Anyone here who have Valium (Diazepam) before? Please share, any side effects? (doctor, stomach)

[CA84]

First, sorry for my bad English, and thank you for reading.
I was wondering, anyone here who have Valium (Diazepam) before? Please share, any side effects?

I'm asking because my father (almost 80 year olds) have dizziness (vertigo, he see things fallen when he get dizzy). The doctor prescribed him Valium.
But Valium are WELL know to treats anxiety, which is not what my father having. My father have dizziness!

This medicine the side effects of Valium seem to be terrible.
First pill, it seem to put my father into a very deep sleep. We try to wake him up, but no repsonse. Thankfully, he still breathing normal, but seem like he falls into a deep sleep. Finally when he wake up, he told us he have some sort of hallucination, umm okay, I got freak out so I told my dad to stop this medicine right away.

Anyone got this side effect before? Valium should not put him into a deep sleep, it is not cough medicine.

Anyone who take this drugs before, please care to share, I don't like this medicine.
I'm not letting my father take anymore of this thing,

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I have taken it before but I was much younger. It made me less anxious and a little sleepy. I don't remember the dose. How much is your father taking? Also, age has something to do with it.

[Miss Hepburn]

I have never had a problem...it was 13 years ago.
So sorry for the bad reaction.

[CNYC]

I take xanax which is in a similar category. Two things I would mention:

1. Lower the dosage to see if he still gets the side effects. I only take a .5mg Xanax when I take them. That is PLENTY for me and I am a 215 lb guy. Talk to your doctor about it.

2. Make sure you take those types of meds on a full stomach or else the effect will be twice as intense.

Good Luck

[WellShoneMoon]

A few years ago a neurologist prescribed Valium for me as a way to prevent seasickness on an upcoming cruise. He explained to me that seasickness results from the confusion of the brain getting contradictory signals from the middle or inner ear (I can't remember which, but one of them detects the body's motion and tells the brain that the body feels motion due to the rocking ship) and the eyes, which don't see the ship rocking because you're indoors. The doctor said the Valium shuts down the middle/inner ear so your brain doesn't get the mixed signals -- so no seasickness.

If OP's father was experiencing vertigo, he may have been prescribed Valium to shut down the middle/inner ear to alleviate the vertigo. I'm no doctor; I'm just putting together what my neurologist told me with what the OP said.

As for the terrible sleepiness that OP's father is experiencing, is he drinking alcohol? The combination of alcohol and Valium can make you extremely drowsy. Which is why I couldn't drink on the cruise.

[CA84]

Thank you for all the inputs and advice.

My father do not smoke, and do not drink alcohol.
He only drink tea and water.

Seem like the Valium give him hallucination. Google seem to said Valium this drugs will get you addicted, and dependent on the drug.

Yes, the doctor said something about the inner ear and vertigo, seem like the inner ear has something to do with giving the illusion of things fallen around you during onset of dizziness.
Vertigo is pretty scary for the elders, when vertigo hits, dad said he see things around the house fallen to the ground, or spinning around, and make you throw up.

Doctor now have prescribed him different medicine, the new drug have no side effect but seem like it not strong enough. After the medicine wore out, the vertigo dizziness come back.