You should not use Valium if you are allergic to diazepam or similar medicines (Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, and others), or if you have myasthenia gravis, severe liver disease, narrow-angle glaucoma, a severe breathing problem, or sleep apnea.
Diazepam can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication, alcohol, or other drugs that can slow your breathing.
MISUSE OF THIS MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 6 months old.
Before taking this medicine
You should not use Valium if you are allergic to diazepam, or if you have:
myasthenia gravis (a muscle weakness disorder);
a severe breathing problem;
sleep apnea (breathing stops during sleep);
narrow-angle glaucoma;
untreated or uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma; or
severe liver disease.
Diazepam should not be given to a child younger than 6 months old. Do not give this medicine to a child without a doctor's advice.
To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
breathing problems;
glaucoma;
kidney or liver disease;
seizures (unless you are taking diazepam to treat a seizure disorder);
a drug or alcohol addiction; or
depression, a mood disorder, or suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking Valium. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor.
Do not start or stop taking Valium to treat seizures during pregnancy without your doctor's advice. Having a seizure during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
When treating anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, or muscle spasms: If you use diazepam while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks.
Do not breastfeed while using this medicine.
