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Introduction
Temazepam was first used in 1969 as a medicine that could treat insomnia. In 1981, Temazepam was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the generic form of Temazepam known as Restoril started being manufactured by several companies. Gradually, Temazepam became one of the popular medications for treating anxiety and the growth of its use led to the growth in its abuse.
What is Temazepam used for?
Temazepam is basically the generic name for Restoril that is prescribed by physicians to manage insomnia temporarily. It helps individuals who are being sleep-deprived to fall asleep easily or sleep for more hours easily. Restoril or Temazepam is an anti-anxiety medication and falls under a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines. Other drugs under this category are diazepam (Valium), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Alprazolam (Xanax), flurazepam (Dalmane) and lorazepam (Ativan).
Like every other benzodiazepine drug, Temazepam works by increasing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain of the person who is taking it. GABA is a neurotransmitter within the human body which moderates the signals moving from one nerve cell to another. Thus it inhibits certain activities of the brain in order to decrease anxiety and provide longer sleeping time to the person taking it.
Restoril is widely prescribed by doctors in the United Kingdom, US, and Canada. It is known for its ability to provide long hours of sleep and relaxation by changing the neurotransmitter balances in the brain and gets the brain flooded with dopamine that is potentially addictive.
Recommended Dosage of Temazepam
The recommended dosage of Temazepam for an adult is 15mg before going to sleep every day. Mostly taking 7.5mg is sufficient for the patients while some may also need 30mg per day, depending upon their condition. In transient insomnia, a dosage of 7.5mg is sufficient to treat insomnia. Also in elderly patients, the same dosage of 7.5mg is recommended initially and dosage can be increased depending upon the patient’s responses. The drug must not be given to people younger than 18 without the doctor’s recommendation.
Temazepam should not be combined with any other drug or alcohol. Insomnia, when lasts longer than seven or ten days, could mean there is a significant underlying medical condition that is causing sleep deprivation which must be thoroughly evaluated. The dosage for people with a history of anemia, liver disease, kidney disease, drug abuse, or anxiety issues must be recommended by the physician after it is thoroughly evaluated by him. Intake of Temazepam should not be stopped abruptly. The dosage of the drug must be lowered gradually.
The medication must not be taken if the individual is:
- Allergic to Temazepam or other ingredients of the medicine.
- Allergic to any benzodiazepines.
- Have myasthenia gravis.
- Have breathing issues.
- Have a history of an unusual reaction of excitement to alcohol or sedatives
- Have sleep apnoea.
Overdosing on Temazepam
It might be a difficult task to understand the difference between use and misuse of Restoril when it is prescribed to you initially. Restoril helps to relax the brain and the central nervous system. The maximum dosage that is prescribed to an individual is 30mg per day before bedtime. When a person takes more than the recommended dosage, he/she is overdosing on Temazepam. When someone takes Temazepam, signs like drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, slow reaction, and coordination problems start appearing even if they take the recommended dosages. Individuals that abuse Temazepam or are addicted to it show signs like:
- Taking Restoril in an unintended way for recreational purposes.
- Snorting or injecting of the powder from grinding the pills.
- Taking much higher dosage of Temazepam than prescribed.
- Stealing or using fraud prescriptions.
- Increased intake of Temazepam than the amount prescribed.
- Behavioral changes and mood swings.
- Mixing Temazepam with other substances like alcohol or Opioids.
- Sleep changes.
- Doctor shopping to collect multiple prescriptions.
- Lack of decision-making ability.
- Faking symptoms to get more prescriptions.
When a person tends to get high doses of Restoril frequently or combines it with other addictive substances, the situation worsens. It can lead to life-risking outcomes like hospitalization or death. The common symptoms of Temazepam overdose include:
- Drowsiness
- Amnesia
- Hypotension or low blood pressure
- Reduced heart rate
- Coma
Patients who are prescribed to take Restoril must speak to their doctor about the symptoms and side effects of its overdosing. People must prevent overdosing on Temazepam as it can lead to addiction. Patients who are prescribed any addictive medications like Restoril must have enough knowledge about its side effects, regularly check with their doctors, and follow each instruction very carefully.
Can Temazepam Cause a High?
Restoril or Temazepam like any other benzodiazepines can lead to intoxication or cause a person to get high momentarily. Restoril is known to cause faster high like Klonopin and Xanax and thus, it is preferred over other slow reacting benzodiazepines for getting high. The relaxation and calmness offered by Temazepam cause addiction that leaves the individual asking for more of it. Getting high on Restoril leads to symptoms that are similar to getting high on other central nervous system depressants, like opioid or alcohol.
Symptoms of Temazepam high
The symptoms of Temazepam high are similar to those of alcohol or opiates. Most common symptoms experienced by an individual when he gets high on Temazepam are:
- Slurred speech
- Drowsiness or sleepiness
- Reduced inhibitions
- Loss of coordination or stumbling
- Relaxed muscles
There are certain side effects when the drug is abused or used to get high. The side effects include:
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Lack of concentration
- Fatigue
- Loss of muscle coordination
- Tremors
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Memory loss
- Changes in blood pressure leading to faintness
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Depression
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
These side effects are experienced when Restoril is taken in higher doses than recommended for a prolonged period of time. When the person starts getting addicted to the substance or becomes dependant on it, these common side effects are experienced by the individual.
Short-Term Effects of Temazepam High
Individuals who are recommended to take Restoril or other sleeping aids are at a great risk of activities like sleepwalking, sleep-driving, sleep-talking, sleep-eating, and engaging in sexual activities while asleep. When Restoril intake is increased or abused, it leads to greater risks of performing these activities. Increased risk of physical harm, tendency to consume harmful things like other drugs, alcohol, etc. or contracting sexually transmitted infections are the common risks that one might face when they overdose on Restoril.
When Restoril is abused or used for recreational purposes, the person takes a larger dose to achieve the effects of the drug. When larger doses of any benzodiazepines like Restoril are taken, the individual is exposed to greater risks of experiencing more side effects like over-sedation, dizziness, muscle weakness, and loss of coordination.
Restoril, when taken within the recommended dosage, can still affect the cognition of the person. The Food and Drug Administration’s medication guide clearly warns anybody who takes Restoril not to drive or operate heavy machinery when on the medication due to its cognitive and motor functioning side effects. Temazepam is found to be the least dangerous drug among the drugs used to treat insomnia, but there is still a lot of chance for a person involved in Restoril abuse to get involved in a car accident. An increased risk of death is also seen when a person takes sleep aids like Restoril. Taking around 18 sleeping aids a year indicates that the person is 3.5 times more likely to die while people who take 130 sleep aids or more, per year are considered to be abusing the drugs and have 5 times more chances of dying due to it and 35% increase in chances of getting some types of cancer.
From one of the researches, it is seen that medications like Ambien or Restoril are as dangerous and life-risking for a person as smoking cigarettes. Taking substances like Restoril for recreational purposes puts a person’s health at greater risk and causes serious side effects.
Long-Term Effects of Temazepam High
Restoril like any other benzodiazepines has a strong effect on the brain and memory of the person taking it. When a person takes too much of Restoril for recreational purposes, it leads to amnesia or the lack of ability to create new memories after a certain point in time. Most people have a blank space in their memory with its abuse and as more of the substance is introduced into the system, the person can experience long periods of black outs or fail to remember events. Taking larger doses of benzodiazepines like Restoril for a long period of time will make it hard for his brain to form new memories or obtain information which can prevent the person from learning new things.
Taking larger doses of Restoril can lead to the development of conditions similar to the mental health issues that the medication is used to treat. Individuals who abuse Restoril are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and insomnia than people who use it as prescribed. Using Restoril as prescribed or when abused has the ability to increase a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia late in life. Taking Restoril or any benzodiazepines for six months and more increases the risk of getting Alzheimer’s by 84%, while taking the same for 3-6 months increases the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia by 32%.
Can Continued use of Temazepam to Get High Lead to Addiction?
Continued use of Temazepam has a great potential for both psychological and physical dependence. Physical dependence on any benzodiazepines like Restoril can occur to an individual within two weeks because of the chemical changes in the brain and the body begins to feel normal when on it. Psychological dependence can increase in people who feel that the only cure for their insomnia is taking Restoril.
When the reward system in an individual’s brain is repeatedly triggered and it releases dopamine, the person tends to get high and addicted to the substance which makes them feel good only when they take the substance.
Tolerance occurs as the body starts getting used to in taking a certain amount of dose of Restoril, which does not induce the same effects as it did before. The person tends to take higher doses to feel the effects that lead to addiction gradually. The drug affects the reward system of the brain and leads to compulsive ingestion of Restoril which is what Restoril addiction is.
Common Signs of Temazepam Addiction
It is very hard to overcome Restoril or Temazepam addiction. Addiction is a chronic psychological and physiological disease that brings about changes in the brain with repeated exposure to the substance. When a person experiences the changes in his brain, it causes him to compulsively seek out and use Restoril even when they do not want to. Signs of Temazepam addiction are:
- The individual fails to stop the use of the drug even if they try.
- Out of control usage of the drug.
- Physical and psychological dependence.
- Using Restoril even after negative consequences.
- Hiding the use of Restoril.
- Withdrawal from socializing.
- Declining performance at work or school.
- Taking unnecessary risks to obtain more Restoril or when under the influence of it.
- Fixation on the substance.
- Staying in denial.
- Dishonesty or secretive behavior.
Here are some of the symptoms that a person can experience when he/she is addicted to it:
- Financial or legal issues.
- Memory loss.
- Developing the habit of misusing other drugs.
- Lack of emotions.
- Risk of overdose.
- Increased risk of being in an accident or harming oneself.
- Health issues.
When anyone is suffering from the signs and symptoms of Restoril addiction, he/she must try to immediately stop further intake of the drug and take the necessary medical help, if required.
How Long Does Temazepam Stay in the Body?
How long Restoril or Temazepam can be detected in your body depends upon a lot of factors like your body metabolism, weight, amount of body fat, hydration, how long you have been taking Restoril and the amount that you have been taking. The kind of drug test that is done is also another factor that detects how long it stays in your body. Detecting Temazepam in urine, blood, saliva, and hair for its presence in them show results like:
Urine: A therapeutic dose of Restoril is going to appear positive on a urine sample when it is tested. The presence of the drug can be detected when it has been used for up to six weeks before the test.
Blood: Restoril or Temazepam gets cleared out of your bloodstream much faster and it can be detectable for up to twenty-four hours only.
Saliva: Temazepam can be detected in your saliva for up to twenty-four hours or more depending on the amount taken and other factors.
Hair: Like any other drugs, Restoril can be detected in your hair for up to three months.
Conclusion
It is recommended to take Restoril or Temazepam only when you can stay in bed for six to eight hours to rest. Getting up and doing any work while on the medication can cause accidents due to the sedative effects of the drug. The drug must be strictly taken as prescribed to prevent getting addicted to or dependant on it.
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