The Department of Transport website has more details. If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, you should let your doctor know this before taking diazepam.
Babies often do better when their mums are mentally well, so if diazepam has beneficial effects on your mental health, it may be best to continue taking it throughout pregnancy. Your doctor can help you weigh up the pros and cons. Taking diazepam during the last few months of pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in a newborn baby that include weakness and breathing difficulties.
Your baby may be less active than other babies, have a low body temperature, be floppy, or have breathing or feeding difficulties for a while. Diazepam is passed to the baby in breast milk. This may help counter any withdrawal effects but may also make the baby too sleepy and unable to feed. The good effects of diazepam may have a good effect on your sex life as your symptoms settle, you sleep better, and you can concentrate on your relationships.
However, diazepam has many side effects that might make you less able to take part in sports that need a lot of focus. These include feeling sleepy, blurred eyesight, being forgetful, muscle weakness and finding it difficult to concentrate. The good effects of diazepam may enhance your sporting performance as your symptoms settle, and you sleep better.
You may feel forgetful, very sleepy, and find it difficult to concentrate when you start taking diazepam. You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting diazepam. You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them. If they are more than a few weeks away, however, you might find that it is better to start diazepam to improve your sleep.
You need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with diazepam if any of the following apply to you:. People are not normally prescribed diazepam for more than four weeks as people can become dependent on it if they take it for longer. They may also get withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it. If you take diazepam for anxiety or sleep problems you will probably take it for two to four weeks, to get you into a new routine.
You will get the best effect from diazepam if you take it regularly at the dose prescribed by your doctor. If this is not written on the label of your bottle or packet, please check with whoever prescribed the medication or ask your pharmacist for advice.
Some people are prescribed diazepam to be taken a few times a day. If this is the case, choose times you can always remember to take the medication, such as mealtimes or when you brush your teeth.
Some people may only have to take diazepam for one day, for instance before they have an operation. Diazepam can be taken before or after food. Swallow tablets whole with a drink of water — if chewed, they taste bitter. If you forget to take it and you are coming up to the time of your next dose if it is four hours away or less , just take the next dose.
So, for example, do not take it if you have only got five hours left to sleep. If you forget to take your medicine for a few days, you may start to get some uncomfortable withdrawal effects, and you could get your old symptoms back. Stopping diazepam quickly may cause withdrawal symptoms. If you have been taking a high dose, you may feel confused or behave strangely for a short time.
Do not stop taking diazepam all at once. This could lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, including:. Your doctor will help you to reduce diazepam slowly over a few days at the end of a short course of treatment. Otherwise the symptoms you are being treated for may return more intensely than before rebound insomnia and anxiety.
If you have taken more diazepam than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed it to you, you must get medical help immediately — even if you do not feel any different.
Diazepam can make some people think about hurting themselves or taking their own lives. You must go straight to hospital with your tablets if you have any of these thoughts. Take your medication and a friend or family member with you to help keep you safe on the way. Take a friend or family member with you in case you start to feel ill on the way. You may feel tired, confused or clumsy; get strange movements of your eyes; or have problems with your balance, coordination or speech.
Your breathing could also become very slow or you could fall into a coma. If you have taken diazepam with street drugs or alcohol, you could get very serious side effects. Go to hospital immediately and tell doctors everything you have taken so they can help you. Diazepam can cause serious side effects: allergic reactions difficulty breathing, swelling of your face or throat, itching skin lumps , and other serious symptoms that you can find listed here.
Go to a hospital if you get any of these symptoms, taking your medication with you. Go to a doctor or hospital straight away if you get any of the following symptoms, as they might be part of an allergic reaction:. Like all medications, diazepam can cause some side effects, and in some cases they can be serious. Do not stop taking the tablets until you talk to your doctor, or you may get withdrawal symptoms. We use cookies We use cookies on this website to store user preferences, aid in accessibility and analyse our traffic.
Read our cookie policy. Accept all cookie usage. Update cookie preferences. Open guide menu Skip to guide menu. I am a young person I am a parent I work with young people. Open site search Open main navigation. View shareable links View Basket : 0 items. Guide Menu for Diazepam. Hide Show guide menu. It may be used as part of a combination therapy.
That means you need to take it with other drugs. Diazepam belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. A class of drugs refers to medications that work similarly. They have a similar chemical structure and are often used to treat similar conditions. Diazepam increases the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA , a special chemical that can send signals throughout your nervous system.
This will help decrease your anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures. There are additional effects that you should also be aware of. The following list contains some of the key side effects that may occur while taking diazepam.
This list does not include all possible side effects. For more information on the possible side effects of diazepam, or for tips on how to deal with a troubling side effect, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:.
The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. But be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. The standard dosage is 10 mg taken by mouth three to four times during the first 24 hours. This will be reduced to 5 mg taken three to four times per day as needed, based on withdrawal symptoms. Diazepam oral tablet is used for short-term treatment.
Never try to catch up by taking two doses at once. This could cause toxic side effects. If you take too much: Taking too much of this drug can cause depression of your central nervous system CNS. Symptoms include:. This may even be fatal.
You may be given the drug flumazenil to reverse a benzodiazepine overdose. This drug may increase your risk for seizures. Your doctor will regularly reassess your condition to see if diazepam is still appropriate for you to take.
This drug may cause more frequent and more severe seizures. If you suddenly stop taking diazepam, you may temporarily have more seizures. Taking it a second time after an allergic reaction could be fatal. It may stop your liver from processing this drug correctly, causing more of it to stay in your body for longer.
This may increase your risk for side effects. This drug can interfere with your judgment, thinking, and motor skills. It can also make you drowsy and cause your breathing to slow down or stop. Also, your body processes alcohol and this drug in similar ways. That means that if you drink alcohol, this drug might take longer to leave your body.
This may cause worse side effects. For people with kidney disease: Diazepam is removed from your body by your kidneys. If you have kidney problems, more of the drug may stay in your body for longer, putting you at risk for side effects. Your doctor may adjust your dosage and monitor you more closely. For people with acute narrow-angle glaucoma : Talk to your doctor if you have glaucoma. You may have a higher risk for becoming addicted, dependent, or tolerant to diazepam. For people with liver disease: Diazepam is processed by your liver.
Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to diazepam. If you are taking diazepam along with other medications to control seizures and have an increase in their frequency or severity, call your doctor.
Your dose of diazepam or the other medications may need to be adjusted. If you use diazepam for seizures, carry identification Medic Alert stating that you have epilepsy and that you are taking diazepam and other medications. Do not let anyone else take your medication. Diazepam is a controlled substance. Prescriptions may be refilled only a limited number of times; ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Generic alternatives may be available. Diazepam pronounced as dye az' e pam.
Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used? Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose? What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication? Brand names. Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow? Before taking diazepam, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to diazepam, alprazolam Xanax , chlordiazepoxide Librium, in Librax , clonazepam Klonopin , clorazepate Gen-Xene, Tranxene , estazolam, flurazepam, lorazepam Ativan , oxazepam, temazepam Restoril , triazolam Halcion , any other medications, or any of the ingredients in diazepam products.
Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Also, tell your doctor if you have narrow angle glaucoma a serious eye condition that may cause loss of vision. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take diazepam.
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