What is Diazepam (Valium)

Diazepam is the generic name, and active ingredient in the branded Valium tablet. Valium 10 mg is a benzodiazepine medication that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963. It is often prescribed to people who are experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety or as a sleeping pill for people that are having trouble sleeping. It is now conveniently available here, without the need for a prescription.

The History of Diazepam

Benzodiazepines are a class of medications which have a core chemical structure of a benzene ring fused to a diazepine ring. These psychoactive medicines have gained popularity since its discovery in 1955. As per the New England Journal of Medicine, the number of benzodiazepine users has increased from eight to almost 14 million in the period of 1996 to 2013.

The first benzodiazepine to be discovered was named chlordiazepoxide (Librium). This discovery was made by the organic chemist, Leo Sternbach of the Swiss healthcare company, Hoffmann-La Roche. Following this discovery, the successor to Librium was found in the form of diazepam. It became the highest selling medication in the United States between 1968 and 1982. More than two billion tablets were sold in the year 1978 alone.

Much of the popularity of benzodiazepines was due to these medications having a safer pharmacological profile over the current therapeutics of those times, barbiturates. Barbiturates act on the central nervous system, much like benzodiazepines, but this class of prescription tablets is highly addictive and considered less safe.

Benzodiazepines were considered an improvement over barbiturates because of the narrow therapeutic index of the predecessor. The therapeutic index is a measure of the safety of a pharmaceutical. Unless consumed in very large quantities, benzodiazepines were thought to be far less dangerous than barbiturates. It then became easy to find diazepam for sale as benzodiazepines were much more popular than barbiturates.

Fast forward to current times and the popularity of this medication remains, with five million prescriptions for diazepam recorded in 2017 solely. Considering how easy it is to buy diazepam online, it is understandable that this therapeutic is still a popular choice.

What is Diazepam Used For?

The diazepam tablet can be used for a variety of conditions including the short term relief of severe anxiety that is disabling or causing a person to experience intolerable distress. It is often used to help manage the symptoms of anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Diazepam 10 mg tablets are also used to manage insomnia which is characterised by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early. This diazepam 10mg can help relieve muscle spasms and treat the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. It is also used to help relax nervous patients before undergoing an endoscopic or dental procedure. diazepam 10mg can be helpful as a preoperative sedative before a minor surgery. It is also sometimes used in combination with other medications to treat seizures.

Diazepam Side Effects

Like all medications, diazepam 10 mg tablets have potential side effects although most people are not affected by them. A few of the more common side effects may include:

• Drowsiness
• Fatigue
• Confusion

Less common diazepam side effects could include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Headache
• Memory issues