This medicine may cause some people, especially older persons, to become drowsy, dizzy, lightheaded, clumsy or unsteady, or less alert than they are normally, which may lead to falls. Even though temazepam is taken at bedtime, it may cause some people to feel drowsy or less alert on arising.
Temazepam is used to help people get to sleep. It is habit-forming and should not be used for more than seven to ten nights in a row.
Temazepam is a drug with a high potential for misuse. Benzodiazepines have been abused orally and intravenously. Different benzodiazepines have different abuse potential; the more rapid the increase in the plasma level following ingestion, the greater the intoxicating effect and the more open to abuse the drug becomes.
Temazepam works by acting on receptors in the brain called GABA receptors. This causes the release of a neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are stored in nerve cells in the brain and nervous system.
These are the most commonly used sleeping tablets in Australia and include temazepam (Temaze, Normison), zopiclone (Imovane) and zolpidem (Stilnox). They work by enhancing the activity of sleep pathways in the brain. They are recommended for short term use (less than 4 weeks). Melatonin (Circadin).
Warnings: Temazepam has a risk for abuse and addiction, which can lead to overdose and death. Taking this medication with alcohol or other drugs that can cause drowsiness or breathing problems (especially opioid medications such as codeine, hydrocodone) may cause very serious side effects, including death.
Temazepam should only be taken for a short period of time, which may be anything from 1-4 weeks. When it's taken at a low dose for a short duration, it's not likely to be addictive.
In the elderly, should prescription medication be necessary, the first-line treatment is nonbenzodiazepines (e.g., zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon, and ramelteon) as they have been found to be safer and better tolerated than tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines.
Both agents improved sleep efficiency and most subjective sleep measures relative to placebo, with zolpidem superior for five of six subjective outcome measures compared to temazepam.
Dosage and strength
Temazepam liquid contains 10mg of temazepam in each 5ml. The usual dose of temazepam for sleep problems is 10mg to 20mg, taken once a day. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a higher dose of 30mg to 40mg. If you're over 65 and at risk of falling over, your dose may be lower.
No matter which brand you are prescribed, temazepam works in the same way to treat sleep problems. In Australia, you need a doctor's prescription to buy temazepam.
Long-term use and misuse of temazepam can increase a person's risk of experiencing adverse effects, including physical dependence and an associated benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome when the medication is abruptly reduced or stopped.
It's not recommended to use temazepam for longer than 4 weeks. If you take it for too long it's possible that you could get addicted.
Does Temazepam cause weight gain? No, there is no scientific evidence to prove that the use of Temazepam is associated with weight gain. However, If you think that weight gain is probable, talk to your doctor and know if you can be on a lower dose or there are other options to maintain physical fitness.
Doxylamine is one of the strongest OTC sleep aids. It is an antihistamine. However, it is only suitable for short-term use. A person should contact a doctor and check that doxylamine is safe for them to use before taking it.
Benzodiazepines: Doctors prescribe benzodiazepines to treat insomnia or anxiety that is disabling, severe, and causing extreme distress. Diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and triazolam (Halcion) are examples of benzodiazepines.
Temazepam 10mg is approximately equivalent to diazepam 5mg. Temazepam is used short-term for the treatment of insomnia, and as pre-medication before minor surgical and investigative procedures. The dose is taken at bedtime (for insomnia), or half to one hour before the procedure (as pre-medication).
Hepatotoxicity. Temazepam, like other benzodiazepines, is rarely associated with serum ALT elevations, and clinically apparent liver injury from temazepam is extremely rare, if it occurs at all. There have been no case reports of symptomatic, acute liver injury from temazepam.
Descriptions. Temazepam is used to treat insomnia (trouble with sleeping). This medicine is for short-term (usually 7 to 10 days) use only.
Like many Benzo addictions, temazepam addiction is a serious medical condition which requires professional medical assistance. When you decide to quit abusing temazepam, especially after long-term abuse, you will experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
Following the ingestion of a benzodiazepine, short-term memory is not affected, but long-term memory is impaired. The memory loss may occur because events are not transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory and thus not consolidated into memory storage.
Kidney function: Kidney disease or reduced kidney function may cause this medication to build up in the body, causing side effects.
Adults—The usual dose is 15 milligrams (mg) at bedtime. Some patients may need 7.5 mg or 30 mg. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. Older adults—At first, 7.5 mg at bedtime.