diazepam (injection)

Skip to the navigation

Pronunciation: dye AZ e pam

Brand: Valium, Zetran

What is the most important information I should know about diazepam?

You should not receive this medicine if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, or untreated open-angle glaucoma.

Using diazepam with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous or life-threatening side effects. Tell your doctor if you regularly use a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, prescription cough medicine, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Do not drink alcohol shortly after receiving diazepam injection. Dangerous side effects or death could occur.

What is diazepam?

Diazepam is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peen). Diazepam affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with certain conditions.

Diazepam injection is used to treat anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or muscle spasms. Diazepam injection is also used to treat a seizure emergency called status epilepticus.

Diazepam injection is sometimes used as a sedative to help you relax before having surgery or other medical procedure.

Diazepam may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving diazepam?

You should not be treated with diazepam if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

  • narrow-angle glaucoma; or
  • untreated open-angle glaucoma.

To make sure diazepam is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • a history of glaucoma;
  • asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), or other breathing problems;
  • kidney or liver disease;
  • a history of mental illness, depression, or suicidal thoughts or behavior;
  • heart disease; or
  • if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or narcotic (opioid) medications.

Diazepam can cause birth defects in an unborn baby, and generally should not be used during pregnancy. However, status epilepticus is a life-threatening condition and the benefit of receiving this medicine to treat it may outweigh any risk to the unborn baby.

Diazepam can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

In an emergency situation, it may not be possible before you are treated with diazepam to tell your caregivers if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Make sure any doctor caring for your pregnancy or your baby knows you have received this medication.

How is diazepam injection given?

Diazepam is injected into a muscle, or into a vein through an IV. You will receive this injection in a medical or surgical setting. Diazepam injection is for short-term use only.

Diazepam injection is usually given as a single dose just before a surgery or medical procedure. For other conditions, this medicine is usually given until you are able to take medicine by mouth.

You may need to receive only one dose of diazepam if your condition improves after the medicine is given.

When injected into a vein, diazepam must be given slowly. Tell your caregivers if you feel any burning, pain, or swelling around the IV needle when this medicine is injected.

After treatment with diazepam injection, you will be watched to make sure the medication is working and does not cause harmful side effects.

Your breathing, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs will be watched closely while you are in surgery.

Diazepam can make you very drowsy, dizzy, or light-headed. These effects may last longer in older adults. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury after you have received diazepam injection. You may need help getting out of bed for at least the first several hours.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Because you will receive diazepam in a clinical setting, you are not likely to miss a dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Since this medication is given by a healthcare professional in a medical setting, an overdose is unlikely to occur.

What should I avoid after receiving diazepam?

Do not drink alcohol shortly after receiving diazepam injection. Dangerous side effects or death could occur.

Diazepam injection can cause extreme drowsiness that may last for several hours after you have received the medication. Older adults may feel sleepy for even longer.

Avoid driving or doing anything that requires you to be awake and alert until the effects of this medicine have worn off completely.

What are the possible side effects of diazepam?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your caregivers right away if you have:

  • weak or shallow breathing;
  • restlessness, feeling agitated or irritable;
  • unusual thoughts, hallucinations; or
  • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out.

The sedative effects of diazepam may last longer in older adults. Accidental falls are common in elderly patients who use benzodiazepines. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury shortly after receiving diazepam injection.

Common side effects may include:

  • drowsiness;
  • tired feeling;
  • muscle weakness, loss of coordination; or
  • bruising or swelling around the IV needle.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect diazepam?

Shortly after you are treated with this medicine, taking other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous side effects. Tell your doctor if you regularly use a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, prescription cough medicine, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

  • any other benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam, diazepam, Valium, Xanax, and others);
  • cimetidine;
  • medicine to treat mental illness; or
  • an MAO inhibitor--isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with diazepam, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about diazepam.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.01. Revision date: 3/2/2017.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.