I was preparing for a three hour long MRI. I visited my doctor to discuss the possibility of a sedative for the procedure. Unfortunately, due to my medical history of Substance Abuse, my doctor was skeptical about prescribing any sort of benzodiazepine. She was even nervous about giving me a barbiturate.
Chloral Hydrate
Encyclopedic
Encyclopedic
Typical encyclopedia coverage. Cross-reference for important decisions.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- PubChem toxicity data
Encyclopedic
Typical encyclopedia coverage. Cross-reference for important decisions.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- PubChem toxicity data
Aliases: Noctec, Somnos, Somnote, Welldorm, Mickey finn, chloral-hydrate, aquachloral
Summary
Chloral hydrate is one of the oldest sedative-hypnotics, first synthesized in 1832. It has a very narrow therapeutic window and overdose can cause severe respiratory depression, cardiac arrhythmias, coma, and death. Chronic use can lead to liver damage and rapid tolerance development.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 200mg | 200-500mg | 500-1000mg | 1000mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 20-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 2-6 hrs | 5-10 hrs |
| Rectal | 15-45 min | 1-2 hrs | 2-6 hrs | 5-10 hrs |
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Name
Chloral Hydrate
Unit
mg
Description
Chloral Hydrate Source: SubstanceSearch (substancesearch.com) Oral dose (mg): light 200 · common 200-500 · strong 500-1000 · heavy 1000+ Rectal dose (mg): threshold 250 Oral duration: onset 0.33-1h · peak 1-2h · offset 2-6h · total 5-10h · after-effects 24h Rectal duration: onset 15-45m · peak 1-2h · offset 2-6h · total 5-10h · after-effects 24h Note: ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription. Start low, go slow, and test your substances.
Tip: for quicker logging you can also add a Custom Unit in the app, e.g. common dose ~ 350 mg (Oral).
The app keeps custom substances simple, so the full dose ranges live in the description text above. Ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription.
Tolerance
Build-up
varies by mechanism; therapeutic tolerance may develop over weeks of regular use
Reset
typically days to weeks after discontinuation
Tolerance Decay
Half tolerance
3d
Baseline
~14d
Practical guidance: tolerance to hypnotic effects develops quickly (days–weeks) with regular use; partial decay occurs over several days off; avoid daily or near‑daily dosing to reduce dependence risk.
Effects
Aggregated from 10 Erowid experience reports
Positive Effects 3
Sedation
60.0%
70%
Stimulation
60.0%
70%
Anxiety Suppression
50.0%
70%
Adverse Effects 0
Community Trip Reports
Anecdotal first-person accounts from Reddit, Erowid, and Bluelight. Click a source to expand. Reports are harm-reduction context, not medical guidance. Tags summarise each author's own verdict — how reports are classified.
Erowid 6 reports 3 neutral 3 cautionary visit
I have always been enamored with the pharmaceuticals of the past. Leading me to study pharmacology in college. I had always heard stories of the 'holy grail' sedative/hypnotics such as Qualuudes, Placidyl, Seconal, Chloral Hydrate, etc.
I think I first heard about chloral hydrate in context with the death of Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith's death. I always planed to synthesize it because it seems like a pretty simple process and the precursors are not hard to get (bleach, alcohol etc) and also I thought it's pretty safe to use, because it's used...
[Erowid Note: The dose described in this report is very high, potentially beyond Erowid's 'heavy' range, and could pose serious health risks or result in unwanted, extreme effects.
I have severe insomnia. I have taken all the benzos including halcion, rophynol, versed, etc. I have tried all the non narcotic ones like Ambien, Lunesta, etc, Also some stronger sleep aids like sonata.
Chloral Hydrate Equals Tranquility While searching the vaults for info on this drug, I decided I ought to submit my personal experience since there isnt anything out here about it.
Bluelight 2 threads 2 neutral visit
Since there is so little info on this one beyond "it is better than benzos" or "its useless", I decided I'll document my experience with it last night. Apologies in advance for the berevity of the report.
I came across some crystalline chloral hydrate and dissolved about 200 mg in a half-cup or so of water. When I took a sip I immediately felt my face flush and my vision darkened a little. It's been about 15 minutes since then, and I've finished drinking it all.
Chloral Hydrate's nerd page
Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more
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Helpful Links
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