Valium withdrawal side effects

Valium withdrawal side effects include stomach pain, headaches, body tension, irritability, mood swings, depression, anxiety and restlessness. What can you do about them? Read more here.

4
minute read

Valium withdrawal side effects can linger for weeks after your last dose. In fact, during Valium detox treatment, you can expect rebound episodes of anxiety, depression or irritability with mood swings and restlessness. More on how to treat signs of Valium withdrawal and its side effects here.

Side effects of Valium (diazepam) withdrawal

If you develop Valium dependence after taking diazepam daily over the course of several weeks, Valium withdrawal will affect your physical and mental health. In fact, as you face Valium withdrawal, you should expect to have your life disrupted for a while. Your body will feel jittery and over excited and you will feel like you are sick. Because Valium withdrawal can induce seizures and other adverse side effects, ALWAYS SEEK MEDICAL SUPERVISION when withdrawing from Valium.

So how do you treat side effects of Valium withdrawal? Read more on the effect of withdrawal from diazepam and what helps Valium withdrawal side effects here. Then, ask your questions about Valium withdrawal at the end.

Withdrawal effects of Valium

What is Valium withdrawal exactly? Withdrawal effects of Valium will happen to anyone who is physically dependent on Valium and is trying to stop using the benzodiazepine. Valium withdrawal is a process by which your central nervous system regains normal body function when Valium has removed after a period of physical dependency. Withdrawal develops because diazepam has a high dependency rate. After a time, the body needs diazepam in order to function without side effects. So when do withdrawal effects of Valium occur?

Valium withdrawal can occur when you miss a dose of Valium. Withdrawal will also begin when you’ve decided to stop taking Valium. Withdrawal also occurs if you are addicted to Valium and need to detox from Valium. If Valium use has reached the point of addiction, then withdrawal may happen under supervision and through a detox process. But what do withdrawal effects of Valium feel like?

Valium effects the body like a depressant. It slow body responses and relaxes muscles and moods. Withdrawal from Valium has the opposite effect on the body. When you stop taking Valium, the body compensates and does this by speeding up the activity in the body. The longer you use or abuse Valium, the greater the severity of symptoms when you withdraw.

Effects of Valium withdrawal

Effects of Valium withdrawal and the feeling of sickness which accompany symptoms start shortly after your last dose of Valium (if you are not on a taper schedule) and can last in intensity for about threeweeks. Expect to feel under the weather and the effects of Valium withdrawal for about a week after acute withdrawal resolves. Psychological effects of Valium withdrawal can present themselves weeks or months later,long past the time when Valium is fully out of the system. Effects of Valium withdrawal which will have an impact on your body will include some of the following

  • headaches
  • muscle cramps
  • stomach pain
  • sweating
  • tension in the body
  • vomiting

Psychological effects of Valium withdrawal include:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • irritability
  • mood swings
  • restlessness

Side effects of Valium withdrawal

Valium withdrawal can be dangerous and cause side effects that require medical treatment. Complicated side effects of Valium withdrawal that need to be treated include tremors, seizures, increased heat rate/palpitations, and insomnia. The following side effects should be addressed medically and with a physician.

Increased heart rate – Seek medical attention and supervision for increase hear rate. Doctors can also monitor you to make sure your increased heart rate doesn’t become a problem to your wellbeing.

Mood disorders – Benzodiazepines like Valium affect the way your brain regulates mood and pleasure. When you withdraw from Valium, severe side effects of anxiety and depression can result. Additionally, the symptoms for which you were using Valium can resurface and compound. These side effects can also reappear long after you have completed initial withdrawal, and are called post-acute withdrawal symtpoms (PAWS). Doctors medically treat modd disorders by prescribing antidepressant medications or faster acting benzodiazepines.

Seizures – If you start having seizures as a side effect of Valium withdrawal, then you may want to go to the hospital to be treated. A doctor may prescribe an anticonvulsant to keep you from seizing.

Severe drug cravings – Phenobarbital may be prescribed if you are detoxing under medical supervision and a complication arises. The medication is meant to attach to receptors in the brain affected by Valium and to disrupt neurotransmission, ending drug cravings that can accompany withdrawal.

Valium withdrawal side effects questions

If you still have questions regarding the side effects of Valium withdrawal, please ask us below. We will get back to your questions as quickly as we can with a personal reply.

Reference Sources: NIH: Liver Tox: Diazepam
Daily Med: Diazepam
NCBI: Benzodiazepine withdrawal and its management
NCBI: benzodiazepine withdrawal
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
I am ready to call
i Who Answers?