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What is Valium?
Valium is a drug that is the brand name for the generic drug – Diazepam. Valium or Diazepam belongs to the category of drugs that are called Benzodiazepines. It is the same group of drugs under which the following medications are included –
- Xanax (Alprazolam)
- Klonopin (Clonazepam)
- Ativan (Lorazepam)
- Dalmane (Flurazepam)
The work of Valium is to affect the chemicals that are present inside the brain and are responsible for causing a disturbance or unbalance. As a result of this, it causes anxiety in a person’s mind.
People can take Valium as a treatment for anxiety disorder, muscle spasms, and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Some doctors also refer Valium with other medications to use as a treatment for seizures.
Valium dosage –
The use of Valium should be individualized as per the health condition of the patient. It is done so that the patient should achieve the maximum benefits of the drug.
In most cases, the usual dose of Valium that is prescribed to the patients ranges between 2mg to 10mg which shall be taken 2 to 4 times a day. However, the dosage of Valium depends upon various factors –
- Type of treatment (anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, or muscle spasms)
- Age of the patient
- Condition and severity of the symptoms
The dose of Valium as per the factors mentioned herein –
- For patients who suffer from an anxiety disorder, the daily dose shall be between 2mg to 10mg on a regular basis.
- For patients who suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, the initial dose shall be 5mg, and later on could be 10mg which can be taken 3-4 times a day.
- For patients suffering from Skeletal muscle spasms, the dose will range as per the severity of the situation. However, the usual daily dose can be between 2mg to 10mg which can be taken 3-4 times a day.
Valium addiction –
The most common concern related to the use of Valium is that this drug can cause dependency. A person may become addicted to the use of medications like these (Xanax or other Benzodiazepines) within a few weeks.
Patients who have been taking this drug for a long time may have built up their tolerance for the drug. Due to this, the risk of dependency increases as you keep on taking medicine for a long.
There have been cases that prove that taking Valium for a longer span of time can cause adverse effects on the health of any patient. Dependency and withdrawal factors are mostly seen in patients who are older in age.
In other words, it can be said that the drug will have a more prolonged effect on patients who are older in age.
It is always recommended to patients not to take the drug without having a prescribed dose for the same. There can be certain side effects that may emerge due to Valium addiction –
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Feeling lightheaded
- Fatigue
- Anxiety issues
In any such symptoms, inform your doctor immediately and take medical help.
What does Valium feel like?
When a person is on a regular intake of Valium, there can be different feelings that may occur in different patients. There is the potential for side effects that arises even after a person is taking it as per the prescription. The possible signs that may occur after taking Valium are listed below –
- Drowsiness
- Blurry vision
- Uncontrolled muscle movements
- Tiredness
- Unsteady or shakiness
- Trembling
These can be some of the signs that will identify whether a person is using Valium or not. It’s not necessary that every other person who will be taking Valium will get addicted to it.
However, taking precautions is better than getting affected by the side effects and then taking its cure.
How long does Valium take to work?
The drug Valium works relatively as per the metabolism of the patient. The drug stays in your system for a long and has a half-life of 30 to 56 hours.
Through various research, it was proven that the substance of this drug is at its high at 56 hours or so. The psychological levels are at their peak during this point in time.
Valium, when taken orally, takes not much time to get completely dissolved into the bloodstream. It may only take up to 40 minutes to get the drug at its peak in your system.
The duration between 30 to 90 minutes will show the administrative effect of the drug inside the human system.
Therefore, many people choose Valium over other drugs to take it as a treatment for anxiety. As we know, there are other options available for Benzodiazepine category drugs; patients have built up their trust in this particular drug.
Also, the availability of Valium in the market is counted as a plus point for the purchase of the drug.
What is the difference between Xanax and Valium?
As said earlier, Valium is not the only drug that can be taken by patients who suffer from anxiety. There are different options available in the offline as well as in the online market.
Although it depends on the severity of the situation, yet you can take Valium after considering it with the help of your doctor.
Doctors prescribe the right dose of the drug as per the health and condition of the patient. Before taking the medication, it is essential that you get it to check if you are tolerant towards the use of Benzodiazepine with the help of a doctor.
Both Xanax and Valium are prescribed for the treatment of anxiety. It depends from person to person as to which drug will suit them better. Below we have listed the main difference between Xanax and Valium –
- Xanax is used for the treatment of anxiety disorder, panic attacks, or depression. On the other hand, Valium is taken as a treatment for anxiety, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and muscle spasms.
- The effect of Xanax takes a little more time as compared to Valium.
- The effect of Xanax stays for a lesser period of time as compared to Valium.
- Xanax as a drug is not considered safe for children. Whereas, Valium can be given to children as per the prescription allotted by the health expert.
Xanax and Valium Interactions
A doctor can prescribe Xanax and Valium together, but it is not appropriate in every situation. Both the drugs are of the benzodiazepine class and prescribing them together will be duplication of treatment.
Both are similar kinds of drugs, so the interaction of them will produce an amplified result as well as side effects. Usually, the doctor will increase the dose of one before prescribing the other.
Though it is not appropriate to prescribe both Xanax and Valium together, there are certain conditions in which a doctor could prescribe them both together like
- Insomnia and seizures
- Muscle spasms and insomnia
- Panic attacks and seizures