How effective is diazepam for epilepsy?

Diazepam is a drug in the family of benzodiazepine, which is used to prevent seizures and convulsions from epilepsy, including medical purposes. Most benzodiazepines could be used to treat this condition, but diazepam for epilepsy is often the first choice of many doctors. For many individuals, it remains one of the most effective treatment of epilepsy, although some circumstances may require the use of other drugs.

Clinically, most doctors use diazepam for epilepsy as a first line treatment after diagnosis. Various studies estimated its efficiency in preventing seizures between these individuals ranging from 38 to 83 percent. It can be prescribed orally as a preventive measure, but some doctors recommend using it intravenously (IV) during a seizure. Most seizures can be controlled by a dose of 10 milligrams (mg) via IV in minutes and repetition of the process if the cramps do not stop.

A condition known as the status of epilepticus includes lengthy seizures that can take 30 or more minutes. It turned out that uThe life of diazepam for epilepsy of this type is effective, and IV or rectal diazepam is used to control these seizures. Diazepam has a short half -life, which is metabolized and cleaned from the body within hours of use, so it is often not the only drug administered for episodes of this type of epilepsy.

Smaller doses of diazepam for inspection of immediate seizures are often administered along with long -acting benzodiazepine or other anticonvulsant to prevent the individual back to the seizure during epilepticus status. Other diazepam limits for epilepsy include the fact that repeated doses of this drug may create a risk of coma, as this drug disintegrates into other compounds with longer half lives. The continuous IV preparation of diazepam may also be potential used, but often avoids it because continuous use could lead to tolerance that quickly tmonsters, which will be less effective.

The use of diazepam for epilepsy is generally not performed for a long time. After about six months, tolerance develops on this medicine, so it is often prescribed for only a few weeks until a long -term drug for treatment that is effective for the patient can be detected. Some doctors have begun to avoid diazepam to manage the first line epilepsy in favor of a similar Lorazepam drug. Lorazepam has been shown to be a little more effective in preventing and treating seizures and remaining effective for a longer period of time.