Generic Name: diazepam
Brand Names: Valium, Diastat Acudial, Diastat, Diazepam Intensol
Discontinued Brand Names: Dizac, Qpam, Valrelease
Drug Class: Anxiolytics, Benzodiazepines, Anticonvulsants, Benzodiazepines
What is diazepam, and what is it used for?
Diazepam is a prescription oral medication that is used to treat anxiety. Diazepam also is used for the treatment of agitation, tremors, delirium, seizures, and hallucinations resulting from alcohol withdrawal. It is used for the treatment of seizures, relief of muscle spasms in some neurological diseases, and for sedation during surgery.
It belongs to the benzodiazepine family of drugs, the same family that includes:- alprazolam (Xanax)
- clonazepam (Klonopin)
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- flurazepam (Dalmane)
Diazepam and other benzodiazepines act by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter (a chemical that nerve cells use to communicate with each other) that inhibits activity in the brain. It is believed that excessive activity in the brain may lead to anxiety or other psychiatric disorders.
The FDA approved diazepam in November 1963.
Is diazepam addictive?
WARNING
Diazepam can lead to addiction (dependency), especially when higher dosages are used over prolonged periods of time. In patients addicted to diazepam or after prolonged use, abrupt discontinuation may cause symptoms of withdrawal such as:
Seizures can occur in more severe cases of withdrawal. Therefore, after extended use, diazepam should be slowly tapered under a doctor's supervision rather than abruptly stopped.
QUESTION
Panic attacks are repeated attacks of fear that can last for several minutes. See AnswerWhat are the side effects of diazepam?
The most common side effects of diazepam are:
Other important side effects include:
- Paradoxical reactions with excitability
- Muscle spasm
- Lack of sleep
- Rage
- Confusion
- Speech problems
- Double vision
Possible serious side effects:
- Respiratory depression
- Neutropenia
- Depression
What is the dosage for diazepam?
- Diazepam may be taken with or without food.
- Diazepam is disposed of by the liver and excreted mainly by the kidney. Dosages of diazepam may need to be lowered in patients with abnormal kidney function.
- The usual oral diazepam dose for anxiety or seizures is 2-10 mg given 2-4 times daily.
- The usual rectal dose is 0.2-0.5 mg/kg and depends on the age of the patient.
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Which drugs interact with diazepam?
Alcohol or medications that cause sedation may add to the sedative effects of diazepam. Patients taking benzodiazepines should avoid such combinations.
The following drugs may prolong the effects of diazepam by inhibiting liver enzymes that eliminate diazepam:
- cimetidine (Tagamet)
- ketoconazole (Nizoral)
- itraconazole (Sporanox)
- omeprazole (Prilosec, Rapinex)
- erythromycin
- clarithromycin (Biaxin)
- darunavir (Prezista)
- fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- fluoxetine (Prozac)
Dosages may need to be decreased when these drugs are used with diazepam.
Carbamazepine (Tegretol), rifampin (Rifadin), and St. John's Wort decrease levels of diazepam by increasing the elimination of diazepam by liver enzymes.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Benzodiazepines, including diazepam, can cause fetal abnormalities and should not be used during pregnancy.
- Diazepam is excreted in breast milk and can affect nursing infants. Therefore, diazepam should not be used by women who are nursing.
What else should I know about diazepam?
What preparations of Valium (diazepam) are available?
- Tablets: 2, 5 and 10 mg.
- Oral Solution: 1 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml.
- Injection Solution: 5 mg/ml.
- Intramuscular Device: 10 mg/2 ml.
- Rectal Gel: 2.5, 10 and 20 mg.
How should I keep Valium (diazepam) stored?
- Diazepam should be stored at room temperature, 15 C to 30 C (59 F to 86 F).
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Summary
Diazepam is a drug prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders; and agitation, tremors, delirium, seizures, and hallucinations that result from alcohol withdrawal. Diazepam can lead to addiction (dependency), especially when higher dosages are used over prolonged periods of time. The most common side effects of diazepam are drowsiness, fatigue, diarrhea, rash, euphoria, and ataxia (loss of balance). Do not use diazepam if pregnant or breastfeeding.
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Muscle Cramps
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Inner Ear Infection
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Stress
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Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
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Restless Leg Syndrome
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Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
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Meniere's Disease
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Brief Psychotic Disorder
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Can a Parent Cause Anxiety in a Child?
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Separation Anxiety
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Is Picking at Your Skin a Symptom of Anxiety?
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What Causes Myoclonic Seizures in Babies?
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Phobias
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Can Stress and Anxiety Cause Schizophrenia?
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Can the Vagus Nerve Cause Seizures?
The vagus nerve is an important pathway to the brain in addition to helping to control seizures. Stimulation of the vagus nerve leads to the discharge of electrical energy into a wide area of the brain, disturbing the abnormal brain activity that causes seizures. The vagus nerve is used to treat seizures that do not respond to medications.
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What Parenting Styles Cause Anxiety?
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Febrile Seizures
Febrile seizures, or convulsions caused by fever, can be frightening in small children or infants. However, in general, febrile seizures are harmless. Febrile seizure is not epilepsy. It is estimated that one in every 25 children will have at least one febrile seizure. It is important to know what to do to help your child if he/she has a febrile seizure. Some of the features of a febrile seizure include losing consciousness, shaking, moving limbs on both sides of the body, and lasts 1-2 minutes. Less commonly, a febrile seizure may only affect one side of the body.
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Which Color Light Helps Anxiety?
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Agoraphobia
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Seizure vs. Seizure Disorders: What's the Difference?
Seizures and seizure disorders are not the same medical problems. A seizure happens when the electrical activity in the brain is uncontrolled. There are about 40 different types of seizure disorders, in which epilepsy is one. Symptoms depend on the type of disorder, but can include loss of consciousness, uncontrolled twitching or shaking of one side, or the entire body.
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Does Delirium Go Away?
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What Is a Cluster Seizure?
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How Do You Stop Anxiety Attacks?
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What Are the Root Causes of Anxiety and Depression?
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What Is the Difference Between a Panic Attack and an Anxiety Attack?
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Can a Person With Anxiety Live a Normal Life?
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What Are the Six Types of Anxiety Disorders?
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Is Anxiousness the Same as Anxiety?
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Can You Self-diagnose Anxiety?
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How Does a Person With Anxiety Feel?
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Is Valerian Root Good for Anxiety?
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How Does Anxiety Affect You Physically?
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What Does an Anxiety Attack Feel Like?
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Holiday Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
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What Does Anxiety Do to Your Body?
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What Is the 3-3-3 Rule for Anxiety?
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Is Trichotillomania an Anxiety Disorder?
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Epilepsy and Seizures: How to Treat?
A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder where brain activities are abnormal, causing more than one or recurrent episodes of seizures. Most cases of seizures can be managed conservatively with medication and supportive treatments.
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Job Stress and Your Health
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How Do Seizures Differ From Epilepsy and Convulsion?
You can have a seizure without epilepsy, but you can’t have epilepsy without seizures. Convulsions are a type of seizure that causes involuntary shaking.
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Can Stress and Anxiety Hurt My Baby?
Research indicates that stress and anxiety in pregnant women may influence the health of the baby and result in several birth problems.
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What Do Seizures Feel Like?
If you have a seizure, you may feel strange, notice unusual smells, experience tingling, see flashing lights, or start hallucinating.
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What Are the Different Types of Seizures?
A seizure is a sudden change in the brain's normal electrical activity. During a seizure, brain cells fire uncontrollably than their normal rate, temporarily affecting the way a person behaves, moves, thinks, or feels. Recurrent seizures are called epilepsy. Seizures are usually categorized into three types depending on their onset.
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What Are 6 Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders?
Anxiety disorders have an impact on one's behavior, thoughts, emotions, and physical health. The six major symptoms of anxiety disorders include worrying incessantly and excessively for no apparent reason; fear of any social or performance-related situations in which one may be subjected to scrutiny from others; irrational fear of an object or location; flashbacks, nightmares, and subsequent anxiety due to exposure to a highly traumatic event in the past; cleaning and rearranging things and objects around excessively and repetitively; and repeated panic attacks.
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What Triggers Tonic Seizures?
Tonic seizures may result from a variety of health conditions, such as brain tumors and head injuries. Learn all the potential triggers for epilepsy now.
-
What Triggers Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition that is characterized by extreme anxiety and fear of social settings. People with social anxiety disorder have a constant, intense, persistent fear of being watched, judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in a social situation.
-
Do Seizures Come in Clusters?
Yes, seizures can come in clusters. The term seizure clusters is used when three or more seizures that occur within 24 hours (or within six hours as defined in some studies).
-
How Do You Stop Multiple Seizures?
Seizures are a medical emergency. Whether the seizure is a first-time onset or a recurring episode, it is advisable to dial 911 and call for help. A group of drugs called benzodiazepines is usually administered to stop multiple seizures.
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What Is the Best Test for Anxiety?
Screening for anxiety can help detect mental health problems early and ensure that you receive timely treatment. Learn about the best tests for assessing anxiety levels and how anxiety relates to anxiety disorders. Check out the center below for more medical references on anxiety, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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What Are the 5 Symptoms of Anxiety?
Learn the 5 most common types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms below.
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Is Psoriasis Linked to Anxiety?
Like other chronic conditions, psoriasis can take a toll on your emotional health. Anxiety can trigger or worsen psoriasis, and psoriasis can cause anxiety.
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What Is the Main Cause of Anxiety?
Anxiety is usually caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors that may include stress, trauma, family history, and underlying health conditions.
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What Is Anxiety Mostly About?
Anxiety is a natural response to stress or danger that alerts us of potential threats. Check out the center below for more medical references on anxiety, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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Can Anxiety Give You a Stomachache?
Anxiety triggers the release of cortisol, which can cause your stomach to produce more acid and give you a stomachache. Learn about how to cope with anxiety symptoms.
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How Can I Help My Young Child With Anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal part of daily life, even for children. Help your young child with anxiety by giving the feeling a label, validating their feelings, tracking causes of anxiety, and using other methods.
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What Does Social Anxiety Feel Like?
People affected by social anxiety or social phobia often feel intense fear or anxiety of being judged or criticized while being in a social situation.
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What Is the Best Treatment for Anxiety?
The best treatment for anxiety is typically a combination of psychotherapy and medication. However, lifestyle modifications can also help manage symptoms.
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What Is the Main Cause of a Seizure?
Although the main cause of a seizure is usually epilepsy, seizures can occur due to anything that interrupts the normal communication between brain cells. Learn about common causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Check out the center below for more medical references on epilepsy, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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What Causes a Seizure?
A seizure is caused by disruptions in the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain. Check out the center below for more medical references on seizures, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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What Symptoms Are Caused by Anxiety?
It's normal to feel stressed or worried about things that happen in our everyday lives. However, people who experience anxiety disorders often feel heightened fear or worry about common situations.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Shaking Hands (Hand Tremors)
- Hallucinations
- Alcohol Withdrawal
- Tremors
- Cerebral Palsy
- Anxiety
- Delirium
- Muscle Cramps
- Dizziness
- Seizure (Epilepsy)
- Vertigo
- Aggression
- Inner Ear Infection (Otitis Interna)
- Stiff-Person Syndrome
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Dystonia
- Doctor: Checklist to Take To Your Doctor's Appointment
- Illness Anxiety Disorder (Hypochondria)
- Benign Positional Vertigo
- Agoraphobia
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Anxiety Treatment with Virtual Reality Exposure
- Anxiety: Facing Fear and Anxiety -- Jonathan Davidson, MD
- Epilepsy: Silencing the Seizures
- Anxiety, Panic, and Phobias: Seeking Help
- Epilepsy and Seizures FAQs
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder FAQs
- Stress FAQs
- Restless Leg Syndrome RLS FAQs
- Prescription Drug Abuse
- Trouble Sleeping? Insomnia May Be Why
- 10 Tips to Avoid Insomnia and Get a Good Night's Sleep
- Drugs: The Most Common Medication Errors
- Seizures: When the Computer Goes Haywire
- Medication Disposal
- Dangers of Mixing Medications
- Propofol (Diprivan) Safety
- How To Reduce Your Medication Costs
- Pharmacy Visit, How To Get The Most Out of Your Visit
- Indications for Drugs: Approved vs. Non-approved
- Seizure Symptoms: How to Assist the Victim
- Drugs: Buying Prescription Drugs Online Safely
- Hot Flashes: Anxiety Worsens Hot Flashes
- Grapefruit Juice and Drug Interactions
- Generic Drugs, Are They as Good as Brand-Names?
Medications & Supplements
- Benzodiazepines
- diazepam - rectal, Diastat
- diazepam - oral, Valium
- diazepam - injection, Valium
- Drugs: Questions to Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist about Your Drugs
- Anxiolytics (for Anxiety) Drug Class Side Effects
- Drug Interactions
- lorazepam
- alprazolam
- clonazepam
- What Are the Side Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs?
- Side Effects of Valium (diazepam)
- temazepam (Restoril)
- triazolam (Halcion)
- dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera)
- teriflunomide (Aubagio)
Prevention & Wellness
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Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.