• Rage
• More pronounced epileptic seizures
• Depression

Valium has been listed on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. At one time, Valium was the go-to drug of choice, though in more recent times some governments have recognized its addiction potential and are requiring tighter control over prescriptions.

What Is Valium Addiction?

Addiction is the physical, psychological and behavioral need for a person’s drug of choice, whether that drug is Valium, alcohol, food, sex, or any addictive substance or behavior. Even seemingly healthy choices can become addictive and negatively affect the individual’s quality of life when the effect becomes the focus instead of the cure.

Is Valium addiction a disease? There are many similarities between a commonly accepted medical disease and addiction:

• Both can be life-threatening
• Medical treatment is required for healing to occur
• Disease and/or addiction often becomes the individual’s main focus
• Both diminish quality of life
• The individual is usually not him or herself
• Everyone within the individual’s immediate sphere of influence is affected
• There are genetic and environmental predispositions to disease and addiction
• The processes involved in healing are similar

Healing from Valium Addiction and Disease

Healing from Valium addiction and any other disease involves the following:

• Healing processes require factors outside the individual’s control (medical attention and rehab)
• An acceptance of the disease and/or the acknowledgement of addiction must occur for the individual to get help
• A support system is needed to help with the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical affects
• Paradigm shifts are almost inevitable, as the person must view his or her place in the world differently while embracing connections to others
• As the individual recovers, he or she will begin to experience each day with a more limited focus on what they can do today—“the one day at a time” approach

Valium addiction treatment begins immediately after medically supervised detox. If you are struggling with Valium addiction, a treatment center accredited by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is often the best place for successful treatment and recovery. Valium addiction rehab centers offer the following aspects of recovery:

• 12-step work
• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Wellness and nutrition counseling
• Opportunities for exercise and recreation
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Programs that provide information on addiction and relapse prevention
• Support while encouraging positive changes in thinking and behavior

Does Valium Have a Hold on You?

Valium addiction is a disease, and like a disease it can be treated. You don’t have to continue wondering when your next normal day will be. We can help you find the recovery options that will meet your individual needs. Call our toll-free helpline today to find treatment solutions that work. If you are ready for help, we are ready to help you. We are here 24 hours a day, so please call now and break free from Valium.

How Valium Works

Valium enhances the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which has a naturally calming effect in the brain. Continued use will replace the naturally occurring chemicals in the brain that regulate mood and anxiety. When this happens the brain stops creating its own supply of these chemicals and becomes completely dependent on the Valium in order to feel normal. If the user tries to quit cold-turkey he may experience severe, even dangerous, withdrawal symptoms.

Signs of Valium Dependence

Signs of Valium addiction include the following:

• Pre-occupation with having Valium on hand
• Lying to get more Valium
• Slurring words
• Persistent dizziness
• Depression or suicidal thoughts or actions
• Lack of coordination
• Excessive sleep or laziness

Valium Can Mask Co-Occurring Disorders

Many people who struggle with one psychological disorder struggle with several. Valium may be prescribed to help someone with an anxiety disorder, but the doctor is unaware of other issues like body dysmorphic disorder, persistent depression, social anxiety issues or other conditions. Valium may mask those symptoms for a time, but as tolerance to the drug builds those symptoms may return. Dual Diagnosis Treatment can identify any of these co-occurring disorders so that they may be treated. If left unattended they can complicate or compromise recovery and may lead to more serious disorders down the road.

Mixing Valium with Other Substances

It is very important that people being prescribed Valium talk openly and honestly with their doctor about any other medications they are taking. Any history of substance abuse or addiction should also be shared. Many people mix Valium with other drugs or alcohol, which can be a lethal combination. Valium can also greatly increase the speed of the addiction process for other substances. In general Valium should not be mixed with any other drugs or alcohol. If this kind of mixing has already happened then medically supervised detox is essential.

Help for Valium Addiction Is Available

If you or someone you know is wrestling with Valium addiction, help is available. Call our 24 hour, toll-free helpline for personal access to our specially trained addiction experts. They can answer any questions you may have and help you take your first steps toward freedom from Valium. They can even confirm your insurance coverage for the cost of treatment. Don’t waste any more time. Make the call today and let us help you find a new future free of chemical dependency.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, the benzodiazepines account for about 61 million prescriptions a year. While Valium had traditional been prescribed more often today, the top-selling tranquilizer in the United States in Xanax.

How Do They Work?

The primary therapeutic benefit of the benzodiazepines is to reduce anxiety and induce sleep. What makes this drug class different from other depressant drugs is that BZDs target receptors in the limbic region of the brain instead of depressing activity throughout the central nervous system. The limbic region of the brain is responsible for regulating and controlling emotions, so the BZD can effectively treat anxiety without impacting the entire body.

Differences Between Valium and Xanax

Both drugs are very similar, however the differences include potency, how quickly they go to work and the length of time they remain active in the body.

• One of the differences between Valium and Xanax is in the potency. For example, 0.5 milligrams (mg) of Xanax is approximately equivalent to 10mg of Valium.
• Xanax acts more quickly than Valium.
• A single dose of Xanax typically is eliminated from the body within 6 – 12 hours, while the equivalent dose of Valium remains in the system for upwards to 100 hours.

BZD Side Effects

Taken as directed for a limited period of time, both Valium and Xanax have few side effects. The two greatest risks of using either Valium or Xanax are dependence and addiction. Many users, who are receiving the benefit of the drugs blocking their feelings of anxiety, do not want to risk the re-occurrence of anxious feelings, so they continue to use the drug on an ongoing basis versus just during peak anxiety periods. (see Valium and Alcohol).

Learning to live without the daily intake of Valium or Xanax is not something that an anxiety-ridden person considers. This perceived ongoing need for the drug is what leads to addiction.

Valium Withdrawal Symptoms

The amount of Valium you take and the length of time that you have been taking Valium has a direct impact on withdrawal symptoms that can include but are not limited to:

• Dizziness
• Personality changes
• Sensitivity to sound or light
• Numbness or tingling
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• A rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
• Heart palpitations
• Hallucinations
• Memory loss
• Panic attacks
• Fever, sweating
• Headaches
• Anxiety, tension, depression
• Insomnia, restlessness, irritability or confusion

Get Help for Valium Abuse

Effectively managing Valium use is often difficult without proper medical supervision and support. If you or someone you know is addicted to pills and need Valium addiction help, call our toll free number today at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about Valium addiction treatment. We are here to help. Watch this Valium abuse video for more insight.

When taken as prescribed for reasons like using Valium for migraines, most people respond to Valium with few side effects; the most common of which include drowsiness, fatigue and minor issues with coordination.

Both alcohol and Valium depress the central nervous system, therefore, drinking alcohol while taking Valium may increase the risk of serious reactions. Studies have demonstrated that the combined use of alcohol and Valium caused memory problems and erratic behaviors in some people.

Further, since Valium is sometimes prescribed to assist with alcohol withdrawal, combining alcohol and Valium would be counterproductive of the goal to withdrawal from alcohol. In fact, when alcohol and Valium are combined, a person may be more sensitive than usual to the effects of the alcohol.

When combined with alcohol, other potential Valium side effects include:

• Confusion
• Double or blurred vision
• Headaches
• Bladder or bowel control problems
• Changes in sex drive
• Nausea
• Salivation changes
• Slurred speech
• Shakiness (tremors)
• Difficulty passing urine
• Vertigo

Valium Abuse

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Valium is a benzodiazepine and a controlled substance (Schedule IV in the United States). It is a potent sedative – hypnotic (CNS depressant), and is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. It is also one of the top five most abused benzodiazepines, and misuse can lead to both psychological dependence and/or physical addiction.

Risks of Valium/Alcohol Interaction

Valium depresses the nervous system much like alcohol and is abused by all segments of society. Valium is both physically and psychologically addicting and when adding alcohol to this cycle, it is considered one of the toughest addictions to break.

Both Valium and alcohol have the potential to cause severe emotional and physical dependence in some patients and these individuals may find it exceedingly difficult to stop using.

Statistics show that a single dose of Valium in combination with alcohol can be fatal. Symptoms of a combined alcohol/Valium condition include:

• Lethargy
• Somnolence
• Confusion
• Decreased reflexes
• Coma

Immediate medical attention is required to assist a person who is experiencing any of these Valium/alcohol symptoms.

Get Help for Valium Abuse

Effectively managing Valium use is often difficult without proper medical supervision and support. If you or someone you know is addicted to Valium and require Valium abuse help, call our toll free number today at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about Valium addiction treatment. We are here to help. take a look at this Valium addiction video.

• Classic – Before the actual pain begins, the individual experiences an aura which is a visual sensory illusions, such as jagged bands of light obscuring vision, or a shimmering light around the edges of objects. Other senses, such as hearing and smell, may also be affected.
• Ocular – These migraines affect vision and can include seeing flashes of light, zigzagging patterns, blind spots or stars.
• Retinal – These migraines typically affect one eye and may cause short-lasting, diminished vision or blindness.
• Basilar Artery – These involve the basilar artery in the brainstem, and can cause pain, vertigo, speech and vision problems and poor coordination.
• Rebound – These headaches occur when pain medication is overused.

Many migraines, regardless of type, are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

Although there’s no cure, medications can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.

Treatment Options for Migraines

The categories of medications used to treat migraines include:

• Beta-blockers to relax blood vessels
• Calcium channel blockers to reduce the amount of blood vessel constriction
• Antidepressants which have been shown to be effective in preventing migraines
• Anticonvulsants, recently approved by the FDA, for preventing migraines (See Diazepam abuse.)
• Pain relievers to treat the pain associated with migraines

Valium and Migraines

Valium depresses the nervous system and provides pain relief. For many, taking Valium as directed has few side effects and seems to work effectively. In a recent survey, over 70 percent of migraine sufferers who took Valium for relief indicated that they would recommend Valium as an effective treatment for migraines, noting that Valium was easy to use and had fewer side effects.

The risks associated with Valium use for migraines are tolerance and abuse. The longer a person takes Valium, the greater the potential that they will build a tolerance and thus require an increased dosage to get the benefits they initially received. Further, when in the midst of a migraine episode, rational thought is often replaced by the desire to relieve the pain which sets the stage for a person to abuse Valium as a treatment option. Keep in mind that one of the withdrawal effects of Valium is headaches, so a person can enter into a vicious cycle of migraine pain, followed by Valium abuse, followed by a headache associated with withdrawal, then back to more Valium use.

Get Help for Valium Abuse

Effectively managing Valium use is often difficult without proper medical supervision and support. If you or someone you know needs Valium addiction help, call our toll free number today at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about Valium addiction treatment. We are here to help. Take a look at this Valium addictions video.

Diazepam History

Diazepam (Valium) was developed by Leo Sternbach of the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Hoffmann-La Roche in the early 1960s and approved for use in 1963. Its predecessor, chlordiazepoxide, was two and a half times less effective and Diazepam quickly surpassed it in sales. Since 1969 Valium was the most sold pharmaceutical drug in the United States with a peak in 1978 when 2.3 billion tablets were sold. In therapeutic doses Diazepam has much stronger sedative effect as compared to barbiturates. The benzodiazepines gained popularity among medical professionals as an improvement upon barbiturates and are far more sedating at therapeutic doses. The benzodiazepines are also far less dangerous; death rarely results from Diazepam overdose, except in cases where it is consumed with large amounts of other depressants (such as alcohol or other sedatives). It is also much safer to use with very rare cases of lethal overdose, which has usually resulted from mixing Diazepam with other depressing substances such as alcohol or sedatives. It is used for the treatment of seizures and relief of muscle spasms in some neurological diseases including stiff-person syndrome.

What is Diazepam and How is it Used?

Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, acute alcohol withdrawal and seizures. It is also used to relieve muscle spasms and to provide sedation before medical procedures. This medication belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines that act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. It works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA). The dosage of this medication depends on the level of your condition and response to therapy. Diazepam is not of value in the treatment of psychotic patients and should not be employed in lieu of appropriate treatment. As is true of most preparations containing CNS-acting drugs, patients receiving Diazepam should be cautioned against engaging in hazardous occupations requiring complete mental alertness such as operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle. As with other agents which have anticonvulsant activity, when Diazepam is used as an adjunct in treating convulsive disorders, the possibility of an increase in the frequency and/or severity of grand mal seizures may require an increase in the dosage of standard anticonvulsant medication. Abrupt withdrawal of Diazepam in such cases may also be associated with a temporary increase in the frequency and/or severity of seizures. Since Diazepam has a central nervous system depressant effect, patients should be advised against the simultaneous ingestion of alcohol and other CNS-depressant drugs during Diazepam therapy. Withdrawal symptoms of the barbiturate type have occurred after the discontinuation of benzodiazepines.

Diazepam Side Effects

If any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur, it is imperative that a doctor is notified immediately:

• Mental/mood changes (e.g., memory problems, agitation, hallucinations)
• Slurred speech
• Clumsiness
• Trouble walking
• Decreased/increased interest in sex
• Tremor
• Trouble urinating
• Sleep disturbances

Serious side effects involve:

• Stomach/abdominal pain
• Persistent nausea
• Vomiting
• Yellowing eyes or skin
• Dark urine
• Persistent sore throat
• Fever

Although rare, symptoms of a serious allergic reaction could include:

• Rash
• Itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat
• Severe dizziness
• Trouble breathing

Diazepam Addiction Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with Diazepam addiction and are looking for Valium addiction help, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on Diazepam and treatment. Here is a video to watch Valium addiction video.

1. Lack of sleep (e.g., insomnia)
2. Disturbed sleep (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea)
3. Excessive sleep (e.g., narcolepsy)

In most cases, sleep disorders can be easily managed once they are properly diagnosed.

Sleep Apnea Defined

Sleep apnea is interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs because of a mechanical problem in the windpipe, but it also can indicate a neurological disorder involving nerve cells (neurons). As people age, muscle tone relaxes which may cause the windpipe to collapse. This condition called obstructive sleep apnea, results in loud snoring and blocked airflow through the windpipe that lasts from 10 to 60 seconds. It may appear that the person is gasping or snorting. When this occurs, the brain quickly reacts to the sudden lack of oxygen, the muscles tighten and the windpipe opens.
Narrow nasal passages, enlarged tonsils and obesity are factors that may contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. The condition may also be related to the use of alcohol, tobacco or sedatives.

Patients with sleep apnea lose sleep because every time the windpipe closes, the person has to wake up enough to contract those muscles and resume breathing. As a result, the sleep cycle can be interrupted as many as 100 times a night. In addition, every time the windpipe closes, the brain is deprived of oxygen. This lack of oxygen eventually can cause morning headaches and decreased mental function. People who have sleep apnea are at increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

Sleep Apnea and Valium Use

Patients with severe sleep apnea are often tempted to use Valium or other benzodiazepines because it allows them to sleep through the apnic episodes without waking to consciousness. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants that can affect the control of ventilation during sleep. The tranquilizer allows the person to think they received four hours of uninterrupted sleep, and they may even feel more refreshed upon awakening from such sleep. But that is only an illusion.

During the drugged sleep, the patient exerts considerable unconscious physical effort in overcoming the obstruction, eventually finally gasping and falling back into a deeper sleep until the next attempt at breathing occurs. This effort comes at a huge physiological price due to the lack of oxygen in the system during the effort. While the patient wakes after the effects of the drug feeling like he got some sleep, he really has suffered quite a bit of long-term damage.

It is axiomatic among physicians that benzodiazepines should NOT be given to patients with obstructive sleep apnea because of the long-term damage the prolonged apnic episodes cause. Long-term use of benzodiazepines in patients with sleep apnea causes elevated blood pressure, which may lead to stroke, heart attack and even early death.

However, the saving grace to benzodiazepines is that at normal doses, the patient can still muster the muscular effort necessary to eventually take a breath or at least to awaken sufficiently for this to happen. That is, benzodiazepines will prolong the apnic episode but not indefinitely.

Valium use can alter the sleep architecture by reducing the amounts of restorative rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and increasing the non-restorative sleep patterns. This can result in daytime drowsiness and poor cognitive function. Valium also depresses the tone of respiratory muscles, leading to sleep apnea.

Weight loss, decreased alcohol, tobacco and sedative use, sleeping on one’s side, elevation of the head or breathe right strips are all remedies that can help in reducing sleep apnea.

Sleeping Pill Alternatives over Valium

Patients with treatable conditions such as enlarged tonsils or a large deviated septum may benefit from surgery. Patients with sleep apnea should never take sleeping pills because they can prevent the person from waking up enough to start breathing again.

However, as the medical world continues in their research of sleep disorders, a big breakthrough in sleeping pills of medications is beginning with drugs such as flurazepam (Dalmane). These medicines were an important discovery because they did not pose the dangers of the anesthetic medications nor did they have the side effects of the older medications. However, all of these sleeping pills were derivatives and “distant cousins” of Valium. They are still on the market and may be very effective for certain populations.

Presently there are two sleeping medications that have proven to be advancements in the category of sleeping pills and as improvements over Valium: Ambien and Sonata. These are improvements on the Valium derivatives because they are effective without having the sedating or addicting qualities of the older sleeping pills.

Valium Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Valium addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on Valium addiction help.

Anxiety Disorders and Valium

Anxiety disorders are illnesses that load people’s lives with overwhelming worry and fear that are chronic and unremitting and can grow progressively worse.

Depending on the type of anxiety, a person can experience several possible anxiety symptoms, including:

• Feeling shaky, jittery or nervous
• Feeling tense, fearful or apprehensive
• Avoiding certain places or activities because of fear
• A pounding or racing heart or trouble catching your breath
• Unexplained sweating or trembling
• Fear of losing control, going crazy or dying

Valium is approved for anxiety treatment. Valium is not for “everyday anxiety” and is recommended only for short-term use. Other anxiety medications (such SSRIs, a certain type of antidepressants) are more appropriate for long-term use.

Valium and Alcohol Withdrawal

Those who have developed a tolerance for alcohol find withdrawal symptoms agonizing to deal with. Stopping alcohol “cold turkey” is not always a good idea. In fact, it can be very dangerous. People who drink heavily or frequently may experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking alcohol too quickly. Mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Slight shakiness (the “shakes”)
• Alcohol cravings
• Nervousness
• Depression
• Clammy skin

More severe symptoms may include:

• Seizures
• Delirium tremens (“DTs”), a group of symptoms including:
  • Confusion
  • Agitation
  • Hallucinations
• Severe nausea and vomiting
• A very rapid heart rate (tachycardia)

Alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening. It should always be done under a healthcare provider’s supervision, and hospitalization is often necessary. Valium can help with agitation, shakiness and delirium tremens associated with alcohol withdrawal.

Valium and Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasms are involuntary contractions of a muscle or group of muscles. While not usually dangerous, muscle spasms can be uncomfortable and painful. Valium is useful for treating muscle spasms due to the following causes:

• Joint or muscle inflammation
• Injury
• Cerebral palsy
• Paraplegia
• Athetosis (a movement disorder of the hands and feet)
• Stiff-man syndrome (a rare neurological disorder)

Valium and Seizures

Valium is approved to treat seizures. However, it is not approved to be used alone. Instead, it is used along with other seizure medications. It can be useful for stopping a seizure that is particularly difficult to control.

Veterinary Use

Diazepam is used in animals as a sedative, anticonvulsant and to treat certain behavior disorders such as anxiety. It may also be used for its effect of relaxing both skeletal muscles (muscles used in movement) and smooth muscles (muscles of the digestive system and urinary bladder).

In cats, it has been used as an appetite stimulant. It should be used with extreme caution in animals that have liver disease or are aggressive. Usage may cause birth defects. It’s important to be aware of certain behavior modifications when issuing Valium to your pet and to contact a veterinarian if these issues occur:

• Behavior changes
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Depression
• Jaundice (yellowing of the gums, skin or whites of the eyes)
• Weakness
• Pale gums
• An increased tendency to bruise or bleed
• Lack of coordination
• Difficulty breathing

Valium Usage as a Pre-execution Sedative

In a common but little-known execution scenario, at least 19 of the country’s 38 death penalty states offer sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium, to condemned inmates. “It helps keep the inmate calm and we think that’s good, not just for the inmate but for the staff as well,” said Brian Hauswirth, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The practice does not violate national ethics standards for doctors and nurses who prescribe or administer the sedatives but makes some opponents of the death penalty uneasy because it involves doctors in putting people to death.

Condemned inmates in 11 states have received sedatives or anti-anxiety drugs before executions going back at least 12 years, according to a review by The Associated Press.

Valium Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Valium addiction and could use Valium addiction help, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on Valium treatment and addiction. See this Valium addiction video.

Introduction of Valium

Diazepam (Valium) was developed by Leo Sternbach of the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Hoffmann-La Roche in early 1960s and approved for use in 1963. Its predecessor, chlordiazepoxide, was 2.5 times less effective and diazepam quickly surpassed it in sales. Since 1969 Valium was the most sold pharmaceutical drug in the United States with a peak in 1978 when 2.3 billion tablets were sold. In therapeutic doses diazepam has a much stronger sedative effect as compared to barbiturates.

The benzodiazepines gained popularity among medical professionals as an improvement upon barbiturates and are far more sedating at therapeutic doses. The benzodiazepines are also far less dangerous; death rarely results from diazepam overdose, except in cases where it is consumed with large amounts of other depressants (such as alcohol or other sedatives). It is also much safer to use with very rare cases of lethal overdose, which has usually resulted from mixing diazepam with other depressing substances such as alcohol or sedatives. It is used for the treatment of seizures and relief of muscle spasms in some neurological diseases including stiff-person syndrome.

The Journey of Valium

For the last 40 years, Valium remains to be one of the most prescribed drugs all over the world. It has also entered the list of core medications by the World Health Organization, which means it is mandatory for any basic healthcare system.

During its history, diazepam has shifted its primary use between different areas of pharmacology. Originally, as mentioned previously, it was used mainly by psychiatrists for the short-term treatment of anxiety. Today, neurologists who treat certain types of epilepsy and spastic activity mainly prescribe Valium.

It’s been penned as the first of the so-called “blockbuster” drugs. The tranquilizer was the top selling prescription drug during the 1970s. It was called a blockbuster because it was marketed and sold to a wide variety of people to help them with the common symptoms like anxiety, nervousness and tension. Over the next two decades, both the doctors who prescribed the drug and their patients who took it began to realize that Valium had several negative effects, and its popularity has decreased. However, Valium’s fame as an aid to relaxation is still widespread.

Valium’s Use Today

Over the years, physicians, psychiatrists and neurologists have discovered many new off-label uses for Valium, such as treatment of spastic paresis and palliative treatment of stiff-person syndrome. It is also used before certain medical procedures (such as endoscopies) to reduce tension and anxiety and in some surgical procedures to induce amnesia. Diazepam is also found in nature. Several plants, such as potato and wheat, contain trace amounts of naturally occurring diazepam and other benzodiazepines.

Valium Help

Valium can be an extremely addicting drug. If you or a loved one requires Valium addiction help, we are here to help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5703 to find out more about Valium treatment and addiction. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about drug or alcohol addiction. View this Valium addiction videofor more information.

Initial Effects of Valium

Initially, the user will experience feelings of sleepiness and lack of coordination. As the body loses the effect of the drug, these feelings begin to disappear. If long-term use begins to occur, then tolerance will take its toll, requiring a person to take larger doses for the same initial effects. A user cannot generally anticipate the side effects of taking Valium, but if they develop or intensify use, it’s a good indication to notify a doctor. (See Valium Side Effects).

Effects of Valium to the Central Nervous System

The side effects of Valium can be obvious. The effects to the central nervous system can range from:

• Confusion
• Dysarthria
• Headache
• Slurred speech
• Tremor
• Vertigo
• Drowsiness
• Lethargy
• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness

Other effects may be:

• Bladder or bowel control problems
• Double vision
• Salivation changes
• Difficulty passing urine
• Blurred vision

As one begins taking this medication, the psychiatric effects may begin to take toll. These effects include:

• Stimulation
• Restlessness
• Acute hyperexcited states
• Anxiety
• Agitation
• Aggressiveness
• Irritability
• Rage
• Hallucinations
• Psychoses
• Delusions
• Increased muscle spasticity
• Insomnia
• Sleep disturbances
• Nightmares

Inappropriate behavior and other adverse behavioral effects have been reported when using benzodiazepines. Should these occur, use of the drug should be discontinued. They are more likely to occur in children and in the elderly.

Since Valium impairs mental judgment, it is recommended that individuals not drive vehicles or operate any machinery while taking the drug. The side effects of Valium are augmented by consumption of alcohol or other central nervous depressants. In fact, consuming Valium with alcohol can result in a potentially fatal overdose.

Some individuals may have a paradoxical reaction to Valium and have worsening of their anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Initial monitoring of all patients during the start of therapy is recommended.

Serious Effects of Valium

Some side effects with Valium, while occurring infrequently, are potentially serious and should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:

• Depression (or worsening of existing depression)
• Low blood pressure (hypo tension)
• Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)
• Suicidal thoughts
• Difficulty breathing
• Anxiety, excitation or agitation
• Hostility, aggression or rage
• Insomnia
• Hallucinations
• Signs of an allergic reaction, such as:
  • Unexplained rash
  • Hives
  • Itching
  • Unexplained swelling

In individuals who take Valium for prolonged periods, frequent liver function tests should be done and the dose of Valium adjusted if there is liver impairment. The possibility of liver damage should always be considered, especially in individuals using Valium and other over the counter analgesics and/or alcohol.

Valium Addiction Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Valium addiction and would like information on Valium addiction help, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5703. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on Valium treatment and addiction. Watch this Valium addiction video