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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Temazepam - Basic Dosing Question

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Captain.Heroin

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TL;DR version, for those who aren't going to reply without a summation:
TL;DR said:
I have taken one 15mg capsule of temazepam. How many more should I take to get to sleep, knowing one did next to nothing for me? For details about the circumstances/etc, read below.

Hi guys

First, much <3 to the community, I wouldn't be posting a thread about this except I think it merits its own; I don't want it to be overlooked in the BDD social (if it gets merged in there, that's fine by me either way, I just wanted to start it as its own thread for now). The community self is doing amazing, the BDD mods and senior staff have been making BDD a very special place, one that I rarely ventured into at first, but one I'll be coming back to more frequently as time goes on. :)

Here is some background: (if you have the time, please read this in order to best understand what I'm asking)

I would like to go to sleep. I took 15mg temazepam, and I believe I'm feeling it but it isn't enough to go to sleep. Normally 15mg makes me tired enough to go sleep. I have never exceeded 15mg of temazepam in a single sitting. The only benzodiazepine I have exceeded 2mg of alprazolam or equivalent, would be alprazolam, for a rather intense LSD trip which I wanted to end prematurely.

During said experience, I had already taken five hits of LSD and some hash capsules orally and dabbed some wax, waited about 3-4 hours before administering IV DMT, and then added a hit of nitrous during the tail end of the IV DMT plateau. This day took place about 2-3 months ago if I am remembering correctly. Because I was already blacking out on the LSD (and to say the IV DMT and nitrous would potentiate the LSD was the understatement of a century), and during black outs on the LSD I ended up doing things I don't remember (and could have gotten me arrested), I wanted to end this trip, so I ended up consuming twelve 2mg alprazolam bars: 24mg over the course of 1 to 2 hours, mostly in 4mg dosages; 4mg at first did nothing, another 4-6mg was just mild relief from the intensity of the psychedelic experience I was still in, and I kept taking 2mg to 4mg until I was sufficiently blacked out on alprazolam itself). Thankfully by this point, I was in a state where I wouldn't do anything, and quite possibly couldn't do anything, that could have gotten me arrested; I was still under the effects of the LSD fully, but it was dulled down to the point where I was happy and OK with everything going on, instead of intensely bewildered and frightened about what was going on as well as all of the thoughts racing through my head prior to taking the dose of alprazolam.

This was a single isolated event, which doesn't apply much to the state I'm in (I haven't done LSD for at least 2 weeks, so LSD is not what is causing insomnia for me at the moment). I have been going through severe insomnia/anxiety/panic during parts of this year so far, specifically the last week and a half. I don't care to get into the details of why.

Anyways, I have only had benzodiazepines a few times in the last 2-3 months; 1mg of alprazolam on two or three days last month for mild/medium anxiety, as well as 15mg once 5 days ago, and the 15mg I took tonight.

That's it for the background -- This is my question -- I get this feeling I am going to need several more 15mg capsules to get real relaxing sleep tonight, but I want to know, especially for people around the tolerance level I have with benzodiazepines (I would take 1mg alprazolam for mild/moderate anxiety, or 2mg alprazolam for an intense panic attack, or 15mg of temazepam to get to sleep when in a normal, happy frame of mind)...

What dosage of temazepam would you take, assuming you have more than enough? - Assume you have only had one 15mg temazepam about 1 hour ago, and it didn't do much for you. You would like to get to sleep. You can assume you are taking this for somewhere between moderate and severe degree of issues such as anxiety/panic/insomnia, or amphetamine come down (assuming you like to do amphetamines, but don't experience anxiety/panic/insomnia aside from amphetamine usage). Sadly I am just experiencing horrible anxiety/panic/insomnia on its own, and will experience this even stronger on any stimulant (which is why I steer clear of crystal meth and crack/cocaine, as well as the RC amphetamines/stims which I've never even tried before).

If you are at my tolerance level (a 15mg temazepam normally gets you to sleep comfortably, or you would take 1mg alprazolam for a high or for anxiety relief, or 2mg for intense panic relief), what is the dosage you would take of temazepam?

If you are NOT at my tolerance level, please briefly describe your tolerance (none, some but lower than me, my level, higher than my level, or completely addicted/dependent and have maxed out benzo tolerance), briefly describe what amounts of alprazolam/temazepam/(your benzo of choice) you would take for what reasons, and tell me what you would do in my situation (taking what you believe should get you to sleep, but it doesn't barely touch you). Also, if you WERE at ANY point at my tolerance level or had any similar experiences at a similar tolerance level, do share.

Remember; I have enough temazepam to really get relief, so don't underestimate what you would do in my shoes. At the same time, I know I won't take more than 2-3 of these at once to be on the safe side (as I have never exceeded a single 15mg temazepam at a time, unless you count it in an equivalent dosage of the one time I took 24mg of alprazolam, as mentioned above). I have no desire to go above a certain level (60-75mg would be pushing it IMO but please DO tell me what you would take, don't let my personal limits dissuade you from sharing your personal experience), I am very HR-oriented, so don't worry about me, I will be fine. Even better, I find no desire to use temazepam recreationally, even though it is euphoric, I don't find myself compelled to use it at all, and only use it for medicinal reasons these days. I know I won't end up blacking out and taking too many; I know I have great self control with all benzodiazepines. I actually have to encourage myself to take them when I really need them, as I often try to live through panic attacks, or moderate/severe anxiety, without using benzos (even if I only needed a benzo once or twice a week, or three days in a row just one month out of the year, stuff like that I still even try to avoid doing, although I could greatly benefit from using them a bit more liberally).

First and foremost, thanks for any and all advice/comments/responses. Just please remember, I don't need a lecture, one as I refuse to become benzodiazepine dependent, two as I have had a full bottle of temazepam for 5 days and have only taken two so far (am prescribed 1 or 2 nightly), and three as I have no desire to be benzodiazepine dependent and would rather have rebound anxiety tomorrow than to dose temazepam two nights in a row. :) You can certainly post your warnings to anyone/everyone who doesn't know if they could handle having generous quantities benzos on hand, as it is really sad to watch loved ones/friends/family struggle with benzo addiction/dependence; just know that I personally am going to be fine. :)

Also, if you are not used to mentally converting benzo equivalents in your mind, or are not used to temazepam's dosage versus your benzo DOC, I will do the math of what a single 15mg temazepam equates to in terms of other benzos, according to the BDD benzo chart.

15mg of temazepam =

0.375mg alprazolam
4.5mg bromazepam
18.75mg chlordiazepoxide
0.375mg clonazepam
11.25mg clorazepate
0.75mg delorazepam
7.5mg diazepam
1.5mg estazolam
0.75mg etizolam
0.75mg flunitrazepam
18.75mg flurazepam
1.5mg flutoprazepam
0.75mg loprazolam
0.75mg lorazepam
0.75mg lormetazepam
7.5mg medazepam
3.75mg to 6mg midazolam
3.75mg nimetazepam
7.5mg nitrazepam
7.5mg nordazepam
18.75mg oxazepam
0.75mg phenazepam
15mg quazepam
75mg tetrazepam
0.1875mg triazolam

My 2 cents on BL's Benzo Equivalency Chart, and the relative accuracy of equivalency charts for low/high doses, as well as low tolerance/high tolerance users:

IMO, the Bluelight Benzo Equivalency Chart was created excellently, taking a lot of care to compile many different legitimate, scientific sources by renown BL moderators) - needless to say I believe a lot in the BL benzo conversion chart. It's also important to remember what one benzo can do for you versus the others, can deviate significantly from person to person. Temazepam (normally) is rather potent to me, compared to other benzos, and clonazepam hasn't delivered any positive effects the majority of the times I have taken it - most of the time it delivers negative effects, some times it doesn't seem to do anything, and even rarer - sometimes it does have very mild positive effects which seemingly quickly wear off (the only one time I got actual relief from clonazepam, I had taken 1mg when I woke up during heroin withdrawal, the morning before I went to the Suboxone doctor - it only gave me 1 more hour of sleep, but was so worth it in that moment). Other than these two, I don't deviate far from most of the chart's equivalencies, hence why I believe very heavily in the chart (I can tell temazepam works very well for me, hence why it's my favorite, and I can tell I get paradoxical reactions from clonazepam, hence why it is the only one of nine benzodiazepines I will never take again; hence my least favorite).

Unless you deviate far from the conversions due to any one benzo effecting you extremely well or extremely poorly, the conversions are rather accurate. The conversions become less accurate in benzo-addicted or benzo-dependent individuals, and in general, also becomes less accurate for high dosages (although I think that it's more accurate for people with normal tolerances and high dosages, versus benzodiazepine-addicted/dependent individuals). The reason being, some benzodiazepines effect the receptor in a unique way (due to a higher affinity, a more complete agonist effect at the receptor, or a very short duration of onset); meaning, people addicted/dependent to xanax, triazolam, midazolam, and/or temazepam, may find that the equivalency chart to be really far off, as such individuals may take many more times the dosage of a different benzo such as valium, clonazepam, ativan, etc. than what the chart may indicate they should. Interestingly enough, though, when going from one benzo to another as a benzodiazepine-addicited/dependent individual, you may notice the switch to provide less tolerance than expected (I used to know someone who would abuse their benzo scripts, and would change each month from one benzo to the next, no matter what they got), just because if they didn't change their benzo, the tolerance seemingly continued to get worse. Of course at the addicted/dependent level, trying to escape further dependency by switching from one benzo to the next is really not going to delay addiction/dependence growth all that much. I'm not saying don't do it, especially if you are desperately avoiding a worsening benzo dependency, I just think that tapering on any benzo (switching to a different one or not), has greater merit.
 
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Sorry for stating things that you probably are already aware of.
Are you "sold" on Temazepam? If so then instead of taking 15mg and then taking more later, a larger single dose would be more effective (obv more negative side effects but you know what you can handle).
If you are not "sold" on Temazepam then a longer acting benzo (2mg flunitrazepam would be the most effective when taken responsibly in the situation you are describing), but because of it's non-availability, a decent dose of Diazepam could be a more effective and "safer" alternative.

What I have said above is purely for taking something to help you sleep, and not for recreational purposes eg...to chill....- Yeah I know you know, but just had to add it in, (it could be seen as "anti-recreational" as it is needed when you want to sleep...........but I'm treading on thin ice here and I'm sure you understand where I am coming from).
 
what happened to the days where you'd only need to take like 2.5mg's ;)

in my opinion i'd just double it up to 30mg, so an extra pill. going up to 45 would pretty much garuntee passing out into sleep with your low tolerance - i suppose anyway as it seems to be the case with the majority of those with zero to little tolerance. an initial dose of 30-45mg would be best for future or so i find as shredded also said.

don't forget to hit some weed ;)
 
Sorry for stating things that you probably are already aware of.
Are you "sold" on Temazepam? If so then instead of taking 15mg and then taking more later, a larger single dose would be more effective (obv more negative side effects but you know what you can handle).
If you are not "sold" on Temazepam then a longer acting benzo (2mg flunitrazepam would be the most effective when taken responsibly in the situation you are describing), but because of it's non-availability, a decent dose of Diazepam could be a more effective and "safer" alternative.

What I have said above is purely for taking something to help you sleep, and not for recreational purposes eg...to chill....- Yeah I know you know, but just had to add it in, (it could be seen as "anti-recreational" as it is needed when you want to sleep...........but I'm treading on thin ice here and I'm sure you understand where I am coming from).

Yes I'm sold on temazepam. I would just like to know how relatively high with it I can go. I know a single larger dosage would have worked better, but I didn't realize that 1 would barely touch me.

I just want to get good sleep tonight; I have no interest in using this medication to get high; otherwise I would just take more and more without even questioning it. I don't want too little and end up not sleeping, and I don't want to take too much and wake up still feeling it the next morning; that's all. :)

what happened to the days where you'd only need to take like 2.5mg's ;)

in my opinion i'd just double it up to 30mg, so an extra pill. going up to 45 would pretty much garuntee passing out into sleep with your low tolerance - i suppose anyway as it seems to be the case with the majority of those with zero to little tolerance. an initial dose of 30-45mg would be best for future or so i find as shredded also said.

don't forget to hit some weed ;)

Thanks for the feedback man.

I used to take 7.5mg (the lowest dosage they make), as this is where I was started at years ago by a doctor. :)

Thanks for the suggestion to hit some weed/wax, definitely a worthwhile thing to do in case the extra temaz isn't going to work.


============

EDIT

It's close to 5 AM now. Over the last 4 to 6 hours, I have taken two 15mg temazepam capsules. It has reduced my anxiety beautifully, but the insomnia is going nowhere. Just reducing my anxiety was a huge plus, because of how bad it can get.

All I wanted was a night's rest before tomorrow, alas, I think I should get an early start on tomorrow, and attempt getting a good night's rest after I get most of my major goals accomplished tomorrow.
 
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from my extensive experience with temazepam i don't have much worry about a following hangover as a result of residual effects because of how short lasting it is for an hypnotic, as they usually are. this only proves true with a single dose at an appropriate time to get the sufficient sleep needed. if i dose multiple times, neglect sleep for the most part getting little rest than i am more likely to still be affected in some ways and not so much others. it depends on this n that - them + a little of that other thing = how exactly i'm left feeling.
 
So, about 2 hours ago, I took a 2nd temazepam, and I honestly don't feel any more tired.

I think someone else got a paradoxical reaction of stimulation from temazepam (another BL'er; not me).

I think it's just that my insomnia/anxiety is really this bad, and I would have to take like 5-6 more or 10 more, and I'm not willing to just take that high of a dosage all in one sitting without working my way up there.

I feel relaxed, like I took 1mg or 2mg of alprazolam, but definitely not sleepy which is what I was hoping for.

I even did some exercise to burn up any excessive energy I might have, which felt great, but I'm not getting tired. :(

I think the next time I see my psychiatrist I'm going to ask to get the 30mg capsules prescribed, because of the lack of a hangover, it can't really hurt to get the highest dosage.

Also, it isn't all that potent. I don't think they make large enough dosages of temazepam that would equal a 2mg alprazolam bar, for instance. Because, if 20mg of temazepam = 0.5mg alprazolam, then 80mg of temazepam would equal a 2mg alprazolam bar.

Nonetheless, I think it was at least good to be on the safe side and not take too much. I would hate to black out on a high dosage, accidentally fall on my keyboard, the keys my face hits magically turning on some music (would most likely be a harsh noise wall), which some how won't wake me up in the black out but all my neighbors... yeah. I think I would rather suffer through a night of insomnia than blacking out on my keyboard. lol

For HR purposes I'm going to be building up my dosage of temazepam slowly in cases like this. The next time something like this happens, I might take 45mg or 60mg at most, in a single dosage, which should work considerably better than taking two 15mg capsules many hours apart from each other (4 to 5 hours). I didn't just eat a huge meal or anything so my stomach should have digested these quickly. :|
 
lol captain......if 15 doesnt work than take 30. 15mg temazepam feels to me like .75-1mg xanax or klonopin. 30mg feels like 1.5-2mg xanax or klonopin.

welll when i had my temazepam script it went like this....

first i got prescribed 15mg capsules. would need 15mg for sleep, 30mg for recreation. eventually, tolerance grew and i need 45 to get recreational effect

then i got upped to 30mg capsules and took 60mg to get fuckkkked. i have only taken 90mgs twice, and i was soooooooo fucked up, but i didnt black out wit other benzos, i just had amazing euphoria. 60mh is a pretty sedating dose, tht shit will have you on your ass...
 
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I must mention that I have only had experience with the gelcap temazepams (normisson), and from what I have read there could be a difference in it's effect (release time?) in tablet/capsule form, but I have no experience with those.

45mg after stimulants/psychedelics or 30mg on a normal night when finding it difficult to sleep should be ok.
Temazepam and zopiclone have very little effect on REM sleep, which is a plus, but the addictiveness of the jellies(temazepam) was too much for me and I'm glad I lost interest early on in my long "career".

7.5mg zopiclone when needed works fine for me now.
 
^ nope no difference in gellies and capsules. temazepam is the fastest absorbed (GI tract absorption) benzo. yes, temazepam is the fastest acting benzo out of all known benzodiazepines. the "jellies" were just the rave in europe because they were being injected, and probably because most european doctors prescribed the jellies over the capsules? idk, but i do know that there is nothing special about the jellies. the capsules and jellies are both IR and both take the same time to reach peak blood plasma levels.

good point too, temaz doesnt affect REM sleep, but i didnt know zopiclone didnt aswell!! i learned something new today :)
 
when i was prescribed temazepam my tolerance grew faster to it than it did to ambien i started the first 3 days at 30mg and by the 10th day i needed 120mg
 
^ Oh shit I could see how that took off. :\

yeah they were particularly popular among the heroin/methadone IV users in the UK for some time during (i think the) 80's through the 90's and early 2000's just before being taken off the market. they even had their stint of popularity here downunder in australia for the same reason as in the UK.

they'd simply draw their shot of heroin then spike into the gel cap and suck out the temazepam within in then boot it up for a supposedly pretty damn rockin hit. apart from midazolam, temazepam seems like the only other benzo likely worth injecting as it provides a euphoric rush and accompanying high. mixed in with heroin...well...

during the time the gels were around and being heavily abused by IDU's there were many many cases of gangrene limbs, necrosis, amputations of limbs, etc from the resulting damage left from missed shots, etc as abscesses would form - check the case studies thread in Other Drugs for relating articles. the infections would predominately be caused by the temazepam gel obviously. this (the IV abuse) is why the gel caps were taken from the market.

some damn nasty, eh :| i do love me some oral temazepam, it was my benzo of choice, followed by valium, for some time there. in fact i haven't touched temazepam in probably over a year. i might have to swindle a bottle at my next dr's appt after easter :D :P i'll be able to get it no worries as he knows about my insomnia and wants to further help me out, medication in the short term initially of course ;)
 
It seems the basic dosing question originally asked has been answered. Since this is now veering into more discussion of the recreational aspects of these. (Not by the OP, but none the less.) Closed. PM any questions.
 
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