Contains the active ingredient diazepam (dye-AZ-e-pam)
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
Read this leaflet carefully before taking your medicine.
This leaflet answers some common questions about APO-Diazepam. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
The information in this leaflet was last updated on the date listed on the last page. More recent information on this medicine may be available.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist:
if there is anything you do not understand in this leaflet,
if you are worried about taking your medicine, or
to obtain the most up-to-date information.
You can also download the most up to date leaflet from www.apotex.com.au.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using this medicine against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
Pharmaceutical companies cannot give you medical advice or an individual diagnosis.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may want to read it again.
What this medicine is used for
The name of your medicine is APO- Diazepam . It contains the active ingredient diazepam.
This medicine is used to:
treat anxiety disorders
stop muscle spasms and relax muscles
treat symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal, such as trembling and agitation.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
How it works
This medicine belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines.
It is thought to work by acting on chemicals in the brain.
Benzodiazepines should not be used alone to treat depression or severe mental illness.
In general, benzodiazepines such as diazepam should be taken for short periods only (around 2 to 4 weeks). Continuous long-term use is not recommended unless advised by your doctor.
There is evidence that using these types of medicines can lead to dependence.
Use in children
Children younger than 6 months old should not be given this medicine.
Before you take this medicine
When you must not take it
Do not take this medicine if:
you have severe lung disease
you have severe liver disease
you suffer from sleep apnoea (temporary stops in breathing during sleep)
you suffer from myasthenia gravis (a disease which causes severe muscle weakness)
you are addicted to drugs or alcohol (unless your doctor has prescribed diazepam to help to relieve the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal)
the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack has passed.
the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering or it does not look quite right.
You are hypersensitive to, or have had an allergic reaction to, diazepam, any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet or other benzodiazepines.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include: cough, shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin; fainting; or hay fever-like symptoms
If you think you are having an allergic reaction, do not take any more of the medicine and contact your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at the nearest hospital.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Before you start taking this medicine, tell your doctor if:
1. You have allergies to:
any other medicines
any other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes.
lactose, these tablets contain lactose
2. You have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:
liver, kidney or lung problems
high or low blood pressure
narrow or acute angle glaucoma (raised pressure in the eye)
memory loss
depression, psychosis or schizophrenia
epilepsy (fits or convulsions).
3. You drink alcohol. Alcohol may increase the effects of diazepam and for example may result in excessive drowsiness.
The same effect may also be seen with other medicines which make you sleepy.
4. You are currently pregnant or you plan to become pregnant. Do not take this medicine whilst pregnant until you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.
5. You are currently breastfeeding or you plan to breast-feed. Do not take this medicine whilst breastfeeding until you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.
6. You are planning to have surgery or an anaesthetic.
7. You are currently receiving or are planning to receive dental treatment.
8. You are taking or are planning to take any other medicines. This includes vitamins and supplements that are available from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines can interfere with your treatment. Tell your doctor if you are taking or planning to take any of the following:
other sleeping tablets, sedatives or tranquillisers
medicines used to treat mental disorders, including depression
medicines used to treat epilepsy (fits or convulsions)
medicines for allergies or colds (e.g. antihistamines)
atropine and similar medicines, used for stomach problems, in operations and also sometimes after heart attacks
strong pain relievers
muscle relaxants
anaesthetics (used during operations)
cimetidine, omeprazole or cisapride, medicines used to treat ulcers or reflux
disulfiram, a medicine used to help treat alcoholism
ketoconazole, a medicine used to treat fungal infections
medicines used to treat thyroid problems
diltiazem, a medicine used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions.
These medicines may be affected by diazepam or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
Other interactions not listed above may also occur.
How to take this medicine
Follow carefully all directions given to you by your doctor.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
How much to take
Take diazepam only as directed by your doctor.
Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine you should take. This will depend on your condition and whether you are taking any other medicines.
The usual adult dose is usually between 5 and 40 mg daily. Children, elderly and very ill patients may need to take less.
Do not stop taking your medicine suddenly, or change the dosage, without checking with your doctor.
When it is time to stop taking diazepam your doctor will tell you how to do this gradually.
How to take it
Swallow the tablets with a full glass of water.
When to take it
Take your medicine at about the same time each day.
Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
It does not matter if you take it before, with or after food.
How long to take it for
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.
Usually, diazepam should be taken for short periods only (for example, for 2 to 4 weeks). Continuous long-term use is not recommended unless advised by your doctor. Dependence may develop from using benzodiazepines such as diazepam.
If you forget a dose
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
This may increase the chance of you experiencing side effects.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much diazepam.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Also report any other medicine or alcohol which has been taken.
If you take too much diazepam, you may feel drowsy, confused, dizzy, have difficulty breathing, feel weak or become unconscious. It is important that you recognise these signs of overdose early.
While you are taking this medicine
Things you must do
Tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine if:
you are about to be started on any new medicine
you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant
you are breastfeeding or are planning to breast-feed
you are about to have any blood tests
you are going to have surgery or an anaesthetic or are going into hospital.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not taken your medicine exactly as prescribed.
Otherwise your doctor may think that it was not effective and change your treatment unnecessarily.
Tell your doctor if you feel the tablets are not helping your condition.
Be sure to keep all of your appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be checked.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you take this medicine.
Things you must not do
Do not:
Give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Take your medicine to treat any other condition unless your doctor tells you to.
Stop taking your medicine, or change the dosage, without first checking with your doctor
Stopping this medicine suddenly may cause some side effects such as disturbed sleep. Also, if you suffer from epilepsy, stopping this medicine suddenly may make your epilepsy worse.
Your doctor may decide to slowly reduce your dose of diazepam before you can stop taking it completely.
Do not let yourself run out of medicine on weekends or holidays.
Things to be careful of
Be careful:
Driving or operating machinery until you know how diazepam affects you.
This medicine may cause dizziness and tiredness in some people. If you have any of these symptoms, do not drive, or operate machinery or do anything else that is dangerous.
When drinking alcohol while taking diazepam. Combining diazepam and alcohol can make you more sleepy, dizzy or light-headed. Your doctor may suggest that you avoid alcohol or reduce the amount of alcohol you drink while you are taking this medicine.
If you are elderly, unwell or taking other medicines. Some people may experience side effects such as drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, unsteadiness and/ or a drop in blood pressure which may increase the risk of a fall.
Possible side effects
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking APO-Diazepam.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious but most of the time they are not.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:
drowsiness, tiredness
muscle weakness
clumsiness or unsteadiness
feeling sick, dizzy, giddy or light-headed
loss of memory, inattentiveness, confusion, lack of concentration
feeling depressed
headache, hangover feeling in the morning
problems speaking such as slurred speech
blurred or double vision
unpleasant dreams
incontinence
mild skin rash
dry mouth or excessive saliva
constipation, urinating less than normal
increased or decreased libido (sex drive).
Tell your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
These are very serious side effects and you may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
sudden anxiety or excitation
restlessness, agitation, irritability, anger, abnormal behaviour
hallucinations (seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not there) or delusions
severe sleep disturbances
yellowing of the skin or eyes, and/or pale stools, dark urine (jaundice).
Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients.
Allergic reactions
If you think you are having an allergic reaction to APO-Diazepam, do not take any more of this medicine and tell your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include some or all of the following:
cough, shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or other parts of the body
rash, itching or hives on the skin
fainting
hay fever-like symptoms.
Storage and disposal
Storage
Keep your medicine in its original packaging until it is time to take it.
If you take your medicine out of its original packaging it may not keep well.
Keep your medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature will stay below 25°C.
Do not store your medicine, or any other medicine, in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep this medicine where children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Product description
What APO-Diazepam 2mg tablets looks like?
White to off-white round, curved tablets with a '2' on one side and plain on the other side.
What APO-Diazepam 5mg tablets looks like?
White to off-white round, flat tablets with a '5' and a scoreline on one side and plain on the other side.
Available in blister packs of 50 tablets.
* Not all strengths, pack types and/or pack sizes may be available.
Ingredients
Each tablet contains 2 mg or 5 mg of diazepam, as the active ingredient.
They also contain the following inactive ingredients:
lactose
maize starch
colloidal anhydrous silica
magnesium stearate
purified talc.
These tablets do not contain gluten, sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
