If you have ever been given a prescription for anxiety, it was probably a benzodiazepine like Valium. But after you take it, how long does Valium stay in your system? Valium can remain for quite some time, and that means it is easier for someone to become addicted. Thankfully you can get help.
What is Valium?
Valium is a medication, called diazepam which is used to treat seizures, muscle spasms, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and anxiety. Sometimes it is used as a calming agent for people right after invasive care or surgery.
How is Valium Used?
It is part of a class of medications called benzodiazepines which work by calming the brain and the nerves.
Is Valium Addictive?
How long does Valium stay in your system? A long time, depending on how often you use and how much you use. Addiction to Valium is serious and can happen quickly with regular use.
Benzodiazepines serve a good purpose when taken selectively and in limited amounts, but addiction can occur. For many people, a prescription for Valium starts harmlessly, helping to quell serious anxiety disorders or get through alcohol withdrawal. However, as individuals increase the amount they take, they become more dependent on Valium. This dependency increases the amount required to achieve the same effect, which eventually leads to an addiction to Valium.
The symptoms of an addiction to Valium are similar to that of being drunk. Someone with a serious addiction might show:
- Slurred speech when on Valium
- Impaired coordination
- Changes in appetite
- Irritability or mood changes
- Withdrawal shaking
- Dilated pupils
Can Valium Be Dangerous?
Yes. Valium can be very dangerous because it slows down the nervous and respiratory systems. This, in small amounts, is what calms people during anxiety attacks, but in larger doses or several days’ worth of compounding, doses can be dangerous. Valium, especially when mixed with depressants like alcohol, can cause you to stop breathing, can lead to coma or death. Other side effects of valium addiction include:
- Blurred vision
- Slowed breathing
- Dizziness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Weakness
- Drowsiness
- Seizures
Another way in which Valium is dangerous is how it changes the brain. Almost any substance you take regularly, which is meant to alter a natural process in your body, can change the degree to which your body functions normally.
For example: If you take antacids to help you with a stomach ache after a big meal, this increases antacid in your body because the amount your body naturally produces was insufficient to tackle the big meal. But if you take antacids regularly, your body becomes dependent on it, and it stops producing as much, which means your normal production levels drop so that you become dependent on the antacid.
This exact same process happens with anything you regularly use. In the case of Valium, the brain would normally regulate stress, but Valium helps. That means the brain stops regulating stress to the same degree it normally would and becomes reliant on the volume to compensate. Without regular Valium, an addicted brain is imbalanced, increasing anxiety and depressive disorders.
The longer you are addicted to Valium and the more Valium you take, the worse this dependence becomes and the more severe your preexisting anxiety or other disorders become.
How Long Does Valium Stay in Your System?
Knowing how long does Valium stay in your system can help you identify when the Valium you have taken over several days has compounded and can be dangerous.
- Once you ingest Valium, it can stay active in your body for between 30 and 56 hours.
- It takes up to 10 days for all of the Valium in your body to leave your system.
How long Valium stays in your body is dependent upon your liver health, body fat, weight, age, amount of Valium you take, and other drugs you take at the same time.
Valium Detox Treatment Center in Los Angeles, CA
Thankfully, you can get help. In Los Angeles, Laguna View Detox is here to help you with your valium detox. The only way to get over the imbalance in your brain and take control of your anxiety is to first detox from Valium, removing any residual compounds from your body, and then learning life skills to better manage stress and anxiety. In a comfortable and supportive environment, our staff can offer evidence-based practice and holistic treatment to aid your path to recovery after a Valium detox.
At Laguna View Detox, we can help you live a healthy, sober life.