Patient/caregiver was educated on the side effects of using diazepam as follows:
Respiratory depression
- Diazepam, especially when taken in high doses, can lead to depression of respiratory center in the brain and difficulty breathing. Severe cases might also lead to emergency situations, such as, respiratory arrest and can result in serious debility and death.
- Avoid taking diazepam along with any other drugs carrying the potential for causing central nervous system and respiratory depression, such as, OTC cough syrups or narcotic pain medications, as the individual influence of these medications on respirations can get added up, thus leading to severe respiratory depression and can even be fatal.
- Individuals with history of breathing issues, such as, asthma and COPD, must exercise extra precaution in watching out for any compromised breathing function.
- Report any episode of exacerbation of SOB and breathing difficulty to your physician appropriately, for any change in plan of care to be considered.
General allergic reactions
- Diazepam use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response with diazepam, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
