepines if they take them for more than 4 weeks If a person takes a benzodiazepine regularly, they will get the full effect of the drug for the first few weeks.
There is a risk of both psychological and physical dependence with repeated use. How to stop If someone is taking benzodiazepines regularly for more than 4 weeks, it could be fatal to stop taking them.
How to reduce your risk If you decide to use benzodiazepines, start low and go slow. All of these drugs can depress breathing resulting in a serious risk of death if mixed. If going to sleep, ensure you sleep on your side to avoid choking Tolerance and dependency can develop quickly and if you have recently started using, try not to use every day and take breaks in between Avoid taking other drugs or more benzodiazepines to deal with withdrawal symptoms When to get help Seek help from medical support quickly if you experience any negative side effects These include overdose symptoms such as: blue lips loss of consciousness noisy, rasping, slow breathing withdrawal effects like fitting or seizures extreme mental confusion hallucinations If you suspect that someone has possibly taken opioids heroin or methadone in addition to benzodiazepines then administer naloxone if it is available.
Source: Public Health Scotland - Opens in new browser window. Last updated:. How can we improve this page?
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