Diazepam - Is this a paradoxical reaction?

[Mycotheologist]

When I take diazepam, it peaks at 1-2hrs then I feel sedated for 2 hours but after that I end up the opposite of sedated. I become full of energy and restless. My muscles are kind of aggitated. Its supposed to be a long acting benzo but I only feel sedation for 2 hours. Alprazolam keeps me sedated for up to 8 hours and there are no aggitating aftereffects at all. 1mg of alprazolam is very sedating to me. I took 25mg of diazepam today and I can't sleep right now despite only sleeping 4 hours the night before. I used to think all benzos had more or less the same kind of effects (similar to how opioids have similar effects) but this is clearly not the case. I'm guessing it has something to do with there being many subtypes of GABAa receptors.

 

[Jabberwocky]

diazepam is a very subtle acting benzodiazepine unlike, say, xanax.

it's not very common but it sounds like you may be having a paradoxical reaction. has this happened before?

 

[kokaino]

Alprazolam is lighter than diazepam in most aspects. Diazepam is definitely the more sedating of the two and has significantly stronger muscle relaxant effects, so you are obviously experiencing paradoxical effects when you're taking the diazepam. Paradoxical effects aren't too uncommon, but diazepam is usually not a culprit. Clonazepam is known to produce paradoxical effects, same with lorazepam.

 

[Mycotheologist]

Its a pretty shit drug to have a paradoxical reaction to, I've been feeling aggitated for the past 3 days. Whats weird is this isn't the first time I've done diazepam. When I was in Mexico I got a packet of it OTC, I don't remember what dosage they were but I took a whole strip in one night because I couildn't feel anything. It didn't sedate me at all and I felt completely normal the next day. I'm wondering if this aggitation might be the placebo effect. Maybe its only since I found out that diazepam has these long lasting active metabolites that its effecting me for days after I take it.

 

[whippa craka]

The only explanation I have is that your having a good time. Too much benzo's can create a drunken-like happiness that can be euphoric. This dopamine rebound from the euphoria can be keeping you awake. If you are just sitting in bed calm as a bird wondering why you can't fall asleep, I don't know what to tell you. Good luck.

 

[qwe]

When I take diazepam, it peaks at 1-2hrs then I feel sedated for 2 hours but after that I end up the opposite of sedated. I become full of energy and restless. My muscles are kind of aggitated. Its supposed to be a long acting benzo but I only feel sedation for 2 hours.

it could be..
* interwithdrawal... tolerance/dependence could be catching up to you fast. xanax might last longer due to simply being more potent.
* your liver enzyme profile may differ from others, causing the drug to be cleared from your system faster. i don't know if this could account for the longer duration of alpraz and a shorter duration of diaz, maybe though.
* paradoxical reaction
* i wonder if you might metabolize an agitating compound from diaz, one that you don't metabolize from alpraz? i don't know how benzo metabolism works, though. if you accumulate more of a particular metabolite, that goes back to the liver enzymes guess.

you should post how long you've used benzos and your tolerance.

 

[manicmama]

Diazepam does not do anything at all to me in low doses (20-30mg to me) in high doses (60-80mg to me) it relaxed me and made me feel euphoric - nothing near the sedation and mind calming I was after. I couldn't sleep at all because of the euphoria.

Clonazepam - also long acting benzo - does different things at different doses with me. 0.5mg calms me, reduces anxiety/racing thoughts, no sedation. 2mg relaxes, sedates, empties mind, enables me to drift off 1-2 hours and wake up with virtually no hangover. 3mg knocks me out 12+ hours, again minimal hangover.

I use benzos at most once a fortnight - usually once a month - so I believe I have a pretty low tolerance. Though I use speed - not meth - almost daily so this may have an effect on my dosage, not sure.

So, in my own limited experience, benzos that are recommended for the same sort of purpose, do not act the same way.

Or maybe I also have a paradoxical reaction to diazepam? Meh, clonazepam works for me

 

[whippa craka]

^Wow im surprised but glad to see somebody confirmed my euphoric idea.