Valium dosage how long does it last

Some prospective employers order drug tests during the interviewing process to screen for possible drug misuse. Or, a doctor may want to make sure you don't have traces of Valium in your system before prescribing another medication.

The first step to getting Valium out of your system is to stop taking the drug, though you should never stop taking your prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first. If you start taking it again at the same dose, it can result in an accidental overdose. Discuss your options for safely stopping your medication, which may involve a gradual reduction in your dose in order to avoid withdrawal effects, a process known as tapering.

Once you have safely stopped taking Valium, make sure that you stay well hydrated, eat a healthy diet, and get regular physical exercise. Such habits may help to slightly increase how quickly your body metabolizes and excretes the drug and its metabolites.

Benzodiazepines such as Valium are usually considered safe when they are taken as prescribed. However, there are a number of factors that can increase the risk of overdose.

These factors include taking Valium in combination with other central nervous system depressants or alcohol, taking more than your prescribed dose, or taking the drug more frequently than prescribed.

Being aware of the signs of a Valium overdose is important so that you and your loved ones can get help as quickly as possible. Some signs of a potential Valium overdose include:. If someone is experiencing these symptoms, contact emergency services right away. Valium carries a risk of dependence. If you suddenly stop using Valium, you may experience symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal , which can include anxiety, nausea, seizures, insomnia, tremors, and mental changes including confusion and even psychosis.

With longer-acting drugs like Valium, withdrawal symptoms may not appear for a few days after your last dose. If you believe that you might have a physical dependence or addiction to Valium, talk to your doctor right away. Your doctor can offer advice and assistance. In some cases, you might want to seek help from a medical detox center, since benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Treatment options for Valium use disorders may take place in inpatient or outpatient treatment centers and involve individual psychotherapy or support groups to aid in your long-term recovery.

Effective treatments may involve tapering your dosage to manage withdrawal symptoms as well as psychotherapeutic approaches including cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Accessed November 27, Yaffe K, Boustani M. Benzodiazepines and risk of Alzheimer's disease. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.

Treatment improvement protocol series. Absolute Awakenings follows an evidence-based approach to treating substance abuse disorders. We are committed to providing long-term recovery for those struggling with addiction.

Recovery is not a one size fits all approach. Our recovery specialists are waiting to assist you. Call us today! Partial Care. Intensive Outpatient. Outpatient Treatment. Co-Occurring Disorders. Trauma Informed Care Program. Recovery Capital. Privacy Policy. Find Us On Social Media. This page will give you general information about diazepam. It is not medical advice. This means that a prescription for diazepam must be dispensed within 28 days you can keep most other prescriptions for six months.

This is because diazepam can be abused and might be sold as a street drug. If you must take it to school, it might have to be locked in a safe place.

Diazepam improves the effect of a chemical in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA. Diazepam is a 'controlled drug'. Diazepam starts to work very quickly in your body, and you should get calming effects within two hours of taking it. You may want to let your family and friends know you are taking diazepam so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.

For guidance on this, check out our page on getting support with your medication. Some people find it more difficult to get to sleep when taking diazepam or may experience nightmares or strange dreams when taking it. You can drink a small amount of alcohol while taking diazepam but having the two together is likely to make you very sleepy. This will be most noticeable during the early part of your treatment. Taking large amounts of alcohol and diazepam together could affect your breathing, especially if you have an existing lung problem.

If you need to drive a car or ride a bike, or use machines at work, taking alcohol and diazepam together could be dangerous to yourself and other people. Using cannabis with diazepam will make its sedative effect worse. You could go into a very deep sleep where you do not breathe properly and have difficulty waking up.

Cannabis and other drugs may have their own side effects on your mental health, like anxiety or psychosis. For more information, have a look at our drugs and alcohol page. Using heroin or methadone with diazepam will also increase their combined sedative effects. This could lead you to increase the dose of the stimulant to make up for it, which could be very dangerous. If you start or stop smoking while you are taking diazepam, you may have to change your dose.

This is because cigarette smoke affects the amount of diazepam in your body. If you already smoke when you begin taking this medication, you will probably need a higher dose than somebody who does not smoke. You should tell your doctor if you smoke and how much, so that they can prescribe the correct dose for you.

If you stop smoking, the level of diazepam in the body could rise, and you might need to reduce your dose of diazepam slowly over one week. Diazepam may affect the way other drugs work. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines.

If you are taking any other medicines, some dose adjustments may be required to ensure you get the best from the diazepam with as few side effects as possible. Tell the pharmacist you are taking diazepam if you buy medicines over the counter for common complaints, including tablets and topical medicines things you put on your skin. Watch your caffeine intake while you are taking diazepam as caffeine has the opposite effect of diazepam in your body and interferes with it working.

Do not drink large amounts of caffeine drinks like coffee, cola or energy drinks while you are taking diazepam. Caffeine can cause anxiety and sleep loss — stopping these drinks might help to improve your symptoms. Diazepam can make you feel sleepy, dizzy and forgetful when you first start taking it. You might also find it difficult to concentrate during the first few days of treatment and may experience blurred vision and muscle weakness.

For these reasons, you should not ride a bike or drive a car until you know how you will be affected. You should also be very careful when doing anything else that requires concentration, such as operating machinery or exercising. The effects of diazepam can last a while after taking it, so even if you only take one dose, you may feel them the next day. Diazepam is in a group of medicines listed in new laws in the Road Traffic Act It is an offence to drive while under the influence of this medicine but you are NOT committing a crime if the medicine has been prescribed to you by a doctor, you are sticking to the prescribed dose and it is not affecting your ability to drive safely.

The Department of Transport website has more details. If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, you should let your doctor know this before taking diazepam. Babies often do better when their mums are mentally well, so if diazepam has beneficial effects on your mental health, it may be best to continue taking it throughout pregnancy. Your doctor can help you weigh up the pros and cons. Taking diazepam during the last few months of pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in a newborn baby that include weakness and breathing difficulties.

Using cannabis, heroin or methadone with diazepam will increase the drowsy effects of diazepam. There's a risk you will not be able to breathe properly, and you may have difficulty waking up. Using cocaine or other stimulants like MDMA ecstasy and amphetamines with diazepam can also lead to drowsiness. Talk to your doctor if you think you might use recreational drugs while taking diazepam.

Grapefruit juice may increase the amount of diazepam in your blood. It's a good idea to avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking diazepam. Caffeine is a stimulant and may reduce the calming effects of diazepam. It's best not to have drinks like coffee, tea and cola because they contain caffeine. Alcohol can increase the effects of diazepam and make you go into a very deep sleep.

Diazepam will not affect any contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception. Some contraceptive pills can keep diazepam in your body for longer and increase its effect. You can also get bleeding in between your periods if you take diazepam and contraceptive pills together. There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking diazepam will reduce fertility in either men or women.

If you're trying to get pregnant, or you're having problems getting pregnant while on diazepam, speak to your doctor. Do not drive a car or ride a bike if diazepam makes you sleepy during the daytime, gives you blurred vision, or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions.

This may be more likely when you first start taking diazepam, but could happen at any time for example, when starting another medicine. It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive. Even if your ability to drive is not affected, the police have the right to request a saliva sample to check how much diazepam is in your body. UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking diazepam. Do not operate machinery if you experience any side effects, such as feeling sleepy, being forgetful, or poor co-ordination. It depends on which country you're travelling to. Different countries have different rules and regulations for diazepam. It's important to plan ahead and find out whether you can take your medicine abroad.

It's best to only take the amount that you need while abroad. You can contact the embassy for the country you're visiting. The GOV. UK website has a full list of foreign embassies in the UK. If you have anxiety, there are some lifestyle changes you can make to help ease symptoms:.

If you're having trouble sleeping, there are some things you can do to help yourself get a good night's sleep:. Page last reviewed: 25 February Next review due: 25 February Diazepam On this page About diazepam Key facts Who can and can't take diazepam How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.

About diazepam Diazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. Diazepam is available on prescription only. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today?

The most common side effect is feeling drowsy. You're not recommended to use diazepam for longer than 4 weeks. If you take diazepam and feel sleepy, do not drive or use tools or machines. Do not drink alcohol while taking diazepam. It can make you sleep very deeply. You may have breathing problems and difficulty waking up. It's also known as Valium, but this brand is not available in the UK anymore.