help!! i started takeing valium at night as a muscle relaxant after neck surgery i want to stop
because i am noticing i am out of it more and more every day my thinking, remembering, staying on task, i have started having dizzy, lighthead, sweating, i have taken it for about three months 2-5 mg at bed. can i just STOP cold turkey?? I also take zoloft. is it possible that the valium could change the way my zoloft is working? thank you, Leslie
Hi Leelou - Valium is a great smooth muscle relaxer but it can have some of the unwanted side effects that you are mentioning. It is never a good idea to stop a medication from the benzodiazepine family cold turkey when it has been taken for months. Contact the physician that prescribed it for you and the two of you can formulate a safe discontinuation plan that will reduce the risk of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Valium can leave people feeling slowed, sluggish, and less clear mentally, just like depression. This may make it seem that your antidepressant is not as effective as it had been. Zoloft and other members of the SSRI family of antidepressants (http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/find-drug.html) are often prescribed along with antianxiety medications. Although I am not a physician, I have seen many clients who have continued to receive benefit from their antidepressant while taking a benzodiazepine. Always consult your physician if you do not like the way a medication leaves you feeling. Hope this helps and that you feel better soon.
Dr. Rick Wirtz
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