What Does Valium Look Like?

What the prescription medication Valium looks like depends on the manufacturer and dosage.

Valium is the brand name for diazepam, a benzodiazepine prescription drug used to treat anxiety disorders, ease panic attacks, and control agitation due to alcohol withdrawal. It can also be used to control muscle spasms due to cerebral palsy, paraplegia, and athetosis. 

Valium works by increasing the amount of GABA in the brain and central nervous system. This helps slow down activity in the brain and relieves anxiety symptoms.

What Does Valium Look Like?

Valium tablets are typically round but also come in a variety of colors with different imprints printed on the pills.

Yellow

Valium is often found as a yellow tablet. It’s round in shape and comes in a 5 mg strength. Some also have a V-shaped cut-out in the middle of the tablet while others are complete round tablets. 

These tablets also include imprints but they differ depending on the manufacturer:

• 5 VALIUM
• DAN 5619
• 5 VALIUM ROCHE ROCHE
• TEVA 3926
• 2683 V
• Barr 555 363
• 3592 RUGBY
• Z 3926 5
• 052 R

Blue

Valium can also come as a blue tablet with 10 mg strength and round in shape. Some have a V-shaped cut-out in the middle of the pill while others are whole tablets.

Besides the cut-out, the other noticeable difference between these blue tablets is the imprint on each pill. These imprints include:

• 10 VALIUM ROCHE ROCHE
• 10 VALIUM
• TEVA 3927
• 10 DAN 5620
• 2684 V
• Barr 555 164
• 3593 RUGBY
• Z 3927 10
• 053 R

White

Valium can also be found as a white, round tablet and it usually comes as a 2 mg dose. Some of these white tablets have a V-shaped cut-out while others are complete pills with no holes.

The 2 mg round, white tablets also have a few different imprints depending on the manufacturer:

• 2 VALIUM ROCHE ROCHE
• 2 VALIUM
• TEVA 3925
• MYLAN 271
• 2 DAN 5621
• Barr 163
• 3591 RUGBY
• 2 Z 3925
• 051 R
• 2682 V

Orange

There is also a round, orange Valium tablet that comes as a 5 mg dosage. The imprint on each pill is “MYLAN 345.” This tablet is much less common than the yellow, blue, and white tablets.

Side Effects Of Valium

No matter what the Valium you’re using looks like, it will likely come with some side effects. 

The most common side effects of Valium may include:

• drowsiness/sleepiness
• dizziness
• blurred vision
• muscle weakness
• headache
• nausea
• constipation
• confusion
• difficulty urinating

Some of the more serious side effects of Valium can include:

• loss of control of bodily movements
• uncontrollable shaking of parts of the body
• slurred speech
• slowed breathing
• irregular heartbeat

Drug Interactions

Mixing Valium with certain drugs and medications can also lead to adverse effects and, in some cases, these effects can be life-threatening. 

One of the biggest risks of mixing Valium with other drugs is an overdose. This is particularly a problem if you’re abusing Valium along with opioids, alcohol, or other benzos like Xanax (alprazolam).

Additional substances that shouldn’t be taken with Valium include over-the-counter supplements, anticonvulsants, and mental health medications for depression and anxiety.

There are also certain medical conditions that Valium use can actually make worse. For this reason, it’s important to let your healthcare provider know if you have any significant health issues before they prescribe Valium. 

Valium’s Potential For Abuse

Valium is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means it has a relatively low potential for abuse compared to other drugs. 

However, the risk of dependence and addiction increases if you’ve been taking Valium for a long period of time, using it in high doses, or mixing it with other drugs. Once dependence develops, you may suffer withdrawal symptoms once you stop using.

If you or a loved one struggle with Valium abuse, please call our helpline today for information on our outpatient and inpatient treatment options.