Triazolam Stats & Data

Measured binding and functional data for triazolam, curated by the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY. Each row cites the paper it came from. Lower concentrations mean tighter binding — a value in the sub-nanomolar range indicates a very potent interaction.

Reading this. pKi, pEC50 and pIC50 are negative log molar values, so a higher number means a tighter interaction; the concentration column converts them for you. Values from non-human species are laboratory measurements and do not translate directly to human effect. Receptor affinity is not a dose — it describes what a molecule binds, not how much of it is safe to take.

Receptor data from the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY (v2026.2), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Matched to this substance by InChIKey.

Triazolam was patented in 1970 and subsequently entered the pharmaceutical market in the United States in 1982 under the brand name Halcion. The drug gained widespread clinical adoption, and by 2017 it ranked as the 289th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States with over one million prescriptions annually. Following its market introduction, triazolam became the subject of regulatory scrutiny in several countries due to concerns about adverse psychological reactions, particularly at higher dose ranges. Some nations temporarily withdrew the drug from their markets, though subsequent review by the FDA and regulatory bodies in most other countries reaffirmed its safety profile when used at lower doses with appropriate clinical guidance and labeling. Beyond its primary indication for insomnia, triazolam has found particular utility in specific clinical and practical contexts. It is frequently prescribed to airline passengers as a sleep aid for short- to medium-duration flights. Additionally, the drug's pronounced amnestic properties have made it a common choice in sedation dentistry, where its ability to induce anterograde amnesia helps patients undergo dental procedures with minimal subsequent recall of the experience.

Benzodiazepines bind nonspecifically to bezodiazepine receptors BNZ1, which mediates sleep, and BNZ2, which affects affects muscle relaxation, anticonvulsant activity, motor coordination, and memory. As benzodiazepine receptors are thought to be coupled to gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA_A) receptors, this enhances the effects of GABA by increasing GABA affinity for the GABA receptor.

Effects aggregated from 33 experience reports (33 single-substance Erowid)

Each bar is the share of reports mentioning the effect; its whisker, and the band on the rows below, is the 95% interval: where the share could plausibly be with other reports of the same kind.

Dose distribution from experience reports, one dose per report (the first listed). Doses above Q3 + 3×IQR, far above what people typically take, are left out of the median and range and listed under each route: most are real heavy doses or overdoses, not mistakes.

From 21 of 30 recorded dose entries: those that state a weight (mg, g or µg), in routes with at least five of them. Values above Q3 + 3×IQR, far above what people typically take, are left out; they can include real heavy doses and overdoses, not only mistakes.

Most co-occurring substances, as a share of all 48 reports filed under Triazolam; whiskers are 95% intervals

Most common forms and preparations, as a share of the 41 reports that give one; whiskers are 95% intervals

Dose per kg of body weight, one dose per report (the first listed), from reports giving a weight of 30–250 kg. Doses above Q3 + 3×IQR, far above what people typically take, are left out of the median and range and listed under each route.

Redosing behavior across 44 reports