Diazepam/valium

[Maggiemay]

After a 3 month long manic spell, with no more than 3 hours sleep a night (1 for the last week!!!) dr has prescribed diazepam - what a relief. :) I was totally relaxed last night, so much less restless (usually I can't even sit still at night!!). Although sleep was very broken, I still probably got about 5 hours = huuuuuuge improvement. Although I'm still full of energy during the day as manic, worried about physical health and impact longer term on body - I don't want to crash and burn!! Soooo glad dr listened :))

 

[Jezanna]

I'm bipolar and I know how hard it is to sleep when manic. Glad your doc gave you something to relax. Did he change your mood stabilizer?? To prevent crashing I just make sure I commit to walking thirty min a day. But not excessively so I don't rev back up. I walk mindfully concentrating on each step and naming sounds I hear textures and colors. But not in a fast manic pace slow and deliberate. My dr taught me that.

 

[anthony]

Valium is seriously the best for PTSD, when the person can control their usage of it... I love having the stuff around for when I just can't get anxiety down, it helps... for me to then keep it down again for a period of time. I use if very little, but its handy stuff to have for PTSD.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

@anthony,
Do you have an opinion on Valium versus Ativan? I know there is a difference in terms of half-lives, but I am wondering if one is better for PTSD. I have prescriptions for both. Ativan was given to me for PTSD, Valium as a muscle relaxer. (I don't ever take both of them anywhere near each other). I personally feel more relief with Ativan (for anxiety symptoms), but I'm interested in hearing others experiences with the two. I see my doctor next week and he is open to changing my prescriptions and knows I don't overuse/abuse my benzo's since I really stretch out the time between refills. Thanks.

 

[Maggiemay]

@Jezanna - like the walking idea. At the mo it's fueling the mania tho... Only on aripiprazole at the mo - just come off quetiapine and mitazapine. Hopefully will add in mood stabilizer when next see psych -- she packaged aripiprazole ad fixing everything but I doubt it!

@anthony - it seriously was my wonder drug 18 months ago when it came to night terrors, seizures, nightmares and waking in the oddest places and falling out of bed (had to sleep on the floor because of the risk of seizures bring aggressive and doing damage) so I know I react well to it ;) Psych wouldn't prescribe (probably as I have a personality disorder!) but Gp knows me well!

 

[anthony]

Do you have an opinion on Valium versus Ativan?

Ativan is just slightly more powerful than Valium, is my understanding, as it contains all six benzodiazepine full-effects. To be perfectly honest... they really come down to what works best for you. Both have serious long-term usage effects, neither of which I would recommend for daily longevity use.

I would recommend them to anyone with PTSD for short-term use, say occasionally to help with symptom spikes, bad weeks or month or two and even for a year or two if needed at a low dose, but certainly no longer.

 

[Maggiemay]

Diazepam has once again been my saviour - a week and a half down the line I'm getting about 5 hours sleep :) massive improvement on 3 or the 0 I was getting!!! Still very broken sleep, but getting there. Yesterday took half dose and still slept = Yey! Trying to ween self off now inc aripiprazole should sedate me. Muscle cramping awful tho - even with diazepam = muscle relaxer :s need to as GP on Thursday for some more codeine...

 

[Ladyghosthunter]

I take over 30 mg a day which holds me down and keeps me stabilized. I also take a few other medicines as well but unfortunately, it's keeping me from losing weight which is ticking me off. However, it gets me through the day in one piece and it's the duct tape over my mouth when people come at me....well, now I speak Latin but I speak it in God's tongue, not in any ugly terms.

 

[Maggiemay]

*hugs* I'm in the same place 'RE weight - I have put on 4 stone :'( Boo!!! Off diazepam now and back on quetiapine - luckily it's sedating me enough to not need diazepam :)

 

[Ladyghosthunter]

I had to ask my psychiatrist about the "issues" regarding weaning someone off of Valium and what it could do if someone was just quitting cold turkey. He didn't understand and I said, "I read in a major news place that weaning off of Valium could be not only dangerous to your health but kill you." He reassured me that the doctors have a certain routine they use to take people off of such pills without the side effects. I'm so glad for you, Maggiemay. I wish I was off of them too but unfortunately I need this or else I can't function and I become intolerable, including to myself. OY!

 

[Maggiemay]

*huggles* it was a reputation as being very addictive sadly when it works so well :( I still have some left as emergency if needed as it works so quickly when I'm anxious/ it helps so well with sleep xzz

 

[Caterpillar]

Do you take a mood stabilizer or anti-psychotic to treat and prevent the manias? Valium can be useful for keeping control during a manic episode, but it doesn't actually treat the Bipolar Disorder, only masks the symptoms until you can get it back under control.