Have you heard of Valium?
It’s one of the most addictive substances in the world. It’s one of the substances which are easiest to abuse as well.
In 2010, up to 27,000 emergency room visits can trace back to this drug. Since its effects feel ingratiating, you or a loved one might experience addiction.
If you have come to a point where you think you should stop, you need to know what to do. Valium is one of the most dangerous drugs to withdraw from. Its effects both on the physical and mental side are devastating.
If you or a loved one need to stop taking Valium, do you know what to do?
Here we’ll discuss valium withdrawals, what to do, how it works, and how you can take care of it. Whether you do it by yourself or with a professional, it’s important to have the right information.
What Causes Valium Withdrawal?
Valium withdrawal comes from some chemical processes in the body. We call these processes in whole as Valium Withdrawal Syndrome. They stem from a physical dependency on the drug.
Valium is very addicting due to its ability to connect to many different receptors in the body.
What does valium do that makes people use it? The drug has a calming effect which soothes the body. This calming effect can combat the effects of stress, anxiety, or tension.
With Valium withdrawals, it’s not important if you are an abusive user or a prescription-based user. Its addicting properties can push the body to heavy dependency in a short amount of time. This will then lead to hard-lined Valium withdrawal symptoms.
Valium Withdrawal Symptoms
If you or a loved one are experiencing valium withdrawal symptoms, there are a few ways to identify them. You’ll develop these symptoms one by one, and experience most of them in a few days. Stopping is hard due to these symptoms.
Some symptoms of Diazepam withdrawal include:
- muscle tremor
- abdominal cramps and muscle cramps
- excessive vomiting
- excessive sweating
- constant headache
- muscle pain
- extreme anxiety
- sensations of tension and restlessness
- confusion
- mild to extreme irritability
Together with the primary symptoms, there are other more severe symptoms you need to be wary of. More severe physical symptoms include hypersensitivity to light, noise and physical contact, numbness of the extremities, and seizures. What’s devastating, however, are the mental effects.
Mental symptoms of valium withdrawals include suicidal tendencies, depersonalization, and derealization. This makes valium withdrawal symptoms among the most dangerous in the world.
Duration of Valium Withdrawal
The length of Valium withdrawal duration depends on different factors. The severity and duration can change depending on details like:
- dose levels
- length of usage
- personal factors
- abruptness of stoppage (cold turkey)
Abrupt stoppage of Diazepam consumption increases the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms. Most people experience these symptoms from anywhere between 1 week to as much as 4 weeks. Many cases tend to have some symptoms which protract longer than expected.
Mental symptoms have a higher chance of protraction. This is especially true when the patient already has symptoms for other mental illnesses.
There are no two people with the same level of withdrawal durations. Some people will tolerate some valium withdrawal symptoms better than the others. All symptoms, however, should receive a level of management.
Valium Withdrawal Timeline
Valium withdrawals start as quick as 12 – 24 hours after the stoppage. The first sign of withdrawal symptoms occurs in the first few days in the form of a rebound. This rebound comes in the form of anxiety and insomnia.
Sleep disturbances, vivid dreams, and nightmares will be the norm, together with mood swings and fatigue. This first stage will run between 1-4 days. They will be, at most, mild symptoms.
By around the end of the first week up to 2 weeks, the bulk of the acute withdrawal will accumulate. By the end of the second stage, withdrawals will transform into more severe forms. The severe forms will peak within the 10-14 day period.
By around three to four weeks, most of the physical withdrawal symptoms will wane down. The mental symptoms, however, will last far longer.
Detoxing from Valium on Your Own
Detoxing from Valium on your own is a hard task. You need the right information on how you can wean off many of these symptoms. Recommendations always point out to asking for help with your local recovery centers or your doctor.
The top priority, if you want to prevent Valium withdrawals, is never to stop the intake in an instant. It’s smart to taper off your doses on the daily with half doses every day, up to around 4-7 days.
Medical Detox for Valium
The medical detoxification for Valium involves symptom management with other unrelated drugs and using weaker benzodiazepines temporarily. There are a few things to expect when doing a medical detox, especially if it’s with an addiction specialist.
How Medical Detox Works and What to Expect
Medical detox works by titrating down the drug and running it over a longer, low dose consumption. Most of the medical work will involve making sure your body is healthy to deal with the symptoms.
Depending on your level of dependency, you would want to monitor the symptoms, including the mental symptoms so you can get the right help.
Medications Available for Valium Detox
There are no approved pharmaceutical approaches to Valium withdrawals. What Valium does is work as a long-acting drug. The smartest way to do a detox is to manage the symptoms which are most debilitating for you.
Antidepressants, sleep aids, and stomach medication can be helpful. You want to reach the end of your detox in your best health as possible. Cutting down on Valium dependency with another dependency won’t work.
