So I was prescribed Temazepam for anxiety and panic attacks. How is it?

In My Humble Opinion
1

In the last week, I’ve gone from having my first panic attack (they only happen either when I’m sleeping or trying to get to sleep) to having some fairly regularly. At least I think they’re panic attacks. I’m not really sure.

But anyway, this isn’t a medical advice thread (which are frowned on here anyway)…I’m already seeing a few doctors about this now and having lots of tests (blood work, sleep study coming up, etc) done.

What this thread is about is…well, I’ve been prescribed Temazepam today. How is it? Anyone’s experiences with it? Says it treats insomnia mostly, which, I was hoping more for a drug that would help me relax and calm down. I’ve heard this one does that too, but wikipedia reads that it’s more for insomnia, primarily.
I’m hoping eventually I can get something that helps more with just anxiety, although I know that all of these types of drugs are going to always make you feel somewhat sleepy too, based on what they do to your brain and body (calm you down, make you relaxed, etc).
Anyway, Temazepam…good?

2

It’s a benzodiazpine. If you use it when symptoms come on, and don’t use it as a crutch you’ll probably be fine. If you plan on using it daily be aware of a potential for addiction/dependence, and benzo withdrawal is often considered one of the worst things to quit. If you need a pill to put you to sleep every night primarily due to insomnia, it is not the thing to take. Start with melatonin or something. If panic occurs intermittently, it may help.

It’s not one of the more commonly prescribed ones (like alprazolam, clonazepam, lorazepam, and formerly diazepam). It has a relatively short half-life which makes it potentially worse.

Answer does depend on your dose.

3

Temazepam, as thelurkinghorror states, is a benzodiazepine. It is predominately used for insomnia, since it’s duration of action is relatively short (6-8 hours), with no clinically relevant active metabolites. If your attacks are only occurring at bedtime, it’s not a bad choice. If your panic attacks occur at other points throughout the the day, it’s effects probably won’t last long enough to do you much good. For many individuals, regular use results in a tolerance to the hypnotic effects after 2-4 weeks. Anxiolytic effects, however, are much longer lasting, either persisting indefinitely, according to some reports, or at least partially for a very long time. In general, any benzodiazepine should be able to produce the same effects as any other (sedative-hypnotic, anti-seizure, muscle-relaxant, anxiety-arresting), though they differ in how long, and tolerance to each of those effects develop at different rates. Be aware that some individuals experience next-morning impairment in cognition and reaction times, so driving too soon after waking should probably be done with caution.

My experiences with it personally are that it’s sedative-hypnotic effects didn’t last very long with regular use. It was one among a succession of sleep drugs prescribed to me in my final year of pharmacy school when I was having sleep problems, which it turned out were stress related (even though I denied I was stressed vociferously at the time), as they pretty much went away when I got the letter in the mail telling me I had passed the pharmacy board exams.

4

Dependence with regular use, and thus subsequent withdrawal effects, yes, absolutely. Addiction though, while possible, is actually pretty rare when benzos are used on their own, at least according to my addiction medicine textbook and training. Addiction generally becomes a bigger concern when they are combined with other drugs of potential abuse like amphetamines or cocaine or opiates.

5

Be careful with it. It’s highly addictive.

6

People with addictive behaviors are more likely to get addicted; use other drugs?

7

Bummer.

(How expensive is it? My anti-anxiety meds just sextupled in price, now up to $4.00 per tablet. Grr.)

8

Since Oct 2000, I have been in the position of taking a pill or not sleeping.*

Yes, I am familiar with benzodiazepines. (Ref: Valium is a benzodiazepine).

Temazepam is my preferred sleeper - it (for me) has quick onset and is gone in a few hours, with no hangover.

I am wondering why the doc went to it first (I am assuming this is the first) - clonazepam also works for me as a hypnotic,and is listed as an anti-anxiety drug by my insurance. Temazepam is listed as a hypnotic.

As benzos go, temazepine is one of the more gentle one with minimal nastiness.

All the benzos have that block of side-effects and contraindications (learn to google those terms with any new drug) - each individual can react differently.

There are now a second class of hypnotics, known as “Z drugs” (guess a letter found in their names) which are not without their own problems, but you may wish to discuss the option.

Warning: MD’s don’t care to dispute “some guy on the internet” re their practice of medicine.

  • prior to 10/00, I used alcohol and diphenhydramine (best known as benadryl; also the active ingredient in OTC sleepers. Since 10/00, those no longer work. I’m stuck
    If you need it, use it - but do not be eager, nor afraid - you will not be alone.
9

Idle Thoughts, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I have panic disorder and it stinks with a capital suck.

You don’t mention how often you’re supposed to take this. Is it as-needed, or a regular thing?

No experience with Restoril/temazepam, though plenty with a few of the other benzos. Given the short half-life it seems on a par with Xanax/alprazolam and Ativan/lorazepam. Ideally these drugs are prescribed for as-needed basis only (in other words, only when you feel an attack coming on).

The longer-acting meds in this class (e.g. Valium/diazepam, Klonopin/clonazepam) are usually the ones given for daily/maintenance, since they’re not fast-acting and so aren’t much good in an emergency, and they stay in your system longer so they’re better for longer-term usage. Although even those should only be prescribed for about two months, maximum. And I wish I had a doctor who’d known or cared about that.

And benzos are absolutely addictive, regardless of whether you take other meds. They’re considered the among the hardest prescription drugs to withdraw from because they are so bloody addictive, both psychologically and physiologically.

That’s not saying you shouldn’t take them. If you need them and your doctor is responsible and is good about monitoring your usage, yes, take them. But do your best to use as few as possible (I know, I know that’s easier said than done). You don’t want to take them long enough to develop tolerance, which means you’ll be at the point where your current dose isn’t high enough to have its usual effect on you, and your body starts to go through withdrawal even though you haven’t lowered your dosage.

Oh and may I make a small suggestion? If your doctor’s doing regular blood tests, you might want to ask her/him to check your vitamin B12 and D levels. Apparently just about everyone is too low on D these days, and that can cause depression/anxiety. And B12 deficiency is notorious for causing panic attacks among umpteen other symptoms.

Sorry, I’m a bore with my B12 speeches + panic attack issues, but a severe deficiency is likely what caused my problems eight years ago, sigh. Best of luck to you!

10

I’ve used Temazepam on occasion for various ailments, most frequently for short-term insomnia events, but also as a muscle relaxant when I’ve had severe pain due to prolapsed discs.

In my opinion, it works better as a muscle relaxant than a soporific but maybe that’s just me. I’ve only used it for < a week at a time, and didn’t find it at all addictive. If anything, the effect seemed to wane after a few days, and I couldn’t be stuffed continuing it! Indeed, at low doses, I could barely notice any effect at all…

11

I think it’s pretty cheap. I remember filling prescriptions with insurance for less than $10.

12

I was on it when I was struggling with my PTSD. I took it, and within 40 mins or less was out. I was on it for almost two years, and slowly weaned off at the other end. No real problems.

13

I was given a benzodiazpine when my back went into spasm. That was Flexeril, which is related.

I hated it, and quit after a few days. It made me dead tired and sleepy, all the time. I would rather be in pain than a zombie.

YMMV. I hope it does.

Regards,
Shodan

14

I’ve taken it a handful of times to help with insomnia and, I must say, after three months of poor sleep, it felt amazing to wake up one morning after 8 hours of deep, deep rest. One of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced with no sleepiness or hangover at all.

I’m always paranoid about addictive substances so I only take it every couple of weeks and just deal with the insomnia the rest of the time. No negative problems yet.

15

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

I took it for the first time last night, about 7 or 8pm.

I wound up going to bed around 4am after (steadily but slowly) growing more and more tired, although by that time it’s hard to know if it was the drug doing it or me just getting naturally tired by that time.

16

After 8-9 hours, it was most likely NOT the drug.
I don’t know the half-life, but it should be easy to find.

17

Not a benzo. “Muscle relaxant,” which doesn’t sound very specific to me.

8-20, according to Wikipedia. Despite that, I agree that it is too premature to ascribe to the drug.
ETA: that is short, compared to diazepam (which doesn’t last minutes, Metal Gear Solid lied to me!)

18

Okay, I just took one right now. Let’s see exactly when I am tired enough to sleep.
And by tired, I mean only moderately sleepy. I’m not one to stay up until I cannot keep myself awake anymore. If I’m really tired, I go to bed.

19

Then you really, really need to look into the studies. The drug has a huge withdrawal syndrome in up to 50% of users, so it is contradicted for long term use (over 4 weeks). That’s addiction by most people’s standards, though I understand there is some debate in the medical community about the exact definition of that term.

Do not use it long term, Idle Thougts. You really need to get to a therapist/psychologist that can teach you how to handle and eventually overcome panic attacks. Panic disorder is extremely treatable without medication, with an over 90% success rate. And it usually takes around 12 sessions.

And, if you do need medication, you really should only use a benzo in the short term, and get on an SSRI or Effexor to handle the situation long term. I believe it is irresponsible to give Benzos without a long term solution in place. And no doctor but a psychiatrist should make the initial prescription.

Finally, look into meditation and other relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation and, if you’re comfortable with it, mindfulness and hypnosis.

20

A little extra info: When you go from having a single panic attack to having them more often, it is usually because you are afraid of having a panic attack, and this creates a feedback loop. That is panic disorder. The only way out is to not fear the panic attack–easier said than done. That’s what the 12 sessions can do for you. Using tried and true techniques to reduce anxiety, they can get you through.

(You can try to do it on your own, but it’s much harder.)