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Below are Valium (Diazepam) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 12 ratings/reviews, Valium has an overall score of 9. The effectiveness score is 9 and the side effect score is 9.33. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | Valium review by 53 year old male patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | anxiety/depression |
Dosage & duration: | | 5mg taken 3 times daily for the period of still taking |
Other conditions: | | depression |
Other drugs taken: | | paxil | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | The paxil ,valium combination releived my symtoms. |
Side effects: | | No side effects from valium,side effects from paxil were ,feeling off balance,sharp pains in the eyes,sexual disfunction. Finally went off paxil. |
Comments: | | I was prescribed paxil for depression, it worked but the side effects became to much after about 2 yrs, but for those 2 yrs . my depression and axiety were under control. The valium does releive my anxiety symtoms .
I was taking 20 mg paxil one time a day at waking and 5 mg valium 3 times a day if i was feeling nervous. Have since started taking a vitamin called GH3 and a liquid multi vitamin with cannibis at bed time, have been depression and anxiety free for one year. |
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| Valium review by 44 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
Dosage & duration: | | 10-20 drops as needed (dosage frequency: 1 -2 times a day) for the period of 2 months |
Other conditions: | | none |
Other drugs taken: | | none | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | feeling more relaxed and able to go to work, the breath slowed, shaking stopped and mood improved |
Side effects: | | no side effects and no problem when stopped |
Comments: | | just as the anxiety arised I took 10 or 20 drops depending on the strength of the symptoms and after a while I was normal again |
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| Valium review by 52 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | anxiety, panic disorder |
Dosage & duration: | | 5 mg three times a day or as needed taken as perscribed for the period of 36 yrs |
Other conditions: | | none |
Other drugs taken: | | at first none, later rivotril 2 mg at night | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | I was given valium to calm me down as I couldn't take anti depressants as they gave me really severe side effects. I found that the valium quietened my mind and slowed my body down without making me feel heavy or drugged. It helped me cope with the stresses of every day life but also the stresses caused by my anxiety and panic disorder. I think that is has a bad reputation possibly because people abuse it but taken as prescribed I find this drug incredibly useful and invaluable in helping me cope with things I wouldn't normally be able to do or cope with. I get a warm feeling as it goes into my blood all the way down to my toes. I feel relaxed and happy and don't have any side effects whatsoever. However it does make me feel a little sleepy for about half an hour after it starts working...which is actually a nice feeling when you're nervous and then I just feel relaxed. |
Side effects: | | I didn't have any side effects at all. But it does make me sleepy for a little while in higher doses when it first starts working (YES, I can actually feel when it starts) |
Comments: | | I started having panic attacks in different places until my world became very restricted. A doctor prescribed Valium and it helped. I have still got worse over the years but valium still helps me cope with things like that I wouldn't normally be able to do at all, like shopping, going to the dentist, or out in public. I feel valium has had a very bad write up...mainly I feel through abuse. I've taken it most of my life and never took more than I was told to. In fact I was so afraid it would "stop" working that I only took it when absolutely necessary. This means that although I have taken it most of my life in larger or smaller doses, it still works for me and gets me though the hard times. I don't think I have ever tried a drug that has helped me cope as well as this one has. I hope it never gets taken off the market. I currently take half a 5 mg tab when I have to do something I consider difficult, only taking the other half after assessing if one half is enough. I hardly ever take more than one in a day and hardly ever more than two tabs in a week....sometimes a month. Depending on my commitments. |
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| Valium review by 35 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | sciatica and low back pain |
Dosage & duration: | | 5 mg taken 1x a day for the period of 6 months |
Other conditions: | | none |
Other drugs taken: | | none | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | i had a severe fall and tore the psoas muscle and damaged the SI joint. Before i was in great physical shape. After I could barely walk a block. After PT which only mildly helped I asked for various meds. Vicodin helped some but left me hung over. Valium released the muscle seizures and allowed me slowly to return to exercise. It's not used much now that there's Flexeril, but F. can lead to depression and doesn't as effectively release muscle tension (in my case). |
Side effects: | | some sluggishness in the early morning, and sometimes an overall sense of dehydration, but that can be countered with drinking lots of fluids. |
Comments: | | I determined that the best solution was to take it before bed--i could sleep through the night with it, whereas without I often woke up and had to take more ibuprofen and still slept poorly. |
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| Valium review by 40 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
Dosage & duration: | | 5mg taken only when necessary for the period of 3-6 months |
Other conditions: | | depression due to loss of close family member |
Other drugs taken: | | marvelon | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | Helped greatly in as much as wasnt crying as much and was able to sleep a little better. |
Side effects: | | only that it made me a bit lethargic but not noticeably so. |
Comments: | | Would only take a tablet when I was feeling particularly vulnerable for example at the funeral and times when feeling overcome. I think that this is the best thing about valium you only have to take it when you really need it and it works almost immediately and for me without undesirable side effects. You just have to be careful and not take constantly for long periods of time.I know of many people who have been prescribed the newer anti depressants and have gone through the most horrendous side effects, personally I wouldnt touch them. |
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| Valium review by 73 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | Anxiety |
Dosage & duration: | | 5 mg taken occasionally for the period of one year |
Other conditions: | | None |
Other drugs taken: | | None | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | It was beneficial for alleviating nervousness and feelings of anxiety. I took one half tablet or a full tablet depending upon how anxious or nervous I was feeling. If particularly anxious/nervous sometimes I took one tablet plus a half. I didn't take this medication on a daily basis, but only when I was going to be involved in a nerve wracking experience. |
Side effects: | | Only mild slightly woozy feelings. Exacerbated when I took higher dose of 1 & 1/2 tablets |
Comments: | | This medication was prescribed to calm feelings of anxiety and nervousness that I experienced in certain social situations.
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| Valium review by 24 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | Anxiety |
Dosage & duration: | | 5mg / 10mg taken as needed for the period of 1 1/2 years as needed |
Other conditions: | | none |
Other drugs taken: | | none | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | After intolerable side effects of an anti depressant it relaxed my stomach (stopped vomiting) relaxed muscles so constant shaking and shivering subsided,helped me sleep and for me to actually have normal and relaxed thoughts.
Taken when needed from normal anxiety it just relaxes body and mind... it's long lasting nature often means that |
Side effects: | | Slight mental and phyical sedation (positive effect for me but be careful if you need to be alert e.g driving)
Slight mental fog for couple of hours on a higher dose (i wouldn't choose this particular benzodiazepine if I felt anxiety at work as I wouldn't be able to concentrate up to the standard required.) But perfect for every other situation. |
Comments: | | It's long lasting nature often means that if I am experiencing anxiety only one dose is enough to last through the night into the next day... and often it seems as though the body remembers and stores this relaxation so another dose is not necessary.
I only take when needed which can mean I go months without a dose... this is important as for me personally if I see valium and other benzodiazepine drugs as a long term / life treatment its vital not to become addicted and dependant as this not only means needing a drug to function (shackled by a drug rather than using its benefits when really needed.)
But if your body has constant daily dosing for months or years your brain stopped producing natural relaxation chemicals meaning that you need more and more of the drug to get the same benefit and also because of this after years of high dosage extreme withdrawal symptoms can occur while the brain starts to produce these chemicals again. |
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| Valium review by 30 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
Dosage & duration: | | 5 mg taken everyday for the period of 6 months |
Other conditions: | | NA |
Other drugs taken: | | NA | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | help me sleep better and makes me calm down when I'm depress |
Side effects: | | have no side effect at all |
Comments: | | Valium helps me with sleep and anxiety but Xanax is much better in both sleep and anxiety, valium is a long term acting medication and when you wake up in the morning you still feel sleepy and tired, where as xanax its a short term sleeping medication and when you wakeup in the morning you feel great and not sleepy, they both work good but i personally perfer xanax, I usually order them from medsheaven at www.medsheaven.com |
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| Valium review by 36 year old male patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | low back pain/herniated disk/sciatic pain |
Dosage & duration: | | 5 mg X's2 taken 4-6 hours for the period of still taking |
Other conditions: | | Back pain, herniated disks, ACDF, sciatic pain |
Other drugs taken: | | Norco 10-325 | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | The immediate benefits were the relaxing, pain free life I am now experiencing. I am not sure how long it will last, but I will take the relief for now. I have suffered with terrible back pain for going on 8 years, and until I was prescribed valium and Norco combination, I was still in excruciating pain. The combo eases the muscle spasms and basically stops all pain in my lower back. When I awake, I am hurting, but within 20 minutes of taking meds, I am my old, 25 year old self again. |
Side effects: | | I have experienced NO side effects other than feeling high, a little off-balance, and sleepy. I actually take the Valium at work and have had NO problems whatsoever, |
Comments: | | I am very happy with my doctors prescribed meds, and hope Valium continues to work for me in the same manner it has so far. I would highly recommend this combo for anyone having back pain or anxiety. As I live and work a very hectic job, the Valium effects are a plus to keep me on an even keel, allowing me to do my work with a more mellow attitude. |
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| Valium review by care giver of 29 year old male patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | anxiety |
Dosage & duration: | | 10mg taken one pill for the period of one instance |
Other conditions: | | none |
Other drugs taken: | | none | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | The valium was prescribed for the patient in an attempt to relieve anxiety prior to a minor surgery being performed. |
Side effects: | | The patient was still experiencing anxiety during the minor surgery. After the procedure was over, the patient experienced wobbly legs and had difficulty paying attention. |
Comments: | | Valium was prescribed for the patient to use prior to having minor surgery to relieve his anxiety. |
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| Valium review by 59 year old female patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | migraines, back spasm, insomnia |
Dosage & duration: | | 10 mg taken 3 times a week for the period of ongoing |
Other conditions: | | 1 year post breast cancer |
Other drugs taken: | | amitriptyline 50 mg, Maxalt 10 mg | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | I have found Valium to be a godsend. It helps stave off migraine attacks, it helps me get to sleep when I have insomnia, and it relaxes the muscles in my back when I get spasms. I use it sparingly, only when I really need it, (about 2-3 times a week ) and I have not found it to be addictive at all. I actually find it to be relatively mild, and I think it's over-regulated. |
Side effects: | | I don't have any side effects from taking it. |
Comments: | | My migraine attacks are directly related to muscle spasms that occur in my lower intestine. My doctor called it an "abdominal migraine." If I take a Valium when I feel a migraine coming on, it often goes away without having to take a Maxalt. I've had a mastectomy, chemo & radiation, and have been through a lot of anxiety, but I don't rely on Valium as an anti-anxiety drug. I'd be eating them like candy if I did, and then I probably would get addicted. I think Valium should be considered more of a muscle relaxant. That's how I use it, anyway. |
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| Valium review by 55 year old male patient | | Rating |
Overall rating: | | |
Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | Treatment Info |
Condition / reason: | | muscle pain/spasms - legs |
Dosage & duration: | | 5mg taken only when required for the period of only once |
Other conditions: | | None |
Other drugs taken: | | None | | Reported Results |
Benefits: | | medication allowed the patient to relax and helped reduced pain in legs. This resulted in reduction of Restless Legs Syndrome and also allowed the patient to have a good nights sleep. Minimal soreness in legs next morning. |
Side effects: | | Slight groginess next morning. |
Comments: | | Take 5 mg valium between half hour and hour before retiring for the night. Only use when leag pain is going to disrupt sleep. |
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