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Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medication of the benzodiazepine family that alters the function of the brain to produce a calming effect. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions including anxiety, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, seizures, trouble sleeping, and restless legs syndrome.〔 It may also be used to cause memory loss during certain medical procedures.〔 It can be taken by mouth, inserted into the rectum, injected into muscle, or injected into a vein.〔 When given into a vein, effects begin in one to five minutes and last up to an hour.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.drugs.com/monograph/diazepam.html )〕 By mouth, effects may take 40 minutes to begin. Common side effects include sleepiness and trouble with coordination.〔 Serious side effects are rare.〔 They include suicide, decreased breathing, and an increased risk of seizures if used too frequently in those with epilepsy.〔〔 Occasionally excitement or agitation may occur. Long term use can result in tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal upon dose reduction. Abrupt stopping after long term use can be potentially dangerous.〔 After stopping cognitive problems may persist for six months or longer.〔 They are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding.〔 Its mechanism of action is by increasing the effect of the neurotransmitter ''gamma''-Aminobutyric acid (GABA).〔 Diazepam was first synthesized by Leo Sternbach, and was first manufactured by Hoffmann-La Roche. It has been one of the most frequently prescribed medications in the world since its launch in 1963. In the United States it was the highest selling medication between 1968 and 1982, selling more than two billion tablets in 1978 alone. In 1985 the patent ended, and there are now more than 500 brands available on the market. Diazepam is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system. == Medical uses == Diazepam is mainly used to treat anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks and symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal. It is also used as a premedication for inducing sedation, anxiolysis, or amnesia before certain medical procedures (e.g., endoscopy).〔 Diazepam is the drug of choice for treating benzodiazepine dependence with its long duration of action allowing easier dose reduction. Benzodiazepines have a relatively low toxicity in overdose.〔 Diazepam has a number of uses including: * Treatment of anxiety, panic attacks, and states of agitation〔 * Treatment of neurovegetative symptoms associated with vertigo * Treatment of the symptoms of alcohol, opiate, and benzodiazepine withdrawal〔 * Short-term treatment of insomnia〔 * Treatment of tetanus, together with other measures of intensive treatment * Adjunctive treatment of spastic muscular paresis (paraplegia/tetraplegia) caused by cerebral or spinal cord conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury (long-term treatment is coupled with other rehabilitative measures)〔 * Palliative treatment of stiff person syndrome * Pre- or postoperative sedation, anxiolysis and/or amnesia (e.g., before endoscopic or surgical procedures)〔 * Treatment of complications with a hallucinogen crisis and stimulant overdoses and psychosis, such as LSD, cocaine, or methamphetamine〔 * Preventative treatment of oxygen toxicity during hyperbaric oxygen therapy Dosages should be determined on an individual basis, depending upon the condition being treated, severity of symptoms, patient body weight, and any other conditions the person may have.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Diazepam」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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