Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking flurazepam as follows:
- Therapeutic effects of flurazepam taken for relief of insomnia can last for about 8 hours. Flurazepam carries the risk of inducing temporary short-term memory loss at the end of these 8 hours. If you have a shorter sleep time in bed for the night, less than the 8 hour duration for which flurazepam acts, you could probably experience the symptoms of short-term memory loss and confusion, when you wake up, thus compromising safety and leading to falls and accidents. So, plan to have atleast 8 hours of restful sleep in the night, if you are taking dose of flurazepam.
- If your schedule does not permit an eight hour sleep time for the night, you can avoid taking the dose of flurazepam. This helps to avoid the risk for confusion and short-term memory loss, during your waking hours the next morning, thus helping to avoid any falls and accidents. Individuals are at risk to perform dangerous activities, such as, driving, without any knowledge or memory of the performance. Report any such behaviors to your physician, for any changes to be considered in plan of care.
- Continue taking flurazepam as ordered, for the prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms of insomnia are under control. Discontinuing the medication abruptly, without physician recommendation, can lead to rebound of the insomnia symptoms.
- Avoid drinking alcohol with flurazepam. Both alcohol and flurazepam depress the nervous system and significantly increase the risk for confusion, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating, when taken together. Their effects on the brain and nervous system can get added up and lead to severe depression of the nervous system, thus compromising safety and resulting in accidents and falls. Also, even if you are consuming any alcoholic beverages, limit the use of alcohol to one drink and space it out from flurazepam intake by atleast 3 – 4 hours, to avoid any possible interactions.
