How many valium can you take
You have to take more and more of the drug to feel its desired effects. The amount that causes an overdose does not rise at the same pace. The most common, and most deadly, reason for too much Valium is drug mixing. Combining Valium with other drugs or alcohol increases the likelihood of overdose.
It increases the likelihood of serious harm or death as a result of that overdose. If you take too much Valium, you will begin to experience signs of overdose. These include the following:. Do not drink alcohol while you're on diazepam. Alcohol can increase the effects of diazepam.
It can make you go into a very deep sleep. There's a risk you will not be able to breathe properly, and may have difficulty waking up. 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. For people who are breastfeeding: Diazepam passes into breast milk and can cause serious effects in a child who is breastfed.
For seniors: Seniors may have a higher risk for side effects, such as motor ataxia loss of muscle coordination while you move. This drug may also have more of a sedative effect in seniors. You may experience more dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, or a slowing or stopping of breathing.
Your doctor will prescribe the lowest dosage possible to control your symptoms. For children: Keep this drug out of the reach of children. Diazepam can interact with several other medications. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects.
Below is a list of medications that can interact with diazepam. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with diazepam. Before taking diazepam, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also, tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. These drugs make it harder for the body to absorb diazepam. If you take them together, you may not get the full dose of diazepam, and it may not work as well. These drugs include:. Taking certain drugs that treat allergies or colds along with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness. It can also cause your breathing to slow down or stop.
Taking certain antidepressants with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness. These drugs block the enzyme that breaks down diazepam. This can increase the levels of diazepam in your body, putting you at higher risk for side effects such as drowsiness. Taking certain antipsychotic drugs with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness. Taking certain anxiety drugs with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness.
Taking certain motion sickness drugs with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness. Taking certain antiseizure drugs with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness. Phenytoin, phenobarbital, and carbamazepine also affect the enzyme that breaks down diazepam.
This can increase the levels of diazepam in your body, putting you at higher risk for these side effects. Taking certain pain drugs with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness. Taking certain sleep drugs with diazepam can increase your risk for drowsiness or sleepiness.
These drugs make your body process diazepam faster, so there will be lower levels of the drug in your body. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
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