Thanks everyone for all your help and advice, it gave me a lot of clarity and direction of where to go now.
I've been given a number of a psyciatrist to call and he'll hopefully be able to help me out and keep me on the right track, until then i think i'll just keep the valium for when i'm feeling anxious or panicy. Thanks again !! :)
If you don't feel confident about your doctor, definately find someone else. If Valium doesn't work for you then it doesn't work for you! Try something else. What about Xanax? There are definately options out there. Try not to get too discouraged. It's all about trial and error and what works for one person may not work for another! I pray you find the right med soon! Studchick
Benzos aren't good sleep aids in general because they disrupt the normal pattern of sleep, in particular affecting REM sleep. And for many, when the anxiety eases, they want to be awake, not asleep, to enjoy it. They also interfere with the brain's ability to learn how to deal with stress, another reason not to use them as a sleep aid. They're really meant to be used for anxiety, and for most of us, we don't want to be put to sleep, we want to be able to function. Try something like melatonin or other natural sleep aids and see if they help, and use the benzos for bouts of anxiety. If you must have sleep meds, use a sleep med like Ambien.
you want to be very careful with how much valium you take, more isn't neccessarily better. i agree with the above poster about pro help. i'm also curious as to what other drugs you took? your situation almost sounds similar to opiate withdrawal (vicoden, heroin, oxy, ect) but that usually lasts less than a week. i'm no dr but i think if you're worried about yours you should find another. hope it helps.
What you are experiencing may be side effects of valium.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diazepam#Side-effects
However it may also be symptoms of anxiety/depression.
The same thing you mention used to happen to me during periods of anxiety and depression.
I'd take valium or otherr benzo and fall asleep only to wake up a few hours later full of panic and anxiety.
You should make an appointment with a psychiatrist and get an expert opinion.
Anti depressants resolved these issues for me, the valium was only good for the bad panic anxiety.
There are many anti-depressants out there and I think you can find one that you don't react to as you did before. It is common to have to try a few until you find the one that works for you.
I'm sure counseling will help you as well, especially thru the stressful times like now.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.