To receive this diagnosis, you must meet at least 2 of the 11 diagnostic criteria over the course of a 12-month period. The more criteria you meet, the more severe your condition, making more crucial the need for changes in your life. Ever since Diazepam was first introduced to the market in the 1950s, doctors have been using valium for alcohol withdrawal symptom cases. People researching on how to detox from alcohol have stumbled upon Valium as an option. However, as much as Diazepam is a wonder drug in matters relating to alcoholism, it is always essential to understand how Valium and alcohol works, its effects, and how to use it. This way, one can take the right decisions regarding the drug for a successful recovery from alcoholism.
Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol. Do not stop taking this medicine without checking first with your doctor. Your doctor may want you or your child to gradually reduce the amount you are using before stopping it completely.
When you take two or more drugs that have similar effects on your brain and body, it can do something called potentiation. Potentiation is when drugs combine to cause more intense effects than they normally would because they are both working on your brain in similar ways. Beyond the examples noted above, alcohol has the potential to interact negatively with many other commonly prescribed medications.
- Due to their potential for abuse, benzos like Valium are controlled substances.
- Breastfeeding is not recommended while using this medication.
- If you start taking a new depressant like Valium and don’t pay attention to warnings to avoid drinking, you may mix them accidentally by going about your normal routine.
- The report estimated that 2.3% to 18% of Americans misuse sedatives like Valium in their lifetimes.
- A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.
- Several other drugs can be dangerous for the same reason that Valium is when mixed with alcohol.
When Valium is being prescribed to treat symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, be sure that your loved one is leaving enough time in between the two substances to avoid danger. While mixing alcohol with benzos like Valium is a common form of drug abuse, a Valium-alcohol interaction isn’t always intentional. Sometimes, a person who’s using the drug with a prescription may drink alcohol a few hours after their last pill because they think it’s safe or because they forgot.
Signs of Alcohol and Diazepam Overdose
Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 1 Apr 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 2 Apr 2024), ASHP (updated 10 Apr 2024) and others. You may have increased seizures or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms if you stop using the medicine suddenly after long-term use. Both https://sober-home.org/ can cause potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms on their own.
What is Valium?
You may have life-threatening withdrawal symptoms if you stop using the medicine suddenly after long-term use. Another potentially dangerous complication is the aspiration of vomit. Since alcohol and Valium overdose can cause nausea and a loss of consciousness, you may be at risk of vomiting while you’re asleep and aspirating it.
International Patients
When you recommend or prescribe a medication that can interact with alcohol, this scenario presents a natural opening to review or inquire about a patient’s alcohol intake. The potential for a harmful interaction may provide a compelling alcohol detox kit reason for patients to cut down or quit drinking when warranted (see Core articles on screening and brief intervention). An overdose is caused when a person takes too much of a drug and their body is unable to metabolize it fast enough.
When a lot of people become physically dependent upon drugs, they also begin having intense cravings, and may not be able to control of the amount they’re using, or when they’ll stop. Valium may have originally been used to treat a legitimate medical purpose, but when it’s used, it can become a vice, and a person may not be able to find balance without it. Addiction treatment offers a multifaceted approach to treating substance abuse. It provides professional behavioral health interventions, monitoring, and supervision as you go through the recovery process.