Diazepam is a drug to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. Its use is to relieve muscle spasms and as a sedative before performing certain medical procedures. This drug can provide a calming effect on the brain and nerves.
This medicine can be given to children, but should not be used on infants under 6 months of age. The rectal type can be used to stop prolonged or recurring seizures in children with febrile seizures or epilepsy.
Diazepam for Children’s Seizures, Pay Attention to Certain Conditions
Diazepam is a type of tranquilizer and falls into the benzodiazepine drug category. This drug is often used by doctors to treat anxiety, restlessness, to calm children before medical procedures, including treating certain types of seizures.
This medication works as a muscle relaxant and is available in tablet, injection, liquid, and rectal gel forms. Although this medication is commonly used by doctors to treat children with seizures, children with certain conditions should not take this medication.
Some of these conditions are:
- Lung, liver, or kidney disease.
- Porphyria, a genetic disorder in which the body produces too much porphyrin.
- Mental illness or history of substance abuse.
- Hyperactive.
- Sleep apnea.
- Myasthenia gravis (weakening of the body’s muscles due to nerve disorders).
Rules for Giving Diazepam to Treat Seizures in Children
Giving this medicine to children with seizures requires a prescription from a doctor. There are rules that parents need to know when giving this medicine to children, namely:
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Must always follow recommendations
Give this medicine to your child exactly as your doctor has ordered. Never give more than the dose recommended by your doctor.
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Drink regularly
If your child needs this medication regularly, give it at the same time each day.
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Children can drink before or after eating
You can give the medicine on an empty stomach or with food. If the medicine upsets your child’s stomach, it may need to be taken with food or milk to reduce the chance of stomach upset.
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Type of medicine
This medicine is also available in liquid form, which you can use if your child cannot swallow tablets or if your child has a feeding tube.
If your child is getting this medicine by injection (needle), a nurse in the hospital will give him or her a needle or an injection of the medicine into a vein.
You can also give this medication as a rectal gel into the rectum (anal canal). A nurse or pharmacist will explain how to give the rectal gel to your child.
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Do not stop taking medication without a doctor’s recommendation.
Children should not stop taking this medication suddenly. Talk to your doctor first, before your child stops taking this medication completely. Doctors usually recommend lowering the dose slowly before stopping completely. The goal is to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Children may experience some side effects when using it, such as:
- Feeling dizzy.
- Drowsiness or fatigue.
- Dry mouth.
- Stomach ache including diarrhea (loose stools).
Contact your pediatrician if you experience side effects such as shaking, agitation, unusual restlessness, excessive excitement, confusion, nightmares, depression, difficulty or frequent urination, and blurred vision.
