Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking flurazepam as follows:
- Observe a regular sleep time every evening, as sleep is a habit that can be trained. Take the dose of flurazepam about an hour before the sleep time, as it needs about 30 – 60 minutes to show the desired effect of sleep induction. Maintaining compliance with the sleep time and medication intake an hour before the sleep time can help avoid forgetting the medication intake.
- Flurazepam use in expectant mothers could harm the unborn baby and result in pregnancy complications and birth defects in newborn. So, flurazepam use should best be avoided during pregnancy and in women planning to get pregnant. Women in the child-bearing age group, taking flurazepam, must employ effective contraceptive measures in order to avoid getting pregnant. The possibility of a woman being pregnant should be explored before initiating therapy with flurazepam.
- Consider life-style changes such as, avoiding daytime naps, avoiding caffeinated drinks closer to sleep time, and having some regular physical exercise can complement flurazepam intake, promote sleep, and establish sleep pattern.
- Your physician could change the dose of flurazepam, based on the relief obtained from symptoms of insomnia or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, as scheduled. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Caregivers should be aware and keep a close watch on the symptoms of overdose with flurazepam. Individuals can present with severe confusion, dizziness, very low blood pressure numbers, loss of consciousness, and coma. In the event of an overdose, seek emergency medical service to prevent fatal outcome.
