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- $Unique_ID{BRK03077}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{chlordiazepoxide}
- $Subject{Libritabs Roche Librium Mitran Hauck Reposans-10 Wesley
- Benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic chlordiazepoxide anxiety alcohol withdrawal
- depressant central nervous system nervousness}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (C) 1993 Publications International, Ltd.
-
-
- chlordiazepoxide
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers)
-
- chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (various manufacturers)
- Libritabs (Roche)
- Librium (Roche)
- Mitran (Hauck)
- Reposans-10 (Wesley)
-
- TYPE OF DRUG
-
- Benzodiazepine sedative/hypnotic
-
- INGREDIENT
-
- chlordiazepoxide
-
- DOSAGE FORMS
-
- Capsules (5 mg, 10 mg, and 25 mg)
- Tablets (5 mg, 10 mg, and 25 mg)
-
- STORAGE
-
- This medication should be stored at room temperature in tightly closed,
- light-resistant containers.
-
- USES
-
- Chlordiazepoxide is prescribed to treat the symptoms of anxiety and
- alcohol withdrawal. It is not clear exactly how this medicine works, but it
- may relieve anxiety by acting as a depressant of the central nervous system.
- This drug is used to relieve nervousness. It is effective for this purpose,
- but it is important to remove the cause of the anxiety as well.
-
- TREATMENT
-
- This medication should be taken exactly as directed by your doctor. It
- can be taken with food or a full glass of water if stomach upset occurs. Do
- not take this medication with a dose of antacids, since they may retard its
- absorption.
- If you are taking this medication regularly and you miss a dose, take the
- missed dose immediately. If more than an hour has passed, however, skip the
- dose you missed and wait for the next scheduled dose. Do not double the dose.
-
- SIDE EFFECTS
-
- Minor.
-
- Bitter taste in the mouth, constipation, depression, diarrhea, dizziness,
- drowsiness (after a night's sleep), dry mouth, excessive salivation, fatigue,
- flushing, headache, heartburn, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness,
- sweating, or vomiting. As your body adjusts to the medicine, these side
- effects should disappear.
- To relieve constipation, increase the fiber in your diet (fresh fruits
- and vegetables, salads, bran, and whole-grain breads), exercise, and drink
- more water (unless your doctor instructs you to do otherwise).
- Dry mouth can be relieved by chewing sugarless gum or by sucking on ice
- chips.
- If you feel dizzy, sit or lie down for a while; get up slowly from a
- sitting or reclining position, and be careful on stairs.
-
- Major.
-
- Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
- particularly bothersome. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
- blurred or double vision, chest pain, difficulty in urinating, fainting,
- falling, fever, hallucinations, joint pain, mouth sores, nightmares,
- palpitations, rash, severe depression, shortness of breath, slurred speech,
- sore throat, uncoordinated movements, unusual excitement, unusual tiredness,
- or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
-
- INTERACTIONS
-
- Chlordiazepoxide interacts with several other drugs:
- 1. To prevent oversedation, this drug should not be taken with alcohol,
- other sedative drugs, central nervous system depressants (such as
- antihistamines, barbiturates, muscle relaxants, pain medicines, narcotics,
- medicines for seizures, and phenothiazine tranquilizers), or with
- antidepressants.
- 2. This medication may decrease the effectiveness of carbamazepine,
- levodopa, and oral anticoagulants (blood thinners) and may increase the
- effects of phenytoin.
- 3. Disulfiram, oral contraceptives (birth control pills), isoniazid, and
- cimetidine can increase the blood levels of chlordiazepoxide, which can lead
- to toxic effects.
- 4. Concurrent use of rifampin may decrease the effectiveness of
- chlordiazepoxide.
- BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
- taking, especially any of the medications that are listed above.
-
- WARNINGS
-
- * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
- any medications, especially to chlordiazepoxide or other benzodiazepine
- tranquilizers (such as alprazolam, clorazepate, diazepam, flurazepam,
- halazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, prazepam, temazepam, and triazolam).
- * Tell your doctor if you now have or if you have ever had liver disease,
- kidney disease, epilepsy, lung disease, myasthenia gravis, porphyria, sleep
- apnea, mental depression, or mental illness.
- * This medicine can cause drowsiness. Avoid tasks that require
- alertness, such as driving a car or operating potentially dangerous machinery.
- * Before having surgery or any other medical or dental treatment, tell
- your doctor or dentist that you are taking this drug.
- * This medication has the potential for abuse and must be used with
- caution. Tolerance may develop quickly; do not increase the dosage of the
- drug without first consulting your doctor. It is also important not to stop
- this drug suddenly if you have been taking it in large amounts or if you have
- used it for several weeks. Your doctor may want to reduce your dosage of this
- medication gradually.
- * This is a safe drug when used properly. When it is combined with other
- sedative drugs or alcohol, however, serious side effects may develop.
- * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. This medicine may
- increase the chance of birth defects if it is taken during the first three
- months of pregnancy. In addition, too much use of this medicine during the
- last six months of pregnancy may lead to addiction of the fetus, resulting in
- withdrawal side effects in the newborn. Also, use of this medicine during the
- last weeks of pregnancy may cause excessive drowsiness, slowed heartbeat, and
- breathing difficulties in the infant. Tell your doctor if you are
- breast-feeding an infant. This medicine can pass into breast milk and cause
- excessive drowsiness, slowed heartbeat, and breathing difficulties in the
- nursing infant.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-