Nitrazepam 5mg

Nitrazepam 5mg has a calming effect, reduces anxiety, relaxes the muscles and makes you drowsy. Furthermore, it stops and prevents epilepsy attacks.
For insomnia and epilepsy.
You notice that you become sleepy and calm within 15 to 30 minutes of taking it. This effect lasts for 8 to 12 hours.
It works immediately in the case of an epilepsy attack. If you are taking it to prevent seizures: you can assess within a few weeks whether you have fewer seizures.
As a sleep aid, nitrazepam 5mg works best when used occasionally. For example, no more than once every 3 days.
Are you using nitrazepam 5mg as a sleep aid? You can become dependent on it. It is then difficult to stop using. Have you used it for more than 2 weeks in a row? Then gradually reduce.
You may become drowsy, sleepy or tired and your reaction time may decrease. Keep in mind that these side effects can still be present during the day.
Do not drive if you are taking more than 5 mg nitrazepam each day. Do you take more than 5 mg occasionally? Then you are not allowed to drive for 3 days (72 hours) after taking it. Are you taking 5 mg or less per day? Then you are not allowed to drive for 12 hours after each intake.
Watch out with alcohol. This can make you even drowsy.
Other side effects: decreased coordination, muscle weakness and memory problems. You may fall earlier.

What does nitrazepam do and what do I use it for?
Nitrazepam 5mg is one of the benzodiazepines. It has a calming effect, relaxes muscles, reduces feelings of anxiety and affects the transmission of electrical stimuli in the brain. Doctors prescribe it for sleep disorders and certain forms of epilepsy

Use Nitrazepam 5mg
Insomnia Take the medicine half an hour before going to sleep. Only take it if you have at least 8 hours to sleep after taking it. If you have to wake up before then you will still be too bothered by the narcotic effect. Epilepsy It does not matter when you are taking this medicine. Divide the tablets as well as possible over the day. Usually this is every 8 hours.

How long? Insomnia If you take this medicine from time to time, it can help you sleep well. If you use it almost every night, the effect will disappear after a few weeks. Therefore, only use it in special situations. With daily use for more than 2 weeks, you run the risk of 'withdrawal insomnia'. Your body expects the effect of this drug to help you fall asleep. Therefore only use it occasionally and never more than a few days in a row.

Epilepsy You will likely need to take this drug for a long time. After a few weeks to months, your doctor will check with you whether it is sufficiently effective.

Side effects Nitrazepam 5mg

In addition to the desired effect, this medicine can cause side effects, also the next day. The main side effects are the following. Regularly, rarely even the next afternoon when used as a sleep aid

Drowsiness, drowsiness and fatigue. This reduces your ability to react and concentrate, which increases the risk of accidents. Accidents can also occur, for example, in traffic, when climbing a ladder, operating equipment or during surveillance and control work. But you are also more likely to fall if you have to get out of bed at night to go to the toilet.
Sometimes, rarely even the next afternoon when used as a sleep aid
Impaired coordination. This may make you clumsy in your movements and have difficulty speaking (articulating) clearly.
Muscle weakness, feeling of weakness in muscles. This side effect can cause other complaints, such as: Blurred or double vision, due to a temporary effect on the eye muscles. Urinary incontinence or difficulty in passing urine. These side effects are caused by insufficient control of the bladder muscle. Snoring due to the weakening of the uvula. During your sleep, have you ever had problems that your breath stops for a short time (sleep apnea)? You may be more affected by this medicine. Contact your doctor if you notice this. Fall, mainly because this drug also decreases coordination. Especially the elderly and people with muscle diseases have a chance of this. People with myasthenia gravis (a serious muscle disease) may be more prone to this disease. Consult your doctor if symptoms get worse (such as general muscle weakness, double vision,
Slower thinking, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, less alert, confusion. These complaints may increase if you use this medicine for a longer period of time.
Decrease feelings: this drug not only flattens emotions such as fear and tension, but also positive ones, such as happiness and satisfaction. Your involvement and empathy for others can also diminish.

Rarely

Gastrointestinal disorders, such as nausea, constipation and diarrhea, dry mouth or extra saliva, difficulty swallowing. Changed appetite: more or less appetite. This also changes in body weight.
Headache and dizziness. These side effects usually go away after some time as you get used to the drug.
Sweating and palpitations.
Dry eyes. Especially people with contact lenses can suffer from dry eyes.
Rash and itching. Usually this is harmless, but (very rarely) the symptoms can be serious. Consult your doctor if the rash looks unusual, if it affects you, or if you also develop a fever or blisters.
Dependence. You may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it. The chance of this is very small with short-term use. Are you taking this medicine daily for more than two weeks as a sleep aid or for more than two months for epilepsy? Then you have a great chance of this. Therefore, always reduce gradually if you have been using this medication daily for a longer period of time.
Reduced effectiveness if you use this drug every day for more than two weeks. The medicine then no longer works or works less well for sleeping. Therefore, use this medication only occasionally or for periods of up to two weeks. In epilepsy, the drug may work less well over the course of months to years.

Very rarely

Nightmares, usually in the early morning.
Unrest and irritability. So opposite symptoms than you would expect from this drug. Delusions and hallucinations can also occur. Children and the elderly are especially sensitive to these side effects. Consult the doctor in case of these symptoms. A lower dose or a different drug may be needed.
Memory loss of events that occur while you are taking this drug. For example, nighttime events.
Depressed feelings can be revealed.
Less sex drive.
Lung problems. Do you have a cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fever and chills? Then stop using and contact a doctor immediately. After stopping, the lung problems usually go away.
Blood disorders and liver problems. In case of sudden severe pain in the upper abdomen, jaundice, unexplained bruising or extreme tiredness, you should contact a doctor immediately.
Consult your doctor if you experience too much of any of the above side effects or if you experience any other side effects that you are concerned about. In epilepsy, you can expect that the side effects usually diminish once you get used to the drug. They will usually outweigh the risks associated with seizures. If it does bother you a lot, talk to your doctor.