Diazepam

 Pharmacologic effect

Valium is a tranquilizer, a psychotropic drug, a benzodiazepine derivative belonging to the group of anxiolytics.

This drug belongs to the pharmaceutical group of psycholeptics, which:

• depress the psyche and general activity of a person with nervous and mental disorders;
• relax muscle tissue;
• normalize the action of the brain in case of organic lesions of certain areas and cerebrovascular disease;
• calm the psyche of psychopaths and schizophrenics;
• are able not only to relieve seizures effectively but also the patient’s anxiety;
• have the ability to cause amnesia (amnestic effect);
• increase the effect of sleeping pills (during anesthesia);
• are capable of developing reactions when consuming alcohol, analeptic drugs, antipsychotics, and drugs.

Recommended for patients with increased irritability and all kinds of mental disorders (senestohypochondriacal, obsessive, and phobic in nature) to normalize healthy and restful sleep. Used in the system to relieve anxiety, an excited state when psychomotor agitation is detected.

In addition to eliminating insomnia and anxiety noted in patients, the medicine is also prescribed for:

• convulsive syndrome;
• muscle spasms;
• alcohol addiction treatment.

 Indications for use

As a sedative, Valium is prescribed for obsessive states, panic attacks, fear neuroses, phobias, prolonged insomnia, and anxiety syndrome.

The drug is used in the complex treatment of alcoholic delirium, schizophrenia, various etiologies of psychopathy, paranoid states, reactive psychoses, to eliminate acute symptoms of drug and alcohol withdrawal and to relieve convulsive and epilepsy-like attacks.

For angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and post-infarction conditions, hypertension, Valium is also prescribed.

This drug effectively treats all types of spastic disorders of an inflammatory, traumatic, and neurological nature.

For pediatric patients, Valium is prescribed for behavioral disorders that are accompanied by sleep disturbances, excessive activity, fear, increased aggressiveness, and emotional stress.

 Instructions for use

It is unacceptable to take the drug in any of its dosage forms independently, without medical supervision, since it has a significant number of side effects. This is especially true for pediatric patients.

The doctor individually calculates the dosage of the drug and the duration of its use based on the clinical manifestations of the disease, body composition, age, and personal sensitivity of the patient to the components that make up Valium.

Adult patients are prescribed from 5 to 60 mg per day orally for intramuscular or intravenous administration - from 10 to 70 mg, and the infusion rate should not exceed 1 ml per minute.

To obtain a sedative effect, 5 to 40 mg of Valium is prescribed, distributed over 2, 3, or 4 doses. With long-term use, the course begins with a small dose, which is gradually increased to an optimal and well-tolerated dose.

 Contraindications and restrictions

It is especially worth noting intolerance to Valium in:

• acute manifestations of liver and kidney failure;
• identified symptoms of hypersensitivity;
• suicidal manifestations;
• identified dependence on drugs or alcohol;
• severe pathology of the respiratory system;
• detected hypercapnia;
• ataxic manifestations (spinal and cerebral in nature);
• pronounced pathologies of glaucoma;
• conception (first trimester);
• feeding the baby with the mother's milk (up to a month).

The drug is contraindicated in severe forms of myasthenia gravis when special sensitivity to the drug is noted.

 Side effects

The use of the drug can lead to such undesirable side reactions of the body as rapid fatigue, lethargy, increased anxiety, decreased or excessive increase in libido, hallucinations, menstrual irregularities, urinary tract, and kidney function, psychomotor agitation, memory impairment, depression of hematopoietic function, uncontrolled movements and trembling of the limbs, emotional lability, decreased concentration, confusion, dyspeptic disorders, liver damage, blurred vision, addiction.