Temazepam

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Harshi Dhingra, M.D.

Last Reviewed: Oct 11, 2023

Warnings

Temazepam Risks, Warnings, and Complications

Temazepam can cause or worsen health problems in some people. Talk to your doctor about other treatment options for insomnia if you are at an increased risk of complications from this medicine. Some of the risks of temazepam use include:

SEDATION AND RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION : Taking temazepam with opioid medications, at higher doses, or for a longer time than prescribed can result in severe sleepiness, slowed or stopped breathing, coma, and death. The risk is higher if you take opioid medication. Give your doctor a complete list of your medications before starting temazepam. Seek emergency medical attention if you develop severe drowsiness or breathing problems while on this medicine.
DRUG ADDICTION: Temazepam can be habit-forming and has the potential for misuse and drug abuse. Your doctor will prescribe this medicine at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Tell your provider if you have a history of substance abuse or drug addiction in the past. Do not take temazepam without a doctor’s prescription for non-medical reasons. Do not change the dose, dosing frequency, or duration of treatment without your doctor’s approval. Avoid drinking alcohol while on this medicine. Drug abuse or misuse of temazepam can have serious, life-threatening consequences, such as difficulty breathing, overdose, and death.
DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL: Taking temazepam for a few days or a few weeks or taking it at a high dose can lead to a physical dependence on the medicine. Stopping temazepam thereafter can result in bothersome or potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, shakiness, sleep problems, unusual muscle movements, muscle pain, a racing heart, and seizures. Do not stop temazepam suddenly without talking to your doctor. Your provider will tell you how to slowly lower the dose if necessary.
COMPLEX SLEEP BEHAVIORS: Temazepam has been reported to cause complex behaviors during sleep. People have reported driving their cars, eating food, making phone calls, and having sex when they weren’t fully awake and having no recollection of these activities the next day. The risk of this happening is higher if you drink alcohol or take other medications that affect your alertness (for example, opioid drugs) while on temazepam. Call your doctor without delay if you experience these behaviors.
MENTAL HEALTH CHANGES: Temazepam can cause unexpected and sudden changes in mental health, including unusual aggression, outgoing personality, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there), confusion, feeling like you are out of your body, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, depression, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Call your doctor immediately if you develop any unusual mood or behavior changes while on temazepam. Your family members should know when and how to seek care if you are unable to do so yourself.
RISK DURING PREGNANCY: Temazepam is not safe to take during pregnancy. Research has shown that there may be a slight increase in the risk of birth defects if a pregnant woman takes temazepam in early pregnancy. In addition, the use of temazepam in late pregnancy can result in sedation, breathing problems, and withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy before starting temazepam.

Precautions Before Starting Temazepam

Tell your doctor if you have had an unusual or allergic reaction to temazepam, any of the active or inactive ingredients in temazepam capsules, other benzodiazepines, or any other medications. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.

Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. This can help avoid possible interactions between temazepam and your other medicines.

Give your doctor a complete medical history. Temazepam may not be right for people with certain medical conditions, such as lung disease, kidney disease, liver disease, seizures, mental illness, or substance use disorder.

Older adults should discuss the pros and cons of taking temazepam with their healthcare provider. There may be other safer treatment options for insomnia. Elderly patients generally require lower therapeutic doses of temazepam. Higher doses can cause serious side effects in older adults.

Tell your doctor if you are currently pregnant, could be pregnant, are planning a pregnancy, or are breastfeeding. Temazepam can be harmful to the unborn baby and newborn baby. It is unclear if the medication passes into breast milk.

Precautions During Use of Temazepam

Keep all your medical and lab appointments while on temazepam. Tell your healthcare professional if your insomnia does not improve or gets worse after a few days of taking this medicine. Do not change the dose, dosing frequency, or treatment duration without consulting your healthcare provider. Do not stop taking temazepam without talking to your doctor first.

Temazepam can cause severe drowsiness, dizziness, and blurred vision. Be cautious while driving and performing other potentially hazardous activities until you know how this medicine affects you. Alcohol can make side effects like unusual drowsiness worse. Avoid drinking alcohol while on temazepam.

Temazepam can cause daytime drowsiness, increasing your risk of falling or accidental injury. Be extra careful to prevent falls, for example, when you get out of bed.

Call your doctor without delay if you develop any unusual sleep behaviors or changes in mood, such as a depressed mood while on temazepam.

Tell all your healthcare providers you are on temazepam, especially before any surgical procedures, including dental treatments.

Tell your healthcare professional without delay if you become pregnant while on temazepam.

Temazepam Drug Interactions

Taking temazepam with certain other drugs can affect how both medicines work. Possible interactions between temazepam and other medications can increase the risk of serious adverse events. Your doctor may change the dose of your medications, switch you to another medication, or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known interactions between temazepam and your other medicines. Concomitant prescribing of temazepam with the following medications can result in drug interactions:

Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Heart medications such as digoxin (Lanoxin)
Medications prescribed to treat mental illnesses, anxiety, and seizures
Opioid medications (for example, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, morphine, codeine, methadone, and others)
Other medications with sedative effects, such as sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and skeletal muscle relaxants

The above list may not include all the possible interactions of temazepam. Give your healthcare professional a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, non-prescription medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

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