In what way is Valium metabolized?

I have heard that valium is metabolized through the liver in 3 phases.  I know it it one of the longest half life benzos but, supposedly one phase is fairly quicker than the others, which has and effect on how your body reacts to the drug.

Does anyone have any information on this, or is it just smoke I am hearing?

It’s got two definite metabolites, one ready and working in hours, the other in days, thus lasting hours or lasting days.

That’s why we get interdose dips early on, transfer from short acting benzos seems hard work and it takes 4 days to be stable approx

That a very simple explanation.

My understanding is that there are three active metabolites of valium: nordiazepam, temazepam, and oxazepam, each with its own rate of absorption and elimination and, more importantly for us, half-life.

Dickie, I think you addressed this earlier when people were wondering why some people have to dose several times a day -- they were suffering from interdose withdrawal of the shortest metabolite. Or the next shortest metabolite. It made sense to me. Dosing valium only once a day does not work for most ppl in my experience. Some on here poo-poo the need to dose it several times a day, citing the long-half life of the overall drug. That's a lack of understanding of the metabolite components of the drug. Now I know why most (many) ppl need to dose it several time a day. Indeed, Ashton's withdrawal schedule (I think) advocates dosing several times a day.

My NP called valium a "dirty drug". I never understood why. Now I do. It has a nasty triple whammy.

What you said made me go look up the metabolites.

Thank you for shedding light on this. I don't think I thanked you before. You are a great resource here.

Katz

Thanks katz % Forty.

I have to dose twice a day for sure, or it's bad news.

I started reducing at .03 mg a day the 1st month with no problems so I thought I would try .04 mg a day this month.

1 week in and already I am finding it to be a mistake.  Have not felt good all week, not terrible, but not as good as when I was reducing by .03 mg a day.

So it looks like it's back to .03 mg a day for me.  I have to get over my hard hardheadedness as I have been told by you katz.  Listen to what my body telling me about my reductions.  Live and learn ( and try to stay out of the weeds).

JoJo/Katz

I start my next Val taper from 15 next week after the awful seroquel saga. Off two weeks hurrah!!

I am doing 5mg pills less 1.25 ie a quarter

so it will be 5am 3.75 middday 5 pm for 2 weeks I forgot this mornings doseand lunch -so at 4 pm took them oopsie

My Gp said she wanted to see me on day 10 to make sure I was OK

She had prescribed the sero off licence and is soooo embarrassed.

She injected my shoulder today (the one that dislocates at night occasionally) and is very all round doc but not great on psych I think.

thank you for you kinds words

Gosh three metabolits--I wonder what their half lives are. ?

Perhaps if Klon was allowed in Uk I would be on that.

Best wishes

Dick

JoJo--Are you coming down 0.4 every single day? thats real quick, about 15% a week!-- I RECKON ON 5-10% per week

No wonder you feel dodgy if I read you right.

Forty,

I tried coming down .04 mg a day this month, which is around 7%, but going back to .03 mg a day.  Not .4 mg a day, that would blow me out of the water.

One of the worst things about theses benzos is that when you are sick, you don't know if it is wd sx or if you are just ordinarily sick like most people not on benzos.  We could have just an actual flu bug and think it is benzo wd.  We will all get better and back to our normal selves after this horrible taper and healing.

The worrying thing is brain fog. Thanks for putting me straight.

Incidentally oxazepam is one of the metabolites.  I was at my most relaxed on 10 mg TDS in hospital in 1997.  Never found diazepam as quick acting in a crisis , now I know!!

Best wishes

Dick