Restoril Drug Information
Generic name: TEMAZEPAM
Benzodiazepine [EPC]
Uses of Restoril
Restoril ™ (temazepam) is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia (generally 7 to 10 days). For patients with short-term insomnia, instructions in the prescription should indicate that Restoril ™ (temazepam) should be used for short periods of time (7 to 10 days). The clinical trials performed in support of efficacy were 2 weeks in duration with the final formal assessment of sleep latency performed at the end of treatment.
Dosage & Administration of Restoril
While the recommended usual adult dose is 15 mg before retiring, 7.5 mg may be sufficient for some patients, and others may need 30 mg. In transient insomnia, a 7.5 mg dose may be sufficient to improve sleep latency. In elderly or debilitated patients, it is recommended that therapy be initiated with 7.5 mg until individual responses are determined.
Discontinuation or Dosage Reduction of Restoril To reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions, use a gradual taper to discontinue Restoril or reduce the dosage. If a patient develops withdrawal reactions, consider pausing the taper or increasing the dosage to the previous tapered dosage level. Subsequently decrease the dosage more slowly ( see WARNINGS, Dependence and Withdrawal Reactions and DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE: Dependence ).
Side Effects of Restoril
Headache 8.5 9.1 Fatigue 4.8 4.7 Nervousness 4.6 8.2 Lethargy 4.5 3.4
Dizziness 4.5
Nausea 3.1 3.8 Hangover 2.5 1.1 Anxiety 2.0 1.5 Depression 1.7 1.8
Dry Mouth 1.7
The following adverse events have been reported less frequently (0.5% to 0.9%)
Central Nervous System – anorexia, ataxia, equilibrium loss, tremor, increased dreaming Cardiovascular – dyspnea, palpitations Gastrointestinal – vomiting Musculoskeletal – backache Special Senses – hyperhidrosis, burning eyes Amnesia, hallucinations, horizontal nystagmus, and paradoxical reactions including restlessness, overstimulation and agitation were rare (less than 0.5%).
Warnings & Cautions for Restoril
Risks from Concomitant Use with Opioids Concomitant use of benzodiazepines, including Restoril, and opioids may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate. Observational studies have demonstrated that concomitant use of opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines increases the risk of drug-related mortality compared to use of opioids alone.
If a decision is made to prescribe Restoril concomitantly with opioids, prescribe the lowest effective dosages and minimum durations of concomitant use, and follow patients closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. In patients already receiving an opioid analgesic, prescribe a lower initial dose of Restoril than indicated in the absence of an opioid and titrate based on clinical response. If an opioid is initiated in a patient already taking Restoril, prescribe a lower initial dose of the opioid and titrate based upon clinical response.
Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when Restoril is used with opioids. Advise patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery until the effects of concomitant use with the opioid have been determined ( see PRECAUTIONS, Drug Interactions ). Abuse, Misuse, and Addiction The use of benzodiazepines, including Restoril, exposes users to the risks of abuse, misuse, and addiction, which can lead to overdose or death. Abuse and misuse of benzodiazepines often (but not always) involve the use of doses greater than the maximum recommended dosage and commonly involve concomitant use of other medications, alcohol, and/or illicit substances, which is associated with an increased frequency of serious adverse outcomes, including respiratory depression, overdose, or death ( see DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE, Abuse ). Before prescribing Restoril and throughout treatment, assess each patient’s risk for abuse, misuse, and addiction (e.g., using a standardized screening tool). Use of Restoril, particularly in patients at elevated risk, necessitates counseling about the risks and proper use of Restoril along with monitoring for signs and symptoms of abuse, misuse, and addiction.
Prescribe the lowest effective dosage; avoid or minimize concomitant use of CNS depressants and other substances associated with abuse, misuse, and addiction (e.g., opioid analgesics, stimulants); and advise patients on the proper disposal of unused drug. If a substance use disorder is suspected, evaluate the patient and institute (or refer them for) early treatment, as appropriate. Dependence and Withdrawal Reactions To reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions, use a gradual taper to discontinue Restoril or reduce the dosage (a patient-specific plan should be used to taper the dose) ( see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, Discontinuation or Dosage Reduction of Restoril ). Patients at an increased risk of withdrawal adverse reactions after benzodiazepine discontinuation or rapid dosage reduction include those who take higher dosages, and those who have had longer durations of use.
Acute Withdrawal Reactions The continued use of benzodiazepines, including Restoril, may lead to clinically significant physical dependence. Abrupt discontinuation or rapid dosage reduction of Restoril after continued use, or administration of flumazenil (a benzodiazepine antagonist) may precipitate acute withdrawal reactions, which can be life-threatening (e.g., seizures) ( see DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE, Dependence ). Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome In some cases, benzodiazepine users have developed a protracted withdrawal syndrome with withdrawal symptoms lasting weeks to more than 12 months ( see DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE, Dependence ). Sleep disturbance may be the presenting manifestation of an underlying physical and/or psychiatric disorder. Consequently, a decision to initiate symptomatic treatment of insomnia should only be made after the patient has been carefully evaluated.
The failure of insomnia to remit after 7 to 10 days of treatment may indicate the presence of a primary psychiatric and/or medical illness that should be evaluated. Worsening of insomnia may be the consequence of an unrecognized psychiatric or physical disorder as may the emergence of new abnormalities of thinking or behavior. Such abnormalities have also been reported to occur in association with the use of drugs with central nervous system depressant activity, including those of the benzodiazepine class.
Because some of the worrisome adverse effects of benzodiazepines, including Restoril, appear to be dose related ( see PRECAUTIONS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ), it is important to use the lowest possible effective dose. Elderly patients are especially at risk. Some of these changes may be characterized by decreased inhibition, e.g., aggressiveness and extroversion that seem out of character, similar to that seen with alcohol.
Other kinds of behavioral changes can also occur, for example, bizarre behavior, agitation, hallucinations, and depersonalization. Complex behaviors such as “sleep-driving” (i.e., driving while not fully awake after ingestion of a sedative-hypnotic, with amnesia for the event) have been reported. These events can occur in sedative-hypnotic-naïve as well as in sedative-hypnotic-experienced persons.
Although behaviors such as “sleep-driving” may occur with Restoril alone at therapeutic doses, the use of alcohol and other CNS depressants with Restoril appears to increase the risk of such behaviors, as does the use of Restoril at doses exceeding the maximum recommended dose. Due to the risk to the patient and the community, discontinuation of Restoril should be strongly considered for patients who report a “sleep-driving” episode. Other complex behaviors (e.g., preparing and eating food, making phone calls, or having sex) have been reported in patients who are not fully awake after taking a sedative-hypnotic.
As with “sleep-driving”, patients usually do not remember these events. Amnesia and other neuro-psychiatric symptoms may occur unpredictably. In primarily depressed patients, worsening of depression, including suicidal thinking has been reported in association with the use of sedative/hypnotics.
It can rarely be determined with certainty whether a particular instance of the abnormal behaviors listed above is drug induced, spontaneous in origin, or a result of an underlying psychiatric or physical disorder. Nonetheless, the emergence of any new behavioral sign or symptom of concern requires careful and immediate evaluation. Because Restoril can cause drowsiness and a decreased level of consciousness, patients, particularly the elderly, are at higher risk of falls.
Severe Anaphylactic and Anaphylactoid Reactions Rare cases of angioedema involving the tongue, glottis or larynx have been reported in patients after taking the first or subsequent doses of sedative-hypnotics, including Restoril. Some patients have had additional symptoms such as dyspnea, throat closing, or nausea and vomiting that suggest anaphylaxis. Some patients have required medical therapy in the emergency department.
If angioedema involves the tongue, glottis or larynx, airway obstruction may occur and be fatal. Patients who develop angioedema after treatment with Restoril should not be rechallenged with the drug. Neonatal Sedation and Withdrawal Syndrome Use of Restoril late in pregnancy can result in sedation (respiratory depression, lethargy, hypotonia) and/or withdrawal symptoms (hyperreflexia, irritability, restlessness, tremors, inconsolable crying, and feeding difficulties) in the neonate ( see PRECAUTIONS, Pregnancy ). Monitor neonates exposed to Restoril during pregnancy or labor for signs of sedation and monitor neonates exposed to Restoril during pregnancy for signs of withdrawal; manage these neonates accordingly.
Drug Interactions with Restoril
Drug Interactions The concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids increases the risk of respiratory depression because of actions at different receptor sites in the CNS that control respiration. Benzodiazepines interact at GABAA sites and opioids interact primarily at mu receptors. When benzodiazepines and opioids are combined, the potential for benzodiazepines to significantly worsen opioid-related respiratory depression exists.
Limit dosage and duration of concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids, and monitor patients closely for respiratory depression and sedation. The benzodiazepines, including temazepam, produce additive CNS-depressant effects when co-administered with other CNS depressants such as alcohol, barbiturates, antipsychotics, sedative/hypnotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, narcotic analgesics, sedative antihistamines, anticonvulsants, and anesthetics. The pharmacokinetic profile of temazepam does not appear to be altered by orally administered cimetidine dosed according to labeling.
Pregnancy Safety for Restoril
Pregnancy Pregnancy Exposure Registry There is a pregnancy registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to psychiatric medications, including Restoril, during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to register patients by calling the National Pregnancy Registry for Psychiatric Medications at 1-866-961-2388 or visiting online at https://womensmentalhealth.org/pregnancyregistry/. Risk Summary Neonates born to mothers using benzodiazepines late in pregnancy have been reported to experience symptoms of sedation and/or neonatal withdrawal ( see WARNINGS, Neonatal Sedation and Withdrawal Syndrome and Clinical Considerations ). Available data from published observational studies of pregnant women exposed to benzodiazepines do not report a clear association with benzodiazepines and major birth defects ( see Data ). The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes.
In the U.S. general population, the estimated risk of major birth defects and of miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. Clinical Considerations Fetal/Neonatal Adverse Reactions Benzodiazepines cross the placenta and may produce respiratory depression, hypotonia and sedation in neonates. Monitor neonates exposed to Restoril during pregnancy or labor for signs of sedation, respiratory depression, hypotonia, and feeding problems.
Monitor neonates exposed to Restoril during pregnancy for signs of withdrawal. Manage these neonates accordingly ( see WARNINGS, Neonatal Sedation and Withdrawal Syndrome ). Data Human Data Published data from observational studies on the use of benzodiazepines during pregnancy do not report a clear association with benzodiazepines and major birth defects. Although early studies reported an increased risk of congenital malformations with diazepam and chlordiazepoxide, there was no consistent pattern noted.
In addition, the majority of more recent case-control and cohort studies of benzodiazepine use during pregnancy, which were adjusted for confounding exposures to alcohol, tobacco and other medications, have not confirmed these findings. Animal Data Reproduction studies in animals with temazepam were performed in rats and rabbits. In a perinatal-postnatal study in rats, oral doses of 60 mg/kg/day resulted in increasing nursling mortality.
Teratology studies in rats demonstrated increased fetal resorptions at doses of 30 and 120 mg/kg in one study and increased occurrence of rudimentary ribs, which are considered skeletal variants, in a second study at doses of 240 mg/kg or higher. In rabbits, occasional abnormalities such as exencephaly and fusion or asymmetry of ribs were reported without dose relationship. Although these abnormalities were not found in the concurrent control group, they have been reported to occur randomly in historical controls.
At doses of 40 mg/kg or higher, there was an increased incidence of the 13th rib variant when compared to the incidence in concurrent and historical controls.
Pediatric Use of Restoril
Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Overdosage Information for Restoril
Overdosage of benzodiazepines is characterized by central nervous system depression ranging from drowsiness to coma. In mild to moderate cases, symptoms can include drowsiness, confusion, dysarthria, lethargy, hypnotic state, diminished reflexes, ataxia, and hypotonia. Rarely, paradoxical or disinhibitory reactions (including agitation, irritability, impulsivity, violent behavior, confusion, restlessness, excitement, and talkativeness) may occur.
In severe overdosage cases, patients may develop respiratory depression and coma. Overdosage of benzodiazepines in combination with other CNS depressants (including alcohol and opioids) may be fatal ( see WARNINGS, Abuse, Misuse, and Addiction ). Markedly abnormal (lowered or elevated) blood pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate raise the concern that additional drugs and/or alcohol are involved in the overdosage. In managing benzodiazepine overdosage, employ general supportive measures, including intravenous fluids and airway management.
Flumazenil, a specific benzodiazepine receptor antagonist indicated for the complete or partial reversal of the sedative effects of benzodiazepines in the management of benzodiazepine overdosage, can lead to withdrawal and adverse reactions, including seizures, particularly in the context of mixed overdosage with drugs that increase seizure risk (e.g., tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants) and in patients with long-term benzodiazepine use and physical dependency. The risk of withdrawal seizures with flumazenil use may be increased in patients with epilepsy. Flumazenil is contraindicated in patients who have received a benzodiazepine for control of a potentially life-threatening condition (e.g., status epilepticus). If the decision is made to use flumazenil, it should be used as an adjunct to, not as a substitute for, supportive management of benzodiazepine overdosage.
See the flumazenil injection Prescribing Information. Consider contacting the Poison Help line (1-800-221-2222) or a medical toxicologist for additional overdosage management recommendations.
Drug information sourced from the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making any medication decisions.
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