Valium for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 4)

• Mel...
• February 23, 2016

"Used for 17 years, worked well at first but needed increased doses as I became tolerant. Held the same dose for the past 7 years then suddenly became acutely anxious and agoraphobic, dose was increased again but the only result was awful unsteadiness on my feet. Finally, I was told that some people get withdrawal symptoms even while taking the same dose, and it seems that is the problem I have. Never been this ill in my life and now I face having to taper off it which scares me. My experience and opinion is it was fine short term but long term caused me more problems than it ever solved."

• Jer...
• January 17, 2016

"I had pain in my stomach that no one could diagnose for three months. I was put on an SSRI that made things worse, and I lost 35 pounds with no appetite. One day the pain released and I became extremely anxious. By taking a small dose of Valium in the morning and evening, I am so much better. I was also given Dr. Claire Week's book which helped. I never thought I would recover, but hang in there."

• Be ...
• July 8, 2016

"Date: 07-08-2016...Re Valium: I have been taking Valium for the past three years as I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I very seldom take Valium. Like, 4 mg a week or 4 mg twice a week or I can go a month without taking it. It is very subtle, it will start working after 20 minutes which has been my experience. Valium does melt my anxiety and panicky feelings away even at 4 mg. After taking it, I would feel like my old self. I tried to score it by 2 mg, however, it is not effective. I think those who try it the first time should go 4 mg or 5 mg. I am also taking an SSRI for my anxiety condition. SSRI is not perfect. Some days are tough so I tough it out by not taking a Valium. If you don't abuse it, you can take it for life."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2014

"I reacted harshly to this medicine. It turns out that I am someone who is sensitive to this medicine and was best prescribed it at the pediatric level of 1mg. Now that we have found the correct dose, it does wonders for large overwhelming panic attacks."

• Anonymous
• October 3, 2009

"I've found that for my sleep problems after trying many and all sleep aids, this has had the least amount of side effects and I wake up feeling great, not sluggish or with a hangover sensation. 10mg dose has worked wonders with my racing thoughts keeping me awake and to provide a relaxed feeling for a great night's sleep."

• jhu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 24, 2015

"I have been taking Valium for 15 years for sleep and anxiety, 15-30mg. This drug has worked well through the years but I have begun to notice memory and balance issues, so I decided to get off of it. The first time, I quickly tapered off and one night, I awoke to a racing heartbeat, tremors, and an intense feeling like my head, face, and back were on fire. I had to go back on because of this. Now I'm doing a slow taper, so far, I have gone from 15mg to 7.5mg over 4 months. Going from 15-10mg was easy, but going under 10mg has been very difficult at times. For years I was very positive about this drug, but I do not think you should take it for more than a month unless you absolutely have to. Just be careful, as withdrawals can be severe."

• Aus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2016

"I can't eat or be around a lot of people without it or Xanax. Xanax is good but doesn't last as long. My mom even said while I was on diazepam, it's good to see a smile on your face! It may make you feel kind of goofy for a couple of days, but after that, it just helps. The sedation subsides as well. A very tolerable medication that really does help. Trust me!"

• Gol...
• July 2, 2015

"I have fibro and stenosis and take Cymbalta, Flexeril, Elavil, and a few others. My doctor said I have adjustment disorder and sent me to a psychiatrist. He prescribed 5 mg twice a day and 10 mg at bedtime, and it's worked wonders. I'm sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night for the first time in over five years. My mind and body feel relaxed. I'm so thankful that I saw this doctor, this med has been the only thing that's helped me."

• Mel...
• August 14, 2016

"I've been on Valium for about 6 months now and have severe social anxiety and separation anxiety. But it definitely helps. It allows me to not feel as claustrophobic and not to get as shaky or frozen in anxiety-producing situations. If I have an anxiety attack or feel like I'm going to have one, then I will take a Valium, and it helps me get through the day."

• Bat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2014

"Recently began suffering generalized anxiety disorder, which took me to the point of suicide. I was prescribed diazepam. The first time I took it, I felt aggressive and annoyed easily. However, after a few days, I can safely say it has greatly reduced my anxiety. For now, however, my doctor has said he will not let me stay on it due to the body's ability to easily build a tolerance to the medicine over time, requiring greater doses, etc. I desperately do not want to try antidepressants again (due to a previous severe reaction). We shall see."

• Lis...
• August 1, 2015

"After taking Chantix for smoking cessation, I fell into a spiral of severe depression. I didn't feel like leaving my home other than going to work. I gained 25 pounds and felt my life was hopeless. I had always felt like an extrovert trapped in an introvert's body. I stumbled upon Valium when my husband gave me one for muscle cramps. The effects were amazing! I no longer felt trapped in my prison of isolation and misery. A word of caution, though: this drug is addictive and should be taken in small amounts, and withdrawal should be done slowly and under medical supervision. It is a shame Valium has such a bad rap."

• lon...
• September 2, 2011

"The best anxiety medicine I have taken, and I have taken them all. Works very fast, about 20 minutes, and keeps working. Also, for me, it is basically non-addictive. I can take it when I like and then stop for long periods if I want to. In fact, I used Valium to get off Klonopin, which was a nightmare to get off until Valium was substituted."

• Ged...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 13, 2016

"I took Valium for almost 3 years, and it helped my anxiety. I started on 5 mg three times a day, then, that increased to 4 times a day. I started waking in the early morning, thinking I had bad pills because they weren't working. I found out I was in tolerance and started having tolerance withdrawal. It's very hard to come off. I tried to stop cold turkey, and on day 3, it felt like I had been shocked with a cattle prod. I went back to 15 mg and started a slow taper. I added Remeron for sleep while tapering. I would steer clear of benzos and find something else for anxiety, these should not be taken for long periods of time. It makes your world a better place to be and forget life's problems for a short time, but you will face consequences later."

• TyH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2015

"Take 7.5 mg twice a day, and it prevents my anxiety from getting out of control and stops my frequent panic attacks. The only medication that has worked for me so far. Hopefully, my doctor will be okay with this medication long-term and not going back to trying SSRI after SSRI."

• Anonymous
• January 11, 2011

"I have been on 10mg of Valium 3 times a day since 1998 and have had very good luck with it. I have tried other medicines but everything else seems to not work as well. Don't know what I would do if I didn't have it. I work 6 or 7 days a week. It doesn't affect that at all. I'm a lot calmer when I use it and still full of energy."

• Pap...
• January 13, 2016

"I was given this for GAD, 5 mg twice daily. It works great for anxiety and for sleep. I'm authorized 15 mg daily, but normally I take 10 as described above. Before this, I tried like 20 different medications, and they all gave me several side effects until the doctor gave me this one. It's a mild muscle relaxer, which I also need, good for sleep and awake during the daytime when I need to be awake and alert. Sure, if I lay back during the daytime after taking the pill, I can easily take a nice nap. ;-)"

• Kie...
• May 12, 2017

"I have bipolar 2, generalized anxiety disorder, and suffer panic attacks. I am given Valium 5 mg to take 'when needed.' While I feel it works well on generalized (mild to moderate) anxiety, it's not the most effective medication to take during acute episodes, like in a panic attack. I feel the 5 mg isn't enough. Also, if you take it even every few days, it pretty quickly becomes less effective, meaning you may have to increase the dose. I now take 10 mg as needed. It's very helpful, and I find it to be very effective, but perhaps not strong enough during acute panic attacks. In general, this medication is a blessing."

• ArI...
• December 11, 2011

"Valium worked wonders for me when I realized that my anxiety had been making me a shut-in with a low quality of life. Aside from developing an insatiable appetite at first, it seemed like a miracle. For example: I took a Valium before flying and could not find my luggage in baggage claim. Previously, I would have been shaking, crying, and sweating. Instead, I confidently walked over to customer service and learned that my bag will come when the next flight arrives. Self-inflicted meltdown averted. It's long half-life, however, can be a blessing and a curse. It lasts practically all day, but that also means it makes me a bit drowsy and lazy all day as well."

• You...
• September 18, 2008

"I had panic attacks and I've always had pretty high levels of anxiety, but since I got put on Valium, I have not had one attack or even felt like I was stressed. I also stopped biting my fingernails down to the nub! A happy side effect was that I was told by my doctor to take it if my back started to hurt (because of my scoliosis) and since I started doing that, my back has not 'gone out' like it did SO much before!"

• Bus...
• August 3, 2015

"I've suffered from debilitating headaches, always beginning in my lower neck from tension. Often these headaches, about twice a month, would morph into full-blown migraines lasting 1 to 2 days. 5 mg of Valium relaxes my neck muscles with an aspirin, and I'm good to go and have my life back. The migraine meds caused terrible side effects."

• Lil...
• September 2, 2022

"I have had GAD pretty much since my early 20s. About 4 years ago, it seemed to increase in intensity (38 now). My Dr. started me off with hydroxyzine, which subtly takes the edge off. I have continued that throughout the years, daily, in between trial and error of benzos. I started off with Triazolam, then Xanax, which both caused major next-day rebound anxiety. Valium has been the only benzo that hasn't caused this horrible effect. I have been on Valium for the past 7 months with trial and error. Initially, I was prescribed 5 mg once nightly, which I adhered to for 2 months. Taking it every day, however, caused extreme exhaustion. I couldn't function with that. I found that 5 mg, spaced 2-4 days apart, keeps panic attacks at bay while also preventing the build-up of the medication in my system. This drug is a lifesaver. It is the only thing that stops my panic attacks dead in its track without rebound next-day attacks."

• Eye...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2019

"I can’t say this medicine is horrible for everyone, but I can say that I got the unlucky end of the stick. This medicine actually made my anxiety worse! I literally felt like I was losing my mind. I couldn’t sleep at night because my fight or flight response wouldn’t stop rushing through my body, and it made me have horrible panic attacks. It got to a point I had to call the EMS because my heart rate went up to 170. I was excited to try the medicine from the reviews because I wanted the relief and calm mind, but I will never take this medicine again."

• Ash...
• August 18, 2011

"I have generalized anxiety disorder and I only take Valium as needed. When I am going to do something that will make me particularly anxious (e.g. a date with a girl), I take 3mg. It helps me to be myself."

• Tma...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2016

"I am a newbie to Valium. Just took my first dose today, 10 mg. The doctor prescribed it for the acute anxiety attacks I have once in a while. I have generalized anxiety disorder mixed with bipolar disorder. I take Pristiq for the anxiety, and it has helped, but it doesn't cover everything. When I'm anxious, I cannot go outside and become bedridden. I am also on 70 mg of Vyvanse for ADD, and it took the doctor some time to be convinced of the benefits of taking a benzo. You know, the whole upper/downer concern. I took my Valium in the evening when the Vyvanse was wearing off. It worked wonders. It kicked in 15 minutes upon taking it. The only side effect is that I feel a little wobbly when standing. But the fact that I am calm makes up for it."

• Anonymous
• December 17, 2011

"This was the only thing that gave me some pain relief from severe irritable bowel syndrome, triggered/made worse by anxiety. Thank God for Valium. It only lasted about 3 hours, but it was a low dose of 2 mg. Only a small supply was given to me as a short-term solution, but I'm so glad I'm finally getting relief from the anxiety and pain."