Please help, I am so scared to take valium

[TriciaB]

Hi Mishel

Thanks for your reply, can I ask how you plucked up the courage to take lexotan after having had an adverse reaction to a previous medication.

Diazapam and valium are the same drug, its just called by either name from what I understand, or it could be that valium is the generic name of diazapam lol dunno, just having a guess.

I would hope that when I eventually take the valium it will take away my mental anxiety, eeek I was hoping that was the whole point of the drug.

[cmc46]

Hi Tricia,

I am so glad that there is someone out there like me as far as taking medication is concerned, I started to suffer with anxiety last November after suffering a bad bout of food poisoning, the GP put me on beta blockers at Christmas but last week I seemed to be getting even more anxious so he changed the tablets to Paroxatine, I took one and within an hour was rushing to the loo, now it has put me off taking anything, he said the next thing would be Valium, there have been so many good remarks on here concerning it, if you do manage to get round to taking it please let me know how you get on as I think it is going to be the last thing for me, hope all goes well for you.

[TriciaB]

Hiya cm,

Many thanks for your post I just find it crazy that for nearly 2 weeks I have had severe anxiety virtually 24/7 yet I still havent plucked up courage to take this damn small amount of valium. Everyone who has answered me here so positively about valium has sort of eased my mind a little bit about the drug. But as yet I havent taken it, I do have a tiny piece of valium waiting on my bedside cabinet ready for when I do pluck up the courage.

I did speak to my Dr on the phone yesterday and yet again I told him of my fears about taking the valium because of what happened to me with the frisium, he said "I doubt very much that valium would give that reaction" ...but you can guess what I am going to say....lol....I am now focussing on the..."I doubt" ..part of his words.

Believe me cm you will hear me shout from Australia to England when I do take it....just joking, of course I will tell you on here.

[JB63]

Hi Tricia B

I know exactly where you are coming from with your fear of medication. I too have a deep rooted fear of all meds due to being sedated for most of my childhood. That's another story but I just wanted to share my experience with you in the hope that I might be able to help a little with what you are going through. Back in 2010 I had a mental breakdown and suffered psychotic depression. I had no choice but to take medication or goodness only knows where I would be today. I was prescribed 3 different meds and one of those was Diazepam. It was just 2mg 4 times a day and I thought I was going to be knocked out and feel out of it but it was a life saver. I didn't have any bad effects at all , it was so subtle but my anxiety was so greatly reduced. I was taking it for 11 months and still do on occasion. If I get very anxoius I just take one and get on with my day in a normal way but with reduced anxiety. Honestly I have done exactly the same as you over the years with meds, tried just a crumb and thought it was making me feel strange or sedated. We do all react differently to meds and I know my saying that will probably make you feel anxious in its self. I only pick up on the negative bits when some one is trying to reassure me that "it won't hurt/harm me" I really think once you have found the courage to take the first one you will be watching the clock until you can have another one. That for me was the only downside of Diazepam, it made me feel so much better that I liked them a bit too much. My problem was coming off them but like I said, I was taking them every day for 11 months. My Doctor told me that 2mg is a tiny dose but it was enough for me, some people take it in higher doses and still function on a normal basis. I don't know if any of this is a help to you but it is good to read other peoples experiences and then you can decide for yourself.
I wish you well.

[TriciaB]

Hi JB,

Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me of your experience with valium, please believe me you and everyone else who have answered me have made me feel less anxious about any negative effects of the drug. You are so right when you say people like you and me (and I am sure many others) will pick up on the tiniest negative comment about a medication, a medication which I am sure all the positives would outweigh the negative.

I am on 20 mg prozac, but for the last 18 months I have felt its not been working as it was, I saw my Dr yesterday and rather than changing meds he thinks (and I agree) that we should try upping my prozac, even though I have been on them all these years I am still worried about doubling my dose, (in case of side effects) so he has prescribed me the dispersible prozac tablets and I will start out by taking 2.5 mg for a week, then up it to 5 mg etc etc .

Yet again I talked to him about the valium and he said in all his years of prescribing valium he has never heard of an adverse reaction like having murderous thoughts as I experienced within 10 mins of taking frisium 25 years ago. So that gives me some reassurance (kind of...lol) ...

[southey]

I take Diazepam rarely as It's so hard to get from Dr's and save it for when anxiety goes off the charts.

For me it is a beautiful drug, almost a life-saver. I have taken it for several years very sporadically never taken it more than a couple of days in a row and have not become dependant but that would not worry me at all as the immediate benefit outweighs the future potential issues.

I can see why people may want to keep on taking it at first as for me it just works so very well. 10 minutes in I feel it working and I stop trembling then the anxiety stops, not just subsides but stops and my head clears and the chatter abates and I feel like a weight has been lifted.

Yes I suppose a person could become addicted to the calm it provides then become dependant? I believe you also become tolerant and may have to up the dose but with me it hasn't happened and 2.5mg usually works fine still.

I would not be scared to take valium if your under a DR's care and have extreme anxiety. View them as a short term fix or crutch for when you can't cope.

Atb,

Steve.

[grotbags]

I have never had any noticable side effects from Valium. For me, it just makes me feel relaxed again (without being woozy) and back to "normal." I think it's something that should be saved for as and when needed though, if possible. It's something you want to avoid having to take regularly. I find that I can be more brave because I have them with me to take if I get panicky, and that can be quite liberating.

[josh1987]

it seem to b alot of people are scared of diazepam. im with you on this. how did you go did you take it?

[Glitter19744]

I am the same,scared to take tablets. I have had anxiety for the last 4 months badly that I'm now starting to panic when I go out which hasnt been very often in the past 4 months. I have diazepam here and so desperately want to take them but can't pluck up the courage to do so. I fear taking it so much that I want to know that when I take it will it not make me fear having took it?

[josh1987]

I am the same,scared to take tablets. I have had anxiety for the last 4 months badly that I'm now starting to panic when I go out which hasnt been very often in the past 4 months. I have diazepam here and so desperately want to take them but can't pluck up the courage to do so. I fear taking it so much that I want to know that when I take it will it not make me fear having took it?

i would allso like to no this.