Restoril is the most well-known brand name for temazepam, a benzodiazepine central nervous system depressant mainly used to treat insomnia. The drug is amongst the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepines as a sedative to help individuals rest before minor surgery or dental operations.
Restoril has sedative effects on the user, including slowing down body and brain activities like breathing, thinking processes, and heartbeat. It can assist patients in breaking the cycle of insomnia and establishing a new, more controlled sleeping routine that meets their needs.
Restoril should not be used as a long-term insomnia therapy, with the NHS suggesting a maximum four-week treatment period. The medication is recommended for people who have difficulty sleeping that it affects their daily lives. Driving or operating heavy machinery is not recommended for those whose vision is impaired or who feel confused, dizzy, or tired after taking the medication.
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Restoril is only available in the UK on prescription.
Restoril is taken by mouth as a pill or capsule. Each person should be given the lowest dose possible based on their age, weight, and gender. The standard dose for healthy adults is 15 mg before bed. Debilitated or elderly people should start with 7.5 mg and raise the dose only if the lower amount is ineffective.
Restoril is typically used to treat short-term insomnia brought on by a traumatic incident or a stressful living condition. Benzodiazepines like this one aren’t meant to be used for long-term insomnia or sleep disturbances.
Overactivity in the brain is thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, which can induce sleep issues. Temazepam works by increasing the brain’s natural inhibitory chemical GABA synthesis (gamma-aminobutyric acid).
When GABA is created, it can help you fall and stay asleep by calming overactivity in the brain.
Benzodiazepines are psychoactive medicines, often known as sleeping pills, mild tranquillisers, sedatives, and hypnotics. Other drugs in this class include diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, flurazepam, and lorazepam.
Restoril’s generic name is temazepam; however, it’s also known by other names in English-speaking countries:
Restoril addiction is defined by a compulsive desire to keep taking medicine. Addiction is a result of using a substance in significant amounts over a long period. Long-term use causes your body to become reliant on it for proper function, which leads to this situation. You will be free of addiction if you take Restoril as directed by your doctor, even if you may suffer moderate withdrawal symptoms when you stop.
Not everyone abuses temazepam for the same reasons, and some people aren’t even aware of it. On the other hand, others will take temazepam for fun rather than to treat a medical ailment. To help them escape an unpleasant reality, many people use mood-altering substances.
The specific cause of temazepam abuse is difficult to establish because it differs from person to person. The cause may not always be clear. Subtle concerns that have been buried for a long time can nevertheless contribute to addictive behaviour. Environmental factors such as peer pressure, socioeconomic status, and relationship problems can also contribute to temazepam usage. It’s also worth remembering that genetics may raise the likelihood of substance abuse. Having a family history of addiction can enhance your chances of becoming addicted.
The majority of scientific investigations on the genetic factors that influence addiction have been conducted on people who are alcoholics. One study looked at the risk variables for benzodiazepine addiction and compared them to studies on alcohol-related illnesses. The GABA neurotransmitter has been linked to affective disorders, anxiety, alcoholism, and schizophrenia, and experts believe that these links can be expanded to Temazepam addiction.
Variations in the gene that controls GABA receptors have been linked to an increased incidence of alcoholism. These genes have also been linked to the risk of being addicted to various substances simultaneously. It is widely believed that these genetic variants induce enhanced sensitivity to the effects of alcohol, leading to a desire in addicted people to receive these amplified desired effects regularly.
Restoril addiction is thought to be linked to genes that regulate the production of Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), which metabolises serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are crucial in the central nervous system, where temazepam works to control sadness, anxiety, and mood. MAOA gene variants have been linked to depression and alcoholism and are thought to have a role in benzodiazepine addiction.
Those with difficulty regulating their emotions are at the greatest risk of temazepam use turning into substance dependence. Childhood trauma or mistreatment is often regarded as the single most important environmental risk factor for the emotional dysregulation that leads to addiction development. Early childhood stress has been linked to changes in MAOA production, particularly serotonin; this difference has been linked to depression and alcoholism and is thought to play a role in Restoril addiction.
Other social and environmental factors are known to contribute to sleeping medication addiction. The length of treatment, dosage, and circumstances at the start of treatment are all common considerations. Using the medicine for more than four weeks and the strength of the dose considerably increases the risk of addiction has led to rigorous guidelines for doctors administering the prescription.
Other common contributors to benzodiazepine addiction have been identified as alcohol and other psychoactive drug consumption, significant life events, and a lack of competent intervention. Cluster B personality disorders, neuroticism, anxiety, and depressive disorders are all common psychological characteristics that predispose people to Restoril addiction
Restoril abuse can happen without you even realising it. This is frequent with a wide range of prescription medications, but most people are just unaware of what constitutes abuse.
Taking more than the recommended dose of Restoril is one of the first indicators of abuse. This happens when your body becomes accustomed to the drug, and you no longer obtain the same level of relief.
If you take Restoril other than as directed, you are essentially abusing prescription medication. For example, you could begin smashing your pills before consuming them to intensify the effects, or you may combine them with other drugs or alcohol to achieve the desired results. You may even snort the crushed tablets or mix them with water and inject the resulting liquid. Everything we’ve just gone over is textbook abusive behaviour.
If you’re relying on Restoril more and more and feel like you need it to function, you’re probably on your way to addiction if you aren’t already there.
Pay attention to the following signs and symptoms of Restoril addiction:
Restoril is known to cause a recurrence of the symptoms of the medical condition for which it was prescribed. Insomnia and anxiety disorder symptoms are common examples.
These symptoms may become more severe during withdrawal, especially if you quit taking the drug abruptly after a period of dependence.
Because withdrawal affects each person differently, you and another Restoril user will most likely have varied withdrawal symptoms, severity, and length. If you used Restoril in combination with other drugs, your withdrawal symptoms would include those of the other drugs you used.
When you stop taking Restoril, you may suffer the following withdrawal symptoms:
It’s critical to be aware of the warning signs of temazepam abuse and the risks of abusing this medicine. Four out of every ten people who take benzodiazepines like temazepam daily for more than six weeks develop an addiction. As a result, you must take action if you find that you cannot function without your prescription or that you are experiencing adverse side effects when you do not take it. Temazepam abuse is especially dangerous if you simultaneously abuse other sedative substances such as alcohol or opiate pills. This puts you at risk of overdosing.
You may find it difficult to function without your prescription if you have established an addiction. You can start acting out drug-seeking behaviours like:
While the goal of medications like temazepam is drowsiness, misuse can lead to:
When people abuse temazepam for a long time, they develop particular signs and symptoms. Some examples are:
The danger of overdosing when using temazepam is quite significant. While this medication can overdose on its own, such overdoses are rarely fatal, especially when medical attention is sought. When you take more temazepam than is recommended or in a not recommended way, you run the danger of overdosing. For example, if you crush your tablets and snort the powder, or if you mix this powder with a liquid for intravenous administration.
However, you should be aware that mixing alcohol with another sedative substance, such as opiate drugs, considerably increases the danger of overdosing.
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Restoril addiction and abuse are frequently associated with other mental health issues. Depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and other drug addiction issues are some of the most frequent co-occurring disorders. Your addiction may or may not have contributed to the development of this mental disease.
It’s critical to recognise and treat any co-occurring disorders in addition to the substance use problem.
A dual diagnosis occurs when a person with a severe mental health problem also exhibits signs of problematic drug abuse to the point that both disorders are identified. People facing these difficulties may require assistance with finding adequate housing, job, and benefits and help in escaping a destructive or enabling relationship. Dual diagnosis care is overseen by the mental health sector rather than drug and alcohol services.
Treatment for Restoril addiction begins with a detox process that will help you get over the harshest of withdrawal symptoms and clear your body of any remaining drug residue. This will entail medication therapies to ease withdrawal symptoms and keep your body stable when Restoril leaves your system. Following that, you’ll be placed in a comprehensive recovery programme where you’ll learn coping and relapse prevention strategies.
Treatment focuses on teaching skills to help you stay off Restoril by teaching you how to recognise, avoid, and deal with relapse triggers. Alternative treatments for the medical issues that led to Restoril abuse will also be discussed. These are behavioural therapies that will assist you in developing good sleeping patterns. There are two options when choosing the treatment options: inpatient treatment, where the individual stays in a treatment facility 24h a day with continuous professional care and outpatient treatment, which involves daily rehab activities without the need to stay at the facilities overnight.
Sleeping pill addiction is just as dangerous as any other addiction and demands immediate medical intervention. Intensive supervised detoxification is needed, particularly for those who also suffer from mental health issues.
When deciding whether inpatient or outpatient treatment is best for an individual, there are several things to consider. People addicted to other drugs or alcohol frequently benefit from treatment in a residential institution where they are removed from their routine. Inpatient rehab establishes a new schedule and offers individual and group treatment and medication if necessary.
Those with a dual diagnosis will need to be treated for both their physical and mental illnesses. This could start with a stay in a residential rehab centre to address the drug problem, followed by outpatient treatment. The treatment will continue for as long as it takes to control the symptoms of the individual’s diagnosis.
Individuals addicted to Restoril without any underlying concerns generally discover that persistent insomnia is their primary motivation to keep taking the drug. When combined with regular visits to a qualified rehabilitation facility, outpatient treatment focusing on therapy to relieve insomnia has proven highly beneficial. Clients can also participate in group therapy and workshops while being treated by experts at these facilities.
Medical detox helps you go through withdrawal with as little physical and mental anguish as possible. Doctors usually use a tapering technique, which gradually lowers your Restoril dosage while also giving you longer-acting benzodiazepines. Other medicines may be used during medical detox to lessen the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.
It’s important to realise that Restoril discontinuation can be risky owing to the chance of seizures. As a result, it’s critical to only withdraw from this medicine under the supervision of a certified addiction specialist.
After a time of abstinence, relapse is defined as a return to addictive behaviour. Even if you have got treatment for Restoril abuse, relapse is possible. Extreme cravings and other long-term Temazepam withdrawal symptoms are the leading causes of this predicament. Rehab is designed to prepare you for the possibility of relapse when you leave the facility.
Behavioural therapies like CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and individual counselling sessions will teach you good coping techniques.
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