Diazepam (Valium): a medicine to treat sleep, anxiety and muscle spasms. Diazepam, sometimes known by the brand name Valium, is a prescription only medicine that is used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms, alcohol withdrawal and seizures. Diazepam works by calming the brain and nerves.

This medication belongs to the benzodiazepine family. Typically, it is used to reduce anxiety. It may also be used to help induce sleep, as well as for other uses.

How does diazepam work? Diazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. It works by increasing the levels of a calming chemical in your brain. Depending on your health condition, this can make you feel drowsy, relieve anxiety, stop seizures or relax tense muscles.

Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. It is also used to relieve muscle spasms and to provide sedation before medical procedures. This medication works by calming the brain and nerves. Diazepam belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines.

Overview. In bipolar disorder, Valium and other anti-anxiety medications in the same family can quickly help halt certain manic symptoms, such as agitation. This can give mood stabilizers enough time to kick in.

When taken as directed, Valium is usually more helpful than harmful. However, long-term use or abuse of this medication can interfere with normal functions of the central nervous system, causing symptoms such as: Constant drowsiness.

Benzodiazepines (including diazepam, flunitrazepam and temazepam) Benzodiazepines are class C drugs. Some benzodiazepines belong to schedule 3 and some belong to schedule 4(1). Possession without a prescription, or supply or production without a licence, is illegal.

The effect of diazepam lasts for about six hours.

Benzodiazepine medications like oxazepam and diazepam (Valium) are sometimes prescribed as muscle relaxants. However, these really aren’t recommended because they don’t work well, are sedating, and can be habit-forming. Avoid benzodiazepines for neck and back muscle pain because there are much better options.

Diazepam may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• drowsiness.
• dizziness.
• tiredness.
• muscle weakness.
• headache.
• dry mouth.
• nausea.
• constipation.

These studies show that diazepam has no effect on heart rate or blood pressure in anesthetized animals, has no effect on blood pressure in conscious, unstressed animals but increases heart rate significantly probably by central vagal inhibition and, does not antagonize a stress-induced tachycardia but antagonizes …

The more common side effects that can occur with diazepam include: drowsiness. tiredness or fatigue. muscle weakness.

You should not normally be prescribed diazepam for more than four weeks. If you are taking diazepam to help you sleep, you should take it just before bedtime. Diazepam can be taken before or after food. Swallow tablets whole with a drink of water – if chewed, they taste bitter.

When taken by itself according to the directions of a doctor or therapist, Valium is a relatively safe drug, with a low risk of harmful side effects. But the dangers of Valium increase significantly when this medication is taken at the same time as other drugs.

Diazepam is a benzodiazepine that exerts anxiolytic, sedative, muscle- relaxant, anticonvulsant and amnestic effects 9,10,6. Most of these effects are thought to result from facilitation of the action of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system 9,10,6.

In addition, diazepam may be used to relieve lower back pain, or neck pain in conditions such as whiplash. It is addictive so cannot be used for more than a week or two. Methocarbamol is also used for muscle spasm in people with low back pain. Much of the pain in these conditions is due to muscle spasm.

In addition to relaxing the muscles, baclofen seems to have an anxiolytic effect, meaning that it reduces anxiety. This makes sense because the GABA receptors control anxiety. Other drugs such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonipin, or Valium for example) also work on the GABA receptors, causing an anti-anxiety effect.