My Valium Experiment

[Chook]

Am also in Australia.

Your posts in this topic does not indicate why you have access to Valium.

May I ask the criteria for being suitable for it?

Also, was it due to you being clean and stable of any lasting affects from other prescribed drugs?

Chook

 

[Nicolette]

Your posts in this topic does not indicate why you have access to Valium.

May I ask the criteria for being suitable for it?

If you are referring to Anthony he has Valium due to his chest pains (anxiety) from PTSD. A very small dosage. Have you read the thread from the start as the answers to the questions you ask are there?

Also, was it due to you being clean and stable of any lasting affects from other prescribed drugs?

When being prescribed any medication doctors need to know what other medications you are taking as some interact with others. I know you don't mean anything bad by your question but Anthony has been anti-PTSD medication for the 5 years I have known him after having a bad experience with prescribed medication.

It is important to have a good relationship with the one doctor and to see the same doctor for all your medication in order to make sure you are always stable. Records are also kept and in order to get repeat scripts the doctor actually has to ring up for an authority - they just don't hand it over.

I am not sure what you mean by 'clean' as I associate that with someone who has been a drug addict and no-longer takes drugs (which my husband is definitely not).

I also take Valium but a different dosage to Anthony due to being under a lot more stress than him due to work. It was prescribed to me as I would get out of bed dry retching at the thought of what I had to do during the day and not being able to walk out the door. It takes the edge off and sometimes I take it in the afternoons/evenings and other times I don't. When I do take it in the afternoon it is due to being in a highly stressful work environment and the pressures of work (not being able to shut my brain down to de-stress in order to sleep etc). I never asked for it... I just went to my doctor with the problem and we tried a variety of things and what I currently take works for me for now. I would like to get to point of not needing the medication. Again I would say you need to have a consistent treating practitioner and also be very honest with them.

I don't take medication because I want to - I take it for now as it is the only way I can cope with the stress I am under.

 

[Chook]

Hi Nicolette.

I reported my post and requested it be removed.

Can now also see that the word "clean" may be taken as offensive. I meant as in his system being clean/free from prescribed medicines, not illicit.

Apologies.
Chook

 

[Nicolette]

No worries Chook.... as I said "I know you meant well". It's all good.:tup:

 

[Hashi]

A Xanax would be better for panic due to going to the dentist, being short lived, yet quick to work. Valium is slower to work, but much longer lasting within the system... so valium is more a constant drug that you take on an ongoing regular basis, where Xanax is a quick fix drug. Both are addictive if you have the attitude of, take drug, ahhhhhhhh.... that is addiction, not the drug working.
.

For me, going to the dentist involves fairly prolonged anxiety, starting a few days before and becoming very bad the day before, then worse at the time. Dentists here can prescribe some drugs and valium is one, but my current dentist doesn't because he prefers all medication to be under the control of a GP who has the whole knowledge of the patient.

It sounds like there are different views and approaches. In the UK there's a huge reluctance to prescribe it. The NHS line on valium, xanax and other minor tranquilisers is:

They are sometimes used to treat severe anxiety, but are usually only prescribed in the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time. This is because they are associated with withdrawal and dependence problems.​

​

I'm glad if a regular low dose is working for you, and in that case that you can obtain it. I wish there was a bit more leeway for me when I need it!

 

[anthony]

That approach is the same here... I believe its the probably the same globally. For PTSD, you would need to talk with your psychiatrist than GP for long term use at small doses... if you aren't happy with SSRI's or SNRI's.

I agree with the stance most countries have with valium, because the person can become addicted, especially if in a bad place within themselves, so they actually obtain the mentality of, take pill, ahhhhhh... just because it's valium or xanax.

I have watched a lady take a xanax in a shopping centre, she took it and then went, ahhhhhh.... so much better now, then she continued shopping, as it was busy. The table wouldn't have done a thing by taking it and obtaining that result the way she did... I knew she was addicted the moment I seen her take it and give that response. You could have given her a sugar tablet and gotten the same response, because she had convinced herself (addicted) that the drug was working immediately upon putting it in her mouth, regardless that it hadn't even digested yet and got into her blood stream to react. Xanax is quick... but not that quick. It still takes up-to 30 minutes or so to work, and only provides a short term, hour or two relief... obviously dependent upon body mass and dosage.

My GP even questions me every visit about how the valium is going, what my body is doing, etc etc. He ensures I am giving my body time without it as well, because the long-term affects if abused are catastrophic.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I really started to notice problems with Valium addiction in the hospital, well ANY addiction really. There were tons of addicts to all sorts of things. But valium, people seemed to ask for it a lot, and I noticed a few just had to have it. One girl seemed to me like she would put up shows to get it. But I guess that's part of addiction. The gotta have it or die trying feeling. I asked for my prescribed clonazepam from my doctor...as I was noticeably having a panic attack. Was not given to me. Even then looking around me at all the addicted people I could not blame them. Was grateful I was not one of them.

I rarely take an sort of anxiety pill. I have been prescribed clonazepam, which never seemed to do anything and I hated the slower feeling I got from it. So I never took it. My new psychiatrist then gave me xanax which I also rarely take.

School has started so I might take xanax on the really bad anxiety filled days. But that's something I will really really watch out for.

 

[timetorecover]

SSRI's, having tried so many of them, all made me worse! Increased feelings of panic and suicide, shakes etc.

Valium has saved my life, a few times!

 

[intothelight]

I don't take medication because I want to - I take it for now as it is the only way I can cope with the stress I am under.

Wow, I just would like to give you a "high five"!!!

There are a lot of people that would say "change your lifestyle", but the thing is, life is what it is and some things cannot be changed. Work is stressful for me with PTSD. It is also stressful to sit in a chair with a broken back for 8 hours. But the fact is, we have to earn a living, pay bills, pay mortgages, buy food, pay utilities, etc.

I am not taking medication because I want to; I am taking medication because it is actually helping me. It keeps my muscle spams under control and the side benefit, is it keeps my run-away anxiety under control. I am finding I can actually focus and be more productive than I have in three years.

I am going to see what happens over time. As my back heals the dosage goes down. 2.5 mgs twice a day and 5 mgs at night now. In just three weeks I have dropped from 10 mgs three times a day down to this. I am not seeing a behavior pattern that is indicating a budding addiction.

I am going to reserve my thoughts on addictions as I probably have some theories that fly in the face of "what is common knowledge". I lived with an alcoholic and I watch my son use alcohol and drugs to numb or to escape his feelings. To me that is addiction.

 

[KP the nut]

IMHO, medication is just another tool to help us manage our symptoms.

 

[Meadowsweet]

This is a really interesting discussion.

Within the violent relationship of my younger years, I did take drugs. So part of my relational thinking is that taking a drug makes me bad and is deserving of abuse.

Because I went into panic trying to tell my GP why I was there, she offered me drugs, and I refused. But on the other hand, I'm aware that I self medicate with wine and chocolate. Not to a disabling degree, but, I sometimes wonder if I might do better under the guided medication of a doctor.

The problem is, is that in the UK, the recommended prescription fot ptsd is ssri's. On this site I hear bad things about them. But also, from my reading, one of the milder side effects is an increased sensitivity to uv rays from the sun? I already have a sun sensitive condition (discoid lupus) and that puts me off too.

I wouldn't be brave enough to negotiate treatment with my GP. in the UK, its not paid for, so I'm not a customer. So I think there is a culture of gratefully accepting the doctors offer.

 

[Flossy]

I just wrote a reply of biblical proportions, hit a random key accidentally and lost it.

Anthony
Are you interested in hearing about three things related to this discussion and the lack of benefits of SSRI's with PTSD. If you are I will try to write it all out again.

1. The differences with and benefits of valium over serepax for this use.
2. SNRI's and PTSD = Pristiq, Effexor & Edronax which is affects Noradrenaline only
In my experience noradrenaline holds a major key to managing PTSD...both lack of and excessive
3. My weird way I get rid of the pain/constriction in my throat which may work with your chest pain.

Old member from a couple of years ago. Used to be Faerie or maybe Cynthiatoo....can't remember.