MXE shouldn't make you sleepy at subanesthetic doses. It's a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and D2 agonist so it actually has a slight stimulant quality to it. That night I woke up in agony and snorted it for my dental pain; I decided to stay awake for 60-90 minutes after it kicked in because it would have been pointless trying to get to sleep.
MXE is more impairing mentally than opiates, but less impairing physically. Opiates make me feel heavy and weak; MXE makes me feel light/floaty and very strong.
It is possible to use a drug like MXE for pain relief and remain functional on it (I've done it many times) - you just have to find the right dose. It's a very dreamy, spacey feeling but if you tolerate it well then I would say it's definitely better for daytime use than opiates.
MXE has the effect of making me feel a lot more fucked up than I actually appear to other people. My mother is like a human drug detector but at <50mg, this is one drug I can take without her suspecting I've taken anything.
