Drug Profile: Valium

Manufacturer: Roche

Generic Name: diazepam

Forms:  immediate release tablets

Street Names: Vs, sleep aways, dead flowers, foofoo, tranks, howards

Appearance (What does Valium look like?):  round, scored tablets with a “V” cut through the center and “Roche” imprinted on one side and “Valium” printed on the other side; blue tablet with an imprint of “10” (10 mg); yellow tablet with an imprint of “5” (5 mg); and white tablet with an imprint of “2” (2 mg).

Pharmacological Class: benzodiazepine derivative

Medical Uses:   treatment of anxiety (both acute and long-term anxiety disorders).  May also be used to treat symptoms during alcohol withdrawal (Read Withdrawal and Detox: Get the Facts), and as a supplement to other pharmacological treatments for convulsive disorders, stiff-man syndrome, athetosis, and motor neuron disorders like paraplegia and cerebral palsy.

Mechanism:  Valium facilitates a neurotransmitter called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and has sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle-relaxant, and amnestic properties; half-life of approximately 1-3 hours.

Availability: Schedule 4 (Read Drug Scheduling and the DEA)

FDA Pregnancy Category:  Category D (Read FDA Pregnancy Drug Categories)

Addiction Potential:  moderate 

Possible Side Effects:  most frequently reported: ataxia, drowsiness, muscle weakness, fatigue; less common but possible adverse reactions: blurred vision, constipation, confusion, hypotension (low blood pressure), skin rashes/reactions, incontinence, psychoses, insomnia, hypersalivation or dry mouth, nausea, other gastrointestinal problems, headache, tremor, hallucinations, nightmares, anxiety, irritability, libido changes, diplopia (like double vision), restlessness, slurred speech, urinary retention, vertigo, depression, aggression, stimulation.

Possible Withdrawal Symptoms: anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, restlessness, depression, sleep problems, hallucinations, memory problems, dizziness, confusion, tension, fast or uneven heartbeats, tingling, numbness, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, increased sensitivity to light or sound, fever, sweating, seizures.  Do not stop using this medication abruptly or attempt to taper without the approval and guidance of a physician.

Warning Signs of Abuse: deviating from a physician’s directions in anyway: self-treating for a longer period, administering a higher dose, taking more often than directed, smashing and snorting or injecting the tablets (Read Method of Administration: Why “How” Matters).

Signs of Overdose:  Extreme confusion, drowsiness, low blood pressure, coma, dizziness, poor balance, poor coordination, and impaired reflexes.  Seek urgent medical attention for a Valium overdose (Read Emergency Visits for Substance-Related Medical Problems and Overdose: Why It Happens & What to Do When It Does).  There is a higher risk of a fatal overdose if Valium was used in combination with other substances such as opiates or alcohol (Read Mixing Substances: What You Should Know).

Controversies Related to Valium:

• Valium was one of numerous medications (including lorazepam, trazodone, and clonazepam) that were confiscated by investigators after the death of Michael Jackson (Read Michael Jackson & Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse).
• As a prescription medication, valium is often kept in home medicine cabinets and may be abused by adolescents or others (Read Parents & Pills: Unintentional Drug Dealers).  The Drug Enforcement Administration has sponsored drug take-back days as part of increased measures to curb the problem of non-medical use of prescription medications in America(Read What the Doctor Ordered? Cracking Down on Prescription Drug Abuse).
• As reported by Time, Howard Hughes was addicted to Valium (hence the street name “howards”), commonly taking the highest-dose tablets (10 mg) and as high as 40 mg at once, which his assistants had nicknamed “blue bombers.”