• BASIC DRUG
    DISCUSSION
    Welcome to Bluelight!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Benzo Chart Opioids Chart
    Drug Terms Need Help??
    Drugs 101 Brain & Addiction
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums
  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Valium and cognitive impairment.....?

Status
Not open for further replies.

WayneRooney

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
235
Ok, so I've been taking valium pretty sporadically for around 12 months now. I've never really found myself getting into any troubles with regards to tolerance/withdrawal issues, as its only ever been functional use (comedown management or particularly daunting experiences (job interviews/horrible social gathereings). But the fact is I've always been able to quite easily take 1-2 week complete breaks with literally no problems. So I've never been worried by the possibility of getting hooked on this. I feel I'm one of the lucky ones who can take notice and relevant action if I come anywhere near thinking problemes could be on the horizon. ANYWAY, by only concern to this sporadic use of benzo's is regarding the semi-reported cognitive impairments such use can have on one? Hoe well established are such connections? Do they only really apply to those additcted/dependent on the stuff? Or could my sporadic use significantly impair my cognitive abilities? I'm particularly interested as I'm about to embark upon a pretty intense/intelectual career path, and would hate to be putting myself at a disadvantage. I need to come to a balanced decison in the end, because the benzo's do help me to integrate more freely in discussion with the peers on my course, and without the drugs I feel I'd suffer at a non-collaborate level. Bit it may be worth sacrificing that if the alternative is keeping my well maintained cognitive abilities.
 
To me, get off the benzos...period. If you aren't addicted now, it wont be long before you become dependent. I thought I needed them too, then I got on 600mg Gabapentin(off labal anxiety uptake blocker, mainly used for seizures). I also take 120 mg or Cymbalta, and SNRI, so it deal with the happy of seratonin as well as the anxiyolitic aspects in higher doses, not to mention, little to no depression. I take buspar too, but am getting off it, as well as abilify to stabilize. I take D3, omega 3, Magnesium glycinate/citrate. L-tyrosine, pharma kava, L-theanine, multvita, b-complx, acetyl l-carnatine, L-glutamne, choline and inosital. Just started Huperzine-A and am interested in a racetam as well as gingseng on the side combined with phenibut....perhaps.oe CDP choline.
 
To me, get off the benzos...period. If you aren't addicted now, it wont be long before you become dependent. I thought I needed them too, then I got on 600mg Gabapentin(off labal anxiety uptake blocker, mainly used for seizures). I also take 120 mg or Cymbalta, and SNRI, so it deal with the happy of seratonin as well as the anxiyolitic aspects in higher doses, not to mention, little to no depression. I take buspar too, but am getting off it, as well as abilify to stabilize. I take D3, omega 3, Magnesium glycinate/citrate. L-tyrosine, pharma kava, L-theanine, multvita, b-complx, acetyl l-carnatine, L-glutamne, choline and inosital. Just started Huperzine-A and am interested in a racetam as well as gingseng on the side combined with phenibut....perhaps.oe CDP choline.

Wow's that's an awful lot of meds/supplements.

I think I'll just stick to low dose valium on an as and when needed basis. I don't think I take enough of the stuff often enough to effect me cognitively. (When I made the OP I had admittedely taken 'a lot of the stuff' (you can tell!), which was why it was preying on my mind.
 
snaggs77: Gabapentin is a GABA analogue, not an "anxiety uptake blocker". Anxiety is not a neurotransmitter and there are no anxiety transport proteins...

To the OP: Maybe supplementation with piracetam/another similar drug could help acushion against any potential congitive deficits wen you do use valium? The racetams (piracetam most of all) are generally agreed to be free of side effects.
 
Get off your high horse, it works to block the receptors responsible for feeling anxiety or fear, and I think a 12 year old would know there are no anxiety proteins. There are neurotransmitters and receptors, as well as synapses and the like. I've studied this stuff, on my own, for two weeks about, but still feel slightly insulted by being talked down to.
 
I was offended, as he talked to me like I have no idea what I'm dealing with. Yes, there is a lot to learn, but I;m willing, and people bashing you along the way I guess shows their true character.
 
There was no bashing, apsig was simply clarifying something. Chill :)

So, back to valium and cognitive impairment...
 
i have never experienced complete blackouts on alcohol, but i have on benzos and nonbenzos. even on low doses of benzos (.5-1mg klonopin) my memory blows. i'll set my lighter or phone down somewhere, and spend 15-30minutes looking to find out they were literally right beneath my nose. keep in mind, i also smoke weed...
 
Well Gabapentin works, and btw there WAS subtle bashing, because it blocks off your negative, anxious thoughts, because certain neurotransmitters cant go there. When I first started it, 2 days in I felt almost high, having upped Cymbalta 90>120mg helped I'm sure. ADD symptoms were present still, but I'm working on that. Make sure you have a daily stack of supplements to take, such as omega 3, D3, B-complex and more. Get some stress mints, they're fun to pop, calm you down(maybe) and don
t cost too much. Don't quit cold turkey though, did that with Adderall XR's and was in a world of...Darkness. Anyways good luck kicking the habit!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top