VALIUM

Discuss different Pain Management Options; Medication options including side effects and Worldwide variances in names etc.
carolynm
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:25 am
Location: CO

VALIUM

Post by carolynm »

Okay, I"m new to this whole thing....but does Valium seem to help some of you more than anything else? What do you think this means?

TIA,
cari
PN after using pickaxe doing yardwork 6/11
Potter MRI: Scar tissue abutting L pudendal.
Hibner consult 10/11 w/ plan: 2 mo. PT
No meds work for me
PRF X 3 times in Denver ( was pain free for 5 months after second)
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Violet M
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Re: VALIUM

Post by Violet M »

Cari, since valium is a muscle relaxer it could mean that it's helping to calm your pelvic floor muscles and there is less pressure on the nerves. Just a guess. I'm glad to hear it's helping. ;)
PNE since 2002. Started from weightlifting. PNE surgery from Dr. Bautrant, Oct 2004. Pain now is usually a 0 and I can sit for hours on certain chairs. No longer take medication for PNE. Can work full time and do "The Firm" exercise program. 99% cured from PGAD. PNE surgery was right for me but it might not be for you. Do your research.
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Quilter 2
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Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 6:24 pm
Location: North East TN

Re: VALIUM

Post by Quilter 2 »

Hi there;
I take a Valium suppository, via rectum, if I can't get rid of some of the pain any other way, and it does help me a lot.
Doreen
Five pudendal nerve infiltrations with good results.
Sixth Injection left me with more burning, more pain, pain in buttocks.
Botox shot didn't notice any difference
Physical Therapy - Aquatic and Myofascial
External and Internal Manual Therapy on the obturator muscle.
3T MRI with Dr. Potter
2nd opinion with Dr. Hibner in Phoenix
Loretta Robertson PT Phoenix
Decompression surgery Nov. 1, 2011
HerMajesty
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Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:41 am
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: VALIUM

Post by HerMajesty »

Valium is absolutely #1 on my list of helpful drugs. While it IS a muscle relaxer, soma is a more powerful muscle relaxer but helps me less. So muscle relaxation is only part of it; it is doing something in the CNS as well.
pelvic pain started 1985 age 14 interstitial cystitis. Refused medical care from age 17, did GREAT with self care for years.
2004 PN started gradually, disabled by 2009. Underlying cause SIJD & Tarlov cysts
improved with PT & meds: neurontin, valium, nortriptyline, propanolol. (off nortriptyline & propanolol now, yay!)
Tarlov cyst surgery with Dr. Frank Feigenbaum March 20, 2012.
Results have been excellent so far; but I won't know my final functional level for a couple of years.
Emily B
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Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 1:21 am

Re: VALIUM

Post by Emily B »

Valium is also used to reduce anxiety. Stress and anxiety increase pain, so maybe by decreasing these, the pain decreases too.

Emily B.
HerMajesty
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Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:41 am
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: VALIUM

Post by HerMajesty »

I have my doubts about the anxiety thing because it helped me really dramatically and I am just about the antithesis of an anxious person. Of course it helps with anxiety by affecting something in the chemistry of the autonomic nervous system, and the autonomic nervous system also has a role in some pain. I got an impar ganglion block which gave me some temporary relief, and my Doc told me this confirms that my autonomic nervous system is involved in my pain syndrome.
I'm not really so concerned though about how it works, only that it does work very well. My only side effect was slight drowsiness when I first started taking it. I was supposed to take 5mg twice a day but instead cut the pills in half and took 2.5mg 4 times a day, and the drowsiness subsided. Then once I was used to the drug, I was able to take 5mg all at once. I have heard benzodiazepine withdrawl is not pleasant (valium is a benzodiazepine), but if i am ever well enough to get off meds I intend to wean slowly. What makes it preferable to narcs as far as I am concerned, is I have not built a tolerance which requires me to keep taking more and more of the drug to maintain pain relief and prevent withdrawl. Soon after I started taking valium my dose was upped to 15mg (5mg 3 times daily), and I have done well on that ever since. So I feel like I can keep taking it indefinitely without problems while I have neuropathy, can still derive benefit even with long term use, and can wean slowly if I get well. My other meds (neurontin and nortriptyline) make me kind of ditzy but the valium really does not effect my mental state.
That's my valium experience, no I do not own stock in the manufacturer's company or anything, I promise. I'm giving it an unbiased thumbs-up.
pelvic pain started 1985 age 14 interstitial cystitis. Refused medical care from age 17, did GREAT with self care for years.
2004 PN started gradually, disabled by 2009. Underlying cause SIJD & Tarlov cysts
improved with PT & meds: neurontin, valium, nortriptyline, propanolol. (off nortriptyline & propanolol now, yay!)
Tarlov cyst surgery with Dr. Frank Feigenbaum March 20, 2012.
Results have been excellent so far; but I won't know my final functional level for a couple of years.
carolynm
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:25 am
Location: CO

Re: VALIUM

Post by carolynm »

Her Majesty,

Don't worry a thing about the benzo withdrawal. I had to take high amounts for insomnia related to postpartum depression 2 years ago and had no problem tapering off.

cari
PN after using pickaxe doing yardwork 6/11
Potter MRI: Scar tissue abutting L pudendal.
Hibner consult 10/11 w/ plan: 2 mo. PT
No meds work for me
PRF X 3 times in Denver ( was pain free for 5 months after second)
HerMajesty
Posts: 1134
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:41 am
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: VALIUM

Post by HerMajesty »

carolynm wrote:Her Majesty,

Don't worry a thing about the benzo withdrawal. I had to take high amounts for insomnia related to postpartum depression 2 years ago and had no problem tapering off.

cari
Thanks, good to know.
pelvic pain started 1985 age 14 interstitial cystitis. Refused medical care from age 17, did GREAT with self care for years.
2004 PN started gradually, disabled by 2009. Underlying cause SIJD & Tarlov cysts
improved with PT & meds: neurontin, valium, nortriptyline, propanolol. (off nortriptyline & propanolol now, yay!)
Tarlov cyst surgery with Dr. Frank Feigenbaum March 20, 2012.
Results have been excellent so far; but I won't know my final functional level for a couple of years.
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Cora
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Re: VALIUM

Post by Cora »

Ya... I've known of other people who tapered really slowly off benzos and have done fine. As someone who is tapering off narcs right now... I was discouraged from using the benzo's and i would rather be in the position right now of tapering off benzos than the narcs.
There's just no perfect drug
Cora
Onset PN/PFD/centralized pain in Oct 06 after years of athletics,nursing career and dog training. PT for two years with improvement, now go for tune-ups and pain management. Stopped Cymbalta, was on M.S. Contin, then Kadian, and briefly Methadone for pain management, now off those meds and pain is well managed with Buprenorphine. Followed my pain management specialist.
missmarple
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Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 2:35 pm

Re: VALIUM

Post by missmarple »

I am seeing my PCP tomorrow and hope to discuss Valium with him. I just tried Morphine ( from my Pulmonologist in an effort to help my shortness of breath) but it had no effect on that and actually increased my pain. I simply do not respond to opiates and she suggested Valium type drugs as an alternative to them.
I have suffered Pubic/Vulvar pain since April 1989 and I'm still looking for some relief. Sitting - even with an IC cushion is very painful. I have tried Lyrica and Cymbalta but had to give them up because of vision problems ( I still have double vision which occurred with the Cymbalta). Neurontin increased my pain, My Rheumatologist said that was impossible and ordered me to continue, I didn't and very strangely, steroids increase it and I am on 10mg of Prednisone daily to treat severe Emphysema.
I am now 72 and have had this pain for 22 years.. To say I am depressed is putting it mildly. I'm hopeful about the Valium.
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