Tetrazepam Can Be Addictive

Tetrazepam is an active ingredient in the benzodiazepine group that has been used to treat muscle tension. Benzodiazepines have a sedative effect as well as anxiety-, tension-, and excitement-reducing effects. Because tetrazepam can quickly become addictive, it is not suitable for people with an acute or previous alcohol, drug, or medication addiction. Learn more about tetrazepam side effects, dosage, contraindications, and drug interactions here.

Effects of tetrazepam

Tetrazepam has been used primarily as a muscle relaxant. The active ingredient can treat muscle tension caused by diseases of the spine and joints. In addition, tetrazepam was also prescribed for the treatment of pathologically increased muscle tension (spastic syndrome). The active ingredient may no longer be prescribed since August 1, 2013, because serious skin reactions can occur.

Side effects of tetrazepam

The most common side effects of tetrazepam include dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, lightheadedness, articulation problems, unsteadiness of gait, and impaired responsiveness. In addition, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting may occur. Some of the aforementioned side effects may subside over the course of treatment. Occasionally, hypersensitivity reactions may occur as side effects of tetrazepam, including reddened and swollen skin areas and mucous membranes. Rarely, side effects such as dry mouth, depressive moods, a drop in blood pressure, respiratory and muscle weakness, and a decrease in libido may also occur after taking tetrazepam. In some cases, reactions may also occur while taking tetrazepam that are in contrast to the actual effect of the substance. These reactions include, for example, sleep disturbances, anxiety and fits of rage. In the event of such a reversal of effect, which may occur particularly in children and the elderly, treatment should be discontinued.

Ingestion may be addictive

Taking tetrazepam can lead to dependence after only a short time. In most cases, taking a usual dose every day for a few weeks is enough for this. That’s why a doctor should check whether taking the active ingredient is still necessary no later than four weeks after starting treatment. If the active substance is suddenly discontinued after a long period of use, severe withdrawal symptoms may occur. These may include headaches, insomnia, increased dreaming, anxiety, restlessness, tremors, sweating, delusions, depression, muscle pain, tension, and seizures. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms are delayed by a few days. They can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. To minimize withdrawal symptoms, when stopping treatment with tetrazepam, the drug should never be stopped abruptly, but the dose should be reduced slowly.

Dosage of tetrazepam

Tetrazepam required a prescription and could only be taken after consultation with a doctor. This person had determined the optimal dosage for you individually. Therefore, please understand the following dosage information as a general guideline only. At the beginning of treatment, the dose is usually increased gradually until the smallest effective dose has been determined. Adults usually take 50 milligrams of tetrazepam at the beginning – an increase up to 200 milligrams is possible. In spastic syndromes, up to 400 milligrams per day may be taken in individual cases. Since memory lapses can occur after taking tetrazepam, it is best to take the active substance in the evening before going to bed. Otherwise, you may perform actions after taking it that you cannot remember later. If you take it regularly, the effect of tetrazepam may diminish over time. In such a case, do not increase the dose on your own in any case, but contact your attending physician.

In case of overdose, see a doctor immediately

If you have taken too large a dose of tetrazepam, be sure to contact a doctor and have him or her assess the severity of the poisoning. Mild overdose may cause side effects such as drowsiness, drowsiness, confusion, and unsteadiness of gait and muscle weakness.Stronger doses can cause unconsciousness, breathing problems, as well as circulatory collapse.

Contraindications of tetrazepam

Tetrazepam must not be used if there is hypersensitivity to the active substance itself or to other active substances from the benzodiazepine group, such as diazepam. In addition, the active substance must also not be taken in the case of:

  • An acute or previous dependence on alcohol, drugs or medications.
  • A severe respiratory impairment
  • An acute increase in intraocular pressure
  • Breathing pauses during sleep (sleep apnea syndrome).
  • Children under one year

Patients with severe liver damage, impaired kidney function, respiratory weakness or pathological muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis) must be carefully monitored by a doctor while taking tetrazepam. The same applies to patients suffering from acute intoxication with alcohol, painkillers, sleeping pills, neuroleptics or antidepressants. Caution should also be exercised in cases of movement disorders caused by diseases of the brain or spinal cord. In the elderly, tetrazepam may be broken down more slowly than usual. In addition, they are often particularly sensitive to the active substance. Because of this, older people need to be watched particularly carefully when taking tetrazepam – especially if they are in poor general health.

Tetrazepam during pregnancy

During pregnancy, tetrazepam should not be taken or should be taken only after a careful risk-benefit assessment. This is because the active ingredient can cause malformations and mental impairment in the unborn child. If the active ingredient is used regularly during pregnancy, in higher doses or during birth, withdrawal symptoms such as flabby muscles, breathing difficulties and weakness in drinking may occur in the child. If tetrazepam is taken during breastfeeding, breastfeeding should be stopped beforehand. This is because the active ingredient passes into breast milk and is broken down much more slowly in infants than in adults. This can cause side effects such as weak drinking or breathing difficulties.

Interactions with other medications

If tetrazepam is taken at the same time as certain other medications, it may interact with them.

  • If tetrazepam is taken at the same time as substances that act in the central nervous system – for example, alcohol, psychotropic drugs, opioid painkillers, sleeping pills, sedatives, and H1 antihistamines – there may be a mutual potentiation of effects.
  • Taking omeprazole, cisapride, cimetidine, and grapefruit extracts may increase the effect of tetrazepam.
  • Tetrazepam enhances the effect of other muscle relaxants, this may result in an increased risk of falls, especially in the elderly or high doses.
  • Simultaneous use of tetrazepam and clozapine increases the risk of circulatory failure.
  • Cholinesterase inhibitors possibly attenuate the muscle relaxant effect of tetrazepam.
  • If tetrazepam is taken together with other agents from the benzodiazepine group, the risk of dependence increases.

Antihypertensive agents, anticoagulants, antidiabetics and hormonal contraceptives should be taken together with tetrazepam only after consultation with a doctor. Unpredictable interactions may result from concomitant use. During the first days of use, driving and operating machinery should be avoided. Even later, concentration and reaction time may be negatively affected by tetrazepam. Then the attending physician must decide in each individual case whether driving vehicles and operating machines are possible.