How many people use valium from time to time during bad times??? It has such a quick and calming effect on my mental nervous system…v cautious of the addictive nature so try not to use them too often…but they are so useful at times!! Hope I’m not the only one… 
I have some valium left over from the initial stages of this when I presented at my GP surgery in the midst of horrendous anxiety and panic attacks. I remember thinking when he gave me Valium or Diazepam as it’s also called “Oh my God, what the hell has happened to me?” I was horrified at the thought of taking it and only had a couple in the first few weeks because I was so scared of it. I have taken it occasionally during the 4 years since then and it does calm you down. I only have the 5mg tablets and think they might be out of date now. They make me really drowsy though and kind of worsen my balance. I like the calming effect but hate the general feeling of sluggishness and weariness which happens when I take one. Do you just get them prescribed by your GP? I heard they don’t like prescribing them very much in general…xx
It’s a great drug! I haven’t used it now for a few months but I will need it again soon when I head overseas in 6 weeks. Jet lag will do this migraine brain in for at least 3-4 days.
I love the stuff and yes, it can feel so good that you might want to start taking it more regularly than is needed and thats where self control has to come in!!
But in terms of MAV, Valium has been key in helping me with this.
I don’t use valium but do use Serapax which is for anxiety with pretty good results. It is especially great when having a bad day to help stop the tears of frustration and sadness flowing!!
I take .25mg before bed, if I had a bad day or feel like I’m slipping and tomorrow will be a bad day. It makes a throbbing headache calmer and less angry and ensures I have a restful sleep so I don’t tense myself around the pain.
I’m interested to hear about the use of valium. I was given some a year or so ago when first diagnosed. I think I took it once or twice to help me sleep. Can’t remember if it helped with the sleep or not.
Just wondering - are some people finding it helps with the dizzies if taken during the day?
Thanks
Thanks all. For me personally it really really does calm the dizziness, I am not sure if that indicates that GABA-enhancing drugs may be the way forward for me…maybe that’s why you had such good results with gabapentin Muppo ???..it may also be due to its muscle relaxing effects too which calm my tense neck and shoulder muscles…who knows but it’s not a long-term, daily option so I tend to use it only when I am very bad or am not sleeping.
Interestingly though, before all this dizziness began last year I had a history of years and years of episodes lasting from 2weeks -10 months at a time where I would get tingling, headaches, extreme fatugue, visual disturbances, muscle twitching etc and one time my GP gave me 5mg valium to take 2 x per day just to help me cope with the stress of all the neuro issues and I was better within a week or so…
It seems that the benzodiazepines help a lot of people on the forum with balance and dizziness issues - are they all GABA -enhancing drugs or does this just apply to Valium? If this is the case then for those of us who continue to have balance/dizziness problems maybe adding Gabapentin to our ‘arsenal’ would be a better option than taking a benzo on a regular basis. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.
Barb
— Begin quote from “Krystal”
I take .25mg before bed, if I had a bad day or feel like I’m slipping and tomorrow will be a bad day. It makes a throbbing headache calmer and less angry and ensures I have a restful sleep so I don’t tense myself around the pain.
— End quote
.25mg of valium? Did you mean 2.5mg? That is closer to what I take…
Yep, 2.5 sorry for the typo. Half a tablet is a good dose for me, I can’t take it during the day because it makes me too sleepy. I use Xanax during the day if need be.
Interesting thought Barb, maybe that’s something we should consider if it doesn’t interact with the meds were already taking. Curious.
My doctor was very hesitant with giving me the script in the first place and got the whole lecture from the pharmacist, I think I’ll have to do some smooth talking to get another script when I run out.
I keep a supply of Ativan on hand just in case I get really bad. It just really turns the dial down on the dizziness. Doesn’t take it away but helps me cope with it better too. And I might take a half one if I’ve been having trouble sleeping. 30 pills lasts me 4 or 5 months so I don’t get dependent. I’ve been using them this way for years. I’m interested in the gabapentin now after this discussion.