• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is diazepam?
Diazepam is in a group of drugs called benzodiazepines (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peens). Diazepam affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause anxiety. Diazepam is used to treat anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or muscle spasms. Diazepam may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of diazepam?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior;

• unusual risk-taking behavior, decreased inhibitions, no fear of danger;

• depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;

• hyperactivity, agitation, hostility;

• hallucinations;

• feeling light-headed, fainting;

• muscle twitching, tremor;

• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

• urinating less than usual or not at all.

Less serious side effects may include:

• drowsiness, tiredness;

• blurred vision;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• muscle weakness, lack of balance or coordination;

• slurred speech;

• nausea, vomiting, constipation;

• headache;

• drooling;

• skin rash; or

• loss of interest in sex.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take diazepam?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Do not crush, chew, break, or open an extended-release capsule. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

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What is the most important information I should know about diazepam?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to diazepam or to other benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene), lorazepam (Ativan), or oxazepam (Serax). This medication can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not use diazepam if you are pregnant. Before taking diazepam, tell your doctor if you have any breathing problems, glaucoma, kidney or liver disease, or a history of depression, suicidal thoughts, or addiction to drugs or alcohol.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect diazepam?
Before taking diazepam, tell your doctor if you take any other seizure medications, or if you are using any of the following drugs: cimetidine (Tagamet); a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate); medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), mesoridazine (Serentil), pimozide (Orap), or thioridazine (Mellaril);

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Diazepam has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category. An increased risk of congenital malformations in humans has been associated with use of diazepam in pregnancy, particularly during the first and second trimesters. Chronic use of diazepam in later pregnancy has been associated with neonatal withdrawal and a floppy infant syndrome. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Diazepam should only be given during pregnancy when there are no alternatives and benefit outweighs risk.

One case report has suggested that diazepam use during labor may cause neonatal apnea and hypotonia. In that case report, therapy with flumazenil rapidly reversed the hypotonia and apnea. One study has reported the distribution of diazepam in first trimester pregnancy. In that study women who were about to undergo legal abortion were given diazepam four hours prior to the procedure. Placental tissue samples revealed a diazepam penetration of 49%. Neither diazepam nor its metabolite N-desmethyldiazepam were detectable in the amniotic fluid. Physicians are encouraged to register patients before fetal outcome is known (e.g., ultrasound, results of amniocentesis, etc) into the Antiepileptic Drug (AED) Pregnancy Registry at 1-888-233-2334 or 1-888-AED-AED4. This is an ongoing study at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. This study is designed to monitor the outcomes of pregnant women exposed to antiepileptic drugs in order to determine which therapies are associated with increased risk.

Although reports have been conflicting, diazepam and its pharmacologically active metabolite n-desmethyldiazepam have been reported to have been excreted into human milk. Sedation, lethargy and weight loss have been reported in nursing infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes diazepam as a drug whose effect on nursing infants is unknown but may be of concern.

One report on concentrations in breast milk of medications used during general anesthesia has stated that diazepam and nordiazepam were not detectable in any sample of milk or blood. This report stated that the maximum possible infant exposure index for diazepam would be 3%. Therefore, the authors concluded that the amount of diazepam excreted into breast milk when used for general anesthesia does not warrant interruption in breast-feeding. Some clinicians feel that in cases where a benzodiazepine is required on a continuing basis and the mother feels strongly about continuing to breast-feed, a short acting benzodiazepine like oxazepam may be a safer alternative.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to diazepam or any ingredient in the formulation.
• Manufacturers state that diazepam is contraindicated in patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma, but may be administered to patients with open-angle glaucoma who are receiving appropriate therapy; however, clinical rationale for this contraindication has been questioned.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of diazepam can be fatal. Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, confusion, muscle weakness, fainting, or coma.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking diazepam?
Do not use this medication if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, or if you are allergic to diazepam or to other benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene), lorazepam (Ativan), or oxazepam (Serax). Before taking diazepam, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: glaucoma; asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), or other breathing problems; kidney or liver disease; epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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