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Originally Posted by
Alexander Dargatz
They are not really pharmacologically similar. Ethanol and Diazepam just have some overlap in their effect on the GABA-system.
My question would be what the daily dosage was, schedule, and the duration of the medication. Prescribing benzos for anxiety is not a good idea, though it can be argued that for a short time intervention in a critical situation it is okay. I never prescribe benzos in an outpatient setting, and certainly not for anxiety, which is better treated with behavioral therapy (learning to deal with it).
Higher doses of benzodiazepines can certainly affect your strength gains, mainly via affecting your ability to train hard. Drug effects include reduced drive (not just hip drive, though I'd bet the willingness to get out of the hole is affected, too), drowsiness, reduced alterness, increased frequency/probability of muscle cramps, sleeping disorders (yes) and reduced coordination. With long term medication it gets worse and includes a host of psychiatric symptoms.
On the other hand, if he just took a couple of mg/day for a couple of weeks, his issues are more likely to be related to his primary diagnosis (or other).