What is the most important information I should know about triazolam?
Do not use if you are pregnant.
Serious drug interactions can occur when certain medicines are used together with triazolam. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all medicines you use now, and any medicine you start or stop using.
What is triazolam?
Triazolam is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peen) similar to Valium. Triazolam affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced and cause sleep problems (insomnia).
Triazolam is used to treat insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep).
Triazolam may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking triazolam?
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to triazolam or similar medicines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), clorazepate (Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others.
This medicine can harm an unborn baby or cause birth defects. Do not use if you are pregnant. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine.
Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used with triazolam. Your doctor may need to change your treatment plan if you use certain medicines, including:
- imatinib;
- isoniazid;
- nefazodone;
- a narcotic (opioid) medication;
-
an antibiotic --clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin;
-
antifungal medicine --itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole;
-
heart medication --nicardipine, quinidine; or
-
antiviral medicine to treat hepatitis C or HIV/AIDS --atazanavir, boceprevir, cobicistat (Evotaz, Prezcobix, Stribild, Tybost), delavirdine, fosamprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telaprevir.
To make sure triazolam is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- a history of depression, mental illness, or addiction;
- a history of suicidal thoughts or actions;
- liver or kidney disease; or
- lung disease or breathing problems.
It is not known whether triazolam passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
Triazolam is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
How should I take triazolam?
Follow the directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Triazolam may be habit-forming. Never share triazolam with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away triazolam is against the law.
Take triazolam on an empty stomach, at least 2 hours after eating.
Take this medicine only when you are getting ready for several hours of sleep. You may fall asleep very quickly after taking the medicine.
Avoid using triazolam to prevent jet lag while traveling by airplane.
Call your doctor if your insomnia does not improve after taking triazolam for 7 to 10 nights, or if you have any mood or behavior changes. Insomnia can be a symptom of depression, mental illness, or certain medical conditions.
Do not take triazolam for longer than 10 nights in a row, unless your doctor has told you to. Ask your doctor how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when you stop using triazolam.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Triazolam is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Since triazolam is taken as needed, you are not likely to be on a dosing schedule. Take triazolam only when you have time for several hours of sleep.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of triazolam can be fatal, especially if taken with alcohol.
Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, weak or shallow breathing, fainting, or coma.
What should I avoid while taking triazolam?
Avoid drinking alcohol. Dangerous side effects could occur.
Triazolam may impair your thinking or reactions. You may still feel sleepy the morning after taking this medicine. Wait until you are fully awake before you drive, operate machinery, or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with triazolam and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit products while taking triazolam.
What are the possible side effects of triazolam?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- unusual changes in mood or behavior;
- confusion, memory loss (amnesia), hallucinations; or
- depression, suicidal thoughts.
Some people using triazolam have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, making phone calls, or sleep-walking and later having no memory of the activity. If this happens to you, stop taking triazolam and talk with your doctor.
The sedative effects of triazolam may last longer in older adults. Accidental falls are common in elderly patients who take benzodiazepines. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury while you are taking triazolam.
Common side effects may include:
- dizziness, daytime drowsiness (or during hours when you are not normally sleeping);
- loss of coordination;
- headache; or
- tingling or prickly feeling on your skin.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect triazolam?
Taking triazolam with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous side effects or death. Ask your doctor before taking a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, prescription cough medicine, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
Many drugs can interact with triazolam, and some drugs should not be used together. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide. Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with triazolam. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about triazolam.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 10.04. Revision date: 9/28/2016.
