Why Valium As a Post Tummy Tuck Muscle Relaxant?

Muscle relaxation can help with your postop recovery.  I use a drug called robaxin, but there are others like flexeril.  Valium works too but can have a sedative affect which is helpful in some patients.

I don't believe Valium actually relaxes muscles.  It does relieve anxiety so the patient might percieve that the muscles are not as tight.  Doesn't matter really if the patient feels better.  Valium is not a narcotic.

Thank you for your question. Valium is not a narcotic. It works to reduce anxiety and to relax muscles and reduce muscle spasms. Some patients get back pain from not being able to stand up after a tummy tuck and some get muscle spasms in their abdomen where the muscles were sutured. Valium helps with both of these and I find that my patients take fewer narcotics if they take a little valium in between their doses of pain pills.