Diazepam systemic, first marketed as Valium, is a popular medication used for creating a calming effect in patients suffering from anxiety, insomnia, or alcohol addiction.
Diazepam systemic is available under different brand names like Valium, Diazepam Intensol, Diastat, or AcuDial.
It is effective for relieving stress and anxiety. However, Valium addiction symptoms will eventually emerge if someone abuses this benzodiazepine drug.
If you are a user of this drug, it is good to learn how long Valium stays in your system.’
Valium: An Overview
Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that typically produces a calming effect.
Uses of Valium
Diazepam belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which have several benefits for dealing with various health conditions.
Diazepam systemic is used in the treatment of:
- Anxiety
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Endoscopy or radiology premedication
- Light anesthesia
- Light sedation
- Hyperekplexia
- Borderline personality disorder
- Icu agitation
- Meniere’s disease
- Muscle spasm
- Night terrors
- Insomnia
- Seizures
- Status epilepticus
- Tetanus
How Do I Use Valium?
Valium is available in injections, tablets, liquid, and extended-release capsule forms.
Diazepam in oral form can be taken with or without food.
The dosage of Valium for each patient is based on their medical condition, age, and response to treatment.
A typical dose of Valium prescribed for an adult to treat anxiety, seizure, muscle spasm, or alcohol withdrawal may range from 2 to 10 mg, taken 2 to 4 times daily.
Capsule: Swallow the extended-release capsule whole without breaking or crushing it.
Tablet: Valium tablets come in 2, 5, and 10 milligrams (mg) strengths. Swallow the tablet with water in the right dosage recommended by your doctor.
Valium Liquid: With the help of a medicine dropper, take the prescribed dose of medicine and mix it with liquid or soft foods. It would be best to take the entire mixture immediately without storing it for later use.
Valium Injection: This medicine is to be injected deeply into the muscle or a vein as directed by your doctor. The injection should be done very slowly into a large vein. This medication is available in an ampoule, pre-filled syringe, vial, or pre-filled syringe with an autoinjector.
Possible Side Effects of Diazepam
Most patients who use this medicine in the prescribed doses during treatment do not experience any side effects.
However, a few may experience adverse effects from Valium because of their particular health conditions.
Some of the possible side effects of Valium include:
A few users of this medication might experience mental/mood swings such as hallucinations, depression, confusion, memory problems, or irritation.
Some may experience trouble speaking, unsteady walking, muscle weakness, yellow eyes, or difficulty urinating.
A Valium user may develop infection symptoms like sore throat, fever, nausea, chills, or headache.
Suppose you are allergic to any of the ingredients in Diazepam systemic medication. In that case, you develop symptoms like a rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face, tongue, or throat), severe dizziness, or breathing trouble.
If Diazepam is taken for a prolonged period, this may cause addiction. The risk of addiction is higher if you have abused substances like drugs, weed, or alcohol.
Long-term usage of benzos like Valium can cause memory impairment for some.
How Long Does Valium Stay in Your System?
Diazepam systemic is a very effective sedative medication that has several uses.
However, continuous use of Valium can become addictive and compulsive. Do not use benzodiazepines for a longer period than your doctor has prescribed.
At Valium’s peak in 1978, 2.3 billion tablets were sold yearly. However, it was found that Diazepam also has a high addiction potential. An overdose of this medication can be life-threatening or exhibit withdrawal symptoms like drug abuse.
Patients concerned about this medication’s side effects are worried about ‘how long Valium stay in the system’ (including blood, urine, and saliva).
Authorities certifying medicines in most countries have classified Valium as a Schedule IV controlled substance under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
Usually, doctors do not prescribe this medication more than twice or three times to a patient. However, recreational abuse of Valium continues to exist.
Residues of ingredients in Valium stay in the body for a considerable time compared to many other prescription medicines. The elimination half-life of this medication can take up to 30–56 hours, depending on various factors about the individual user.
On average, this drug can take up to 10 days to entirely leave the system. However, Valium metabolized by the liver may be retained in the body for much longer.
Common drug tests for Diazepam (and its metabolites) include blood, urine, hair, and saliva tests.
Valium in Saliva
After the last intake of Valium, a saliva test can detect the drug or its metabolites for 7 to 9 days.
However, the presence of Valium in the saliva is found for up to 9 days only when the patient has used this drug in high doses or has used the drug frequently for a considerable length of time.
Per medical standards, the saliva test is generally considered less reliable. A saliva test is done only when high-quality laboratory detection methods are available.
Valium in the Blood
A blood test can easily detect the presence of Valium in the body, especially if the patient is a long-term user of this drug. Valium can be detected in the blood between 6-48 hours after the drug was last used.
The blood test result can vary depending on the patient’s health features and the duration of using this drug.
Valium in Urine
If you are wondering how long Valium stays in your system,’ a urine test is an excellent method to detect valium metabolites in your body. This test can detect diazepam metabolites a few weeks after your last drug dose.
A urine test can indicate the level of Valium residues in your system for longer than a blood test.
Of course, the outcome of a drug test using urine can vary according to the user’s metabolism rate and the dosage and duration of the drug.
On average, a urine test can indicate the presence of Valium in your system between 1 and 6 weeks after you last took the drug.
Valium in Hair
Hair follicle tests can detect the built-up Valium for up to 90 days.
However, the hair test does not represent the number of drugs in the body. It only indicates the drug residues deposited in hair follicles over a period; thus, it is not a reliable method.
Drug testing through hair tests is a more expensive and difficult procedure.
Factors Influencing the Retention Valium in Your Body
A few factors determine the duration of valium metabolite retention in your body. How long a drug stays in the body is influenced by factors related to the patient’s health, such as:
- Age,
- Bodyweight,
- Metabolic rate,
- The health of the liver and kidneys,
- Level of body fat,
- Genetic features
- Sex
- Lifestyle and diet habits of the individual.
Other factors that influence drug retention in the body are:
- Type ingestion method (injection, pill, liquid),
- The dose of the drug used,
- Duration of drug usage,
- Other drugs are in the system.
While trying to estimate how long Diazepam will linger in your system after your last dose, it is important to consider the body’s hepatic (liver) function. Poor functioning of the liver can take a longer time to dispel a drug from the body.
According to research, in a person suffering from liver cirrhosis, the half-life of Diazepam can be up to 164 hours. It can take approximately 38 days to excrete the Diazepam in such a condition completely.
How To Remove The Traces Of Valium Out Of Your System?
As we have already seen how long Valium stays in your system’, let us see how to get rid of valium metabolites from your system.
Patients who have discontinued Valium would like to eliminate this drug’s residue from their plasma quickly.
There are several ways you can remove or reduce the lingering effect of a drug after you have discontinued using it. However, it would be best to clarify the safety and efficacy of methods used to eliminate the remainder of Valium in your system.
Here are some of the methods for eliminating Valium from your system:
Cease Usage
Stopping the use of Valium will prevent further accumulation in your system. It would help if you did not abruptly stop a drug’s intake. You can gradually reduce the dose and frequency of taking the drug until you reach a condition that allows you to completely stop using it without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Keep the System Well Hydrated
One of the best ways to eliminate toxic substances and drugs from your body is to drink a lot of fluids daily.
A drug is mostly metabolized by the liver and expelled from the body by the kidneys.
A well-hydrated body has a higher urinary flow, which is useful for the renal excretion of drugs and toxic substances from the system.
Increase Fat Burning
According to a recent research report, Diazepam-like drugs accumulate very slowly in obese people. Similarly, the elimination of Diazepam from the system also happens at a slow rate in fat people.
Burning body fat via exercise and a controlled diet can help boost the faster elimination of drug residues from the system.
Use Supplements
Using supplements that enhance hepatic and renal function can boost the faster excretion of diazepam metabolites from the body.
Some supplements contain hormonal substances that act as CYP3A4/CYP2C19 inducers for expediting the metabolism and excretion of drugs from the body.
For example, activated charcoal is beneficial for flushing out remnants of Valium and its metabolites from the system.
Final Thought
‘How long does Valium stay in your system’ depends on several factors.
If you have been taking Valium for the long term, the accumulation of both Diazepam and its metabolites (nordiazepam, temazepam, and oxazepam) stays throughout the body. Thus, it can take longer to eliminate the drug from your system fully.
Similarly, dosage, frequency, co-ingestion of other drugs, diet and lifestyle habits, obesity, diabetes, and the healthiness of your liver and kidneys are some of the other key factors determining the retention of Valium in your system.
On average, Valium can stay in your system and be detected in urine for 5–9 days after therapeutic use.
According to a study, Diazepam showed lower maximum concentrations and a longer plateau duration in older adults.
However, if you have had a chronic use of Valium consistently for several months, then the traces of this drug can be detected in urine screens for up to 4–6 weeks.
Hair follicles can retain Valium contents for up to 90 days after the last use of this drug.
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