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Valium vs Diazepam: Which Benzodiazepine Is More Effective For Anxiety & Muscle spasms?

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Some of the most common problems people from all walks of life are going through are anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawals, muscle spasms, and seizures. Doctors come up with one solution for all these issues, and that is Valium or Diazepam. Valium and Diazepam are the same drug, which helps one recover from all the issues that we mentioned above. It can be found in many forms, but the main question is how Valium, the branded medication, and Diazepam, the generic medicine, can differ from one another. In this blog, we will try to understand the mechanism, the differences, and the risks between Valium and Diazepam, and also find out which drug one can choose between Valium vs Diazepam, for the best results.

Valium vs Diazepam: A Comparison between Two Versions of One Medication

What is Valium?

Valium is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant used to ease discomfort in muscles. It is a benzodiazepine that makes it very sedative in nature, which helps in reducing anxiety issues. Diazepam is the main ingredient of the drug, which makes its mechanism and effects exactly similar to the generic medication. But one thing that makes Valium stand out amongst the other brands of Diazepam is its branding and marketing. In 1960, Roche brought this medication into the market, and since then, Valium has become a household name for Diazepam tablets. Both patients and healthcare professionals grade Valium very highly.

What is Diazepam?

Diazepam is the generic drug name for Valium and other brands like Valtoco, Diastat and Liverbent. It is a prescribed only Schedule IV controlled substance, so only a doctor’s prescription will allow a patient to have it for dealing with seizures and muscle spasms. As Diazepam has depressant effects on the nervous system, it is advised to be taken under medical supervision. But because of its lower potency, it becomes a perfect remedy for withdrawal effects caused by alcohol. Diazepam is found in many dosage forms, such as tablets, buccal films and oral syrups. It can also be used as an injectable drug and rectal suppository.

How does Valium or Diazepam work?

Being the same drug, both Valium and Diazepam have the same function. Because Valium is a CNS depressant, it works by binding with GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in our nervous system, where it reacts with the chemicals to release chloride ions into the neuronal membrane. It binds with a certain site in the GABA-A receptor, which increases the influx of chloride ions. The influx is responsible for a process in our neuronal membrane called hyperpolarisation that makes the nerves incapable of receiving pain or discomfort. This action leads to a lot of relief from anxiety, stress, seizures, or muscle aches.

Uses of Valium and Diazepam

Doctors can prescribe Valium or other Diazepam pills for these five major problems to patients:

  • Anxiety and Stress: While Valium can reduce anxiety symptoms like anger and timidness, the patient should take dedicated anti-anxiety remedies.
  • Muscle Spasms: Many small injuries, the administration of tetanus and conditions like cerebral palsy can cause stiffness in muscles, where Diazepam helps effectively.
  • Relaxation before surgeries: It can provide relaxation to a patient before many surgeries or operations.
  • Alcohol Withdrawal: When an addict tries to leave alcohol, they can have many withdrawal effects like tremors, nausea, and even seizures. Valium can be useful while dealing with these withdrawals.
  • Seizures: One can use Diazepam to assist their seizure treatment.

Differences between Valium vs Diazepam

Valium and Diazepam do differ in three categories that have little to do with the use of the drugs or the effects they have. These parameters will remain the same, as both are just different names for the same medication. The difference is in their pricing, marketing and slightly in their ingredients.

  • Pricing: The generic Diazepam is way more affordable than the brand Valium. The parent company, Roche, brought the first version of Diazepam to the market back in the 1960s, which is why Valium is a bit costly. Moreover, when a patient is under insurance, the insurance plans will cover the generic medication over Valium because of its cost-effectiveness.
  • Marketing and Packaging: The packaging and marketing of Valium and its generic alternatives have a lot of differences. Valium used to be heavily marketed by Roche as a brand, and today they are sold in the market with a very popular “V” cut-out on its tablets. The generic Diazepam is found as any other normal-looking round or oval-shaped tablets at a very low price.
  • Ingredients: There is a small difference that is found in the ingredients between the brand Valium and the generic Diazepam. The main ingredient in Valium is Diazepam, but they differ in the smaller ingredients, like the fillers, binders and dyes. This is the reason why Valium pills look way different from the generic versions of Diazepam.

Side Effects of Valium or Diazepam

As the same drug, Diazepam and Valium have the same side effects. Let’s take a look at them:

  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Bad speech
  • Muscle Weakness
  • Dry Mouth
  • Constipation

Drug Interactions of Valium or Diazepam

Both share the same interactions, too, as they are the same medication. Here is the list of drugs they react with. Here are some of the drugs:

Conclusion

Diazepam and Valium are just not the same drug. Still, they are the one answer to all those issues of anxiety, those excruciating muscle spasms, those painful seizures and that challenging journey of quitting alcohol. Even though they are beneficial in such cases, one must use them safely to avoid any effects, and one must consult a doctor before deciding to consume a strong benzodiazepine.

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