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twister
30-10-03, 14:57
Hi there, I know that Valium is highly addictive and have read all the things about not taking it for more than 2 weeks etc. My question is because I don't take it every day - about once/twice a week - can this become addictive as I am not taking it every day?

Also does anyone here have to take a fairly large dose to stop a panic attack? My doctor told me to take 2.5mg but I find I need 15mg to calm me down...

Meg
30-10-03, 21:38
Hi Twister,

Ativan is usually the sedative of choice above valium for panic as it seems to hit the spot better.

As regards addictiveness - all of these are addictive in 2 ways either physically - which you won't be doing on the amount you currently take but psychologically you might ie it becoming your safety net and not leaving home without it.
It's possible that you might slowly increase your dose as the effectiveness diminishes with exposure and habit.
Try not to rely on it apart from the most extreme episodes but it would be much more beneficial to learn to talk yourself out of a panic attack without meds or just rescue remedy .


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

twister
30-10-03, 22:56
You are right about it being psychologically addictive - I can't leave the house without it now as I need to know it is always there and I'd have a panic attack if I realised I didnt have it with me. I suppose I'll have to start trying to do short journeys without it and build up...

blossom
31-10-03, 23:44
I have been addicted to Valium for over 25 years, and when I was first given them, I was told they were not addictive, so it was just prescription following each other, now, I am on 20mgs and am too afraid to come off them, I have been told they dont work after a certain time, but I know when one is due. I am on 20mgs a day, for years I was on 15mgs, without any antidepressants, and was quite content, When I take one now, I think to myself, HOPE IT WORKS when I am panicky, but it maybe pscycological, but it helps, and unless I carry them in my bag, I dont know what would happen, I find by the evening I have three in me, and they must help somehow, as the evenings are usually my better time. The mornings are the worst. I am told I have been on them too long to get off now, so I just go from day to day. The Citalopram I am now on affects me more than the valium.
Wish I had never heard of them, but a hospital gave them to me. Blossom

benoo5
01-11-03, 01:54
blossom my friend,
its about time you and ernie had a meeting with your local health authority.
in my humble oppinion,no one should be on valium 25yrs,its well past its sell by date...its doing absolutely no good to you,physically or mentally.
ime saying no more for legal reasons...i just hope radar picks up on your post...i have great respect for her views...in the meantime,lots love bryan

jonny
09-03-04, 21:40
RADAR.

Meg, i would love your opinion on diazepam too. I was given some in Nov last year (28 x 2mg ) and told to take them as and when i felt the need. As of today i have probably taken about half the packet.
To be honest i dont think much of them as they dont seem to work very well but i suspect that this is because i only take a very small dose. Is this correct? My shrink told me to try taking two when i felt anxious and i did that today. It did seem to work a little as i didn't feel as bad as i did 2 hours before taking them but somehow i don't think i am getting the relieve that is touted about these things.
Most of the panic had gone but i felt somewhat battered and bruised by the anxiety, does that make sense? A bit like being relived of tooth ache by having it pulled out but still feeling sore afterwards.

Should i feel totally normally by taking vallium? how do i know if i should take more or less? I reluctantly started taking this drug after all the bad press it gets but i am starting to wonder why.

Thanks meg

Jon

Jonny.

I used to be extremely indecisive but now I am not so sure...

Meg
09-03-04, 22:31
Hey Jonny,

It's great to see people do look back to previous posts .. Thanks .

So roughly speaking in 4 months you've taken 14 tabs.

Most people who take something for a real full monty of a panic need about 4 - 10 mg initially to see a good enough effect. 2 mg for an adult is negligable in panic - can just about take the edge off flying for a 'normal' person. They take up to 15 mins to work if you've a full tummy- by then, the worst of the panic is passing anyway.

That dose will make you drowsy if you're not used to them and a bit muzzy sometimes and a bit out of it for a few hours afterwards. It's best to try and rest/sleep it off rather than keep going . It is after all a tranquilizer - it doesn't stop anything being produced, it relaxes smooth muscle so makes you flop - it doesn't touch what's going on racing around in your head - hopefully helps you not to care as much.

After a panic you still have all those stress chemicals sloshing about and it takes time to work their way out of your body.
It used to take about 24 hours for me to feel 'right' again , both physically and to come to terms with having
had another one.

If you really need a 'stop it now' tablet - Xanax is the one but it's far more addictive than valium, both chemically and as a crutch. I didn't dare start on them as I knew it would take my focus off trying to overcome the panics.
I conned someone into giving me 2 - one I took to see the effect , the other I carried round till it went out of date. Always take half what you're prescribed , you can take the other half if needs be but can't reverse what you've already taken.

In the USA they hand them out like sweeties but here the docs are far more cautious.

Anyone else got any experiences to share ?






Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

nomorepanic
09-03-04, 22:41
Jonny

I was given 10 3 years ago and still have about 4 left. That is how often I used them. I took them when I went on the "flying with confidence" course. Well I took half of one (so 1mg). It worked for me - the doc laughed when I told him cos he said that 1mg wouldn't even touch the anxiety but it worked for me so who cares.

Not taken one for over 18 months now cos I daren't. I occasionally take Losec (Meg knows what that is) and it specifically mentions not to be taken with diazepam. I now daren't take them cos of the blood pressure medication I am on.

I used to take 1/2 at work when I got really bad and it helped in 10-15 minutes but yes I did feel tired with it.

The doc put them back on repeat prescription for me but I haven't needed to get them since.

Jon - ask the doc what dose he would recommend for panic but be careful with them ok?

Nicola

Laurie28
10-03-04, 12:42
Hiya,

I'm not on valium myself but my mum has been on them for over 20 years!

I am led to believe they are very addictive and you can only come of them with the aid of your doctor and a good 'step down' course. Pls no-one (like all meds) try and come off them yourself cold turkey

I'm also led to believe doctors are off different opinions #
ie - some doctors will try and get you off valium after 20 years whereas some really don't think it is beneficial

I may be wrong!

Lucky

twister
10-03-04, 14:55
Although I dont really take them anymore I have to take about 20mg to cope with a panic attack. I also take about 20mg and lots of wine if I have to fly - lol

10mg I dont even notice. They make me feel really relaxed and happy -like a bit drunk and chilled

Emily

Laurie28
10-03-04, 15:31
Emily,

It is good news you don't have to take them regularly anymore (even though it was just a coupkle of times a week)

Did the doctor say it was okay for you to take them very occasionally?

Lucky

Jules31
10-03-04, 16:15
I've been prescribed valium too, 2 mg and they don't touch anything, even when I take one when I'm generally anxious rather than having a panic attack. I've taken about 14 in the last two months and some of those were a couple a day to see whether a cumulative effect was felt but it wasn't. I took one this morning cos I had to go to court but can honestly say I've felt worse all day rather than better. Lots and lots of anxiety sumptoms and no relief.

Meg what is the safest amount to take in one session. I'd like to take enough just to feel that it can have an effect then I could help myself to keep confirming that I am only suffering from anxiety.

Meg you say that they only loosen your muscles but surely that must mean that you feel more relaxed so have less chance of going into a full blown panic attack. I just keep feeling faint.

Julie

Meg
10-03-04, 18:11
I personally wouldn't want to drive with much more than 4-6 mg on board unless you're used to it.

Most lower back problems get given 4-5 mg, 2-3 times a day - they're pretty spaced to start with but the body acclimatises quite quickly - they are also on 24/7 bed rest and in great pain. I wouldn't want to stand any of them up, they're liable to keel over.

The safety amount for you is what you've been prescribed and have discussed with your doctor... If you want to up it - discuss it. As you see from other posts - there is a wide range on dosage .


As you know, I think most panic attacks originate from a cumulation of what you've been dwelling on in recent hours , days , months and apart from chemical incidences including caffiene and hypos and shocks I'm not a great believer in spontaneous panics. They can usually be worked back to a given thought process.

So, whilst valium doesn't touch what's going on inside your head ,it does tune you out to the point of relaxation and not being so worried about symptoms any more, thus helping prevent full blown events.



Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

twister
10-03-04, 23:48
its strange you say that because when i take them I feel really happy and chilled inside my head - and i couldnt care less about my anxieties any more!

I have taken about 30mg in a day and been fine. Here's what Netdoctor says:

[quote]quote:This medicine contains the active ingredient diazepam, which is a type of medicine called a benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepines are used for their sedative and anxiety-relieving effects.

Diazepam works by acting on receptors in the brain called GABA receptors. This causes the release of a neurotransmitter called GABA in the brain.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are stored in nerve cells in the brain and nervous system. They are involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells. GABA is a neurotransmitter that acts as a natural 'nerve-calming' agent. It helps keep the nerve activity in the brain in balance, and is involved in inducing sleepiness, reducing anxiety and relaxing muscles.

As diazepam increases the activity of GABA in the brain, it increases its calming effect and results in sleepiness, a decrease in anxiety and relaxation of muscles.

Diazepam has several uses. Firstly, it can be used to calm severe anxiety and agitation. For example, benzodiazepines such as diazepam are effective at quickly reducing the symptoms of anxiety and agitation that occur in a manic episode of the psychiatric illness, bipolar affective disorder. A benzodiazepine may be given as part of the initial treatment of a manic episode, though they are not licensed specifically for this purpose. Benzodiazepines help calm the individual while the main medicines for this condition (mood stabilisers) begin to take effect.

Oral forms of diazepam are also used for short-term treatment of severe anxiety associated with insomnia, as well as for night terrors and sleep-walking in children. Diazepam decreases the time taken to fall asleep and nocturnal awakenings, as well as increasing the total amount of time spent sleeping. However, it is only suitable for short-term treatment of insomnia and anxiety as it has a high potential for dependence and addiction. As diazepam remains active in the body for many hours, drowsiness may also persist into the next day.

Diazepam is also given for its sedating and anxiety-relieving effects as a pre-med before surgery or medical investigations or procedures, and during acute alcohol withdrawal.

The second main use of diazepam is in controlling convulsions, for example epilepsy, or seizures associated with fever in children (febrile convulsions). It is particularly useful for controlling repeated epileptic fits when a patient does not recover conciousness between fits (status epilepticus). Diazepam helps control convulsions because the increased activity of GABA that it causes in the brain helps to calm excessive electrical nerve activity that is responsible for causing seizures.

A further use of diazepam is in controlling muscle spasms due to tetanus or poisoning.


What is it used for?

Acute alcohol withdrawal (used in combination with other treatment)
Convulsions, eg epilepsy
Fitting associated with fever (febrile convulsions)
Muscle spasms due to tetanus or poisoning
Night terrors and sleepwalking in children (oral forms of diazepam only)
Relieving anxiety and causing sedation prior to surgery or medical procedures (pre-med)
Repeated fitting with no recovery of conciousness between seizures (status epilepticus)
Short-term treatment of severe anxiety or agitation
Short-term treatment of severe insomnia (oral forms of diazepam only)

Warning!


This medicine is generally only suitable for short-term use. If it is used for long periods or in high doses, tolerance to and dependence upon the medicine may develop, and withdrawal symptoms may occur if treatment is stopped suddenly. For this reason, treatment with this medicine should usually be stopped gradually, following the instructions given by your doctor, i

Laurie28
15-03-04, 16:16
OK I don't take valium and have never been prescribed them but isn't it better if people can avoid valium altogether, personally speaking I'm suprised doctors and still prescribing such an addictive drug for anxiety/panic. I may be way off the mark here but surely there are so many more better non addictive options (including herbal)

lucky

Meg
16-03-04, 16:57
In an ideal world everyone with panic would get diagnosed quickly and have immediate education on it and get referred for assessment and help and I'm sure that would decrease the amount of valium used.
However in the absence of knowledge and other help, it is excellent for helping people through the acute phase and decrease the amount of awful meomories of full out panics that people may otherwise have.

It is rare for GP's to prescribe herbs or even endorse any.


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

twister
16-03-04, 22:18
my old gp gave me a repeat prescription for valium the first time i saw him!

Emily

Laurie28
17-03-04, 11:38
I'm not saying that GP's are right or wrong to prescribe valium for anxiety because I don't know! BUT a repeat prescription for valium the first time you see a GP seems a bit excessive (?) to me. I know GP's are overworked and stressed but is the nothing else (less addictive) that GP's can prescribe.
The 1st GP i saw prescribed betablockers, told me to exercise and cut down on the caffeine. the second GP gave me no drugs but put me forward for CBT. After contacting the HV (who was brilliant it has to be said) the doctor prescribed me anti-depressants and told me to come back if I couldn't take them When I went back (because i couldn't take them )he 'pushed' on my CBT. it came through pretty quickly. I think i would be miffed if given valium and ended up addicted to them if there was another (prescribed option) Is prescribing valium the easy optiion for GP's ? I don't know I would just like some opinions

lucky