Wednesday, March 27

Diazepam Side Effects You Probably Didn’t Know About


Dependence, depression or dysarthria are some of the effects that the use of diazepam can cause

Drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness, muscle weakness, headaches, dry mouth, nausea, constipation… These are some of the known side effects of diazepam, however, they are not the only ones. Diazepam, a drug that belongs to the group of so-called benzodiazepines, has tranquilizing, sedative, muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant effects. It is important to make it clear that it should only be taken if prescribed by a doctor. But if you already take it, we are going to show you other adverse effects that you may not have known about and what happens if the treatment is not used properly.

Prolonged use can develop dependency, experts say. Physical dependence (withdrawal or rebound phenomena upon discontinuation of treatment) may occur; and/or psychic. This mainly occurs after taking the medication uninterruptedly for a long time. To minimize the risk of dependence, they recommend taking it only under medical prescription, not increasing the prescribed doses and using lower doses in patients with respiratory failure.

The most unknown, perhaps, is dysarthria. It is an expression disorder that corresponds to an alteration in the articulation of words. It is attributed to a lesion of the central and peripheral nervous system, but it can also be caused by the consumption of some medications like this one.

Added to those related to the central nervous system are confusion, depression, headache, stuttering, tremors and vertigo.

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In the leaflet itself they distinguish it according to the system it affects:

Gastrointestinal System: Constipation, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances.

Special sensations: blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), dizziness.

Cardiovascular system: hypotension (low blood pressure).

Psychiatric and paradoxical reactions: stimulation, restlessness, states of acute hyperarousal, anxiety, agitation, aggressiveness, irritability, rage, hallucinations, psychosis, delusions, increased muscle spasticity (involuntary movements of the muscles), insomnia, sleep disturbances and nightmares . Inappropriate behaviors and other behavioral disturbances have been reported with the use of benzodiazepines. If this occurs diazepam treatment should be discontinued. Such reactions may appear more frequently in children and elderly patients.

Urogenital system: incontinence, alterations in libido and urinary retention.

Skin and appendages: allergic skin reactions.

Laboratory tests: increased transaminases and alkaline phosphatase.

Other: Changes in salivation, including dry mouth and hypersalivation.

Anterograde amnesia (recent memory disorder) may develop when using therapeutic doses, the risk being greater with increasing dose. Amnestic effects can be associated with inappropriate behaviors.

Minor electroencephalogram changes have been observed in patients receiving and after treatment with diazepam. These changes are of unknown significance.

Cases of neutropenia (decrease in the number of neutrophils) and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes) have been reported, so periodic blood tests and liver function tests are recommended for long-term therapy.

what is diazepam for

Diazepam has tranquilizing, sedative, muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant effects. It belongs to the group of drugs called benzodiazepines and doctors prescribe it to people who have symptoms of anxiety, agitation and mental tension caused by psychoneurotic states and transient situational disorders. Benzodiazepines are only indicated for the treatment of an intense disorder that limits your activity or subjects you to a situation of significant stress.

It may also be useful for the relief of symptoms of acute agitation, tremor, and hallucinations in patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Diazepam contributes to the relief of muscle pain caused by spasms or inflammation of muscle or joints, trauma. It can also be used to combat spasms caused by diseases such as cerebral palsy and paraplegia, as well as in athetosis (continuous, involuntary, slow and extravagant movements of fingers and hands) and in generalized rigidity syndrome.

It can be used as an adjunctive treatment for seizure disorders, but has not been shown to be useful as a sole treatment. In

Benzodiazepines are not recommended for the first-line treatment of psychotic illness. They should not be used alone for the treatment of anxiety associated with depression (risk of suicide).


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