Diazepam is a prescription drug first marketed as Valium, hence using both names in the heading of this article. It is a member of the Benzodiazepines group of drugs. It may also be called Valrelease.
Diazepam is commonly used for the treatment of disorders with anxiety, and is intended as a drug to used for the short-term relief of anxiety and a few other disorders of the brain.
Withdrawal from Diazepam may have severe side effects, so please read this:
No chemical is stronger than the human will power. Dr. Ashton manual is the way to go, it worked for me and many other people. Slow tapering is essential but what I found to be greatest help is understanding and support within the family (parents, spouse…) because there is a long period of inability to function normally, meaning social life, work and even simple things like going to a grocery store or leaving house at all. This might last from 3 to 6 months and in some cases up to a year, depending on dosage and the length of usage. I have been tapering Valium for about 6 months and completely stopped about month ago. During my tapering period many withdrawal symptoms appeared but I was unable to recognize what was going on. Only when I stopped Valium totally I was able to connect the dots and understand what was going on for months regarding my health issues. I was using it for about 10 years and my dosage was 15 mg a day. Most important thing to know is that Dr. Ashton is right and as the time goes by there are gradually more good days than the bad ones. Interesting thing is that during all this suffering I was going through, I never even had a thought of taking the drug again to ease my symptoms of withdrawal. Good luck to everyone who struggles with this evil drug and never forget it is possible to stop and get your life back. PS. My wife just told me how I am slowly becoming myself again as I was always witty and funny person until I took the damn drug which made me zombie with no will or feelings whatsoever.
http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/blogs/the-hell-that-diazepam-withdrawal
Some people should NEVER take Diazepam, and these include women during pregnancy. Diazepam passes into breast milk. Breastfeeding is therefore not recommended in patients receiving Valium. It’s OK for men during pregnancy though. (Valium does NOT remove a sense of humour…)
A common dosage for this drug is 2 mg, at intervals of 2 to 4 times daily, although this can be increased to 10mg in severe cases.
Diazepam can be habit-forming. Do not take a larger dose, take it more often, or for a longer time than your doctor tells you to. Tolerance may develop with long-term or excessive use, making the drug less effective. This medication must be taken regularly to be effective. Do not skip doses even if you feel that you do not need them. Do not take diazepam for more than 4 months or stop taking this medication without talking to your doctor. Stopping the drug suddenly can worsen your condition and cause withdrawal symptoms (anxiousness, sleeplessness, and irritability). Your doctor probably will decrease your dose gradually. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682047.html
Valium (diazepam) is a benzodiazepine derivative. The chemical name of diazepam is 7-chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one. It is a colorless to light yellow crystalline compound, insoluble in water. The empirical formula is C16H13ClN2O and the molecular weight is 284.75. http://www.drugs.com/pro/valium.html
Side effects most commonly reported were drowsiness, fatigue, muscle weakness, and ataxia.
Overdosing of Diazepam can cause rare cases of coma, and even rarer cases of death.
9,600 mg of Diazepam may be needed for a fatal conclusion in an 80kg person. That is 960 10mg tablets, or 4,800 2mg tablets. The normal prescription is only 50 tablets at a time.
How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely
2010 Edition: There Is Hope. There Is a Solution. (Paperback)
Author: James Harper N C
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