Can valium work some days and not others?

Medication 💊 Benzo's
1

Hi,

I need some encouragement here gang. I’m in week 3 of a really bad spell so I’ve had to use valium a few times. Last week it helped so much I hardly felt any rocking for hours. Today it dosen’t seem to be helping at all. Is that possible?

Ugh. I am so tired of feeling like this!

Cherity

2

Hi, Before I was diagnosed for MAV and found successful treatment with Effexor, my only tool was Valium. Yes, I did find that symptoms peaked at times and rose above the drug’s capabilities. All I could do was increase the dosage. Of course, we all know that over time, Valium requires greater dosages to get equal efficacy, but, I think that effect has been exaggerated in people who don’t abuse the drug. I needed to take between 3 and 12 mg a day for about 4 months, and charted my symptoms and dosages, and did not see any evidence of the drug becoming less effective. What I did see, however, were spikes every two weeks or so in my dizziness. Yes, I am a male, and that does not make any sense, I know, but the data did not lie. Good luck with your treatment. Hopefully, you’ll find something that works so you don’t need to take as much Valium.

3

— Begin quote from “MAVUnderControl”

Hi, Before I was diagnosed for MAV and found successful treatment with Effexor, my only tool was Valium. Yes, I did find that symptoms peaked at times and rose above the drug’s capabilities. All I could do was increase the dosage. Of course, we all know that over time, Valium requires greater dosages to get equal efficacy, but, I think that effect has been exaggerated in people who don’t abuse the drug. I needed to take between 3 and 12 mg a day for about 4 months, and charted my symptoms and dosages, and did not see any evidence of the drug becoming less effective. What I did see, however, were spikes every two weeks or so in my dizziness. Yes, I am a male, and that does not make any sense, I know, but the data did not lie. Good luck with your treatment. Hopefully, you’ll find something that works so you don’t need to take as much Valium.

— End quote

Hi,

I am curious whether you had any issues coming off the valium?

Did you taper? Any symptoms?

Thanks,

Doug

4

I tapered the dosage, not according to any pre-determined plan, but in response to my lowering dizziness symptoms after I went on Effexor. It was approx. a 3-4 week taper. BTW, anyone who is planning on starting Effexor should definitely use Valium as an “umbrella;” the Valium can soften the effects caused by the start-up of Effexor. Most psychiatrists I think advise this, but few PCP’s do, and that’s a shame, because the start-up time does not need to be hell when moderated by the use of Valium.

5

Cherity

I haven’t had valium for years but I sometimes find my clonazepam (a related benzo) has no effect and then I panic. But it always comes back, and ive taken it, on and off for 12 years.

So I wouldn’t worry

D-L

6

Thanks for the responses fellow MAVers. It’s amazing how much it helps to hear from others who knows what you are going through. I’ve got an appointment with my Dr. on Monday to see if it’s time to look at another drug.

Cherity