How Can You Safely Manage Withdrawal Symptoms During Temazepam Detox?

For many people, temazepam is an effective treatment for insomnia, helping them get better sleep. However, this medication has caused others to develop addictions and a dependence on the drug. Once they try to quit taking the drug, they’ll soon begin to experience temazepam withdrawal symptoms that can be uncomfortable or distressing. Fortunately, it is possible to safely manage withdrawal symptoms with the help of a drug detox program in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

What Is Temazepam?
What Are the Common Withdrawal Symptoms of Temazepam?
Why Is It Dangerous to Quit Temazepam Cold Turkey?
What our customers are saying
Are There Medications That Can Ease Temazepam Withdrawal?
Key Takeaways on Temazepam Withdrawal
Resources

What Is Temazepam?

Temazepam, sold under the brand name Restoril, is a benzodiazepine available as a prescription medication. It’s most often prescribed as a short-term treatment of insomnia, and it works by depressing the central nervous system, calming the body down. However, it’s meant only to be taken for a week or two. If someone continues using temazepam after that, they’ll be at high risk of developing a growing tolerance and addiction to this powerful drug.

When used as intended, common side effects can include:

• Dry mouth
• Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
• Drowsiness, fatigue, or feeling “hungover” the next day
• Vivid dreams

Rare but serious side effects of temazepam can include:

• Yellow skin or whites of the eyes
• Urinary difficulties
• Heart palpitations
• Mood changes
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Slurred speech
• Confusion

What Are the Common Withdrawal Symptoms of Temazepam?

If someone takes this benzodiazepine for more than a week or two, they could easily become dependent on the drug, and if they try to quit, they’ll soon start to experience temazepam withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms of withdrawal could begin just hours after the last usage, with symptoms peaking a couple of days later. After four to five days, the person should start to recover.

In general, the withdrawal symptoms of benzodiazepines can include:

• Insomnia
• Irritability or restlessness
• Mood changes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sweating
• Headaches or muscle cramps
• Increased anxiety or panic attacks
• Tremors or seizures
• Confusion
• Hypersensitivity

Why Is It Dangerous to Quit Temazepam Cold Turkey?

Quitting temazepam cold turkey—especially after taking the medication for an extended period of time—will most likely lead to distressing, uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms that will start just hours later. When prescribed, this drug is usually only meant to be taken for 10 to 14 days. If someone has used the medication for longer than that, they’ll most likely be advised by their doctor to taper off the drug by slowly reducing the dosage over a period of time.

While it might be tempting to try to get this done rapidly, the vast majority of people will need to spend far more than a month or two to successfully taper doses until they are no longer on the medication.

If someone tries to quit cold turkey, the combination of insomnia, nausea, confusion, anxiety, and other temazepam withdrawal symptoms will lead them to relapse soon after quitting in an attempt to feel better. Withdrawal can take weeks, and even after the peak of these symptoms have passed, lingering symptoms can continue for months to come.

Instead, it’s recommended to research your options and learn what to expect during drug detox treatment at a drug rehab center. A drug detox program offers patients round-the-clock medical support as their bodies get used to no longer having the substance. For benzodiazepine withdrawal, detox programs can provide medications to help minimize or manage withdrawal symptoms.

Choosing to get help at a drug detox facility means receiving 24/7 medical support and medication to get through this period of days or up to two weeks as the body and brain start to recover from temazepam addiction. Once patients are stabilized and beginning to feel better, they’re ready to focus on the mental and physical aspects of their addiction during a drug rehab program.

What our customers are saying

Are There Medications That Can Ease Temazepam Withdrawal?

To avoid temazepam withdrawal, medically supervised tapering is significant. Patients must very carefully and slowly reduce how much of the medication they take, making adjustments weekly, until they eventually take just a fraction of their original dosage. Then, they can go off the medication, and should be able to avoid the worst of the potential withdrawal symptoms.

People who have used the drug for a period of time are highly likely to experience a rapid onset of withdrawal symptoms once they stop taking it. Medical experts will generally try to slowly reduce the dosage to get the patient off the medication.

One of the most frequently asked questions about drug detox is if patients can get medications to help with withdrawal symptoms or get them through this period of days. In some cases, patients might be prescribed other medications or safer benzodiazepines to help wean them off temazepam.

Instead of a short-acting medication like Restoril, a longer-acting benzodiazepine can often be an effective initial replacement as one step of their overall treatment. Medications can be effective in helping patients avoid or minimize the uncomfortable, distressing withdrawal symptoms that they would otherwise experience.

In addition, patients who are in a drug detox program are often experiencing physically draining symptoms, such as fatigue, dizziness, nausea, or headaches. While they’re in the detox center, they’ll have access to medical experts who can keep them feeling as comfortable and rested as possible during this whole experience.

Patients won’t be at risk of becoming dehydrated during withdrawal because medical professionals who keep monitoring their vital signs and help them stay healthy throughout detox. Drug detox programs offer the medical support and medications that people need to get through the first days of recovery from addiction more easily.

Key Takeaways on Temazepam Withdrawal

• Temazepam is an effective treatment for insomnia that is only meant to be taken for a short time.
• People who use this benzodiazepine for more than a couple of weeks are at risk of dependence and becoming addicted to the drug.
• If someone who has used this medication for a long time tries to quit suddenly, they’ll soon start to experience uncomfortable and distressing temazepam withdrawal symptoms.
• Medically supervised tapering to reduce the dosage gradually and eventually quit using temazepam is the most effective way of quitting this medication.
• Drug detox programs can provide medical support and other medications to help people be more comfortable and safe during drug withdrawal.

If you or a loved one is addicted to temazepam, it can seem impossible to see a day when you no longer need to depend on this drug. However, that day is much closer than you know – and it all starts with reaching out to the right professionals for help. The team at Muse Treatment’s drug rehab facility in California knows what it takes to get through benzodiazepine withdrawal and gain new skills and strengths to avoid using this drug in the future. Get started on the road to recovery by calling us at 800-426-1818 today.

Resources

• National Library of Medicine – The Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome
• National Health Service Somerset – Temazepam Suggested Tapering Regime
• Mind – Withdrawal Effects of Benzodiazepines