Can You Inject Halcion (Triazolam)?

Triazolam, better known as the brand-name medication Halcion, is a short-acting benzodiazepine primarily used to treat insomnia for brief periods of time.

Triazolam is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance in Ohio, meaning that it has the potential to be abused and generate physical dependence or addiction. 

While Halcion is primarily taken orally, there have been some reports of individuals choosing to crush and then inject Halcion in an attempt to increase its effects.

Injecting Halcion

While Halcion is most commonly abused through regular oral administration, it has also been reportedly abused in other forms, especially insufflation (snorting), rectal administration (plugging), and intravenous injection (shooting). 

To inject Halcion, the pills are crushed into a fine powder, mixed with water, and injected into a vein using a syringe.

Increased Bioavailability

These unusual methods of drug administration are thought to increase the bioavailability of the medication (the amount of the dose that produces an effect inside the body) and the speed and intensity of those effects. 

This can lead to a short-term but potent experience, and one that carries a very high potential for short- and long-term side effects and other complications.

Dangers Of Halcion Injection

In medical settings, triazolam can be specially prepared for injection safely. 

Halcion pills, however, are not intended to be injected and contain materials that are not safe to add to the bloodstream. Likewise, dirty needles and non-sterile water can introduce dangerous pathogens to the body with potentially devastating effects.

Adverse effects of triazolam injection may include:

• increased risk of side effects and adverse reactions
• high risk of overdose (especially if taken with other drugs of abuse)
• accelerated onset of triazolam dependence and/or addiction
• rapid onset of benzodiazepine dependence and addiction
• skin infections, abscesses and scarring at injection sites
• bloodborne disease transmission including HIV and hepatitis
• collapsed veins and other vein damage leading to obstructed blood flow
• endocarditis, a dangerous inflammation of the heart lining
• thrombosis, or formation of potentially lethal clots and blockages in the bloodstream
• stroke, heart attack, and premature death

Halcion Side Effects

As with other benzos drugs, including Xanax (alprazolam), Ativan (lorazepam) Valium (diazepam), Versed (midazolam), and Klonopin (clonazepam), triazolam produces its calming effects by enhancing the GABA neurotransmitter. 

Halcion abuse is associated with certain side effects, including:

• dizziness
• sleepiness
• memory loss
• depression
• anxiety
• agitation
• abnormal thoughts (including thoughts of suicide)
• hallucinations
• sleepwalking and other complex sleep activities

Risks Of Halcion Abuse

Halcion acts as a powerful CNS depressant and sedative-hypnotic with a duration of action of 3 or more hours. The medication can help people feel relaxed and relieve feelings of anxiety, tension, stress, or negativity

In high enough doses, Halcion may also make a person feel a pleasurable intoxication similar to that of heavy alcohol abuse.

Halcion Overdose

Those who abuse triazolam through injection are at an increased risk of overdose. These effects can be increased even more if triazolam is used with other central nervous system depressant drugs like opioids, alcohol, anesthetics, sleeping pills, and muscle relaxants.

As with other benzodiazepines, a triazolam overdose may involve symptoms such as:

• severe drowsiness or lethargy
• mental confusion
• impaired reflexes and reaction time
• motor impairment
• lax muscle tone
• slow or uneven heart rhythm
• changes in blood pressure, breathing, and body temperature
• coma

In especially severe cases, dangerous or life-threatening respiratory depression (slow or stopped breathing) may occur. Paradoxical reactions and other adverse effects have also been reported.

Halcion Drug Interactions

A number of other substances are also known to interact with Halcion, including sodium oxybate, mifepristone, ritonavir, St John’s wort, nefazodone and other antidepressants, azole antifungals, erythromycin and certain other macrolide antibiotics, HIV protease inhibitors, rifamycins, stimulant drugs, and others.

Halcion Dependence & Addiction

Halcion is prescribed only for short-term use, limited to 7-10 days in most cases.

Continued use of triazolam, or using it in higher doses, comes with an increased risk of physiological dependence, in which the body has adjusted to account for the effect of the medication and become reliant on it. 

Dependence may then lead to severe Halcion withdrawal symptoms when a person stops using the drug.

Halcion Addiction Treatment

Our expert clinicians at Ohio Recovery Center offer leading inpatient treatment services for benzodiazepine abuse and addiction, including detoxification, residential care, behavioral therapy, and ongoing aftercare support.

Please contact us today to learn more.