Diazepam
About Diazepam
Diazepam belongs to a group of medications called benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms, and epilepsy/seizures/fits. It can also be used as a sedative during surgery or dental procedure. Besides this, it is also used to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms like agitation, tremor, or hallucinations. An anxiety disorder is a mental condition characterized by feelings of excessive fear or worry that affect an individual's daily activities.
Diazepam contains diazepam, which works by increasing levels of the calming chemical mediator known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain; this helps relieve anxiety, stops seizure attacks (fits) and relaxes the tense muscles.
Diazepam will be administered by a healthcare professional; do not self-administer. Sometimes, Diazepam may cause side effects, such as drowsiness, fatigue, confusion, unsteadiness, or dizziness. Most of these side effects of Diazepam do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Inform your doctor if you have lung disease, muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis), sleeping disorder, severe liver disease, or problems with alcohol consumption or other prescription recreational drugs. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not drive or operate machinery as Diazepam may reduce mental alertness. It is advisable to avoid alcohol after taking this medicine to prevent adverse effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating.
Uses of Diazepam
Medicinal Benefits
Diazepam belongs to a group of medications called benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms, and epilepsy/seizures/fits. It can also be used as a sedative during surgery or dental procedure. Besides this, it is also used to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms like agitation, tremor, or hallucinations. Diazepam contains diazepam, which works by increasing levels of the calming chemical mediator known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain; this helps relieve anxiety, stops seizure attacks (fits) and relaxes the tense muscles.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Diazepam
- Drowsiness
- Feeling sleepy (sedation)
- Light-headedness
- Unsteadiness, or dizziness
- Confusion
Drug Warnings
Diazepam is not recommended for people with hypersensitivity to diazepam, other related benzodiazepines or any components present in Diazepam, people with a phobia (a fear of a particular object or situation), difficulty breathing, porphyria (a disorder of the blood brought on by a buildup of specific substances connected to the proteins in red blood cells), liver impairment, muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis), open-angle glaucoma or acute narrow-angle glaucoma unless patients are receiving appropriate therapy. Inform your doctor if you have suicidal thoughts, difficulty concentrating, sleep disorders, depression, breathing problems, history of alcohol/drug abuse, arteriosclerosis (narrowing of the blood vessels), lung, kidney, liver or heart problems. Concomitant use of opioids and benzodiazepines may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Diazepam may interact with antidepressants (fluvoxamine, fluoxetine), antipsychotics (clozapine), antihistamines (cetirizine), general anaesthetics, sedatives, antibiotics (erythromycin, rifampicin), muscle relaxants (suxamethonium, tubocurarine), strong pain killers (morphine), medications to lower high blood pressure (moxonidine), diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide), nitrates (hydralazine), antacids (cimetidine, omeprazole), pills to treat chronic alcoholism (disulfiram), antiepileptic medicines (phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin, primidone), anti-HIV drugs (amprenavir, ritonavir), anti-Parkinson’s drug (levodopa), anaesthetic medications (ketamine), asthma drugs (theophylline), medicines used to relieve symptoms when you stop taking opioids (lofexidine) and medications used to treat nausea and vomiting (nabilone).
Drug-Food Interactions: Grapefruit, grapefruit juice and caffeine-containing food or drinks should be avoided as they can affect the working of Diazepam.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Inform your doctor if you have a phobia (a fear of a particular object or situation), obsessions (a personality disorder), breathing disorders, myasthenia gravis (muscle disorder), sleep apnoea syndrome (a condition where breathing stops for a short period of time when you are asleep), porphyria (a disease of the blood), liver impairment and arteriosclerosis (a narrowing of the blood vessels).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeIntake of alcohol can increase the side effects of Diazepam, like dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. In a few cases, people may also experience impaired thinking and judgment. Hence, avoid consuming alcohol while being treated with Diazepam.
Pregnancy
unsafeDiazepam is recommended in pregnancy if clearly necessary, Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or suspect pregnancy. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and potential risks before prescribing Diazepam.
Breast Feeding
unsafeDiazepam may not be recommended in breastfeeding as it may harm your infant. Inform your doctor if you are breastfeeding. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and potential risks before prescribing Diazepam.
Driving
unsafeDiazepam may cause a reduction in mental awareness, affect concentration and may cause dizziness. Hence, avoid driving after receiving Diazepam.
Liver
unsafeDiazepam is not recommended for use in people with severe liver disease. Inform your doctor if you have a history of liver disease or an ongoing liver problem. Your doctor may adjust the dose of Diazepam if necessary.
Kidney
cautionInform your doctor if you have kidney problems or a history of kidney disease. Your doctor may adjust your dose depending upon your kidney condition.
Children
cautionThe safety and effectiveness of Diazepam in neonates (30 days or less) have not been established. Your paediatrician will recommend this medicine based on the condition of your child.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Yoga, meditation, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction can help improve your mindfulness.
- De-stress by meditating, reading books, taking a nice bubble bath, or listening to relaxing music.
- Regular exercise can help reduce anxiety by generating endorphins and enhancing your sleep and self-image.
- Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
- Include a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
- Limit your consumption of alcohol, coffee, added sugar, salt, and fat.
Special Advise
- The use of Diazepam may increase the risk of misuse, abuse, and addiction. Therefore, before prescribing Diazepam and throughout the treatment, the patient's risk for misuse, abuse, and addiction should be assessed.
- Diazepam may cause withdrawal symptoms if treatment is stopped suddenly. Therefore, the dose should be gradually reduced to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Anxiety Disorder: An anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder characterised by feelings of excessive fear or worry that affect an individual's daily activities. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of anxiety and nervousness, involving excessive anxiety, fear or worry. Anxiety disorders can affect an individual’s job performance, school work and personal relationships.
Muscle spasms: Muscle spasms are sudden, uncontrollable movements of the muscle that can be unpleasant and painful. Muscle spasms can occur when the nerve impulses that regulate muscle action are damaged or disrupted. Symptoms include stiff joints, strange postures, trouble moving, and pain in the affected muscles and joints. Muscle spasms can be triggered by fatigue (weakness), stress, extreme heat or cold, infection, and tight clothing.
Epilepsy/seizures/fits: Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterised by seizures (fits) episodes. In this condition, a chemical change in the brain cells (neurons) leads to a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain, followed by sudden jerky movements of limbs or a part of the body.
Sedation: Sedation is a state of sleep, relaxation or drowsiness brought on by an external substance such as a drug. Sedation is the alleviation of irritation, anxiety or agitation by administering a sedative drug. It is generally carried out to ease the process of a diagnostic procedure or surgery.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: After a period of heavy drinking, someone who stops consuming alcohol may experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. The severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms might vary greatly. Symptoms could appear anywhere between two hours to four days after a person stops drinking. Symptoms include hallucinations, seizures, tremors, nausea, and migraine. Alcohol withdrawal frequently necessitates both medical attention and hospitalisation.
FAQs
Diazepam belongs to a group of medications called benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms, and epilepsy/seizures/fits. It can also be used as a sedative during surgery or dental procedure. Besides this, it is also used to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms like agitation, tremor, or hallucinations.
Diazepam works by increasing levels of a calming chemical known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This helps to relieve anxiety and stops seizure attacks (fits), and relaxes tense muscles.
Using Diazepam in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome (a condition where breathing stops for a short period of time when a person is sleeping) is contraindicated. So, it is advisable to inform the doctor if you are suffering from sleep apnoea syndrome.
Caffeine is a stimulant that may reduce the calming effects of Diazepam. So, it is advisable to avoid the intake of caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, cola or chocolate that contain caffeine. Avoid grapefruit juice as it may increase the amount of Diazepam in blood.
Diazepam usage is not recommended in people with hypersensitivity to diazepam, people with a phobia (a fear of a particular object or situation), difficulty breathing, porphyria (a disorder of the blood), sleep apnoea syndrome, acute narrow-angle glaucoma, and open-angle glaucoma unless the patient is receiving appropriate treatment.
