We can define Diazepam as a powerful drug from the benzodiazepine family. It is used for relieve anxiety symptomsmuscle spasms, severe contractions, seizures and the agitation that alcohol withdrawal causes in a person addicted to it.
Despite its effectiveness, it is a medication with which we must be careful because its impact on the body is very powerful, in addition, it has numerous quite dangerous side effects, including dependency.
Drugs that affect neurons (psychotropic drugs) usually raise many doubts regarding their operation and effects. Studies on the chemistry of these compounds show that the effects can range from few hours and practically an entire day. In this Psychology-Online article, we will resolve the question about How long do the effects of Diazepam last?in addition to developing and listing its collateral damage.
What is diazepam and what is it for?
Diazepam is a medication from the family of benzodiazepone derivatives. The mechanism of action of Diazepam consists of facilitating the binding of GABA to its receptor and increasing its activity, acting on the limbic system, the thalamus and the hypothalamus.
Diazepam has an effect tranquilizer, sedative, muscle relaxant, anitconvulsant and antipsychotic. Therefore, it serves to alleviate the symptoms of different problems. Especially, it is used to treat anxiety, helping to alleviate anxiety symptoms, also for alcohol withdrawal and muscle spasms. Although it can be used for other uses, such as helping to treat seizures.
Diazepam has the following presentations: 5 mg and 10 mg tablets10 mg ampoules and 5 mg and 10 mg microenemas.
Diazepam: immediate effect
How long does Diazepam take to take effect? This medication is usually administered as tablets, capsules, or concentrated liquid, all to be taken orally. Thus, their effects are usually quite immediate and our body quickly notices the consequences of having taken this substance.
Approximately, the effects of Diazepam can be felt in about 30 minutes. However, the time it takes for Diazepam to take effect can vary depending on different factors, including the person’s condition. The greater the activation or the more intense the anxious symptoms, the longer it will take to notice the effects. The immediate effects of Diazepam are the following:
- Drowsiness
- Muscle relaxation
- Relief of
- Physical tiredness
- Feeling dizzy
- Difficulty maintaining attention
- Problems coordinating movements
Many people describe its effects as a feeling of being in a fog in the mind, and the fact is that, apart from relaxing us, Diazepam also produces a sedative effect that can leave us disoriented if we do not expect it. This psychotropic drug must be administered very carefully and its use should not exceed three months. If we do not carefully follow medical recommendations, it is possible that long term effects are serious and more difficult to treat than the problem we wanted to alleviate with the use of Diazepam.
Diazepam hours of effect
How long does the effect of Diazepam last? The effects that we have described above do not last indefinitely in us, Diazepam usually enters our body and causes its effects during a period of between 6 and 8 hoursalways depending on many variables such as the dose ingested, the person’s physical complexion or whether it has been mixed with alcohol or other substances.
The dose of this drug will vary depending on the reason we are taking it; if our symptoms are more severe, we may be prescribed a higher dose. Therefore, knowing how long the effect of Diazepam 10 mg lasts is not the same as knowing the duration of this same medication but at 5 mg.
Diazepam seriously alters cognitive functions since it affects neurons and reduces the activity of our brain. During the hours in which Diazepam is in our body, we must avoid doing any type of physical exercise, driving or making important decisions. We must take it at times when we know that we are going to be calm and we do not have any type of responsibility to manage. The consequences of carrying out an activity under the influence of Diazepam can be very dangerous for our physical and mental integrity.
How long does it take for Diazepam to leave the body?
Although its effects last between 6 and 8 hours, Diazepam remains in the body and bloodstream much longer, between 36 and 200 hours to be more exact. This is equivalent to Diazepam takes between 2 and 9 days to be expelled completely from our body. It is possible that, even weeks later, traces of Diazepam may be found in the urine if we have maintained prolonged consumption of this medication.
Side effects of Diazepam
Drugs from the benzodiazepine family directly affect the Central Nervous System (CNS). Even knowing how long the effects of Diazepam last, much remains to be discovered about the long-term consequences of this medication. At the moment, the following side effects have been described:
- Drowsiness
- Feeling of imminent fainting
- Depression symptoms
- Hallucinations and confusion
- Muscular weakness
- Dry mouth
- Upset stomach and diarrhea
- Respiration problems
- Slight errors in our memory
Additionally, Diazepam produces the following long-term side effects:
- Slow thinking
- Headaches
- Negative effects on mental health
- Dependency and severe addiction
- Disorders in the immune system
- Perception and depersonalization disorders
It is important avoid dependency at all costs, An addiction to a psychotropic drug of such caliber is very complicated to treat and the effects of said dependence are worse than those of the pathology we initially wanted to treat.
With these data on the table, it is not surprising that people want to restrict their consumption. Without denying the effectiveness of the active ingredient, we must explore other options before resorting to taking this psychotropic drug and, in the case of taking it for anxiety symptoms, we must combine it with psychological therapy and .
It is important to offer tools so that people who suffer from psychological problems can get ahead without generating an addiction and, consequently, another problem. We must not forget that psychotropic drugs such as Diazepam relieve the symptom but they don’t cure the problem root psychological.
Diazepam and alcohol
It is important to follow the doctor’s prescription to take the drugs appropriately. The professional will supervise that you are not taking substances that are incompatible. It is also of great importance to know the interaction between Diazepam and alcohol. Alcohol increases the risk of serious side effects. The consequences of mixing Diazepam and alcohol are due to the fact that alcohol consumption increases sedative effects of Diazepam, reducing reactions to levels that can be dangerous.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to How long do the effects of Diazepam last?we recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Carranza, RR (2005). VAM Academic Vademecum of Medicines. McGraw-Hill.
- Sierra, JC, Ortiz, JDM, & Vera, JP (2003). Effects of a dose of diazepam on emotional state in a non-clinical sample. Psychology and Health13(1), 103-110.