Diazepam – Generic Drug to Treat Anxiety
Diazepam is a generic medication better known under its brand name Valium. It is widely used to treat insomnia, anxiety, and other medical conditions. Learn more about why it is worth buying a generic and how it works.
| Meds Name | Doses | Per Pill | Go To Pharmacy |
| Generic Diazepam | 10 mg | $2.90 |  |
Affordable Anxiety Treatment: Diazepam
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America claims that only one-third of people requiring treatment for anxiety actually receive it. But what about the other two-thirds? Why don’t they do anything to improve their condition? The main reason for treatment refusal is the high cost of therapy and prescription drugs, which are usually used in such patients. While only some people can afford brand medicines, a lot more can buy generic medications like Diazepam.
But is it as effective as its brand counterpart? Is it safe and why is it much cheaper than the brand? You’ll get all answers here.
What Is Diazepam? Why Is It Cheaper Than the Brand?
Diazepam is a potent preparation from the benzodiazepine class of drugs, which possesses pronounced anxiolytic, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant effects. This preparation is indicated to treat insomnia, anxiety, skeletal muscle spasm, and acute alcohol withdrawal. Diazepam can also be recommended to cope with the symptoms of restless leg syndrome and as an adjunct therapy for people suffering from seizures.
This medication comes into effect within 15 – 60 minutes after an oral intake. Diazepam is one of the long-acting benzodiazepines, so its effects last for up to 12 hours.
Diazepam is a generic drug better known under its brand name Valium. Generics are typically much more affordable than brand medicines due to the lack of expenses on their branding, advertising, and others. Besides, generic drugs are usually produced in developing countries, which makes the manufacturing process cheaper without the need to compromise on the quality of the drugs. So, when deciding to treat your disease with Diazepam, instead of Valium, you get the same effective and safe preparation but at a much more affordable price.
How to Choose the Correct Dosage of Diazepam?
Diazepam is produced in several forms, including injections and pills. If treated outside the hospital, it’s more convenient to use the tablet form of the drug, so we’ll concentrate on this one. Diazepam comes in 2 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg dosage strengths. Which one is most appropriate for you is a decision to be made by your healthcare provider. There is no place for self-treatment with Diazepam as it is a controlled substance, which should be used by prescription only.
There is some evidence of the drug having an addiction-forming potential, so you should use the lowest effective dose to reduce the risks of tolerance and addiction, as well as to reduce the risks of developing severe side effects of the drug.
Things to Be Aware of Before Taking Diazepam
Despite all the benefits, the therapy with this medication can bring to people with insomnia, anxiety, or seizures, in some cases, it’s better to avoid taking this drug. Such situations are related to the health condition of the person who needs treatment. Certain major health conditions may get worse when on Diazepam, making the potential risks outweigh the possible benefits. You shouldn’t take Diazepam if you suffer from:
- narrow-angle glaucoma;
- myasthenia gravis;
- severe liver disease;
- kidney disorder;
- severe respiratory insufficiency;
- sleep apnea syndrome.
Pregnancy and lactation periods are also contraindications to Diazepam use. Consult your healthcare provider to learn about all the details concerning contraindications.
You should also be careful taking any other medicines with Diazepam. The latter gets into interaction with opioids and other drugs, depressing the nervous system. This is why you have to avoid the concomitant use of Diazepam and other drugs with similar effects. Your doctor or pharmacist can provide you with a complete list of medicines that shouldn’t be combined with Diazepam.
Is There Any Risk of Side Effects?
Like with other prescription drugs, there’s always a risk of developing some unwanted reactions to the drug. The most common of them are usually mild or moderate and don’t require medical attention. People taking Diazepam report the following side effects most often:
- muscle weakness;
- tiredness;
- drowsiness;
- ataxia (balance, coordination, and speech problems).
In rare cases, Diazepam may trigger severe adverse reactions, including confusion, depression, restlessness, agitation, low libido, and some other symptoms, which need you to consult your GP.
Summing up
Diazepam is a great alternative to expensive brand drugs. Despite its being generic, its effects, effectiveness, and safety are identical to those of the brand medication. This preparation can become an affordable treatment for anxiety, seizures, insomnia, and other diseases that respond well to Diazepam.
