1. Diazepam is used to treat several conditions, most commonly anxiety, difficulty sleeping and muscle spasms.
2. The tablets can make you drowsy during the day and can slow your reactions. Do not drive if you feel sleepy. Alcohol may make the drowsiness worse, so do not drink alcohol while taking these tablets.
3. Other side effects which diazepam can cause include unsteadiness, muscle weakness, dizziness and confusion.
4. Problems can occur if diazepam is taken with some other medicines. Are you taking any other prescribed medicines or medicines you have bought?
5. If you have been taking these tablets for a long time but want to stop, talk to your doctor first. You may need to reduce the dose slowly so that your body has time to adjust.
This series of "advice tips" on commonly used drugs is written by pharmacists from the Sussex Pharmacy Academic Practice Unit. It is intended as a reminder of points to be made by pharmacists as they hand out dispensed medicines. The list is not intended to be comprehensive but to cover some important points. Cards for sale: Sets of the first 25 "tips" are now available for sale as 12 x 15cm cards, supplied with a ring binder, at a cost of £9.95. Orders should be sent to Pharmacy Practice Consultants, 12 Firle Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0NZ, with cheques payable to Pharmacy Practice Consultants.
By Carina and Duncan Livingstone
Other items in the series