Medical Purposes
Valium (also known as Diazepam or Diastat), can be used for a large variety of applications but the main usage of the drug is strictly medical.Valium is an effective medication to treat anxiety, panic attacks and agitation as well as insomnia and withdrawal symptoms. It also has a few less commonly known medical uses such as:
• Treatment of Epilepsy specifically “status epilepticus”.
• Treatment of Vertigo symptoms.
• Treatment for drug abuse withdrawal symptoms including alcohol and opiates.
• Part of a group of treatments for Tetanus.
• Treatment for various painful muscle conditions.
• Treatment of nervous problems that result in spastic muscular paresis such as Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke and spinal chord injuries.
• Sedative for either pre-operative procedures or post operative.
• Treatment for hallucinations.
• Treatment for drug induced seizures.
• Emergency treatment of eclampsia.
• Treatment for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
Veterinary Uses
Valium is also used in the veterinary practice as a treatment for dogs and cats. It can be used as a sedative and anxiolytic for short term use as well as short term treatment for seizures in dogs. It can also be used as a long term treatment for seizures in cats specifically. Other veterinary uses including use as an appetite suppressant and emergency seizure treatment are less common but sometimes necessary.
Alcohol Treatment
Valium is most commonly known for its use as a treatment for alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Valium is often used to treat both the addiction to alcohol and the side effects of alcohol withdrawal. Valium can treat many of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal such as hallucinations, panic attacks and insomnia. It was used in this capacity for a few years before its addictive nature was discovered but it has remained the top choice for many severe alcohol dependency conditions. Valium is also used to treat the alcohol dependency itself by replacing the need for alcohol with the need for Valium. The Valium medication is however gently reduced over a period of time until the treatment ends altogether allowing the individual to gently remove the dependency without suffering any major side effects. This makes the transition much easier for the individual and therefore provides a very high success rate compared to other alcohol abuse treatments. It can also be used to treat other severe addictions such as opiate addiction and benzodiazepine abuse.
It is also recommended that Valium not be used in the treatment of any individual who has suffered alcohol and drug abuse in the past as it can serve to cause a relapse in these instances due to its highly addictive nature.
Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Valium predominantly helps to alleviate symptoms such as panic attacks, anxiety and insomnia which can be helpful to treat a variety of conditions. However, it is not recommended that those suffering from depression use this type of medication. While panic attacks and depression can be very commonly seen together, Valium can actually worsen depression much like any other benzodiazepine drug. It is therefore to be avoided if you are being treated for depression particularly when accompanied by suicidal tendencies.
