When used with other drugs, diazepam can raise the risk of significant or fatal respiratory issues, drowsiness, or coma. Inform your physician if you are currently taking or intend to take any opiate medications, including codeine (in Triacin-C, Tuzistra XR) or hydrocodone (in Anexsia, Norco, or Zyfrel) for coughing or codeine (in Fiorinal) for pain. Other opiate medications include fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Subsys), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo) (Conzip, Ultram, in Ultracet). Your doctor may need to adjust the dosages of your medications and will watch you carefully. If you use diazepam with any of these medications and you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care immediately: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, excessive sleepiness, slowed or trouble breathing, or unresponsiveness. If you are unable to seek treatment on your own, make sure your carer or family members are aware of any symptoms that may be serious so they can contact the doctor or emergency services.

There’s a chance that benzodiazepines will make you dependent. Never take a medication in excess of what your doctor has prescribed, either in terms of dosage, frequency, or duration. If you use or have ever used street drugs, consumed excessive amounts of prescription medications, or have consumed substantial amounts of alcohol, let your doctor know. During your treatment, avoid drinking alcohol and using illegal substances. You run a higher risk of developing these severe, sometimes fatal side effects if you consume alcohol or other illegal substances while taking diazepam. Moreover, let your doctor know whether you currently or ever experienced depression or any other mental condition.

Diazepam may cause a physical dependence (a condition in which unpleasant physical symptoms arise if a medication is suddenly withdrawn or taken in reduced dosages), especially if you take it for several days to several weeks. Do not stop taking this medication or take fewer doses without talking to your doctor. Quitting diazepam quickly can exacerbate your illness and create withdrawal symptoms that may continue for several weeks to more than 12 months. Your doctor probably will decrease your diazepam dose gradually. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor or seek emergency medical attention: Unusual movements, ringing in the ears, anxiety, memory issues, difficulty concentrating, sleep issues, seizures, shaking, muscle twitching, changes in mental health, depression, burning or prickling sensations in your hands, arms, legs, or feet, thoughts of harming or killing yourself or others, excessive excitement, or losing touch with reality are all signs that something is wrong.

Diazepam is used to calm agitation brought on by alcohol withdrawal and to reduce anxiety. It is also used in conjunction with other drugs to treat spasticity and muscle spasms brought on by a variety of neurological conditions, including stiff-man syndrome, athetosis, paraplegia, and cerebral palsy (a condition that impairs movement and balance) (a rare disorder with muscle rigidity and stiffness). To reduce seizures, diazepam is frequently prescribed in combination with other drugs. Diazepam belongs to the group of drugs known as benzodiazepines. It works by reducing the brain’s excessive overactivity.

There are three oral dosage forms of diazepam: tablets, solutions, and liquid concentrates. It can be taken with or without food and is typically taken 1 to 4 times per day. Ask your doctor or chemist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Administer diazepam as prescribed.

For measuring the dose, a specifically marked dropper is included with the diazepam concentrate. Ask the pharmacist to show you how to use the dropper. Just before consuming, dilute the concentrate in water, juice, or fizzy beverages. Just before consuming the dose, it can also be combined with custard or applesauce. For a few seconds, carefully stir the mixture. Take the entire mixture immediately; do not store it for future use.

If you are taking diazepam together with other medications to treat seizures, do not discontinue taking diazepam without consulting to your doctor, especially if you have side effects such as odd changes in behaviour or mood. If you suddenly stop taking diazepam, your seizures may get worse. Your dose will likely be gradually reduced by your doctor.

Ask your doctor or chemist for more details if you’re interested in using this medication for any other conditions.

Before taking diazepam,

• Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to diazepam, alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium, in Librax), estazolam, Flurazepam, Lorazepam (Ativan), Oxazepam, Temazepam, Clorazepate (Gen-Xene, Tranxene), Clonazepam (Klonopin) (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), any other drugs, or any of the components found in products containing diazepam. Get a list of the ingredients from your chemist.
• Inform your doctor and chemist about any vitamins, nutritional supplements, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs you are using. Incorporate any of the following: antihistamines; barbiturates such as phenobarbital (Luminal); fluoxetine (Prozac); digoxin (Lanoxin); cimetidine (Tagamet); disulfiram (Antabuse); isoniazid (Laniazid, in Rifamate, in Rifater), fluoxamine (Luvox), and ketoconazole; drugs for Parkinson’s disease, seizures, mental illness, anxiety, depression, asthma, colds, or allergies; monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), methylene blue, and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL); tranylcypromine (Parnate), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), and phenelzine (Nardil); muscle relaxants, phenothiazine drugs for nausea or mental disease, such as prochlorperazine (Compro, Procomp), fluphenazine, chlorpromazine (Compro), and promethazine (Promethegan); omeprazole (Prilosec); probenecid (Probalan, in Col-Probenecid); propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal, Innopran); ranitidine (Zantac); theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo 24, Theochron); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater); sedatives; sleeping medicines; sedatives or valproic acid (Depakene). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you have myasthenia gravis, let your doctor know (a disorder of the nervous system that causes muscle weakness), sleep apnea (condition in which a person briefly stops breathing many times during the night), or lung or liver disease. Also let your doctor know if you have narrow angle glaucoma, a serious eye disease that can result in vision loss. Most likely, your doctor will advise against taking diazepam. Infants under the age of six months should not be given benzodiazepines.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had heart disease, depression or another mental illness, seizures, open-angle glaucoma (increased internal eye pressure that damages the optic nerve), or any of these conditions.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Diazepam can cause pregnancy, so consult your doctor right once if it does.
• Describe to your doctor if you are nursing a baby. Do not breastfeed while taking benzodiazepines.
• If you are 65 years of age or older, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of taking diazepam with your doctor. Since it is less safe than alternative drugs that can be used to treat the same symptoms, diazepam should typically not be taken by older persons.
• Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking valium if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
• You should be aware that this medication might make you sleepy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this drug affects you.
• You should be aware that while taking diazepam for the treatment of epilepsy, your mental health may change in unexpected ways and you may become suicidal (thinking about harming or killing yourself, planning to do so, or trying to do so). One in 500 adults and children aged 5 and older who were treated with anticonvulsants like diazepam in clinical studies for a variety of conditions developed suicidal thoughts while on the medication. One week after they began taking the medicine, several of these folks started exhibiting suicidal thoughts and actions. If you take an anticonvulsant drug like diazepam, there is a chance you could experience changes in your mental state, but there is also a chance you could experience changes in your mental state if your condition is left untreated. You and your doctor will determine whether taking an anticonvulsant drug carries more dangers than not taking it. Any of the following symptoms should prompt you, your family, or your carer to call your doctor immediately away: mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood); talking or thinking about wanting to hurt yourself or end your life; withdrawing from friends and family; preoccupation with death and dying; giving away prized possessions; or any other unusual changes in behaviour or mood. panic attacks, agitation or restlessness; new or worsening irritability, anxiety, or depression; acting on dangerous impulses; difficulty falling or staying asleep; aggressive, angry, or violent behaviour. Make sure your family or carer is aware of any symptoms that could be significant so they can contact the doctor on your behalf if you are unable to call for help.

You should skip the missing dose and carry on with your regular dosing regimen if you take multiple doses throughout the day. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Diazepam could have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Muscular tremor
• Headache
• Mouth ache
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Confusion
• Having trouble urinating
• Excessive urination
• Alterations in sex drive or capacity

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you develop any of these signs or any of the ones detailed in the IMPORTANT CAUTION section:

• Lack of control over one’s body motions
• Body part shaking that is uncontrollable
• Muddled speech
• Respiration and heart rate were slowed

Further negative effects of diazepam are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your chemist or the garbage/recycling agency in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose symptoms could include:

• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Tiredness
• Slower heartbeat and breathing
• Loss of consciousness

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to diazepam.

Call your doctor if you are taking diazepam and other medications to manage your seizures and notice a change in the frequency or intensity of your convulsions. You might need to change the amount of diazepam or the other medications you’re taking. Carry identification (Medic Alert) that states that you have epilepsy and that you are taking diazepam and other medications if you use it to treat seizures.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. The drug diazepam is under strict control. Prescriptions may be refilled only a limited number of times; ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.