Factors Influencing How Long Valium Stays In The System Users may get positive urine or blood results even days or weeks after their last dose. For a medication to show its effects, it should be present in the site where it acts, not always the blood. It does not take into account the amount of the medication present in the body rather only the drug in the blood is considered. However, longer half-lives do not always mean one will experience the drug effects for a long duration, but it may help predict the duration of its action. The Valium half-life is the length of time it takes for the initial substance amount measured within a particular tissue to reduce to half its original value. These effects may last as long as 12 hours, but this can be extended upon repeated dosing of the sedative. The medication effects are long-lasting and peak within 1-2 hours of administration of the substance. Upon intravenous administration, the medication’s effects can be felt within 1-3 minutes, while drug oral administration may take up to 15-60 minutes. The onset of action varies depending on the route of administration. Valium is classified as a fast-acting, long-lasting benzodiazepine. Metabolism within the liver is one of significant factors which affect diazepam half-life and the diazepam mechanism of action by creating longer-lasting active metabolites. Some other minor active metabolites include temazepam and oxazepam, but these are usually undetectable. These other active metabolites also act similarly to the diazepam mechanism of action. The metabolism products are called metabolites, while the portion of the medication that survives metabolism is called a parent or unchanged drug.ĭiazepam metabolism occurs primarily within the liver by two important cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, into desmethyldiazepam, which is the major active metabolite. Metabolism is a biological process that converts a substance into other chemicals. Suppository: Bioavailability is lower at 90%, with peak effects being experienced after 10-45 minutes.Peak plasma levels are achieved 15 minutes to 1 hour after administration for both IM and IV routes. Intramuscular (IM): With 100% bioavailability, effects set in within 15-30 minutes of administration.Intravenous (IV): Taken in diluted form due to its damaging impact on veins, bioavailability is 100%, and once taken, Valium effects set in within 1-5 minutes.Peak pharmacological effects set in 30-90 minutes after administration. Oral: When taking Valium pills, bioavailability is 100% and will take up to 40 minutes to take effect.The administration is done in one of four ways: orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, and via a suppository. How Long Does It Take to Work?īenzodiazepine pharmacokinetics depends on the mode of administration.
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That is why combining benzodiazepine with alcohol can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening consequences. The effects of benzodiazepines are similar to the depressant effects of alcohol which also work through the GABA receptors. When this happens, the brain experiences an overall slowdown demonstrated in the calm that results from taking it. Increased GABA binding to its receptors takes either 1-5 minutes or up to 40 minutes depending on whether taken intravenously or orally, respectively, and results in decreased activity at key CNS sites, including the limbic and cortical systems. This increases GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) binding, a powerful inhibitory neurotransmitter present in the Central Nervous System (CNS). Diazepam mechanism of action works through its effects on Type A GABA receptors through positive allosteric modulation. Valium uses include a number of health conditions, namely anxiety, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal and others. How long these metabolites can be detected within different tissues is directly related to the Valium half-life, which depends on several factors, which are discussed below. Valium is metabolized by the liver, and both the active form and its various metabolites are distributed throughout the body. When the medication is administered, it carries out its actions within a specific time. It belongs to the class of sedatives known as benzodiazepines used in the treatment of anxiety, seizures, muscle spasms, withdrawal symptoms, and so on. Valium is the brand name of the medication diazepam.