I was given a dose to sedate me slightly for a short procedure with no pain killers (other than lidocaine). The procedure was injections directly into the nerve roots in my spine. This is VERY painful, but with versed, it wont bother me a bit. So, about the actual drug.
Midazolam
Well-documented
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 5 ROAs with full dose ladders
- duration data present
- 27 combo interactions documented
- PubChem toxicity data
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 5 ROAs with full dose ladders
- duration data present
- 27 combo interactions documented
- PubChem toxicity data
Aliases: Versed, Hypnovel, Dormicum
Summary
Midazolam is a Schedule IV controlled substance in the United States and a prescription-only medication in most countries. It should never be combined with other depressants due to extreme risk of fatal respiratory depression. Users with liver or kidney impairment may experience prolonged effects and should avoid use or reduce doses significantly.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 2.5-5mg | 5-15mg | 15-30mg | 30mg+ |
| Intranasal | 3-7mg | 7-15mg | 15-25mg | 25mg+ |
| Intramuscular | 3-5mg | 5-12mg | 12-25mg | 25mg+ |
| Intravenous | 1-2mg | 2-4mg | 4-5mg | 5mg+ |
| Insufflated | 3-7mg | 7-15mg | 15-25mg | 25mg+ |
| Rectal | 3-7mg | 7-15mg | - | - |
Benzo Equivalence Calculator
mg
10.0
mg
Midazolam
=
—
mg
Diazepam
| Substance | Equivalent Dose | Potency |
|---|
⚠ These are approximate equivalences for educational and cross-tapering reference. Individual response, tolerance, and half-life differences mean actual equivalence varies. Always consult a healthcare provider for tapering guidance.
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 30-60 min | 30-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 1-2 hrs | 4-8 hrs |
| Intranasal | 5-15 min | - | 10-30 min | 1-2 hrs | 4-8 hrs |
| Intramuscular | 2-30 min | - | 30-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 4-8 hrs |
| Intravenous | 1-5 min | - | 5-15 min | 30-90 min | 4-8 hrs |
| Insufflated | 1-5 min | - | 4-8 hrs | - | 4-8 hrs |
| Rectal | 15-25 min | - | 4-8 hrs | - | 4-8 hrs |
Effect Profile
3 reportsScores (0–10) curated from multiple sources:
- Effect keyword matching from PsychonautWiki catalog
- Weighted by importance: core (×3), major (×2), minor (×1)
Benzodiazepine
6.7
Strong+
7/10
Strong anxiolysis with strong cognitive impairment, moderate euphoria, mild sedation
Anxiolysis
×3
10
anxiety suppression
anxiolytic
muscle relaxation
muscle relaxant
Sedation / Relaxation
×2
5
sedation
muscle relaxation
Motor / Cognitive Impairment
×1
9
motor control loss
cognitive impairment
amnesia
delusions of sobriety
Euphoria / Mood Lift
×1
6
euphoria
disinhibition
Based on reports from:
Tolerance
Build-up
develops over 1–4 weeks of daily use; hypnotic tolerance faster than anxiolytic tolerance
Reset
Falls after you stop, at a rate that varies from person to person. If you've been using regularly, cut down gradually with medical help rather than stopping suddenly.
No tolerance chart. Our decay curves for these drugs were estimates, and a curve can make tolerance look longer-lasting than it is, which is the dangerous direction.
How fast tolerance to these drugs fades after a break has not been measured well enough to draw, so don't count on a dose you used to take still being safe: after time off, start with a much smaller amount and don't use alone. Mixing sedatives with each other, with alcohol or with opioids sharply raises the risk of a fatal overdose. If you've been using regularly, don't stop suddenly: withdrawal from benzodiazepines, alcohol or GHB/GBL can cause seizures or delirium, so get medical help to cut down gradually.
Sources: FRANK: benzodiazepines · Alcohol and Drug Foundation: GHB · FDA 2020: benzodiazepine boxed warning · FDA 2019: gabapentinoids and breathing · NHS: alcohol use disorder
Cross-tolerance
Effects
Effect glossary — · full glossary
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
- Anxiety or panic
Positive
Negative
Combinations
Cross-Check Midazolam with another substanceCommunity Trip Reports
Anecdotal first-person accounts from Reddit, Erowid, Bluelight, and Dose.wiki. Click a source to expand. Reports are harm-reduction context, not medical guidance. Tags summarise each author's own verdict — how reports are classified.
Erowid 3 reports 2 neutral 1 cautionary visit
Benzodiazepine/Midazolam Dentistry I had to have 3 teeth out and as my roots are hard to shift by my dentist opted to have them done in hospital. I also get a bit anxious at the thought of having teeth pulled, due to previous bad experiences.' The drug was administered through a canulla in the back of my hand ...nothin...
I used versed when I was having some rough times in school (med school believe it or not) & thought I was going to harm myself if I didn't find a short vacation from stress. The alcohol wasn't helping anymore. This drug is fantastic for helping me relax, to stop obsessing, to sleep restfully... Wonderful.
Bluelight 2 threads 2 neutral visit
My first attempt to plug midazolam involved a total of 37.5mg, taken via took rectal syringes. It failed to bring me any effects that vaguely matched my expectations.
used my 5mg midazolam bc i was tripping over a painful ass piercing i was gonna get & needed some form of painkiller or distracter so fuck it. hit instantly, drip was disgustinggg, nose way burning more than anything i’ve ever crushed but it probably made it wayyy more bearable, deep high at first but shortly faded a b...
Midazolam's nerd page
Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more
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Helpful Links
Add missing routes to PsychonautWiki Journal
The PsychonautWiki Journal app already has Midazolam, but its built-in entry only covers Intravenous, Oral. Here are the other routes we have data for. You can't edit a built-in substance, but you can add a Custom Unit for any of these routes to log it.
⬇ Download import file
Import this file as custom substances
and you get "Midazolam (Substance Search)" with every
route's full dose ladder and timeline, no typing. Works on iOS and
Android (v15+); the format is confirmed by the app's
developer. The manual values below work for older
versions.
Custom Unit doses
- Intranasalcommon ~ 11 mg
- Intramuscularcommon ~ 8.5 mg
- Insufflatedcommon ~ 11 mg
- Rectalcommon ~ 11 mg
Dose & duration (reference)
Midazolam: routes the PsychonautWiki Journal app is missing Source: SubstanceSearch (substancesearch.com) Intranasal dose (mg): threshold 1-2 · light 3-7 · common 7-15 · strong 15-25 · heavy 25+ Intramuscular dose (mg): light 3-5 · common 5-12 · strong 12-25 · heavy 25+ Insufflated dose (mg): light 3-7 · common 7-15 · strong 15-25 · heavy 25+ Rectal dose (mg): light 3-7 · common 7-15 Intranasal duration: onset 5-15m · peak 10-30m · offset 1-2h · total 4-8h · after-effects 4h Intramuscular duration: onset 2-30m · peak 0.5-1h · offset 1-2h · total 4-8h · after-effects 6h Insufflated duration: onset 1-5m · peak 4-8h · total 4-8h · after-effects 1-12h Rectal duration: onset 15-25m · peak 4-8h · total 4-8h · after-effects 1-12h Note: ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription. Start low, go slow, and test your substances.
Custom Units carry a single dose per route, so the full ranges live in the reference above. A route's suggested dose is the midpoint of its common range. Ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription.
Report an issue or suggest an edit
Spotted incorrect or dangerous information, have a correction, a new study, or a useful addition for Midazolam? Let us know. Reports are reviewed by moderators — this is not posted publicly.