flurazepam
Flurazepam is used to treat sleeping problems (insomnia). It's a controlled substance because it has a risk for becoming habit-forming. The brand name Dalmane has been discontinued, but it's still available as generic versions. Side effects of the medication include headache and upset stomach.
What is Flurazepam?
What is Flurazepam used for?
- Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
How Flurazepam works
Flurazepam is a benzodiazepine. It affects chemicals in the brain to calm down your nervous system, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Drug facts
Risks and warnings for Flurazepam
Flurazepam can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Extreme sleepiness, slowed breathing, coma, and death
- Risk factors: Taking flurazepam with opioids
Combining flurazepam with pain medications called opioids can cause a life-threatening interaction that might cause you to be extremely sleepy or stop breathing. This can lead to coma or death. It's very important not to combine flurazepam with opioids unless you're under close supervision of a healthcare provider. Get emergency help if you feel like you are having trouble breathing or can't wake up very easily after taking flurazepam. Educate those around to keep an eye out for these side effects as well.
Potential for addiction, misuse, dependence, and withdrawal
- Risk factors: History of substance misuse | Taking with alcohol or illicit drugs | Taking flurazepam for a long time | Stopping flurazepam suddenly
Flurazepam is a controlled medication because it has a high risk of addiction and misuse. Your body can also become dependent on the medication even if you're taking it as exactly as directed. Taking flurazepam for the shortest amount of time needed can lower these risks.
If you've been taking flurazepam for a long time, talk to your provider before stopping. Stopping flurazepam suddenly can lead to withdrawals, which can cause serious symptoms, including seizures. In some causes, withdrawal symptoms can last weeks to more than a year at a time. If you need to stop this medication, your provider can help you do so safely by lowering your dose slowly over time.
Less mental alertness and hangover effect
- Risk factors: Alcohol use | Taking other medications that make you less alert | High doses
Flurazepam can weaken your ability to focus, think, and react. These effects can last until the morning after taking flurazepam. Be careful and avoid activities that require you to be alert, such as driving a car or operating machinery, until you know how this medication affects you.
Allergic reaction
In some rare cases, flurazepam can cause an allergic reaction. Some reactions can be life-threatening and require emergency medical treatment. If you experience trouble breathing, hives, or swelling in your face, lips, tongue, or throat, get medical attention right away.
Behavior changes
- Risk factors: Taking higher doses of flurazepam | Drinking alcohol | Taking other medications that cause sleepiness
Flurazepam can cause behavioral and personality changes. Some people have reported lower inhibitions (meaning you may do things you wouldn't normally do), aggressiveness, agitation, and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there). There are also reports of people sleep-driving or doing other activities while asleep and having no memory of it the next morning. Talk to your provider if you're doing potentially dangerous activities while you're sleeping. There might be other sleep medications that are safer for you.
Side effects of Flurazepam
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Upset stomach
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Stomach pain
- Nervousness
- Talkativeness
- Irritability
- Weakness
- Body aches, joint pain
Less Common Side Effects
- Blurry vision
- Feeling faint
- Trouble breathing
- Rash
- Dry mouth
- Bitter taste
- More saliva
- Slurred speech
- Feeling confused
Flurazepam serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Serious allergic reaction: swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing, nausea, and vomiting
- Extreme sleepiness
- Slowed breathing
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
- Seizures
The following Flurazepam side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Black, tarry stools
blurred vision
chills
confusion
dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
feeling like you will pass out
large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
painful or difficult urination
slurred speech
sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
sweating
swollen glands
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
Incidence not known
Change in consciousness
clumsy movement, moving from side to side
confusion about identity, place, and time
falling
fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
loss of consciousness
shakiness and unsteady walk
unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness or feeling of sluggishness
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Rare
Bitter taste
blurred vision
burning eyes
difficulty in focusing
discouragement
false or unusual sense of well-being
feeling of warmth
feeling sad or empty
hallucinations
increased watering of the mouth
itching skin or skin rash
loss of appetite
loss of interest or pleasure
mood or mental changes
nightmares
redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest
restlessness
sweating
trouble concentrating
trouble sleeping
unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Flurazepam
Pros
- Helps you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night
- Available as a lower-cost generic medication
- Available in two strengths
Cons
- Higher risk of side effects for females and older adults
- Can be habit-forming
- Can cause sleepwalking, sleep-driving, and other activities while sleeping
Pharmacist tips for Flurazepam
- Flurazepam should be taken at bedtime to help you sleep.
- Only take flurazepam when you need it. This medication can be habit-forming if you take it daily.
- Talk with your provider about your nighttime routine and habits. Certain activities, such as screen time before bed or drinking caffeine too late in the day, can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. Your provider can recommend routines or ways for you to get better sleep.
- If you've been taking flurazepam regularly for a long time, talk to your provider before stopping the medication. They might want you to lower your dose slowly over time to help avoid withdrawal symptoms.
- Only take flurazepam when you have a full night of sleep (7 to 8 hours) ahead of you. This will lower the risk of a hangover effect the next morning.
- Sometimes sleeping medications can cause you to sleepwalk, sleep-drive, as well as eat and cook while sleeping. If you live with other people, you can let them know about this side effect. That way, if it looks like you might do something dangerous, they can try to get you back to bed.
- Flurazepam can cause dizziness, sleepiness, and slow your thinking and coordination. Don't drive or do anything that requires you to focus until you know how this medication affects you.
- Medications like flurazepam can worsen depression. Let your provider know if you notice any mood changes while taking this medication.
- Store this medication in a safe place. Get medical help or call the poison control center (800-222-1222) right away if a child accidentally takes it.
Common questions about Flurazepam
No, flurazepam isn't an opioid medication. Instead, it's a benzodiazepine. Avoid taking benzodiazepines and opioids together unless you're being closely monitored by your healthcare provider. Otherwise, doing so can lead to dangerous side effects, such as slowed breathing, extreme sleepiness and even death, if used together.
Flurazepam isn't FDA-approved to treat anxiety. If your provider prescribed flurazepam for sleep, only use it as prescribed at bedtime. If you have anxiety, talk with your provider about how to manage your condition and what might be some medication options for your symptoms.
Both flurazepam and temazepam (Restoril) belong to a group of medications called benzodiazepines and are used to help with difficulty sleeping. They work similarly to calm down the nervous system, but they have some differences between them. One of the main difference is how long you can take each medication. Temazepam (Restoril) only be taken for 7 to 10 days, whereas clinical studies for flurazepam have proven it to work well for up to 28 days. Talk with your provider if you've more questions about flurazepam and temazepam (Restoril).
Flurazepam peaks in your body within an hour after taking a dose to help you feel relaxed and drowsy. That's why it's best to take your dose just before bedtime.
Although there haven't been any studies looking at the safety of flurazepam during pregnancy, newborns can show symptoms of dependence and withdrawal if their mothers took benzodiazepine medications late in pregnancy. For that reason, you shouldn't use flurazepam if you're pregnant. Talk to your provider about what sleeping medications are safe to take during pregnancy.
Drinking alcohol generally isn't recommended while you're taking flurazepam. Mixing alcohol and this medication can worsen sleepiness, dizziness, and balance problems. What's more, the combination could lead to life-threatening problems like difficulty breathing and suicidal thoughts or actions.
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Flurazepam dosage
Capsule| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30mg | 30 capsules | $19.29 | $0.64 |
| 15mg | 30 capsules | $28.21 | $0.94 |
Typical dosage for Flurazepam
The typical starting dose is either 15 mg or 30 mg by mouth at bedtime. Females and adults ages 65 years and older usually start with the lower dose first.
Interactions between Flurazepam and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Flumazenil
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Alfentanil
- Alprazolam
- Amobarbital
- Benzhydrocodone
- Bromazepam
- Bromopride
- Buprenorphine
- Butabarbital
- Butalbital
- Butorphanol
- Calcium Oxybate
- Cannabidiol
- Carbinoxamine
- Carisoprodol
- Cetirizine
- Chloral Hydrate
- Chlorzoxazone
- Clobazam
- Codeine
- Dantrolene
- Dihydrocodeine
- Doxylamine
- Esketamine
- Ethchlorvynol
- Fentanyl
- Flibanserin
- Gabapentin
- Gabapentin Enacarbil
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Ketamine
- Lemborexant
- Levocetirizine
- Levorphanol
- Lofexidine
- Loxapine
- Magnesium Oxybate
- Meclizine
- Meperidine
- Mephenesin
- Mephobarbital
- Meprobamate
- Metaxalone
- Methadone
- Methocarbamol
- Methohexital
- Metoclopramide
- Midazolam
- Mirtazapine
- Morphine
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Nalbuphine
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Pentazocine
- Pentobarbital
- Periciazine
- Phenobarbital
- Potassium Oxybate
- Pregabalin
- Primidone
- Remimazolam
- Scopolamine
- Secobarbital
- Sodium Oxybate
- Sufentanil
- Tapentadol
- Thiopental
- Tramadol
- Trazodone
- Zolpidem
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Amprenavir
- Rifapentine
- St John's Wort
- Theophylline
How much does Flurazepam cost?
$19.29
Flurazepam contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Flurazepam will not be safe for you to take.
- Currently pregnant
- Allergy to benzodiazepines
What are alternatives to Flurazepam?
Flurazepam images
