In this article, I’m going to discuss how to use Valium for alcohol withdrawal. People who cross the line from heavy drinking to alcoholism are often shocked at how difficult it can be to quit drinking. Quitting cold turkey is painful and dangerous, and the process can be made much easier by taking a benzodiazepine like Valium for alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
I remember vividly how over the span of about a year, quitting drinking after a binge went from merely annoying to psychologically exhausting and painful. Because I hated going to the doctor, I had no idea that I could have used a drug like Valium for alcohol withdrawal. Usually I endured prolonged periods of nervous exhaustion on my couch. Of course, it was only a matter of time before I drank and the process started all over again.
It’s important to understand that alcohol withdrawal is not all in your head. Symptoms like rapid heart beat, panic attacks, or a profound sense of impending doom can get worse and lead to fatal seizures. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms become more severe with repeated episodes because of a phenomenon known as kindling.
When I finally quit drinking, I was prescribed a benzodiazepine called Ativan for alcohol withdrawal. I was first given a shot of Ativan in the arm and then doctors tapered my oral doses slowly over the course of about 10 days.
Contents
Valium For Alcohol Withdrawal – Overview
Valium is in a family of anti-anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines. Valium is a brand and its generic name is diazepam. Other benzodiazepine brands include Librium, Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin.
All of these drugs can be effective for alcohol withdrawal symptoms because they reduce anxiety, prevent convulsions, and help with sleep. Because they vary in terms of strength and their length of effects, doctors choose between them depending on the patient’s symptoms.
Valium is effective at alleviating or preventing the following symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Headache
- Restlessness
- Panic attacks
- Tremors
- High blood pressure
- Delirium Tremens
Benzodiazepines work by activating GABA receptors in the brain, which are also stimulated by alcohol. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter associated with feelings of calm. Alcohol intoxication causes a spike in GABA and withdrawal involves a plunge in GABA. Many alcohol withdrawal symptoms (including panic and even seizures) are caused by insufficient levels of GABA in the brain.
Using Valium for alcohol withdrawal can provide temporary peace of mind and prevent severe symptoms from manifesting. Because of the effectiveness of Valium for alcohol withdrawal symptoms, hospitals often prescribe this drug to alcoholics and then gradually reduce the dose to taper them off of it.
Here are some things to consider before obtaining a prescription of Valium for alcohol withdrawal symptoms:
- Because everyone is biochemically different, another benzodiazepine may work better for you than Valium.
- Depending on the severity of your alcoholism, your doctor may recommend inpatient detox or prescribe you with Valium that you can taper off of while you quit drinking at home. If you quit drinking at home, make sure you have support and that you repair your body proactively!
- All benzodiazepines including Valium can be addictive, which is why they should only be used for a short period of time and in the lowest effective dose. When I quit drinking years ago, I tapered off of Ativan in less than two weeks.
- All benzodiazepines including Valium can cause overdose if too much is taken at once. Mixing these drugs with alcohol can be very dangerous and lead to blackouts.
- Even if you take Valium for alcohol withdrawal, you will still need to repair nutrient deficiencies caused by excessive drinking. You may also have other symptoms such as low motivation and depression that benzodiazepines cannot resolve.
- Using Valium for alcohol withdrawal is a great strategy for the short term, but in the longer term, it’s important to have external support and to renew your sense of purpose in life. When I quit drinking, I began a personal transformation that permanently altered my view of drinking culture while making me a much happier person.
Valium For Alcohol Withdrawal – How To Take Valium
Here are some things to consider as you take Valium for alcohol withdrawal symptoms:
- Only take Valium with a prescription and under the supervision of a doctor.
- Valium tablets are typically 2, 5, or 10 mg.
- Doses of Valium are often divided throughout the day, with 3 or 4 doses on the first day being a common practice.
- There is no standard dosage of Valium for alcohol withdrawal; a doctor can determine this depending on your situation.
- Most people do not need to take Valium for alcohol withdrawal for more than a few days or a week.
- To avoid dependence, do not use Valium for longer than you need it.
Valium For Alcohol Withdrawal – Further Considerations
By preventing complications caused by low levels of GABA in the brain, using Valium for alcohol withdrawal can help you have a much safer and more pleasant detox. Even if your symptoms aren’t severe, envisioning life without alcohol is hard enough. Nervous exhaustion and insomnia can make the task of quitting drinking seem nearly impossible.
But while Valium can help with getting off of alcohol, it is not a cure-all for the physical damage caused by alcoholism. Many people who use benzodiazepines like Valium end up relapsing because they feel tortured by depression or alcohol cravings after their taper ends. These other symptoms are often caused by the following problems that are NOT resolved by benzodiazepines:
- Low dopamine
- Low serotonin
- Magnesium deficiency (my life changed when I began taking magnesium!)
- B-vitamin deficiencies
- Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Poor liver health
Fortunately, there is a way to address all of these problems at once. Calm Support (read my review here) is an organic nutritional supplement designed specifically for rebalancing your mood. I wish it had been available when I quit drinking, because in my opinion it is by far the best supplement for repairing your body and brain after you quit drinking.
Calm Support is an ingenious collection of high quality nutrients and herbs that are very effective for alcohol withdrawal:
These active vitamins, bioavailable minerals, and restorative herbs cost a lot of money when purchased separately.
If I had to quit drinking all over again, I would take Calm Support as soon as I tapered off of Valium (or another benzodiazepine) for alcohol withdrawal. Alcoholism is a complex brain disorder and GABA is not the only neurotransmitter that needs to be addressed when you quit drinking.
Another trick I learned after I quit drinking was to take glutamine to resolve sudden, intense bouts of alcohol cravings. Try it and you’ll see that it works. Glutamine is an amino acid that can also help repair every cell in your body.
Since recovering from post-acute withdrawal, I now take these three awesome supplements instead of a multivitamin, and they cover many bases for alcohol recovery if you can afford them.
If you take Calm Support along with glutamine and a very high quality multivitamin, your recovery will be smooth sailing compared to what it could have been!!
For information, motivation, and strategies on how to experience your own personal transformation after quitting drinking, check out my eBook, Drinking Sucks! and my in-depth online course, Total Alcohol Recovery 2.0.
The bottom line is that using Valium for alcohol withdrawal can be very effective, but it’s just the first part of a long process. Give your body what it needs during this time, and your mind will be sure to follow!
Valium For Alcohol Withdrawal – Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on the use of Valium for alcohol withdrawal. If you’re in the position that I was once in before I quit drinking, I feel your pain. Subscribe to my email list to stay posted on future articles that can help you down the road.
If you have any questions about how to use Valium for alcohol withdrawal, please leave them in the comment box below.
I bought Valli’s of the street in Scotland just to get of drink am so scared doctors won’t help me
I have been a heavy drinker for over 15 years and am ready to give up now after 2 detox i wont to do it myself as i think I have wasted there time and my sister has termain cancer and i really need to be there for her and her kid am feed up getting up gelling like shit I need to now how to do it at home safley reed valium can help can u give me advice please ready now
Hi Trisha, that’s great that you’ve decided to quit drinking. If you have a prescription for Valium or diazepam from a doctor, then the information in this article can help you safely feel better. Please review the section on standard dosage above. Only your doctor can determine the right dose for you.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This comment is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or alcohol recovery programs.
I’ve relapsed on alcohol after a good period of sobriety. Just saw my Dr to get a home detox and was told no valium but to control my alcohol consumption as suddenly stopping could be dangerous. I am ready to stop now but withdrawal is awful. Lol that she thinks alcoholics can control drinking. Very uncaring.
Hi Jayne, unfortunately our medical establishment is broken when it comes to addiction.
As far as alcohol withdrawal goes, you might benefit from reading my articles about phenibut and kratom.
Also, replenishing your system with nutrients can help immensely in ending the severity of withdrawal.
Best of luck to you!
Once I came to the realization I am an alcoholic I tried to quit cold turkey and I became violently ill At the 19 hour mark.. At the time I relapsed for one day and went to my doctor the next day. He prescribed 5 my of valium and. Citalopram 20 mg. While fed not at 100% these meds have helped. I’m not dry heaving or vomiting and my tremors are greatly reduced. In at the 24 hour mark now and I go back to see him to follow up. My employer is very supportive and giving me all the time I need.
Awesome, keep it up LuAnn!
Hi, I’ve just came off a horrendous bender after being 2 years sober. I’m shaking, sweating and in general feel awful. I have 10mg valium how often should I take this and will it help my withdrawal enough
Hi Victoria, only a doctor can determine the proper dose for you, since they have to take into account your medical history, bodyweight, tolerance, etc. Generally, a doctor will try to give you the minimum amount necessary to take care of symptoms without making you feel overly relaxed, zoned out, or “high.” They will then taper the dose for a few days as described in the article. Hope you feel better and best of luck to you!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This comment is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or alcohol recovery programs.
Hi, I am 76and so worried about my daughter who is an alcoholic. She is getting worse. Is it okay to monitor her with Valium,my friend gave them to me. The shakes are very bad,I just want her to get better. I was a nurse,and certainly would only give 2mg at a time,would this help,thanks .
Hi Rita, as you know Valium can help but a doctor’s prescription is legally required. I wish the best for your daughter, many of the articles on this site may be able to help her after she detoxes.
I used to think stupid people get addicted but after a major trauma I became addicted to alcohol. Now I am going to try very hard to stop with the help of valium and gym. My 75 year old father is very supportive bless him. I think I can do it, fingers crossed. Any other tips?!
Hi Rez, I used to think the same thing. Until it happened to me! Great that you have support. You’ll also want to look into other articles on this site, especially supplements for alcohol recovery because that’s a great way to repair your brain beyond dealing with withdrawal. Best of luck!
Hello,
I checked many articles and I found yours is great,
I drank daily in night time only 2-3 Hours around 300-350 ml of whisky for the last 10 years , this is the quantities that make me sleepy direct and that’s why I still do it as it’s difi for me to sleep normally, but now: I start to have the symptoms of alcoholics like shaking hands , headache & more,
What the dose you recommend of Valium ?
Thank you in advance
Thanks Rajea, and I appreciate you sharing your experience! Only a doctor can prescribe the correct dosage for you, since it depends on the person. Best of luck to you!
Very informative article. I have been a heavy binge drinker for about 3 years now I’m 27. And when I say binge drinker I mean 1 or 2 bottles of hard stuff for 12 hours then sleep for an hour. I’ve been to detox 3 times rehab once and always seem to relapse. I went to the hospital recently they pumped me with 10 mg valium every half hour for about 3 hours cause this particular doc didnt wanna send me home with any. So I went home feeling ok then started withdrawaling again so relapsed AGAIN. I went to a walk in explaining my situation and she seemed to understand that I’m not looking for benzos I just wanna get off this ride being so dehydrated not even able to eat or keep water or even my booze down any more. She only prescribed me 2 5mg pills which I knew would do nothing. So I went to the hospital again 2 nights ago hoping I would get a good doctor. I didn’t. I had got a doctor that was so tired of seeing me. He was reluctant but was giving me the odd valium. IV fluids, Gravol, Potassium. All kinds of things nothing was working and he let me have it. Saying it’s getting to the point my symptoms can’t even be controlled and that if I take another drop of alcohol I WILL die. My liver can’t keep taking this. Anyway by the time I finally started to calm down (who knows for how long at this point) I was ready to leave. I was going to ask him for some valium to get me until my physicial with my family physician which is now tomorrow on the 12th knowing damn well he wouldn’t. To my relief I got a brand new doctor as he was off and this doc was so understanding. I’m a big guy at 260 lbs and he knew 10mgs were not doing anything for me.. He gave me b1, 24 10mg diazepams, and told me take 2 pills as in 20 mgs every 2 hours and then see if you can go l onger than 2 hours. So I’m desperately trying but I start dry heaving very shortly after around 2 hours. Anyways point being if you really are interested in not quitting cold turkey the key is being honest and hoping you get an understanding doctor I’m on about hour 37 and still in pretty bad shape so wish me luck. Thanks for the article and all your stories and letting me tell mine
You’re very welcome Jared, and thanks for sharing your experience! Nutritional repair will be a big help to you when you get past withdrawal. Best of luck!
Chris, I just had to say how much I appreciate your website in the 15 minutes I’ve been on it…I’m about to order your book…thank whatever being for people like you, people with compassion. Chronic relapser and like some of the comments before, doctors just don’t care. Thank you Chris I look forward to getting your book, your page on your book described me to a T….I’m hoping it will do me some good!
Thanks for your kind words Tyler! I’m confident that you’ll love the book. Good luck to you and keep checking back here whenever you need to!