Temazepam is a medication most commonly used for helping people deal with their sleeping problems. Basically, this drug acts as an intermediate 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine, assisting people who have problems falling asleep or staying asleep during the night.
However, there are other usages for this drug as well. For example, it can be used as an anticonvulsant and muscle and skeletal relaxant, due to its hypnotic and anxiolytic properties. If you desire to learn more about this medication, the lines below will inform you about its basic characteristics and side-effects.
Relieving Anxiety with Temazepam
As far as the use in regulating sleeping patterns is concerned, temazepam has shown great results in helping people stay asleep during the night. However, it has been known to disrupt the existing sleeping patterns. Nevertheless, it is officially considered to be a medication for chronic insomnia treatment and some other serious sleeping disorders.
Yet, this medication is not to be taken for more than two weeks, since one's tolerance to it decreases in time, potentially leading to dependence and side-effects due to higher dosages.
Temazepam affects special types of receptors found in the brain. These are called the GABA receptors, triggering the release of the GABA neurotransmitter in the brain, being the natural nerve-calming agents. This way, temazepam leads to relaxation, decreased anxiety levels and relaxed muscles.
Even people who sleepwalk can use temazepam in order to keep themselves in bed during ther sleep time. It increases the overall time spent in bed and decreased the number of awakenings during the night. Since it addresses you anxiety levels and decreases them, this medication makes it possible for you to sleep better and more relaxed.
Speaking of anxiety reduction and removal, besides relaxation techniques for anxiety one of the main helpful sources is temazepam. Namely, due to the calmness it can trigger, it is often used before surgeries or medical procedures, having a sedative effect on the patient who is about to undergo the medical process.
Keep in mind that this medication is known to trigger side-effects and problems when not taken according to your doctor's instructions. Do not keep taking it for longer than four weeks since stopping after this period can lead to the appearance of many different withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, depending on the time passed since you started taking temazepam, you are best to get off it gradually, decreasing the dose each day instead of stopping abruptly.
Also, bear in mind that elderly, weak or debilitated people, as well as those who have kidney or liver problems are advised to take this medication with caution, preferably after consulting with their doctor. The same goes for individuals who suffer from some diseases affecting the lungs and the airways and those who have a history of personality disorders or depression. Finally, former drug addicts or alcoholics are advised to practice caution before taking temazepam.
In order to prevent side-effects or some other health problems related to using this medication, people who are allergic to benzodiazepines, as well as individuals with respiratory issues, sleep apneas, muscle weakness, narrow angle glaucomas, long-term psychotic illnesses or phobias are not advised to take this medication. Additionally, pregnant women and children should avoid temazepam too.
Side-Effects with Temazepam
Some of the possible side-effects related to this medication are drowsiness and sedation, lightheadedness and dizziness, emotional numbness and impairment of alertness, weakness in the muscles, walking and coordination problems, confusion, blurred vision, slurred speech, breathing issues manifesting through slow and shallow respiration, urinary problems, headaches and gut-related conditions such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea or stomach pain.
In addition to all these hypotension, memory loss, libido changes, increased amount of saliva in the mouth, blood disorders and aggressive behavior and restlessness, combined with the appearance of nightmares, hallucinations or psychotic behavioral patterns were also related to tamezepam, even though such occurrences are very rare.
Therefore, in order to decrease chances of suffering from side-effects of tamezapam, one is advised to take this medication only before knowing that he/she will be capable of dedicating 8 hours to sleep. Usually, people experience the side-effects of this drug once they wake themselves up early or once they fail to fall asleep. Sometimes, again after taking temazepam and not sleeping enough, the individual may feel sleepiness and impairment of psychomotor and cognitive functions. During this time, if you notice any problems of this type, do not drive and be careful while moving, preventing any injuries such as hip fractures from taking place.
Temazepam is a drug mainly intended for helping people who suffer from anxiety and sleeplessness. However, it can also be used for many other purposes which are related to the two health problems mentioned above. Yet, it temazepam needs to be taken with caution in order for the side-effects related with its use to be avoided. Therefore, before taking the initial dose of this medication, consult with your doctor.
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