diazepam at a glance
Medicine class
Benzodiazepine with anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and muscle-relaxant effects.
Available forms
Selected UK products include tablets, oral suspension, injection and single-use rectal solution.
Alcohol
Avoid alcohol because it can markedly increase sedation and breathing problems.
Driving
Do not drive, cycle or operate machinery if diazepam causes sleepiness, poor concentration or impaired coordination.
What is diazepam used for?
Licensed uses differ by product and route. Uses across the selected UK products include:
Severe, disabling anxiety, including anxiety associated with insomnia.
Acute seizures, status epilepticus, febrile convulsions and some convulsions caused by poisoning.
Muscle spasm, tetanus and selected cases of cerebral spasticity.
Symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal, including agitation associated with delirium tremens.
Sedation, anxiety relief or premedication before surgery, dental work and certain investigations.
Selected childhood indications, including premedication, cerebral spasticity and, for the oral suspension, night terrors and sleepwalking.
How does diazepam work?
Diazepam enhances signalling by GABA, the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter, at benzodiazepine-sensitive GABA receptors. This dampens neuronal activity, producing anxiety-relieving, anticonvulsant, sedative and muscle-relaxant effects.
diazepam preparations and strengths
Oral suspension
Route: Oral
Strengths: 2 mg/5 mL
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg
Enema
Route: Rectal
How to take diazepam
Use diazepam exactly as directed for the prescribed formulation. Do not stop regular treatment suddenly without prescriber guidance.
Swallow tablets with water; they may be taken with or without food.
Shake the oral suspension well before use.
Rectal tubes are single-use and should be administered according to the supplied instructions and individual emergency plan.
Diazepam injection is administered by trained healthcare professionals with appropriate observation.
Avoid alcohol and grapefruit juice while taking diazepam.
diazepam side effects
Common or expected effects
- Sleepiness, tiredness or reduced alertness
- Dizziness, confusion or headache
- Poor coordination, tremor or muscle weakness
- Low blood pressure
- Impaired memory or emotional blunting
Get urgent medical advice
- Slow, shallow or difficult breathing, particularly with opioids, alcohol or other sedatives
- Severe allergic reaction with breathing difficulty or swelling of the face, tongue or throat
- Extreme drowsiness, collapse or inability to wake
- Severe agitation, aggression, hallucinations or other paradoxical behaviour
- Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
- Seizures or severe confusion after abrupt withdrawal
diazepam in pregnancy
Diazepam is generally avoided during pregnancy unless a prescriber decides there is a compelling clinical reason. Prescriber or specialist review is particularly important early in pregnancy and near delivery. Later exposure may cause newborn drowsiness, low muscle tone, breathing or feeding problems, or withdrawal. Do not stop prescribed diazepam abruptly on discovering a pregnancy; contact the prescriber promptly.
diazepam while breastfeeding
Diazepam passes into breast milk, and its long persistence creates a risk of accumulation in the infant. It may be used cautiously after individual assessment, with monitoring for unusual sleepiness, slow breathing, poor feeding and adequate weight gain. Prolonged exposure is preferably avoided where a suitable alternative exists.
diazepam interactions
Check all prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal medicines because diazepam has important sedative and metabolic interactions.
Opioids, including morphine, oxycodone, codeine and fentanyl
Additive central nervous system depression can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma or death.
Alcohol
Markedly increases sedation, impaired coordination and the risk of respiratory depression.
Other sedatives, including sedating antihistamines, antipsychotics, anaesthetics and some antidepressants
May increase sleepiness, impaired performance and cardiorespiratory depression.
Common questions about diazepam
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Can diazepam cause addiction or dependence?
Yes. Dependence and addiction can occur, with risk increasing through continued exposure and in people with a history of alcohol or drug misuse.
Can I stop diazepam suddenly?
Do not stop regular diazepam suddenly unless urgent medical care directs otherwise. Abrupt withdrawal can cause severe anxiety, insomnia, confusion, hallucinations or seizures, so discontinuation should be prescriber-led.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.