Question for people who take benzos.

[areyousafe??]

I've never taken benzos before. It was my understanding that it makes you less anxious and puts you to sleep. I took 5mg an hour and a half ago. I'm still fully alert, still anxious and still shaking.

If you have taken benzos before, what was your experience like? Can it have no effect on you at all?

 

[http-410]

5mg of what? There are different benzos with slightly varying properties.

Did you eat anything or take any other medication beforehand?

 

[Lyn]

What benzo did you take exactly? 5mg of something like diazepam is very different from 5mg of Xanax.
If it was Diazepam (Valium) then it's a standard dose and usually mild in effect.

And not every benzo puts you to sleep at a standard dose.

 

[areyousafe??]

5mg of what? There are different benzos with slightly varying properties.

Did you eat anything or take any other medication beforehand?

5mg of valium. I didn't eat for a couple hours before taking it, and no other medication. I went straight to bed thinking it will soon knock me out. It's been 2 hours since I took it.

What benzo did you take exactly? 5mg of something like diazepam is very different from 5mg of Xanax.
If it was Diazepam (Valium) then it's a standard dose and usually mild in effect.

And not every benzo puts you to sleep at a standard dose.

I took 5mg diazepam. I don't seem to have experienced any effect from it at all.

I didn't get it the legitimate way, though, I'm starting to wonder whether I've been scammed. It looked like the real deal- still packaged and sealed and it says it's diazepam

 

[http-410]

5mg of valium wouldn't knock me out either, but everyone is different. There are (z-)benzos that are more effective for sleeping. Since it is already late for you, I assume that you will not see the person who prescribed it until Monday, right? Is there a walk-in clinic or something similar near you where you can ask for advice?

 

[areyousafe??]

What benzo did you take exactly? 5mg of something like diazepam is very different from 5mg of Xanax.
If it was Diazepam (Valium) then it's a standard dose and usually mild in effect.

And not every benzo puts you to sleep at a standard dose.

How much valium should I take for it to work?

5mg of valium wouldn't knock me out either, but everyone is different. There are (z-)benzos that are more effective for sleeping. Since it is already late for you, I assume that you will not see the person who prescribed it until Monday, right? Is there a walk-in clinic or something similar near you where you can ask for advice?

Did you end up increasing the dose or swap to a different benzo altogether? I didn't get it prescribed so now I'm wondering whether I just spent a lot of money on fake benzos

 

[http-410]

Did you end up increasing the dose or swap to a different benzo altogether? I didn't get it prescribed so now I'm wondering whether I just spent a lot of money on fake benzos

I use Zopiclone to sleep. Z-benzos are supposed to be less addictive than normal ones, but I think that was just a marketing ploy. Unfortunately, it's the only thing that helps my crippling insomnia to some extent, but doctors are reluctant to prescribe it. Please be careful, not only because of the risk of addiction, but also because I don't think we can safely provide you with dosage instructions if we are not sure whether these are genuine tablets.

 

[Lyn]

How much valium should I take for it to work?

If you're talking about managing anxiety, I didn't feel much until I took 10 mg. Even then, the effect was very subtle and just slightly numbing the anxiety.
But that might just be how my body works. I seem to respond less to benzos for some reason, even though I don't have any tolerance.

Also I've never been able to fall asleep with diazepam, alprazolam, or lormetazepam unless I took dangerously high doses, so they're not effective sleep aids for me.

So if you took 5mg and felt nothing (and if you are sure it's genuine Valium) you might want to try 10mg next time. But it's best to consult your doctor to explore more effective meds.