Quazepam is a benzodiazepine medication a medical provider may recommend for short-term treatment of insomnia. The medication helps induce sleep and keeps patients sleeping comfortably but does not disrupt the normal mechanisms of the sleep process. This can be vitally important, as patients will eventually stop taking the drug and could experience a rebound effect if the medication interrupted their normal sleep cycles. Typically quazepam use is not advised for more than seven to ten days.
Like other members of the benzodiazepine class, quazepam acts on the central nervous system to slow it down. This drug tends to be less aggressive than other benzodiazepines and has fewer side effects, with a decreased risk of tolerance or dependence, especially for patients using it in the short term. The rebound effects seen with some sleep aids, where the patient experiences insomnia after stopping the drug, usually don’t occur with quazepam.
Some side effects can include daytime sleepiness and stumbling or poor coordination after taking the medication. This drug shouldn’t be used before operating heavy machinery or concentrating on complex cognitive tasks. It is also not advisable to combine quazepam with other medications that depress the central nervous system, like many pain management medications and other benzodiazepines. The combined effects of multiple medications can increase the risk of serious complications like slow respiration and heart rate, which can lead to coma.
Older adults tend to be more susceptible to quazepam side effects because the medication builds up in their blood. Doses may need to be adjusted for them, and they should be monitored closely while on the medication to check for signs of problems. It is also not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as it can cause birth defects or withdrawal responses in infants. Patients with a history of problems with benzodiazepines, including addiction or allergic reactions, are also not good candidates for quazepam therapy because they could be at risk of further complications.
If insomnia persists for more than seven to ten days, it can be an indicator of a deeper medical problem. Patients can discuss the situation with a care provider to explore possible options, including therapy for stress, changes to sleep habits, or a medical evaluation to check for possible causes of poor sleep, like apnea. This can address the root cause of the difficulty sleeping to allow the patient to rest comfortably without the use of a sleep aid in the future.