What is Valium?

Valium, also popularly known by its generic name, Diazepam, is a Benzodiazepine class of drugs. There are some other medicines as well that belongs to the same class of drug. Most of the medicines that belong to the Benzodiazepine group are similar in effect. Some of the medicines from this group are – Lorazepam, Clonazepam, Alprazolam, and Flurazepam. They act upon the chemicals inside the brain that are unbalanced and held responsible for causing psychological disorders.

What is The Use of Valium?

There are three different uses of Valium that shall be considered as per the recommendation of the health expert. These uses of Valium are approved by the FDA –

• Anxiety Disorder
• Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
• Musculoskeletal pain or muscle spasms

Along with this, doctors sometimes also prescribe Valium as medication for treating seizures. All these uses of Valium are stated as a general view of drug usage. You must take proper recommendation from a health advisor before starting with the use of Valium.

Dosage of Valium –

The dosage for Valium varies from person to person. There are different factors upon which the dosage of Valium can be provided to patients. In general, they are – age criteria of the patient, how severe is the condition of the patient, and if the patient is suffering from some other critical health issue. When a doctor is confirmed about these factors, only then he/she prescribes you the right dosage.

The commonly recommended dose of Valium as per the condition is –

• Anxiety disorder and relief from the symptoms of anxiety – 2mg to 10mg.
• Acute Alcohol withdrawal symptoms – 10mg at first, and then the dose be reduced to 5mg.
• Relief from skeletal muscle spasm and convulsive disorder – 2mg to 10mg.

These doses shall be taken 2-3 times a day. The dosage pattern for older adults may differ from the one given above. The exact amount for the dosage depends upon the severity of the symptom.

Side Effects of Valium –

The beneficial effect of Valium comes along with a few side effects. Although it does not necessarily mean that every patient will suffer from the side effects of Valium. To stay away from the side effects of Valium, follow the guidelines given in the prescription form. There may occur some common side effects of Valium that do not need much attention. Below are listed the commonly known side effects of Valium –

• Drowsiness
• Shakiness
• Lack of coordination
• Unsteadiness
• Trembling
• Nausea
• Headache
• Fever

Although these are some of the common side effects of Valium, if they show any sign of getting worse, inform it to your health expert. There may also occur some unwanted side effects of Valium that will leave a negative impact on your health. They are –

• Irritability
• Itchiness or rashes
• Abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Unable to remember things
• Change in speech
• Confusion
• Restlessness
• Seizures
• Fast heartbeats
• Irregular heartbeats
• Vomiting of blood
• Unusual tiredness
• Trouble in sleeping

When these side effects occur, it may have a dangerous impact on your health. Hence, it is advised to take medical help as soon as you notice any of the severe side effects occurring inside your system.

What Are The Precautions That I Should Know While Using Valium?

To stay safe from the harmful side effects of Valium, you should enact upon the precautions listed below –

• Follow the procedure of taking the drug as described by your health expert. Take the medicine as it is given in the prescription label of Valium.
• Do not misuse or overdose on the dose of Valium. Taking Valium in large amounts will make you addicted to the use of the drug. Also, if you overdose on the drug, fatal side effects may occur.
• Do not take Valium if you are allergic to drugs that come from the same class of drugs.
• If you suffer from severe breathing or respiratory issue, the use of Valium can cause harmful side effects.
• Inform your doctor if you suffer from severe health issues, like – liver and kidney disease, asthma, bronchitis, glaucoma, seizure, heart problems, and others.
• Do not take Valium if you are already on an intake of some other medicine. Interaction of Valium with other drugs can cause severe problems to your health.
• The use of Valium is prescribed for a limited time period. Do not exceed the time limit specified by your health expert.