MovieChat Forums > Girl, Interrupted (2000) Discussion > Do sedatives and/or sleeping pills reall...

Do sedatives and/or sleeping pills really work THAT fast?!



I've been given a pill of Xanax before, and OTC sleeping pills, and the former works in about 20 minutes.
But the pills in this film seem to work in seconds! Is that possible?



"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

reply

It is possible that they work very quickly on patients who have never had them before. But, I agree with you. When Susanna was given the pill on her first night, it did seem to kick in in seconds.

reply

A neuroleptic (anti-psychotic) hits within about 10 minutes - possibly sooner for someone who has never taken the medication. COmbine a neuroleptic with sleeping pills and yeah, by the time you have walked down a long hall, you'll be stumbling and spinning.

reply

I haven't ever had a pill that kicked in that fast. Xanax or anything like Valium kicks in quickly (to cure the panic attack very soon) but it still needs to get in your blood stream and I think the quickest would b 5-10 minutes but for me it usually takes about 20 minutes give or take

reply

I am on Zimovane and it takes at least 30mins to kick in.

reply

Seconds is a bit much. I know after a few minutes for something like Saphris, I get tired--but probably 30 or so minutes until I get super drowsy. Klonopin is about the same time.


"I'll go,because I am Cinema!" - Ben (Man Bites Dog)

reply

[deleted]

Xanax isn't technically a sedative. It's a benzodiazepine, strictly for panic. It's the same with Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, whatever. Although it does make you tired and can put you to sleep, doctors don't typically perscribe them for sleep/insomnia. I take Ambien (10mg) for insomnia nightly and it normally takes about 15 minutes, maybe half an hour to work. And if you're not use to them, like Susanna, they'll hit you pretty hard.

reply

I think it depends on your weight, and your makeup (and I don't mean cosmetics). Different pills/meds work on people in different ways. I think it also depends on the dosage, and also whether or not the person is used to taking pills. For someone like Susanna, it would take probably take longer than what the movie showed since she was a drug user, and her body might be used to pills.

For me, I can take two extra strength Tylenol (500mg each), and I'm knocked out in about ten to fifteen minutes, in spite of the fact that I'm a very large woman. I don't like to take meds for sickness or really any reason, so Tylenol is a lot for me.



EMOTICONS ARE BACK! YAY!   

reply

I'm not sure...but when I was in a psych hospital, they gave me something to "settle" me for the first night. I felt really drowsy and fell asleep super quickly. From what I recall, it might have been a liquid...

If anyone started lashing out or tried to run they'd usually be tackled by guards and given a shot of something in the butt. Never happened to me, but I'm guessing it had to work pretty quickly if the idea was to stop a patient.

reply

No. Only an injectable medication would work that quickly. Even though she had never had this medication before it still has to be absorbed through the GI system and that takes 20-30 minutes. Once absorbed her response may be heightened if she was naive to the drug, but it doesn't happen any faster. That was just overly dramatized by the movie for effect. Your original time of ~20 minutes is more accurate.

reply