Can anybody tell me what the potential of addiction to valium is? The last time I went to the ER I was given Valium . It helped me tremendously so the Doc gave me nine tablets. My Rehab doc will not use them period. Do most Docs think this way? After all it is a schedual IV drug. The way I understood it the higher the shedual the less addictive the drug. Please tell me if I am wrong. That stuff really helps me funtion better, I wish Somebody could tell me more about it.
Valium is very addictive, as I have taken it in the past, although it works wonders.
Please ask your doctor try you on Xanax (low dose), it is from a different family of drugs, and not so addictive.
It works in the exact same way,I actually prefer it.
Have them try you on 5-10 mgs, 3 times a day as needed.
I use it for anxiety problems.
They won't keep you on a daily schedule, but if you can use it every so often, it is a lifesaver.
It has a relaxing and calming effect, like I said, it works wonders for me.
Always remember if what you are going through is chronic pain, being "addicted" and "dependent" are two different things. Your body may become dependent on certain meds, but if they are needed to survive, don't worrry about the "dependency". If a doctor is giving you them, cuz u need them, he is telling you its ok. I myself take xanax, but for anxiety. That is also "addictive" and I fear the same thing. Not for the reason of being addicted to the drug, but the time to stop taking them, cuz withdrawals do suck. I was on baclofen as a muscle relaxer, and even being "just" a muscle relaxer, the withdrawals were hell. Even though, that was the best muscle relaxer for me, i will not go back on that one becasuse of the hard time i had coming off of it. WaaWaaWaa, I know i'm whining, but don't worry, just talk to your doctor and explain your concerns.
I took vallium after surgery for about a month. Can't remember my dosage. I felt no withdrawls at all when I stopped taking it. It did help tremendously with muscle spasms. I no longer have great problems withs spasms, so don't need the drug. I have friends that are prescribed vallium. Mostly a night time dosage, I think. So, doctors do prescribe it.
FYI<
Xanax and valium are from the same family of drugs, they are both benzodiazepines, both are highly addictive, and are recommended for short term use only (up to 4 weeks), usually if a medication is used for anxiety they prescribe prozac, wellbutrin, zoloft or something on that order...these group of drugs take 4-6 weeks to get to therapeutic level, and they will have you on a combination with xanax or valium until then....ask your doc!!
Hope this helps...also your pharmacist is a great resource!!
Tin Tin
i would say the addictiveness of valium is subjective. It falls into the class four on scheduled drugs, which has the least likelihood of being abused. So no, I wouldn't call it highly addictive. Normally those drugs make people super sleepy. The lower the number on the schedule of drugs, the more likely they are to be addictive. Good Luck.
Dawn
Hey Dawn,
How are you doing? having a pain free moment I hope <IMG SRC="http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif">
I would just like to clarify what I wrote about valium and xanax.... If there is any chance of a dependency occuring they are considered a controlled substance and then are classified 1 thru 5, yes they are a IV, but they have to be considered to be addictive to even be on the scheduled controlled list.
Your right there are other meds more addictive, but they are still considered addictive and often misused
because of this. Prozac, zoloft, wellbutrin are not on the scheduled list, and are a better choice for long term anxiety and depression. Thanks for having me explain in detail, I didn't mean to imply that people taking these meds are hooked, there is just a higher potential when being used long term. I am on prozac for anxiety attacks since our auto accident, but I had used xanax short term <IMG SRC="http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif"> So I completely understand why we need to take them....Have a great week-end!!
Tin Tin
Hey Guys, Valium also has a history of street abuse. This also deters docs from prescribing it. Although Xanax and Valium are Benzo's they have different properties. Valium is a true muscle relaxer, It's action is dual as far as reducing anxiety and acting on the smooth muscles in your body. Xanax is an anti anxiety med and the fact that it has sedetive properties you may also explain some pain relief or spasm relief. Klonopin is another Benzo, It's actually an anti convulsant but also has the same sedative effect and can be used for anxiety and several other purposes.
In general the harm with benzo's is that they inhibit forming new memory. The higher the dose the more profound this is. This is a signifacant side effect where the benifite may not outweigh the negative aspect of this class of drugs.The Benzo's with the longer half life, Valium and Klonopin do make withdrawal much longer than the shorter acting cousins.
Just a little FYI. Hope everyone is feeling well. Take care, David
Dayna & David and Tin dude, well said. The nasty side affects of benzos and withdrawals must be considered, and talked about with your doc. It is definitely a judgement call on the serious side.
I was prescribed Valium after surgery, and it was excellant for the ten days they allowed me. Luckily, I was still so doped up [first experience with serious narcs] I was'nt adversely affected when they were DX'd.
Several alternatives out there: Skelaxin, Zanegren(sp?), and another one to watch out for is Soma - alot of folks have problems getting off that one at high doses.
Take care folks,
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You guys know your stuff, I am very inpressed. While we are on the topic I would really like to try to understand why a precription of tylox must be picked up at the doc office and a prescription of lortab 10mg can be called in. I can not really tell the difference in pain killing power of the two. During my last flareup I wish that I would have had some tylox to see if it would have helped me more. My doc seems to think that lortab is stronger. It does nothing for me when i am really hurting. I am somewhat reluctant to ask her for anything different being as our relationship for the last 4 years is pretty darn good. I read some of these post and feel terrible for the folks who are denied proper medication. To be thought of as someone who is "seeking" would really be crummy. to have that documented in your records would really be crummy. If my issue is not a fixable one and my doc can do nothing more than provide medicine, I might go with a pain management specialist. Are the marked bennifits to doing something like this? Are they better schooled in the area of pharmocology. I see so many recommendations to go see a pain management spec, why?
