The short answer is yes. Diazepam, or Valium, is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. It’s also one of the most effective anti-anxiety medications available today.
Diazepam is a benzodiazepine, a class of drugs used to treat anxiety disorders, insomnia, seizures and muscle spasms. Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of a neurotransmitter in your brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA reduces the effects of another neurotransmitter called glutamate, which causes neurons to fire excessively. This can cause anxiety symptoms like racing heart rate, shortness of breath and sweating.
Benzodiazepines like diazepam attach themselves to GABA receptors in your brain and make them more receptive to GABA’s calming effects on your nervous system. This helps reduce symptoms such as racing heart rate or feeling like you’re going crazy from too much activity in your head. It also allows you to relax enough so that you can fall asleep at night without having any trouble getting there—which means less insomnia for you!
What are Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks occur when a person experiences a sudden surge of intense fear or terror without any warning or reason. The symptoms associated with these attacks include sweating, trembling, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, nausea or stomach pain, chest pain or discomfort, dizziness or lightheadedness, feeling detached from yourself (depersonalization), feeling like everything is unreal (derealization), fear of dying or going crazy (paranoia), fear of losing control or going insane, etc.
How long does diazepam keep you calm for?
In general, diazepam works in your body for about six hours after you take it. However, this can vary depending on several factors including how much diazepam you take and what other drugs (like alcohol) are in your system.
To understand how long diazepam will keep you calm for, let’s break down what happens when someone takes the drug:
When someone takes diazepam, it enters their bloodstream through the gastrointestinal tract and spreads throughout their body via the blood vessels. Once it reaches its destination—the brain—it binds to GABA receptors on neurons that inhibit their activity. This causes decreased muscle tension and relaxation of smooth muscle tissue throughout the body (like in your lungs). The result is feelings of calmness or sedation that typically last between six and 12 hours.
If you’re using diazepam as a sleep aid, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour for you to fall asleep once it kicks in – but if you have trouble sleeping even after taking diazepam, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options that might work better for you.
How effective is diazepam for anxiety?
Diazepam has been around for decades and has a long track record of being effective in treating anxiety disorders by valium. In fact, it was the first medication approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of GAD. Many people find that it works well at reducing symptoms like muscle tension, restlessness, irritability and insomnia—all common physical symptoms of anxiety. However, there are some potential side effects that may make you want to think twice before taking this medication long-term.