Valium is a brand name for the dug diazepam. Valium is used to calm patients suffering from severe anxiety, patients suffering from insomnia, relax patients preparing for a surgical procedure and control muscle spasms due to seizures or intoxication, according to Net Doctor. The effects valium has on the body are manifold and a basic understanding of these effects can help patients and doctors decide if the medication is needed.
Calming Effects
Valium is often prescribed to calm patients who are experiencing severe anxiety or agitation, according to Net Doctor. The drug works by increasing the effect gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA is a substance that calms the nervous system. By enhancing the effects of GABA, valium can be used to ease the sense of anxiety a patient may be experiencing.
Valium is used in this manner to reduce the symptoms of patients experiencing the early stages of a manic episode. Diazepam helps calm the patient while other drugs such as mood stabilizers are used to moderate behavior.
Sedation
Valium has been reported by the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders to cause patients to experience drowsiness or sedation. This sedation is caused by the drug's ability to potentiate the effects of GABA. According to Diazepam Effects, GABA acts to suppress the impulses in the nervous system. With less impulses reaching the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the patient experiences a sense of relaxation and drowsiness.
Such an affect can be a useful effect or an adverse effect. Patients who are about to undergo surgery or who are suffering from insomnia can take valium (short-term) to help them rest and relax. As reported by Diazepam Effects, however, patients who are taking valium should not drive or perform any tasks that require mental concentration because the drug can cause drowsiness.
Muscle Relaxation
According to Net Doctor, diazepam can be used to control muscle convulsions that have been caused by seizure conditions, poisoning, and tetanus. These situations all increase the amount of electrical stimulation being sent to the brain. Valium allows the neurotransmitter GABA to take a greater effect in calming the cerebral stimulation the patient is experiencing. This lessens the muscle contraction and allows the patient's brain and body to relax.
Patients who are suffering from status epilepticus, a condition in which patients do not regain consciousness between seizures, benefit from diazepam treatment. The drug helps prevent the seizure and control the muscle spasms that occur if a seizure does happen. When the seizure has been controlled, doctor's can stabilize the patient, provide airway support and search for the underlying cause of the seizure disorder.
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