Short answer: Triazolam (Halcion) is a short-acting benzodiazepine sleeping pill for short-term insomnia, usually 7 to 10 days. It is a Schedule IV controlled substance. It can cause memory gaps and sleep-driving, and several common drugs and grapefruit juice can dangerously raise its levels.
Key takeaways
- What it is: Triazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine (hypnotic) and a Schedule IV controlled substance in the US.
- Main uses: Short-term insomnia.
- Timing: effects start in 15 to 30 minutes and last several hours (short-acting).
- Most dangerous mix: Opioids (oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, heroin), which can cause profound sedation, slowed breathing, coma, death.
- Naloxone: it does not reverse this drug, but give it whenever opioids could be involved.
- Dependence risk: High.
- Legal route: only with a prescription from a DEA-registered clinician, filled by a licensed pharmacy.
What is triazolam?
Triazolam is approved for short-term treatment of insomnia, generally 7 to 10 days. Use beyond 2 to 3 weeks needs a full reassessment.
Dentists sometimes prescribe a single dose to reduce anxiety before procedures, an off-label use.
Quick facts
| Fact | Triazolam |
|---|---|
| Generic name | Triazolam |
| Brand names | Halcion |
| Drug class | Short-acting triazolobenzodiazepine |
| US legal status | Schedule IV, prescription only |
| Approved uses | Short-term treatment of insomnia, generally 7 to 10 days |
| Forms | Tablets (0.125 mg, 0.25 mg) |
| Onset | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Half-life | 1.5 to 5.5 hours |
| Broken down by | CYP3A4 |
How long does triazolam last?
- Starts working: 15 to 30 minutes
- Effects last: Several hours (short-acting)
- Half-life: 1.5 to 5.5 hours
Its half-life is 1.5 to 5.5 hours, so it is largely cleared within a day.
Timing varies with the dose, the form, how it is taken, liver and kidney function, age, and other drugs taken at the same time.
What are the biggest risks of triazolam?
The FDA requires boxed warnings, its strongest, on triazolam products, including:
- Use with opioids can cause profound sedation, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
- Abuse, misuse, and addiction, which can lead to overdose and death, especially with alcohol, opioids, or other drugs.
- Physical dependence: stopping suddenly or reducing the dose quickly can cause life-threatening withdrawal reactions, including seizures.
Memory and behavior: triazolam can cause anterograde amnesia, confusion, and complex sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving, cooking, or making phone calls with no memory of them.
Rebound insomnia and daytime anxiety: because it wears off quickly, some people sleep worse after stopping or feel anxious the next day.
History: Halcion's licence was suspended in the United Kingdom in 1991 over concerns about psychiatric side effects. It remains approved in the US.
What should you never mix with triazolam?
| Combined with | What happens | Label guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Opioids (oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, heroin) | Profound sedation, slowed breathing, coma, death | Boxed warning; avoid unless no alternative |
| Alcohol | Deeper sedation, blackouts, slowed breathing | Avoid |
| Other sedatives (sleep medicines, gabapentinoids, muscle relaxants, antihistamines) | Additive drowsiness and impaired coordination | Use caution |
| Ketoconazole, itraconazole, nefazodone, HIV protease inhibitors | Large increase in triazolam levels | Contraindicated |
| Clarithromycin, erythromycin, diltiazem, verapamil | Higher levels and prolonged sedation | Avoid or lower dose |
| Grapefruit juice | Higher levels | Avoid |
Check any combination with the DoseUses combination checker or ask a pharmacist.
What are the signs of a triazolam overdose, and what should you do?
Triazolam overdose causes deep drowsiness, confusion, poor coordination, slowed reflexes, and coma. With opioids or alcohol, breathing can stop.
If someone may have overdosed
- Call 911 if the person is unresponsive, hard to wake, or breathing slowly.
- For advice when the person is awake and stable, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US, free, 24 hours).
- If opioids could be involved, including pills not from a pharmacy, give naloxone if you have it. Naloxone does not reverse triazolam, but it will not harm the person.
- Stay with the person and place them on their side if they are drowsy or vomiting.
What is triazolam withdrawal like, and how long does it last?
People who take triazolam regularly, even as prescribed, can become physically dependent within weeks. Its short half-life means withdrawal and rebound insomnia can start within a day.
- Hours to day 1Symptoms beginRebound anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, sweating, and tremor.
- Weeks 1 to 4Acute withdrawalPanic, irritability, muscle pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and in severe cases seizures or delirium.
- MonthsProtracted symptoms in some peopleA minority have lingering anxiety, poor sleep, low mood, or tingling that can last weeks to more than 12 months.
See the withdrawal timelines and the full triazolam withdrawal guide.
Is triazolam legal?
In the United States, triazolam is a Schedule IV controlled substance. The only legal way to get it is with a prescription from a clinician registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), filled by a licensed pharmacy. Depending on state law, that can be a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant.
- Refills: a Schedule IV prescription can be refilled up to five times within six months of the date it was written. After that, a new prescription is needed.
- Telehealth: federal flexibilities let DEA-registered clinicians prescribe Schedule II to V medicines after a telemedicine visit, without a prior in-person exam, through December 31, 2026. A permanent DEA rule was under final review in late 2026. State rules can be stricter.
- Monitoring: prescribers and pharmacists in most states check a prescription drug monitoring program, a database of controlled-substance prescriptions, before prescribing or dispensing.
Outside the United States
| Country | Status |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Class C; not licensed since 1991 |
| Canada | Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act |
| International | Schedule IV of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances |
Frequently asked questions about triazolam
Is Halcion still prescribed?
Yes, in the US, for short-term insomnia, though Z-drugs and orexin antagonists are more often used.
Why can't you drink grapefruit juice with triazolam?
Grapefruit blocks the enzyme that breaks down triazolam, raising its levels.
Does triazolam cause memory loss?
It can cause gaps in memory for events after a dose, especially at higher doses or with alcohol.
How long does triazolam stay in your system?
Its half-life is 1.5 to 5.5 hours, so it is largely cleared within a day.
Is triazolam used at the dentist?
Some dentists prescribe a single dose to reduce anxiety before treatment.
Sources
- Halcion (triazolam) prescription information, DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- FDA warns about serious risks and death when combining opioid pain or cough medicines with benzodiazepines, US Food and Drug Administration, 2016.
- FDA requiring Boxed Warning updated to improve safe use of benzodiazepine drug class, US Food and Drug Administration, 2020.
- Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering, American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2025.
- Controlled Substance Schedules, DEA Diversion Control Division.
- 21 CFR 1306.22, Refilling of prescriptions (Schedules III and IV), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
- Prescribing controlled substances via telehealth, US Department of Health and Human Services.
- BeSafeRx: Your Source for Online Pharmacy Information, US Food and Drug Administration.
This guide summarizes the sourced DoseUses Triazolam profile, written from FDA labels, DEA rules, and federal health agencies. It is educational and is not medical advice. Last updated October 5, 2026.
