Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking valium as follows:
- Individuals develop tolerance to the dose of valium with diminished therapeutic response over time. Report to your physician regarding any blunting of therapeutic response, with poorly controlled anxiety episodes, seizures, muscle cramps, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and insomnia. Your physician could consider a change in the plan of care to provide the desired therapeutic relief.
- Do not share valium pills with family and friends. Valium intake can be habit-forming and carries an abuse potential. The risk for addiction and abuse can be even higher, especially in individuals with history of substance abuse. Keep a regular track of the number of pills left in your pillbox, to prevent a chance for abuse. Count your pills every day, especially if you have friends and family members around, with history of drug abuse. Valium must be used with extreme caution or avoided in individuals with drug abuse history. Report any abuse of medication to your physician immediately and seek intervention.
- Valium intake, secondary to depression of central nervous system, results in dizziness and confusion. Avoid sudden changes in position, until you are used to the side-effects of valium intake. Sudden change of positions can make the confusion and dizzy episodes even worse and precipitate accidents and falls. Report any episodes of increased dizziness, syncope, and loss of consciousness while taking valium. Discuss with your physician regarding all your medications and their risk of causing drowsiness and confusion, so that, they could be avoided taken concurrently with valium.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose, to avoid toxicity with valium. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
