Diazepam overdose
Diazepam is a prescription medicine used to treat anxiety disorders. It is in a class of medicines called benzodiazepines. Diazepam overdose occurs when someone takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medicine. This can be by accident or on purpose.
This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with has an overdose, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Overdose
An overdose is when you take more than the recommended amount of something, often a medicine or drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful sym...
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Diazepam can be harmful in large amounts.
Where Found
Medicines with these names contain diazepam:
- Diazepam intensol
- Diastat
- Dizac
- Valium
Other medicines may also contain diazepam.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of a diazepam overdose is falling into a deep sleep or "coma" while still being able to breathe well enough. Other symptoms may include:
- Bluish-colored lips and fingernails
Bluish-colored lips and fingernails
A bluish color to the skin or mucous membrane is usually due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. The medical term is cyanosis.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Vision problems (blurred vision, double vision)
Vision problems
There are many types of eye problems and vision disturbances, such as: Halos Blurred vision (the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Breathing is slow, labored, or stopped
Labored
Most people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis. This arti...
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- Depression
Depression
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
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Dizziness
Dizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...
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Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...
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- Hiccups
Hiccups
A hiccup is an unintentional movement (spasm) of the diaphragm, the muscle at the base of the lungs. The spasm is followed by quick closing of the v...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Rapid side-to-side movement of the eyes
- Rash
Rash
Rashes involve changes in the color, feeling or texture of your skin.
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- Tiredness
Tiredness
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
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Tremor
A tremor is a type of shaking movement. A tremor is most often noticed in the hands and arms. It may affect any body part, including the head, tong...
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Uncoordinated movement
Uncoordinated movement is due to a muscle control problem that causes an inability to coordinate movements. It leads to a jerky, unsteady, to-and-fr...
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Home Care
This can be a very serious overdose. Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or your health care provider tells you to.
Before Calling Emergency
Have this information ready:
- Person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of product (ingredients and strength, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
- If the medicine was prescribed for the person
Poison Control
Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Poison control center
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleThis is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
Take the container to the hospital with you, if possible.
The provider will measure and monitor vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
Vital signs
Vital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleTests that may be done include:
- Blood and urine tests
- Chest x-ray
Chest x-ray
A chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - CT scan of the head
CT scan of the head
A head computed tomography (CT) scan uses many x-rays to create pictures of the head, including the skull, brain, eye sockets, and sinuses.
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Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
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Treatment may include:
- Fluids through a vein (by IV)
- Medicine to reverse the effect of the overdose and treat other symptoms
- Activated charcoal
- Laxatives
- Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)
Outlook (Prognosis)
Recovery from a diazepam overdose is very likely. Complications such as pneumonia, muscle damage from lying on a hard surface for a long period of time, or brain damage from lack of oxygen may result in permanent disability.
People who inject large amounts of this medicine through a vein (intravenously or IV) have a worse outcome than those who swallow too many pills.
Reviewed By
Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Aronson JK. Diazepam. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:930-937.
Overbeek DL, Erickson TB. Sedative-hypnotics. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 154.