Brain has way of making own valium ~ Fox News

[Anymouse]

From Fox News (gotta watch the other guys to see what they are up to, then burn your eyes out with lye). Full article at link.

Of note, Valium is not used much for epilepsy anymore, though some of its relatives are.

On the other hand, if they can come up with something similar for the barbiturate Phenobarbital (the medication I use for epilepsy), I am all for it. (On the third hand, that might be a chilling development considering the number of death penalty states trying to illegally use it for executions now. On the fourth hand, whoever owns the patent on Valium might use the Monsanto defence and claim patent infringement by every person with epilepsy and wind up owning us.)

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The oral drug Valium – also known by its generic name, diazepam – was once popular with doctors in the 1970s as a treatment for seizures brought on by epilepsy. However, the drug, also used to treat anxiety, has fallen out of favor in recent years as it is prone to abuse and often dangerous if taken in high doses.

Now, in light of a recent study, the need for Valium to treat epilepsy may be even further diminished. Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a naturally occurring protein in the brains of mammals that acts like Valium, stopping certain types of seizures from occurring. Researchers hope that if they are able to discover a way to boost this protein naturally, doctors would no longer have a need to prescribe Valium.

[libodem]

1. I worked with the developmentally delayed population

For many years. Many of our kids had seizure disorders from birth. Clonapin was used a lot for prevention. The IM Valium, was administered for status seizures or status epilipticus. It was scary to see a helpless little creature endure one hard seizure after another. It worked like a charm.

On the other hand, Valium has a long half life in your body. If a person is abusing it it can take a full 2 weeks to be fully excreted. That is when you find your patient, two weeks into treatment, having a seizure at the end of the hall. Don't lie to the nurse about your abuse history, during the admission assessment.

[Anymouse]

2. As it turns out . . .

. . . I am allergic to Klonopin (and just about every other drug for epilepsy), thus I am stuck with Phenobarbital (Luminal).

It has an unwanted side effect in those of us with a particular genetic defect from E or N European ancestry: it aggressively accellerates Dupuytren's Contractures (claw hand, normally found in 80+ year olds). In the last four years I have had three hand surgeries (and today on my birthday, at age 53, I am recovering from one of those surgeries now).

[libodem]

3. Happy Birthday

Hope your recovery is seamless. The phenobarb is one strong drug. Glad you can tolerate it. Seizures are such a serious problem. Hope you have them managed well. You are so young to be so afflicted.