Yes, Nitrazepam can get you high especially when more than the recommended dose is used for a long period of time. Patients with a history of alcoholism, drug abuse and personality disorders should be closely monitored since these patients may intentionally take more than the recommended doses of Nitrazepam to get “high”.

Yes, Nitrazepam is in fact used for short-term treatment of insomnia (trouble falling asleep). It shortens the time taken to fall asleep and lengthens the duration of sleep. It helps you to sleep but does not cure the underlying cause of your insomnia, which you should discuss with your doctor.

Do not stop taking Nitrazepam before consulting your doctor. Stopping the treatment suddenly may cause withdrawal symptoms which include a recurrence of sleep problems, depression, nervousness, extreme anxiety, tension, restlessness, and confusion. The withdrawal symptoms may also include mood changes, irritability, sweating, diarrhea, headache, and muscle weakness.

Treatment with Nitrazepam should be as short as possible. Generally, including the gradual reduction of dose (tapering process), the duration of treatment varies from a few days to two weeks and can extend up to a maximum of four weeks. Higher doses of this medicine are not at all recommended. If you take the medicine for longer than the prescribed duration of time, you may develop physical and psychological dependence and tolerance (higher dose required to have the same effect).

Nitrazepam works quickly. It takes 30 to 60 minutes to induce sleep following which the person may remain asleep for 6 to 8 hours. Therefore, it should be taken just before going to bed.

Taking high doses of Nitrazepam may cause mild or serious side effects. The mild symptoms of an overdose of Nitrazepam include drowsiness, mental confusion and tiredness. In more serious cases, you may develop inability to move, loss of muscle tone, fall in blood pressure, breathing difficulties, coma (loss of consciousness for a period of time) and very rarely death.

Nitrazepam belongs to the benzodiazepine class of medicines. These medicines are known as tranquillizers, which means they have a calming effect and make you feel relaxed. However, its prolonged use may cause some side effects like excessive drowsiness, reduced alertness, confusion, tiredness, etc.

Nitrazepam should be used with care in elderly people. Usually, the dose advised for aged people is half of what is normally advised. This means that the dose should be restricted to 2.5 or 5 mg. Since Nitrazepam relaxes the muscles, elderly patients should take extra care when they get up at night as there is a risk of falls and consequently of injuries including hip fractures.