Review of Valium

Valium - What is it?

Valium is one of the groups of drugs known as benzodiazepines (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peens). It has an effect on brain’s chemicals that might have become unstable and result in anxiety.

Valium is utilized to manage anxiety disorders as well as to treat tremors, agitation and hallucinations experience during alcohol withdrawal and to treat certain kinds of muscle pains.

Valium could also be utilized for other purposes not mentioned in this medication guide.

Valium - Important information

Valium should not be taken in case you are allergic to diazepam, or suffering from severe liver disease, myasthenia gravis, narrow-angle glaucoma, sleep apnea or breathing problems. This drug could cause birth defects in a fetus. Valium should not be taken by pregnant women.

Prior to using Valium, inform your doctor in case you suffer from glaucoma, breathing problems, asthma, liver or kidney disease, seizures, have a history of alcohol or drug addiction, depression, suicidal thoughts or mental illness.

Do not consume alcohol when taking Valium as it could increase alcohol effects.

Do not increase the dosage of Valium and take only the quantities prescribed by your doctor. Valium overdose could be fatal.

Valium could be addictive and must therefore be used only by the person to whom it was prescribed. It should not be shared with anyone else, particularly a person with a history of addiction or drug abuse. This medication should be kept in a secure place that is not accessible to others.

Valium - What to inform my doctor before taking Valium?

* severe liver disease;
* a severe breathing problem
* sleep apnea (where breathing stops when asleep);
* myasthenia gravis (muscle weakness disorder); or
* narrow-angle glaucoma.

In case you suffer from certain medical conditions, you might require an adjustment of your Valium dose or undergo special tests to verify if it is safe for you. Before taking diazepam you should inform your doctor in case you are allergic to any drugs or if you suffer from:

* glaucoma;
* a history of depression, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts or behavior;
* liver or kidney disease;
* a history of alcohol or drug addiction
* asthma or other breathing problems, bronchitis, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder; or
* epilepsy or any other seizure disorder.

Valium is categorized by the FDA as pregnancy category D medication. Valium could lead to birth defects in a fetus. This medication should not be used during pregnancy without the consent of your doctor. Inform your doctor if you become pregnant when taking this medication. It is advisable to use a good birth control when on this drug. Valium could pass through breast milk and might be harmful to the nursing baby. You should not take this medication when breast feeding without informing your doctor.

The sedative effects of Valium could last longer in case of older adults. There are many cases of accidental falls in elderly patients who are taking benzodiazepines. Use prudence to avoid accidental injury or falling when taking Valium. This medication should not be taken by a child younger than 6 months old.

Valium - How should it be taken?

Valium should be taken in the exact way as it was prescribed. Do not change the dosage of your medication or take it for longer periods than what was recommended by your doctor. The directions on the prescription label should be followed.

Your doctor might occasionally modify your Valium dosage to ensure that you derive the maximum results from this medication.

The liquid form of Valium should be measured with a special dose-measuring cup or spoon and not from a regular table spoon. In case you do not have dose-measuring device, get it from your pharmacist.

Valium is intended for short-term use. It should not be taken for longer than 4 months without the doctor’s recommendation. You should not discontinue the use of Valium suddenly as it could increase the withdrawal symptoms or seizures quit taking Valium. Some of the withdrawal symptoms might include sweating, tremor, trouble sleeping, stomach pain, muscle cramps, vomiting, and odd thoughts or behavior. You may be required to reduce the dosage slowly before stopping the use of Valium altogether. Inform your doctor if you feel this medication is not effective in treating your symptoms.

To ensure that Valium is not causing any side effects, your liver and blood could be required to be tested regularly. You should not miss your visits to your doctor.

Valium should be stored at room temperature away and kept from heat, moisture and light.

Keep a count of the usage of the medication from a new bottle of Valium. Benzodiazepines are known to be addictive and you should make sure that no other person is using the medication inappropriately or without prescription.

Valium – Missed dose

In case you miss a dose, it can be taken immediately on remembering. But, if it nearly the time for the next dose, you can skip the missed dose and continue with the scheduled dose. You should not take an extra dose to make up the missed dosage.

Valium – Overdose

You should seek immediate medical attention if you believe you have taken an overdose of Valium as an overdose of this drug could be fatal.

The symptoms of Valium overdose could include extreme sleepiness, muscle weakness, shallow breathing, confusion, fainting or breathing that stops.

Valium - What to avoid when taking it?

Do not consume alcohol when taking Valium. This drug could increase the alcohol effects. Valium could have side effects that might impair your thinking capacity or reactions. You should exercise caution if you are driving or need to anything that requires you to stay awake and attentive.

Valium - Side effects

You should seek immediate medical help in case you experience any of these signs of allergic reactions – difficulty in breathing; hives; swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue.

Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these serious side effects:

* depression, suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting yourself;
* unusually rash behavior, decreased self-consciousness, no fear of risk;
* double vision, delusion;
* anxiety, hyperactivity, aggression, hallucinations;
* confusion, strange thoughts or behavior;
* feeling like you will faint;
* shallow breathing;
* jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin);
* less urination or not urinating at all; or
* muscle twitching, tremors.

The not so serious side effects of Valium could include:

* Headache, forgetfulness;
* sleepiness, feeling tired;
* lack of sleep (insomnia), nightmares;
* skin rash;
* distorted vision;
* weakness of muscle, lack of coordination or balance, slurred speech;
* dizziness,
* dry or drooling mouth;
* slurred speech;
* vomiting, nausea, constipation; or
* decreased libido

There may be side effects that are not listed here. Consult your doctor if experience any side effects to seek medical advice. You could report side effects of Valium to FDA at the number 1-800-FDA-1088.

Valium – Other drug interactions

Before taking Valium inform your doctor of all other medication you regularly take, especially drugs that make you drowsy, for instance any cold medication, allergy medicine, sleeping pills, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxers, and drugs for anxiety, seizures or depression. These medications could increase the sleep effects of Valium.

Prior to taking Valium, inform your doctor if you are using any other medications for seizure or are taking any of the following medications:

* cimetidine (Tagamet);
* an antidepressant like amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), doxepin (Sinequan), citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil),and others
* omeprazole (Prilosec);
* a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), mephobarbital (Mebaral), butabarbital (Butisol), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton) or secobarbital (Seconal);
* drugs for treating psychiatric disorders, for instance aripiprazole (Abilify), haloperidol (Haldol), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), mesoridazine (Serentil), promethazine (Pentazine, Phenergan, Phenadoz, Promethegan), prochlorperazine (Compazine, Compro) and others;
* an MAO inhibitor for instance isocarboxazid (Marplan), rasagiline (Azilect), phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate) or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam);
* narcotic drugs like fentanyl (Duragesic, Actiq), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), oxycodone (OxyContin), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph), and others; or
* ketoconazole (Nizoral);
* phenytoin (Dilantin).

There might be other medicines that are not mentioned here that could interact with Valium. Inform your doctor of all the prescription as well as over the counter medications you are taking, including herbal supplements, vitamins, medications prescribed by other doctors and minerals. You should not begin taking a new medication without consulting your doctor first.

Valium - Where to get more information?

Any questions you have regarding Valium, ask your pharmacist.

Bear in mind to keep Valium and all other medications out of the reach of children, and not to share any drugs with others and use Valium only for the prescribed indications.