Paradox reaction to valium

[Guest [...]]

Can someone please respond to this.  I think im having a paradoxal reaction to valium.  I feel so irrational when i take it, aggitated etc cant stop crying.  No i know this is confusing because its also a symptom of withdrawal.  I think im so sensitive to it because when i went on it i was sick to start with.  Please someone answer.  When i take it in the morning before to long im screaming like a rage cry.  Need answers soon as im off to the shrink tomoz who claims its depression when i know its not.

 

thanks

 

Lizzy

[Guest [...]]

Hey Lizzy,

 

I just googled 'paradoxical reaction to Valium'. There are many articles but this bit comes from 'Wikipedia' which is pretty reliable.

 

Benzodiazepines, a class of psychoactive drugs called the "minor" tranquilizers, have varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxing properties, but they may create the exact opposite effects. Susceptible individuals may respond to benzodiazepine treatment with an increase in anxiety, aggressiveness, agitation, confusion, disinhibition, loss of impulse control, talkativeness, violent behavior, and even convulsions. Paradoxical adverse effects may even lead to criminal behaviour.[2] Severe behavioral changes resulting from benzodiazepines have been reported including mania, schizophrenia, anger, impulsivity, and hypomania.[3] Self aggression has been reported and also demonstrated in laboratory conditions in a clinical study. Diazepam was found to increase people's willingness to harm themselves.[4] Paradoxical effects of benzodiazepines appear to be dose related, that is, likelier to occur with higher doses.[5] In a letter to the British Medical Journal, it was reported that a high proportion of parents referred for actual or threatened child abuse were taking drugs at the time, often a combination of benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants. Many mothers described that instead of feeling less anxious or depressed, they became more hostile and openly aggressive towards the child as well as to other family members while consuming tranquilizers. The author warned that environmental or social stresses such as difficulty coping with a crying baby combined with the effects of tranquilizers may precipitate a child abuse event.[6] Benzodiazepines can sometimes cause a paradoxical worsening of EEG readings in patients with seizure disorders.[7] Paradoxical rage reactions due to benzodiazepines occur as a result of an altered level of consciousness, which generates automatic behaviors, anterograde amnesia and uninhibited aggression. These aggressive reactions may be caused by a disinhibiting serotonergic mechanism.[8]

 

Seems like you might be on to something here.

 

Xana x

[Guest [...]]

Xana

 

thanks so much for this im taking this to the bloody shrink tomoz and now not only do i have to deal with this but coming off the crap as well.  Its definately happening for me because im ok when i wake have some anxiety but as soon as i take this stuff after breakfast i start to go crazy as.  Hope this is not a permanent thing thats for sure.  I mean when i stop taking it should these symptoms go away.  Love you mate

 

Lizzyxxxx

[Guest [...]]

I will look up some more articles. Hope he will know about this. I might check in MIMS too.

 

Love you too. xx

[Guest [...]]

Hi again. This is copied and pasted straight out of MIMS (Medical Information Management System - I always forget what it stands for.) Your psychiatrist will have this online version so will be able to check this. MIMS is the Australian Doctors' Prescribing bible. No one can argue with this.

 

I can send you the whole section on Valium if you want. I have online access as my husband is a research fellow at the university and I use his account. I thought you just need this bit right now.

 

Adverse Reactions Most commonly reported undesirable effects are fatigue, drowsiness, muscle weakness and ataxia; they are usually dose related.

Isolated instances of neutropenia have been seen.

Dizziness has been reported occasionally with oral Valium.

Anterograde amnesia may occur using therapeutic dosages, the risk increasing at higher doses. Amnestic effects may be associated with inappropriate behaviour.

Nervous system disorders. Amnesia, fatigue, drowsiness, muscle weakness, ataxia, dysarthria, slurred speech, headache, tremor, dizziness.

Psychiatric disorders.

Paradoxical reactions such as restlessness, acute hyperexcitation, agitation, irritability, anxiety, increased muscle spasticity, insomnia, sleep disturbances, nightmares, hallucinations, aggression, delusion, anger, psychoses, abnormal behaviour, stimulation and other adverse behavioural effects are known to occur when using benzodiazepines. Should these occur, use of the drug should be discontinued. They are more likely to occur in children and in the elderly.

Confusion, emotional poverty, alertness decreased, depression, libido increased or decreased.

Chronic use (even at therapeutic doses) of oral Valium may lead to the development of physical dependence. Discontinuation of the therapy may result in withdrawal or rebound phenomena (See Precautions, Dependence).

Abuse of benzodiazepines has been reported (see Precautions, Dependence).

Injury, poisoning and procedural complications. An increased risk for falls and fractures has been reported in elderly benzodiazepine users.

Gastrointestinal disorders. Nausea, dry mouth or hypersalivation, constipation and other gastrointestinal disturbances.

Eye disorders. Diplopia, vision blurred.

Vascular disorders. Hypotension, circulatory depression.

Investigations. Irregular heart rate, very rarely increased transaminases, increased blood alkaline phosphatase.

Renal and urinary disorders. Incontinence, urinary retention.

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. Skin reactions, such as rash.

Ear and labyrinth disorders. Vertigo.

Cardiac disorders. Cardiac failure including cardiac arrest.

Respiratory disorders. Respiratory depression including respiratory failure.

Hepatobiliary disorders. Very rarely jaundice.

Haematopoietic disorders. Isolated instances of neutropenia

 

You start to wonder which symptoms are withdrawal and which are Valium side effects! Hope this might shed some light on your concerns. I hope your learned doc can sort this out.

 

Good luck with your appointment tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you. Let me know how you get on.

 

Xana 

[Guest [...]]

thanks Xana

 

will let you know this arvo appointment not till 4.45pm so until then my friend be good.

 

Lizzyxx

[[Pr...]]

Hi Lizzy,

 

From my own experience I really feel that it was the prior "poly-drugging" that caused my CNS to become hyper-sensitive & to thus manifest ALL the acute symptoms as I also became dependent on the V.  I don't think I am "sensitive" to the V - I see it as just another drug that impacts the hyper CNS & thus keeps triggering the rise of the symptoms.

 

The CNS takes quite a while to recover itself but I do believe that if you withdraw the V slow enough that the CNS is able to heal itself as it goes.

 

PJ x x x

[Guest [...]]

Hey Pru

 

I totally agree its all the other stuff that has damaged the cns.  I know from 8 years ago when i took an ssri had the most dreadful reaction and it never really recovered so with all this other stuff I took i believe my cns is permanently ruined.  Im not just blaming the benzo here if it was just that i would be more hopeful.

 

Lizzyxx

[[Bi...]]

Lizzy,

 

I had paradoxical reactions to the V. The effects it gave me- I was irritable after taking it, also amnesia, and hyper like. You get these? I, then had to come off it quickly.

 

Billy.

[Guest [...]]

Hey Billy thanks for responding

 

Feel completely anxious all the time on it.  Irritable at the moment severe anxiety felt in the pit of my stomach.  Do you believe that after taking and reacting to all the other antidepressants and now the benzo the nervous system can recover.  Am needing really big reassurance today.  Like when i took the antidepressants i felt my whole body go into shock like complete fear through my body.

 

Lizzy

[[Bi...]]

Hey Billy thanks for responding

 

Feel completely anxious all the time on it.  Irritable at the moment severe anxiety felt in the pit of my stomach.  Do you believe that after taking and reacting to all the other antidepressants and now the benzo the nervous system can recover.  Am needing really big reassurance today.  Like when i took the antidepressants i felt my whole body go into shock like complete fear through my body.

 

Lizzy

 

I tried Celexa one, and I felt the same thing. Yes, I think you will still recover. I know the feeling you are talking about. It feel like an explosion go off in your stomach, kinda?

[[ve...]]

Hi Lizzy.  I agree with the previous posts. Your CNS is probably hyper sensitive from all that it's been through.  Even though you have what may appear to be a paradoxical reaction to the valium, I believe it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.  If you were to stop the small amount of valium that you are still taking, suddenly, I believe the symptoms would be as "bad" or quite possibly worse. Unfortunately, you are still dealing with the rapid dose reduction from 45 to 2.5mg over the past few weeks.  It's going to probably take some number of months for the system to right itself.  Some argue that things won't truly heal until completely off the benzo.  I don't take that position, as you know.  I think your system is in a kind of shock still from the rapid reduction along with going on and off the other medications. 

 

There is no simple fix to this situation other than patience, time and gradual tapering off the remaining 2mg.  Be careful of doctors who would suggest rapid detox, a c/t almost inevitably results in long term withdrawal and sometimes protracted withdrawal. 

 

There is no getting around that your system may be in some pain and disarray for a while.  No pill or going off a pill at this point will likely change the fact that what you need now is time and patience.  Some doctors feel helpless and may try to throw other pills at you to lessen the "withdrawal".  You've been down that road and with your sensitive system, it's not likely to help much and could do more harm. 

 

One can always find a doctor who understands the benzo situation, if one of your current doctors tries to encourage any further damage to the system by rapid detox. I am not a doctor so you ought to follow your own intuition under the best possible medical direction you can find.

 

Good luck with your appointment,

 

Vertigo

[[Pr...]]

Hi Billy & Lizzy,

 

Yeah I got the same reaction fr just one tablet of Celexa!  The hospital psych prescribed it when I was in a severe panic attack caused by the early poly-drugging - didn't touch it again.

 

Yes Lizzy - the CNS does definitely heal, just as all our body systems restore themselves, but it is not fast - it just needs TIME & "nurturing" - no more "shocks"!    I also agree with Vertigo that it is a "myth" that the body won't heal 'til you are totally off benzos - if you go slow enough it is able to heal as you go.

 

I know from observing myself that there is also a degree of "anxiety-induced" symptoms manifesting in withdrawal just because I am in such "fear" of the reaction I might experience fr taking something i.e. the V or a supplement or something.  I only recently observed, after swapping to a different beta blocker, how my blood pressure was going higher & higher one day & as it went higher I got more anxious & then, of course, the bp went even higher - haha!  I asked a friend, who has anxiety disorder,  I was chatting to on fb at the time, if anxiety can increase yr bp - I was that naive about it!  She said "Hell yeah!!!" so then I realised that I was creating actual physical changes in my own body - I am a "newbie" at all this anxiety stuff  .

 

PJ x x  x

[[Pr...]]

And, oh yes, Lizzy - years ago I was prescribed 15 different psych drugs over a 3 yr period (as they tried to work out what was "wrong" with me  ) & anyway, the last two they tried on me were the anti-epileptics & Epilim was one of them - well, that was the final straw for me - I was laid out on the floor - all I could do was weep for weeks.  I just quit psychiatrists after that - cold turkey - haha! 

 

Just my own experience with Epilim but I also agree with Vertigo that adding another drug at the moment could be v. dicey.

 

PJ

[Guest [...]]

hey guys

 

I do agree no more meds for me at all.  I do agree vertigo that going off the final 2.5 i decided on being on is only going to make things worse.  I will do a gradual taper not sure when to start doing this will do it with liquid valium going down by 1ml every ten days or so then hopefully I will be off this stuff for good.  Just having a very bad anxiety day today.  Had a good response from my shrink yesterday he said SORRY i should have left you on the 2.5mg and tapered at the 10 percent you recommended.  not good from a body that is in shock but still he said it.

 

Love Lizzyxx