What will intensify valium

Alcohol dependence is also referred to as alcoholism. An overdose is caused when a person takes too much of a drug and their body is unable to metabolize it fast enough. Mixing alcohol and Valium can increase the risk of overdose. It often leads to unintended, and unpredictable symptoms; an overdose can be fatal. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism not only does mixing depressants increase the chance of overdose, but it also can:. As previously mentioned, some people mix Valium with alcohol without understanding the danger.

Many will develop an addiction to both of these drugs. This is known as polysubstance addiction or polysubstance use disorder. Liver damage can end with other, sometimes fatal, conditions such as cirrhosis, or hepatitis.

When Valium is being prescribed to treat symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, be sure that your loved one is leaving enough time in between the two substances to avoid danger. The half-life of Valium is fairly long and can be anywhere from 20 to 80 hours.

This means that after 24 hours, half of the drug is still in their system. After 24 more hours, there will be a quarter of the drug left in their system. And so on…. Mixing alcohol into that time frame can be extremely dangerous. Generally, it takes your body about 1 hour to process 1 standard alcoholic drink. For someone with a slower metabolism, alcohol might be in their system longer. In , Of these, only 2.

Diazepam is a safe and effective medication when used as directed. Physical dependence may develop after 2 or more weeks of daily use. The risk of withdrawal reactions when stopping therapy with diazepam is increased with prolonged use of the medication.

The following medications may decrease the levels and effects of diazepam:. Diazepam may cause drowsiness, so caution should be used when combining it with other medications that cause drowsiness. These could include:. When starting diazepam, anxiety or insomnia may improve rapidly or over a period of days or within hours of the first dose of medication. The FDA has found that benzodiazepine drugs, such as diazepam, when used in combination with opioid medications or other sedating medications can result in serious adverse reactions including slowed or difficult breathing and death.

Patients taking opioids with benzodiazepines, other sedating medications, or alcohol, and caregivers of these patients, should seek immediate medical attention if that start to experience unusual dizziness or lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slow or difficulty breathing, or unresponsiveness. Physical dependence to diazepam can occur with prolonged use of the medication. A withdrawal reaction may occur when stopping diazepam, but this risk can be reduced by slowly reducing the dose of diazepam when stopping.

Do not stop taking diazepam abruptly, and do not make any changes to therapy without consulting your health care provider. Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists.

This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions.

Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein.

The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness. About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. Your Journey Individuals with Mental Illness. Your Journey Family Members and Caregivers. Your Journey Identity and Cultural Dimensions.

Your Journey Frontline Professionals. Get Involved Become a Fundraiser. Get Involved Awareness Events. Get Involved Share Your Story. Get Involved Partner with Us. Advocacy Advocate for Change. Advocacy Policy Priorities. Advocacy Policy Platform. Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially drowsiness and loss of coordination. These side effects can increase the risk of falling.

This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm an unborn baby. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor right away. Consult your doctor for more details. This drug passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Breast-feeding while using this medication is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.

This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products such as opioid pain or cough relievers such as codeine, hydrocodone , alcohol, marijuana cannabis , other drugs for sleep or anxiety such as alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem , muscle relaxants such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine , or antihistamines such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine.

Check the labels on all your medicines such as allergy or cough-and-cold products because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely. This medication may interfere with certain lab tests, possibly causing false test results. Make sure lab personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug. If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call Otherwise, call a poison control center right away.

US residents can call their local poison control center at Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Keep all medical and lab appointments. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the regular time. Do not double the dose to catch up. Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. If you are using the concentrated solution, discard the opened bottle after 90 days.

Keep all medications away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed.

Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company. Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. Selected from data included with permission and copyright by First DataBank, Inc.

This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed ata provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use. Conditions of use: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.

The information in not intend to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects nor should it be construed in indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else.