Is it a good idea to start taking my valium on a fuller stomach

[[jo...]]

There is conflicting information on whether the potency of diazepam is reduced if taken on an empty stomach.

There was a post on here, an old post from someone who said, Roche, the original makers of diazepam say it is reduced by 27% if taken with food in your stomach.

I can't be bothered waiting for my stomach to empty and want to know, if I start taking it earlier, on a fuller stomach, will this be like taking a cut, even if I take the same amount dose?

Thanks

[[Li...]]

@[jo...]

Here’s what the currrent official FDA drug label for Valium has to say about food effects:

Clinical Pharmacology > Pharmacokinetics > Absorption

After oral administration >90% of diazepam is absorbed and the average time to achieve peak plasma concentrations is 1 – 1.5 hours with a range of 0.25 to 2.5 hours. Absorption is delayed and decreased when administered with a moderate fat meal. In the presence of food mean lag times are approximately 45 minutes as compared with 15 minutes when fasting. There is also an increase in the average time to achieve peak concentrations to about 2.5 hours in the presence of food as compared with 1.25 hours when fasting. This results in an average decrease in C max of 20% in addition to a 27% decrease in AUC (range 15% to 50%) when administered with food.

So yes, there does appear to be a food effect.  In your shoes, I’d check with a knowledgeable pharmacist (or even better pharmacologist).  However, I suspect you could mitigate the food effect via consistency in eating and dosing times (i.e. eat about the same amount/type of food at about the same times of day and take your doses at about the same times). 

[[Ja...]]

That’s good to know,.I’ve always ate before doses,.makes sense really,.if your dosing by the same time daily and eating it could mess up the timing a bit.

[[jo...]]

14 hours ago, [[L...] said:

@[jo...]

Here’s what the currrent official FDA drug label for Valium has to say about food effects:

Clinical Pharmacology > Pharmacokinetics > Absorption

After oral administration >90% of diazepam is absorbed and the average time to achieve peak plasma concentrations is 1 – 1.5 hours with a range of 0.25 to 2.5 hours. Absorption is delayed and decreased when administered with a moderate fat meal. In the presence of food mean lag times are approximately 45 minutes as compared with 15 minutes when fasting. There is also an increase in the average time to achieve peak concentrations to about 2.5 hours in the presence of food as compared with 1.25 hours when fasting. This results in an average decrease in C max of 20% in addition to a 27% decrease in AUC (range 15% to 50%) when administered with food.

So yes, there does appear to be a food effect.  In your shoes, I’d check with a knowledgeable pharmacist (or even better pharmacologist).  However, I suspect you could mitigate the food effect via consistency in eating and dosing times (i.e. eat about the same amount/type of food at about the same times of day and take your doses at about the same times). 

Thanks.

I understand that to mean that food just slows absorption, but not make withdrawal worse. Sorry I am still confused. How can withdrawal be worse on a full stomach if I am taking the same amount each day?