Are you planning for a pregnancy or is it just the drug test you are worried about? Well, whatever be the case you must be anxious to know that how long does valium stay in your system.
And it becomes all the more necessary when you are to undergo any drug test. Well, if you are taking Valium then you must be aware of the logic behind taking this medicine.
Now question is, how long does Valium stay in your system?
You don’t have to worry about it anymore. Because this article will answer all the questions you have in your mind. Before proceeding further (for all those who are new to this term), let me tell you what Valium is?
Quick Sneak-Peak of the drug Valium
Valium belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. It’s generic name is diazepam. This is a medication that is prescribed by psychiatrists and doctors to alleviate pain and anxiety.
Valium or Diazepam is a benzodiazepine commonly prescribed to treat:
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It is also used by the doctors to calm people before surgery or other aggressive and painful medical procedures.
So now you agree? It is actually an effective medication.
However, there is one thing to ponder upon, i.e. Benzodiazepines can also be abused, which may lead to addiction, eventually leading to severe health issues.
Different ways of taking Valium:
- Valium is generally taken as an oral tablet. But some people also inject it using a syringe.
- If you take it orally, it is rapidly absorbed in the intestinal tract.
- On the other hand, if you inject it into your body. It is absorbed slowly and unpredictably.
- As prescribed by the doctors, you can take it in dosages of 2-60 mg per day.
How to figure out if you have Valium addiction?
Is it possible for you to get addicted to Valium?
Yes! It is.
Valium is addictive if you take it for more than 120 days or without any non-medical reasons.
If you take a heavy dose of Valium than prescribed or more often than your doctor’s prescription, you may land into drug tolerance.
Excessive or long-term use of Valium might result in really bad withdrawal symptoms. Do you want to know the signs and indications of Valium addiction?
If Yes, then have a look here:
- A person may become a poor driver and he will face trouble focusing.
- A person, who is using Valium becomes “disinhibited” which means a person’s inhibition becomes lowered. This will make person aggressive and he can harm others.
- He can’t communicate clearly with other people.
- He can not make the difference between right and wrong.
- Dilated eyes will be seen.
- The patient may get hyperactive. Suicidal thoughts may originate in the patient’s mind.
Points to be focused on before taking Valium
You should not consume this medicine in case of you suspect an allergic reaction from this drug or if you are sensitive to other medications such as Klonopin, Ativan, Xanax, Restoril.
You should not take this drug if you have:
- Severe liver disease
- Breathing problem
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Sleep apnea
- Addicted to similar drugs
- High alcohol consumption
- Muscle spasms
How to confirm if Valium is safe for you or not?
In order to ensure the safe use of this drug, your doctor should be informed if you are suffering from any of the conditions mentioned below:
- Glaucoma
- Emphysema, Bronchitis, Asthma
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- Breathing problem
- Liver or Kidney disease
- Epilepsy
- Any history of depression or mental illness
- Any history of alcohol addiction or drug use
- If you are on opioid medication
Everyone wants their baby to come safe and healthy in this world. I’m sure you want that too. Right? So, if you are expecting a baby it is very important for you to focus on following the points:
- Without the permission of your gynecologist, do not start taking or stop using this drug during your pregnancy.
- Diazepam may harm your unborn baby.
- If you have seizure issues during pregnancy, it could be harmful to you and your baby.
- Inform your doctor if you have got pregnant during the course of this drug (diazepam) for seizures.
- Taking Valium during pregnancy can make you dependent on the drug.
- It may lead to life-threatening symptoms for the baby and such babies might need serious medical treatment for several weeks.
- Always tell your doctor if you are planning for a pregnancy.
- Diazepam can break into breast milk and may harm your baby.
- One should not feed her baby if she is taking this medicine.
It not only affects unborn babies, infants, and pregnant ladies. Even young adults face many problems if taken in large amount for a long time period. The sedative effects of Valium lasts for a longer time in older adults.
Elderly patients who consume benzodiazepines are more prone to accidental falls. You should be more careful while you are taking Valium to avoid any accidental injury.
- Valium should not be given to children under 6 months of age.
- This drug should not be given to a child without consulting the doctor.
- Excessive intake of this medicine can cause overdose, addiction, or may be death.
Shall I mix Valium with other drugs?
No. A big fat NO
You SHOULD NOT take Valium with any other medicine, drug or alcohol.
Why?
Because Valium is interactive in nature. This simply means it might interact with other substances to increase its effects. This can result in staying of Valium in your bloodstream for a long period.
Let’s discuss the side effects of Valium.
Rush to your doctor if you experience any following signs of an allergic reaction to Valium:
- Hives
- Difficulty in breathing
- Swelling of lips, face, throat or tongue.
- Confusion and hallucinations
- Some unusual behavior or thoughts
- Unusual risk-taking behavior
- Serious decreasing inhibition
- No fear of danger
- Depressed mood
- Frequent suicidal thoughts
- Urge to hurt yourself by any means
- Hyperactivity or agitation
- Frequent occurrence of seizure
- Muscle twitching
- Loss of bladder control
- Urine related problems
- Weakness in your muscles and body
- Feeling of tiredness
- Drowsiness
How long does Valium stay in your system?
Now the delicate question arises! How long does a dosage of 5 or 10mg Valium stay in your body? I know how important it is for you to get an exact answer.
Look;
You should know that Valium has a long elimination half-life – it takes about 20-80 hours for exactly half of the drug to get eliminated or disintegrated by natural processes.
- It can even last for 30-56 hours.
- It takes an average of 10 days for the drug to leave your system.
- Valium stays in your system and can be detected in the urine for about 7 days after its therapeutic use.
- If you use it chronically (say more than one year), its detection in your urine screen is up to 4-6 weeks.
- The half-life of Valium in a young, healthy person is about 24 hours.
- This is due to the nature of the medication.
The half-life of Valium is 43±13 hours. The metabolites of this drug exhibit higher half-lives. Remarkably, Nordiazepam which is a dynamic metabolite has a half-life of 40-99 hours.
Keeping in view the metabolites additive effects, the half-life can reach up to 100 hours. Along these lines, it would not be excessively insightful, making it impossible to allot a number for to what extent Valium remains in your system.
Do you wanna know long does Valium stay in your system for a drug test?
If you are worried about the detection of Valium during the drug test, the best way is to wait for 2-5 days before taking the drug test.
| TEST | TIME TAKEN |
| Urine Test | 24-96 hours |
| Blood Test | Up to 7 days |
| Hair Follicle Test | Up to 12 weeks |
But to be more specific, let us look at the different tests available:
Urine Test:
- The half-life elimination of Valium is more than 24 hours.
- Generally, in a normal case, the drug is almost undetectable in the urine after five half-lives.
- This means after you take this drug, it becomes detectable within 30 minutes.
- Also, the urine concentrations peak between 1 hour to 8 hours.
- Thus, it detects the presence of Valium in 24-96 hours after the last dose.
Blood Test:
You may go for a blood test one to over two hours subsequent to taking a Valium tablet. If you are using an injection, you can promptly identify it in your blood.
In both cases, Valium can remain in the blood for over seven days.
Meaning, you may test positive even weeks in the wake of suspending the utilization. Keep in mind that a conceivable positive or negative test outcome likewise relies on upon the affectability of the testing technique.
Hair Follicle Test:
On the off chance that you have been utilizing/manhandling it since last three months, the hair examination may demonstrate a positive test outcome.
The traces may still be available in the hair for several weeks to months after you quit taking it.
Undoubtedly, hair examination for medication testing is still in early stages. Other more dependable and simple tests that utilize blood and urine samples are more ideal.
One more thing you should know!
If you have a prescription for Valium with a doctor’s note to the supervising Medical Officer and Valium gets detected in your system, your test will still be considered negative because you are taking Valium as it has been prescribed to you.
Were you aware of this fact? I bet you were not!
Factors affecting the outstay of valium in your system
The time taken by Valium to get out of your system includes different factors:
- Age : If you are 65 years or above, you may have to face a higher value in your blood sample.
- Weight : A fat person is more likely to retain it for a longer interval of time.
- Amount : of the drug taken</
- Body fat : content
- Any other drug in your body
- Kidney and Liver condition
- Metabolism rate
Some unknown facts about this drug test:
- This is possibly shocking but saliva test can detect the presence of Valium (or its metabolites) for almost a week to 9 days after taking its last dosage.
- People who take this drug chronically can go for Blood tests.
- Urine tests are the most commonly used.
- Hair follicle tests can detect Valium for as long as 90 days.( But, it should be kept in mind that this test is not reliable as compared to others.)
If you feel you are getting addicted to Valium. You really need to look after this matter quickly, as it might lead to serious health issues or can prove fatal as well.
The chronic use of this drug has been associated with brain disorders, dementia and depression. You should never try to detox from Valium on your own (especially, if you have been using it since long). This is because withdrawal symptoms can prove dangerous and life-threatening.
Ending Words
In the ending words, I would like to inform and bring to your kind notice that; Medical help is provided to the addicted individuals by the professionals. You just have to slowly dwindle the drug until it’s safe to completely stop it.
Was this article helpful? I hope I answered all the questions you had in your mind related to this drug.
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