Diazepam
Pronunciation:dye-AZ-e-pam
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:439-14-5
Formal Names:Alupram, Atensine, Diastat, Diazemuls, Evacalm, Solis, Stesolid,
Tensium, Valium, Valrelease, Vival
Informal Names:Blues, Drunk Pills, Ludes, Mother’s Little Helper, V, Val
Type:Depressant (benzodiazepine class).Seepage 21
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule IV (DEA no. 2765)
USA Availability:Prescription
Pregnancy Category:D
Uses.By the end of the twentieth century diazepam was one of the best-
known antianxiety agents in America. Other medical uses of this fast-acting
and long-lasting drug include treatment of insomnia, migraine, facial pain,
muscle spasms, convulsions, vomiting, malaria, rattlesnake bite,alcoholand
heroinwithdrawal syndromes, cardiac difficulty created bycocaine, and mus-
cle stiffness from tetanus and other causes. In children the drug is used to
combat seizures caused by fever. Diazepam is commonly administered to calm
patients just before surgery. The body converts the drug into other chemicals,
includingtemazepamandoxazepam.
Drawbacks.Unwanted actions of diazepam include weariness and weak-
ness and occasionally headache, dizziness and vertigo, nausea, fuzzy or dou-
ble vision, urinary control problems, and depressed mood. A case report tells
of the drug bringing on an attack of gout. Diazepam is not recommended for
persons with acute narrow-angle glaucoma.
The compound can make users tired and impair vigilance, judgment, re-
action times, and movement. A person using diazepam should be cautious
about operating dangerous machinery; simulated driving tests demonstrate
reduced ability after a dose. The drug can cause memory problems. A study
of newborn rats receiving the drug found that it slowed learning, but their
learning capacity was normal even though the rats needed more time to learn
something. Diazepam can interfere with the ability to recognize an angry ex-
pression on someone’s face—a disability with distinct potential for social con-
sequences—and a laboratory experiment demonstrated the drug’s ability to
make people more aggressive if they are provoked.
Diazepam is given to treat epileptic seizures, but long-term use can increase