Valium makes part of a drug class called benzodiazepines. These drugs have certain effects over the human body that include:
- Reducing anxiety
- Causing sleepiness
- Relaxing muscles
- Stopping seizures
- Impairing short-term memory.
All drugs from this category provide such effects on a different scale. These chemicals work by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, which has natural calming effects. GABA slows down or stops some nerve signals in the human brain. Due to this Valium and other benzodiazepines are classified as mild tranquilizers, sedatives, or central nervous system depressants (CNS depressants).
It is not known whether Valium is safe for children of less than six months of age so avoid using the medication in these cases. If you feel an extreme need to use Valium with such a young child talk to your healthcare assistant to consult on the possible dangers of using it.
Sometimes, Valium can be recommended for treating other conditions, different from those it is officially approved for. Your healthcare provider can recommend using Valium "off-label." Currently, the off-label use of Valium includes cases of:
Agitation
Insomnia
Benzodiazepine withdrawal
In some cases, Valium is used before certain surgical procedures as a sedative.
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