General Information
Valpam
contains the active ingredient diazepam
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Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Valpam.
It does not contain all of the available information. It does not
take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed
the risks of you taking Valpam against the benefits they expect it
will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, talk to your
doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it
again.
What Valpam is used for
Valpam is used to:
treat anxiety (anxiety or tension associated with the normal
stress of everyday life usually does not require treatment with
medicines.)
treat trembling, confusion and agitation during alcohol
withdrawal
relax muscles.
Valpam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines.
These medicines are thought to work by acting on brain
chemicals.
Your doctor may have prescribed Valpam for another reason. Ask
your doctor if you have any questions about why Valpam has
been prescribed for you.
In general, benzodiazepines such as Valpam should be taken for
short periods only (around 2 to 4 weeks). Continuous long-term
use is not recommended unless advised by your doctor. The use
of benzodiazepines may lead to dependence on the medicine.
Valpam is available only with a doctor's prescription.
Before you take Valpam
When you must not take it
Do not take Valpam if you are allergic to:
diazepam or any other benzodiazepine
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Do not take Valpam if you have:
severe and chronic lung disease
severe liver disease
sleep apnoea
myasthenia gravis.
Do not take Valpam if the expiry date (Exp.) printed on the pack
has passed.
Do not take Valpam if the packaging shows signs of tampering
or the tablets do not look quite right.
Do not give Valpam to children less than six months old.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods,
dyes or preservatives.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking Valpam
during pregnancy.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or wish to breastfeed.
Valpam passes into breast milk and may cause drowsiness
and/or feeding difficulties in the baby. Your doctor will discuss
the risks and benefits of taking Valpam when breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you have, or have had, any medical
conditions, especially the following:
liver, kidney or lung disease
depression, psychosis or schizophrenia
epilepsy
an alcohol or substance dependency
glaucoma (high pressure in the eye).
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them
before you start taking Valpam.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including
any that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by Valpam, or may affect how
well it works. These include:
other sleeping tablets, sedatives or tranquillisers
medicines used to treat depression
medicines used to treat mental illness
medicines used to treat epilepsy
antihistamines, medicines used to treat allergies and colds
some medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease
medicines for travel sickness
muscle relaxants
strong pain relievers
medicines used to treat ulcers and reflux such as cimetidine,
cisapride and omeprazole
disulfiram, a medicine used in alcohol abuse
ketoconazole, a medicine used to treat fungal infections.
Your doctor can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these
medicines.
If you are not sure whether you are taking any of these
medicines, check with your doctor or pharmacist. Your doctor
and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be
careful with or avoid while taking Valpam.
How to take Valpam
How much to take
The dose varies from patient to patient depending on the
condition you are being treated for.
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take each
day and when to take them.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist
carefully.
How to take Valpam
Swallow the tablets with a glass of water.
If you forget to take Valpam
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed
and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take
the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to
taking your tablets as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
How long to take Valpam for
Take Valpam only for as long as your doctor recommends.
Usually, Valpam should be taken for short periods only (for
example 2 to 4 weeks). Continuous long-term use is not
recommended unless advised by your doctor. The use of
benzodiazepines such as Valpam, may lead to dependence on
the medicine.
If you take too much Valpam (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information
Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency at
the nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else may have
taken too much Valpam. Do this even if there are no signs of
discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical
attention.
If you take too much Valpam, you may feel drowsy, tired, weak,
confused or dizzy or become unconscious.
While you are taking Valpam
Things you must do
Before starting any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist
that you are taking Valpam.
Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating
you that you are taking Valpam.
If you become pregnant while taking Valpam, tell your doctor.
If you plan to have surgery, including dental surgery, tell your
doctor or dentist that you are taking Valpam.
If you need a thyroid function test, tell your doctor that you are
taking Valpam. Valpam may affect the results of this test.
Visit your doctor regularly so they can check on your progress.
You may need to have tests to check your blood and liver.
Things you must not do
Do not take Valpam for longer than your doctor has prescribed.
Valpam should be taken for short periods only (for example 2 to
4 weeks) unless advised by your doctor.
Do not stop taking Valpam, or lower the dose, without checking
with your doctor. Stopping Valpam suddenly may cause some
unwanted effects.
Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount of
Valpam you are taking before stopping completely.
Do not suddenly stop taking Valpam if you suffer from epilepsy.
Suddenly stopping this medicine may make your epilepsy worse.
Do not use Valpam to treat any other conditions unless your
doctor tells you to.
Do not give Valpam to anyone else, even if they have the same
condition as you.
Things to be careful of
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how Valpam
affects you. Valpam may cause drowsiness, dizziness or poor
concentration in some people. If any of these occur, do not drive,
operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous.
Be careful when drinking alcohol while taking Valpam.
Combining Valpam and alcohol can make you more drowsy or
dizzy. Your doctor may suggest you avoid alcohol while being
treated with Valpam.
Be careful if you are elderly, unwell or taking other medicines.
Some people may experience side effects such as drowsiness,
dizziness, confusion or unsteadiness, which may increase the
risk of a fall.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not
feel well while you are taking Valpam. Like all other medicines,
Valpam may have unwanted side effects in some people.
Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You
may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
You may have an increased chance of getting side effects if you
are elderly, unwell or taking other medicines.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may
not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may
have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry
you:
drowsiness, tiredness
weakness, unsteadiness
dizziness
loss of memory, confusion, poor concentration
depression
headache, hangover feeling in the morning
changes in sex drive
unpleasant dreams
slurred speech.
Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at
the nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
sudden anxiety or excitation
irritability or aggressiveness
hallucinations or delusions
severe sleep disturbances.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some
patients. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is making
you feel unwell.
After using Valpam
Storage
Keep Valpam where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard
at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good
place to store medicines.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature
stays below 30°C. Protect from light.
Do not store Valpam or any other medicine in the bathroom or
near a sink.
Do not leave Valpam in the car or on window sills. Heat and
dampness can destroy some medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Valpam, or your tablets
have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do
with any that are left over.
Product description
What it looks like
Valpam comes in 2 strengths of tablets:
Valpam 2 - round white tablet marked DZ/2 on one side and the
Arrow symbol on the other.
Valpam 5 - round yellow tablet marked DZ/5 on one side and the
Arrow symbol on the other.
Each pack contains 50 tablets.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in Valpam is diazepam.
each Valpam 2 tablet contains 2 mg of diazepam
each Valpam 5 tablet contains 5 mg of diazepam
The tablets also contain:
lactose
maize starch
magnesium stearate.
Valpam 5 tablets also contain:
quinoline yellow CI47005 (104).
The tablets are gluten free.
Manufacturer
Arrow Pharmaceuticals Limited
24 Rothschild Ave
Rosebery NSW 2018
Australia
Australian Registration Numbers:
VALPAM 2 - Aust R 80809, 80810
VALPAM 5 - Aust R 80811, 80812
Date of preparation:
October 2004
Published by MIMS/myDr April 2006
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