Posted by Viridis on August 22, 2003, at 3:46:05
In reply to Re: Whatever Happened to Valium?, posted by Simcha on August 22, 2003, at 1:23:14
Valium still has its place -- for example, I gather that it has more pronounced muscle-relaxing properties than many other benzos. I've certainly known many people who have been prescribed it for back pain, muscle strains, tension headaches, etc. in recent years.
I think that Valium suffered a similar backlash to that which Xanax is now experiencing -- especially in the 70s, it was prescribed so freely and widely that some people were bound to have problems with it, and it gained a reputation for being "addictive" etc. When I was in high school, Valium pills were easily available for a 25 cents apiece, and it was a popular party drug (usually combined with cheap fizzy wine).
Personally, I dislike Valium -- it makes me feel extremely sedated and spacey, in a very unpleasant way. I react much more favorably to Xanax and Klonopin. If this is generalizable to others, it might also explain the greater popularity of some of these more recent benzos.
poster:Viridis
thread:252671
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030818/msgs/253011.html