Temazepam

Temazepam, sold under the brand names Restoril among others, is a medication used to treat trouble sleeping. Such use should generally be for less than ten days. It is taken by mouth. Effects generally begin within an hour and last for up to eight hours. Temazepam, sold under the brand names Restoril among others, is a medication used to treat trouble sleeping. Such use should generally be for less than ten days. It is taken by mouth. Effects generally begin within an hour and last for up to eight hours. Common side effects include sleepiness, anxiety, confusion, and dizziness. Serious side effects may include hallucinations, abuse, anaphylaxis, and suicide. Use is generally not recommended together with opioids. If the dose is rapidly decreased withdrawal may occur. Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding is not recommended. Temazepam is an intermediate acting benzodiazepine and hypnotic. It works by affecting GABA within the brain. Temazapam was patented in 1962 and came into medical use in 1969. It is available as a generic medication. A month supply in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about 1.40 £ as of 2019. In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$1.76. In 2016 it was the 185th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than 3 million prescriptions. In sleep laboratory studies, temazepam significantly decreased the number of nightly awakenings, but has the drawback of distorting the normal sleep pattern. It is officially indicated for severe insomnia and other severe or disabling sleep disorders. The prescribing guidelines in the UK limit the prescribing of hypnotics to two to four weeks due to concerns of tolerance and dependence. The United States Air Force uses temazepam as one of the hypnotics approved as a 'no-go pill' to help aviators and special-duty personnel sleep in support of mission readiness. 'Ground tests' are necessary prior to required authorization being issued to use the medication in an operational situation, and a 12-hour restriction is imposed on subsequent flight operation. The other hypnotics used as 'no-go pills' are zaleplon and zolpidem, which have shorter mandatory recovery periods.