First, I have no medical knowledge, and you should not do anything that affects your health based on a TV personality, friend, or stranger on the Internet. I define an addiction as difficulty stopping. Of course, I'd have difficulty stopping eating or breathing, too, so it's not an easy distinction to make. I'm just saying that when I got to the point where I took sleeping pills nightly because I was convinced I wouldn't sleep without them, then upped my own dosage for the same reason, I started thinking I might have a problem. I'm not telling you to stop. If you think you might have a problem, you need to talk it over with a doctor who is aware of your current situation and medical background.
I got addicted by taking a half a Valium a day. It effects people in different ways. Valium considered a muscle relaxer ... so if all your muscles are relaxed your brain can go super sonic. For some folk Valium works like speed.
You should quit immediately. Dump all you Valium in a box and mail them to me right away. I'll talk you Thur this I promise ...
First of all why are you taking Valium in the first place. How many milligrams of Valium do you take per dose? If it is warranted that you should be on Valium then you should take them as prescribed. Without more info I cannot further comment on this subject.
Many people may not realize it, but even food could react on us as a drug. It is obvious that many people become addicted to even food. Anything we do more than is good for our bodies could be considered an addiction. Food can be considered a drug because the body reacts to it due to the natural chemicals it contains. Consider caffeine. It has an enormous effect on the body. Caffiene comes from many food sources other than coffee as many people may not realize. In order to be direct with the question posed, Valium is absolutely an addictive drug. It is considered a controlled medication. Many people misuse Valium illegally without a doctor's treatment as prescriptive medication. Ideally, it would be wise to see a highly respected and qualified physician or psychiatrist. Not even therapists or psychologists are permitted to prescribe this medication (this makes a bold statement). If at all possible it would be best for these medical specialist to closely help you deter min if and how you should reduce the Valium you take. It can be very dangerous to come off this drug as some say, "cold turkey" (meaning all at once). You can suffer from serious side-effects including seizures. There are some individuals that have particular conditions that require this drug and may be kept on it permanently. One disadvantage to this however, is the body sometimes requires more Valium to control any one particular condition. There are some individuals who remain on the drug and reach a stable level of Valium to treat the illness. These are the minority of people who benefit from prolonged use of Valium for a long period of time. It is important for all of us to be aware you cannot put anything in your body and digest it without it being considered a chemical, whether it is an aspirin or the food we eat. Today, there are medications available that my substitute for Valium, which have far less side-effects and are much more desireable. Please seek professional help if you are taking the out-dated drug valium. You may want to see a different physician for a second opinion if your doctor continues to prescribe this drug for you.
I have a Masters Degree in biology, and have suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. I have used countless medicines in treatment and am very aware of addictive medications and/or poor judgment or incompetent physicians that lead patients into troubled waters.
Valium is without any doubt not a drug to take for any extended period....at a dose of four per day, one week is pushing it. If you have been taking 4 per day for more than a few weeks, immediately get a second opinion. Before doing so, try skipping one or two doses of Valium when u start Ur day. You will likely feel anxiety and nervousness to a far greater degree than when u started Valium. Depending on the severity of your addiction, sudden withdrawal may cause severe headaches, abdominal pain, etc., and severe cravings for the medicine.
You are facing trouble. Without delay, see a board certified psychiatrist rather than a general practitioner as sedatives, anxiety, and the expertise needed to relieve Valium addiction safely and painlessly is characteristically their ballgame.
Attempting withdrawal on your own can be an utter horror.
A competent physician can provide you with non-addictive drugs that yield the same results as Valium, and you will surely bid your worries goodbye.
Best of luck.
Bill k. studiocentral@kuntzvisuals.com
Good grief. You need to change doctors! Seriously. Unless you have some kind of bizarre condition that warrants it, I can't imagine WHAT because no doctor would prescribe that many Valiums a day. They are highly addictive and a doctor who prescribes that many is quite irresponsible.
Please go see any another doctor as soon as possible and meanwhile don't stop your Valium all at once as the withdrawals can be dangerous. You'll need to gradually reduce the dosage under medical supervision.
07-02-2010, 05:01 AM
