Valium Addiction

[Laurie28]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

my old gp gave me a repeat prescription for valium the first time i saw him!

Emily

[Laurie28]

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