How do diazepam make you feel

It is not medical advice. This means that a prescription for diazepam must be dispensed within 28 days you can keep most other prescriptions for six months.

This is because diazepam can be abused and might be sold as a street drug. If you must take it to school, it might have to be locked in a safe place. Diazepam improves the effect of a chemical in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA.

Diazepam is a 'controlled drug'. Diazepam starts to work very quickly in your body, and you should get calming effects within two hours of taking it. You may want to let your family and friends know you are taking diazepam so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.

For guidance on this, check out our page on getting support with your medication. Some people find it more difficult to get to sleep when taking diazepam or may experience nightmares or strange dreams when taking it. You can drink a small amount of alcohol while taking diazepam but having the two together is likely to make you very sleepy. This will be most noticeable during the early part of your treatment.

Taking large amounts of alcohol and diazepam together could affect your breathing, especially if you have an existing lung problem. If you need to drive a car or ride a bike, or use machines at work, taking alcohol and diazepam together could be dangerous to yourself and other people. Using cannabis with diazepam will make its sedative effect worse. You could go into a very deep sleep where you do not breathe properly and have difficulty waking up. Cannabis and other drugs may have their own side effects on your mental health, like anxiety or psychosis.

For more information, have a look at our drugs and alcohol page. Using heroin or methadone with diazepam will also increase their combined sedative effects. This could lead you to increase the dose of the stimulant to make up for it, which could be very dangerous. If you start or stop smoking while you are taking diazepam, you may have to change your dose. This is because cigarette smoke affects the amount of diazepam in your body.

If you already smoke when you begin taking this medication, you will probably need a higher dose than somebody who does not smoke. You should tell your doctor if you smoke and how much, so that they can prescribe the correct dose for you.

If you stop smoking, the level of diazepam in the body could rise, and you might need to reduce your dose of diazepam slowly over one week. Diazepam may affect the way other drugs work.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines. If you are taking any other medicines, some dose adjustments may be required to ensure you get the best from the diazepam with as few side effects as possible. Tell the pharmacist you are taking diazepam if you buy medicines over the counter for common complaints, including tablets and topical medicines things you put on your skin.

Watch your caffeine intake while you are taking diazepam as caffeine has the opposite effect of diazepam in your body and interferes with it working. Do not drink large amounts of caffeine drinks like coffee, cola or energy drinks while you are taking diazepam. Caffeine can cause anxiety and sleep loss — stopping these drinks might help to improve your symptoms. Diazepam can make you feel sleepy, dizzy and forgetful when you first start taking it. You might also find it difficult to concentrate during the first few days of treatment and may experience blurred vision and muscle weakness.

For these reasons, you should not ride a bike or drive a car until you know how you will be affected. You should also be very careful when doing anything else that requires concentration, such as operating machinery or exercising. The effects of diazepam can last a while after taking it, so even if you only take one dose, you may feel them the next day. Diazepam is in a group of medicines listed in new laws in the Road Traffic Act It is an offence to drive while under the influence of this medicine but you are NOT committing a crime if the medicine has been prescribed to you by a doctor, you are sticking to the prescribed dose and it is not affecting your ability to drive safely.

The Department of Transport website has more details. If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, you should let your doctor know this before taking diazepam. Babies often do better when their mums are mentally well, so if diazepam has beneficial effects on your mental health, it may be best to continue taking it throughout pregnancy.

Your doctor can help you weigh up the pros and cons. Taking diazepam during the last few months of pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in a newborn baby that include weakness and breathing difficulties. Your baby may be less active than other babies, have a low body temperature, be floppy, or have breathing or feeding difficulties for a while.

This drug may be refilled if your doctor authorizes it on the prescription. It may only be refilled up to five times within 6 months after the prescription was given. Your doctor will decide the right dosage for you.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.

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Highlights for diazepam. What is diazepam? Diazepam side effects. How to take diazepam. Take as directed. Diazepam warnings. Diazepam may interact with other medications.

Important considerations for taking diazepam. Are there any alternatives? Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. What to know about generalized anxiety disorder. Medically reviewed by Timothy J.

Legg, Ph. Intensive Outpatient. Outpatient Treatment. Co-Occurring Disorders. Trauma Informed Care Program. Recovery Capital. Privacy Policy. Find Us On Social Media. How Long Does Diazepam Last? Diazepam is the generic equivalent of Valium and brings with it the dangers of any other benzodiazepine. Though an effective anti-anxiety agent for short periods of time, Valium can also be highly addictive.

NIH Needless to say, valium has great potential for abuse. Side Effects Diazepam is a central nervous system depressant, so it slows down your brain and body. Can Diazepam Withdrawal Kill You? Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or immediately. This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk. What Does Valium Feel Like?

Some of the short-term symptoms of Valium abuse include: Slurred speech and an inability to form complete sentences. A lack of coordination. Dilated pupils. Changes in appetite, usually a loss of appetite. Mood swings, typically marked by agitation, irritability, and sadness.