Taking diazepam with other medicines and herbal supplements

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines affect the way diazepam works and increase the chances of you having side effects.

Before you start taking diazepam, tell your doctor if you're taking any of these medicines:

• antipsychotics, used to treat mental health problems
• antidepressants, used to treat depression
• anticonvulsants, used to treat seizures
• hypnotics, used to treat anxiety or sleep problems
• drowsy or sedating antihistamines, such as chlorphenamine or promethazine
• strong painkillers, such as codeine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, pethidine or tramadol
• HIV medicines, such as ritonavir, atazanavir, efavirenz or saquinavir
• antifungal medicines, such as fluconazole
• proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – medicines for reducing stomach acid, such as omeprazole or esomeprazole
• muscle relaxants, such as baclofen or tizanidine
• disulfiram, a medicine for alcohol addiction
• isoniazid, a medicine for tuberculosis (TB)
• rifampicin, a medicine for bacterial infections
• theophylline, a medicine for asthma and other breathing problems

Mixing diazepam with herbal remedies or supplements

Do not take herbal remedies for anxiety or insomnia, such as valerian or passionflower, with diazepam. They can increase the drowsy effects of diazepam and may also have other side effects.

There's not enough information to say that other herbal remedies and complementary medicines are safe to take with diazepam. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.