Side Effects of Temazepam

Since 1972, La Hacienda Treatment Center has been successfully treating benzodiazepine dependence, and we’ve witnessed firsthand how prescription sleeping medications like temazepam can quietly devastate lives. Known by its brand name Restoril, temazepam is commonly prescribed to treat insomnia and help people fall asleep—but the side effects of temazepam extend far beyond simple drowsiness. Understanding these risks is essential for anyone taking this medication, and recognizing when therapeutic use has crossed into physical dependence can mean the difference between safe recovery and life-threatening complications.

What Is Temazepam and How Does Temazepam Work?

Temazepam belongs to the benzodiazepine drug class, a family of medications that includes Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and other central nervous system depressants. Healthcare providers prescribe temazepam specifically for sleep initiation in patients struggling with chronic insomnia or other sleep problems. The medication works by enhancing the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, a neurotransmitter that reduces nerve cell activity and produces calming, sedative effects.

How does temazepam work to promote sleep? The drug slows down the central nervous system, helping your brain transition from the alertness of waking hours to the relaxation necessary to fall asleep. For people with severe insomnia who can’t achieve a full night’s sleep despite good sleep hygiene, temazepam can provide short-term relief. However, this same mechanism that helps with trouble sleeping also creates significant risks when the medicine affects your body beyond its intended therapeutic effects.

Common Side Effects of Temazepam

Even when taking temazepam exactly as prescribed, many people experience unwanted effects. The most frequent side effects of temazepam include drowsiness that extends beyond nighttime, affecting daytime functioning and creating safety concerns.

Daytime Drowsiness and Cognitive Impairment

Unusual drowsiness represents one of the most common complaints from people taking temazepam. You might feel sluggish, experience an unusual weakness, or struggle with staying awake during normal activities. This residual sedation occurs because temazepam remains in your system for hours after waking, particularly if you don’t get a full night’s sleep before needing to be alert.

Cognitive side effects include:

• Confusion and difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems, including gaps in recollection
• Slowed thinking and reaction times
• Difficulty with complex tasks requiring mental clarity
• Speech confusion and trouble finding words

These cognitive impairments aren’t just inconvenient—they’re dangerous. Operating vehicles or machinery while experiencing these effects can result in serious accidents and injuries.

Physical Coordination Problems

Temazepam affects muscle control and coordination, creating physical side effects that increase fall risk and injury potential. Many people experience:

• Loss of coordination and balance difficulties
• Unusual dullness in movements and reflexes
• Low muscle tone makes normal activities feel more difficult
• Increased stumbling or clumsiness
• Difficulty with fine motor tasks

Getting up from a lying or sitting position can be particularly hazardous. The medication causes dizziness and balance problems that may lead to dangerous falls, especially in older adults. If you experience trouble with coordination, moving slowly and carefully is essential until you understand how the medicine affects your body.

Gastrointestinal and Physical Symptoms

The effects of temazepam extend to digestive and general physical complaints:

• Nausea and stomach cramps
• Changes in appetite—some people eat food more frequently, while others lose interest.
• Unusual tiredness and lack of energy
• Muscle pain and muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Blurred vision affects the ability to see clearly

Serious Side Effects Requiring Immediate Medical Attention

While common side effects can be managed, certain reactions to temazepam require immediate medical attention. Our physicians, available seven days a week at La Hacienda, understand the critical importance of recognizing and responding to these dangerous symptoms.

Respiratory Depression and Breathing Problems

One of the most life-threatening side effects involves respiratory depression—when the medication suppresses your breathing to dangerous levels. Warning signs include:

• Trouble breathing or shallow breathing
• Breathing that becomes noticeably slower
• Loss of breath or feeling like you can’t get enough air
• Chest tightness or discomfort

Respiratory depression becomes especially dangerous when people drink alcohol while taking temazepam or combine it with prescription pain medicine, other central nervous system depressants, or opioids. These combinations multiply the sedative effects and can result in absent reflexes, difficult or absent breathing, and potentially fatal overdose. If you notice trouble breathing, dizziness, or shallow breathing, loss, seek immediate medical attention.

Severe Allergic Reactions

Though less common, serious allergic reactions to temazepam can occur. Severe allergic reactions may include:

• Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Skin rashes or hives
• Severe itching
• Difficulty breathing due to airway swelling

Allergic reactions require emergency medical care. Hypersensitivity reactions can progress rapidly and become life-threatening without prompt treatment.

Unusual and Strange Thoughts or Behaviors

Perhaps the most disturbing side effects of temazepam involve psychological and behavioral changes. Some people experience:

• Unusual and strange thoughts that feel alien to their normal thinking patterns
• Unusual behavior, including actions they wouldn’t typically perform
• Unusual excitement or agitation despite the medication’s sedative purpose
• Unusual sense of well-being or euphoria disconnected from reality
• Aggressive or hostile reactions
• Memory problems where people perform complex activities (driving, eating, and conversing) without later recollection

These behavioral changes can include dangerous activities like sleep-driving, making phone calls, preparing and eating food, or having conversations with no memory of these events afterward. This abnormal sleep pattern indicates the medication is creating unsafe effects on your nervous system.

Mental Health Concerns

Temazepam can worsen existing mental health problems or create new psychological symptoms:

• Suicidal thoughts or increased depression
• Unusual excitement alternating with deep sadness
• Nervousness and mood swings
• Confusion and disorientation
• Hallucinations—memory seeing or hearing things that aren’t present
• Paranoia and unusual fears

If you experience suicidal thoughts, worsening depression, or any concerning mental health symptoms while taking temazepam, contact your healthcare provider or doctor immediately. These reactions require prompt evaluation and intervention.

Is Temazepam a High-Risk Medication?

Yes—temazepam is classified as a high-risk medication, particularly for certain populations. The American Geriatrics Society includes benzodiazepines like temazepam on its Beers Criteria list of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults due to increased risks of cognitive impairment, falls, fractures, and other complications.

Temazepam poses elevated risks for several reasons:

Physical dependence develops rapidly: Even people taking the prescribed dose exactly as directed can develop physical dependence within weeks of regular use. Your body adapts to the medication’s presence, and discontinuing it triggers withdrawal reactions that can be severe and potentially life-threatening.

Respiratory depression risk: As a central nervous system depressant, temazepam slows breathing. This risk multiplies when combined with alcohol, opioid pain medications, or other sedatives. Respiratory depression can lead to oxygen deprivation, brain damage, coma, or death.

Cognitive and motor impairment: The medication significantly affects thinking, memory, judgment, and physical coordination. These impairments contribute to accidents, injuries, and poor decision-making while the drug is in your system.

Complex sleep behaviors: Temazepam can cause people to engage in activities while not fully awake—including dangerous behaviors like driving—with no memory of their actions.

Drug interactions: Temazepam interacts with numerous other medications, creating dangerous interactions that amplify sedative effects or produce unexpected reactions.

Abuse and addiction potential: While prescribed as a sleeping medicine, temazepam has significant potential for misuse and addiction, particularly among people with current or past substance use disorders.

What Are the Negative Effects of Temazepam?

Beyond the immediate side effects, the negative effects of temazepam include long-term consequences that affect multiple aspects of health and functioning.

Tolerance and Escalating Doses

With continued use, your body develops tolerance to temazepam’s effects. The dose that initially helped you fall asleep stops working as effectively. This leads many people to take higher doses seeking the same sleep benefits—accelerating the development of physical dependence and increasing risks of serious side effects.

Memory and Cognitive Decline

Chronic benzodiazepine use affects memory formation and cognitive function. People taking temazepam regularly often experience:

• Short-term memory problems
• Difficulty learning new information
• Reduced problem-solving abilities
• Slower mental processing
• Long-term cognitive effects that may persist even after stopping the medication

Rebound Insomnia and Worsening Sleep

Ironically, the medication prescribed to treat insomnia can ultimately make sleep problems worse. Rebound insomnia occurs when you stop taking temazepam—your trouble sleeping returns more severely than before starting the medication. This creates a vicious cycle where people feel unable to sleep without the drug, reinforcing dependence.

Mood and Emotional Regulation Issues

Long-term temazepam use affects emotional regulation, leading to:

• Irritability and mood instability
• Decreased emotional range or feeling emotionally “flat”
• Worsening depression or anxiety
• Emotional numbness or detachment
• Energy nightmares and disturbed sleep quality despite medication

Physical Health Complications

Extended temazepam use can contribute to various physical health problems:

• Weight changes—some experience irritability, weight loss incidence, while others gain weight
• Muscle weakness and reduced muscle tone
• Coordination problems that persist even during waking hours
• Increased accident and injury risk
• Potential worsening of sleep apnea or other breathing disorders
• Sexual dysfunction
• Digestive issues

What Are Three Common Side Effects?

If we narrow the extensive list to the three most common side effects, they would be:

1. Drowsiness and sedation: Unusual drowsiness extending into daytime hours affects the majority of people taking temazepam. This sedation impairs functioning, creates safety risks, and interferes with work, driving, and daily activities.

2. Dizziness and coordination problems: Balance difficulties, especially when moving from a lying or sitting position to standing, occur frequently. This sitting position’s irregular effect increases fall risk and can lead to serious injuries.

3. Cognitive impairment: Speech confusion, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and slowed thinking affect a significant percentage of temazepam users. These cognitive side effects interfere with work performance, learning, and decision-making.

While these three effects are most common, remember that any of the serious side effects discussed earlier—including respiratory depression, unusual behavior, and severe allergic reactions—require immediate medical attention, despite being less frequent.

Is It Safe to Take Temazepam Every Night?

No—taking temazepam every night for extended periods is not recommended and creates significant risks. Healthcare providers generally prescribe temazepam for short-term use only, typically seven to ten days for acute insomnia.

Why Long-Term Nightly Use Is Problematic

Physical dependence is inevitable: Taking temazepam nightly guarantees the development of physical dependence. Your central nervous system adapts to the drug’s presence, requiring it to maintain normal functioning. Stopping suddenly after regular nightly use can trigger severe withdrawal symptoms, including muscle cramps, seizures, and shakiness that can be life-threatening.

Effectiveness decreases: Tolerance develops within weeks of nightly use. The medication that initially helped you sleep becomes less effective, leading to dose escalation and increased risks.

Sleep architecture disruption: While temazepam helps with sleep initiation, it actually disrupts normal sleep patterns. The medication alters sleep stages, reducing deep restorative sleep and creating an abnormal sleep pattern that may compromise the quality of rest despite increased sleep duration.

Cognitive decline accelerates: Nightly benzodiazepine use compounds cognitive effects. Research suggests that long-term regular use may increase risks of cognitive decline and dementia, particularly in older adults.

Withdrawal becomes more severe: The longer you take temazepam nightly, the more severe withdrawal reactions become when you eventually try to stop. What begins as help for trouble sleeping evolves into a medication you cannot safely discontinue without medical supervision.

Temazepam Interactions and Dangerous Combinations

Understanding how temazepam interacts with other substances is critical for safety. The following combinations create particularly dangerous interactions:

Alcohol and Temazepam

Never drink alcohol while taking temazepam. Both substances depress the central nervous system, and combining them dangerously multiplies sedative effects. This combination can cause:

• Severe respiratory depression
• Profound sedation and loss of consciousness
• Memory blackouts
• Dangerous behaviors are performed without awareness
• Increased overdose risk
• Death from respiratory failure

Even small amounts of alcohol combined with temazepam can produce life-threatening effects.

Opioid Pain Medications

Combining temazepam with prescription pain medicine like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, or other opioids creates an extreme overdose risk. Both drug classes suppress breathing, and together they can cause fatal respiratory depression. If you require pain management while taking temazepam, work closely with your healthcare provider to monitor for dangerous interactions.

Other Sedatives and Sleep Medications

Using temazepam with other medications that cause drowsiness amplifies sedative effects. This includes other benzodiazepines, barbiturates, other sleeping medicines, muscle relaxants, and sedating antihistamines. The cumulative sedation can cause severe drowsiness, absent reflexes, difficult breathing, and loss of consciousness.

Certain Other Medications

Many other medications interact with temazepam by affecting how your body metabolizes the drug:

• Antifungal medications that can increase temazepam levels
• Some antibiotics that affect drug metabolism
• Certain antidepressants that enhance sedation
• Medications for mental health problems that increase CNS depression
• Drugs that affect liver function, as liver disease impairs temazepam breakdown

Always inform prescribers about all other medications you’re taking before starting temazepam, and consult your healthcare provider before adding any new medications.

Signs of Temazepam Overdose

Recognizing when an overdose occurs is critical for survival. Temazepam overdose symptoms include:

• Severe drowsiness progressing to unresponsiveness
• Shallow breathing or respiratory depression
• Loss of consciousness or inability to wake the person
• Absent reflexes or extremely weak reflexes
• Difficult or absent breathing
• Blue-tinged lips or fingernails indicate oxygen deprivation
• Extremely low blood pressure
• Weak pulse or irregular heartbeat
• Profound confusion or delirium

Temazepam overdose becomes exponentially more dangerous when the person has also consumed alcohol, opioids, or other sedatives. This combination can quickly become life-threatening. If you suspect an overdose, call emergency services immediately—do not wait to see if symptoms improve.

Withdrawal Symptoms When Stopping Temazepam

Because physical dependence develops with regular temazepam use, stopping the medication triggers withdrawal reactions. Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms can be medically dangerous and should never be attempted without professional supervision.

Acute Withdrawal Symptoms

In the days following your last dose, the following symptoms may appear:

• Anxiety and panic that exceeds the original insomnia-related anxiety
• Insomnia worsening—rebound insomnia that may be severe
• Tremors and shakiness
• Sweating and heart palpitations
• Nausea and stomach cramps
• Muscle cramps and muscle pain
• Headaches and body aches
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Blurred vision and perceptual changes

Severe and Dangerous Withdrawal Reactions

More serious withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Seizures—potentially life-threatening and occurring without warning
• Hallucinations and confusion
• Delirium with disorientation
• Severe mood swings and emotional instability
• Suicidal thoughts or severe depression
• Psychotic symptoms in extreme cases

At La Hacienda Treatment Center, our licensed physicians, available seven days a week, understand that benzodiazepine withdrawal requires careful medical management. Unlike many treatment centers where doctors are only available Monday through Friday, our commitment to having physicians on-site every single day means you receive continuous supervision during the potentially dangerous withdrawal process.

Protracted Withdrawal

Some people experience protracted withdrawal symptoms that persist for weeks or months after stopping temazepam:

• Ongoing anxiety and nervousness, mood fluctuations
• Sleep problems and abnormal sleep patterns
• Cognitive difficulties, including memory and concentration issues
• Fatigue and unusual tiredness
• Mood disturbances and irritability
• Physical symptoms like muscle tension and headaches

These prolonged symptoms require ongoing support and treatment to prevent relapse to temazepam use.

Safe Discontinuation Requires Medical Supervision

Given the risks of withdrawal reactions, safely stopping temazepam requires medical supervision and a carefully designed tapering plan. Attempting to quit “cold turkey” after regular use can trigger seizures and other life-threatening complications.

Our physicians at La Hacienda create individualized tapering schedules that gradually reduce your dose while monitoring for withdrawal symptoms. This medically supervised approach:

• Minimizes withdrawal severity and discomfort
• Prevents dangerous complications like seizures
• Provides medication management for emerging symptoms
• Offers 24/7 monitoring during the acute withdrawal phase
• Addresses underlying sleep problems with non-addictive approaches
• Treats any co-occurring mental health problems contributing to insomnia

The devastating disease of benzodiazepine dependence affects body, mind, and spirit—and safe recovery requires comprehensive care that addresses all dimensions.

Who Should Not Take Temazepam?

Certain individuals face particularly high risks from temazepam and should generally avoid this medication:

• People with current substance use disorders or a history of addiction
• Individuals with severe respiratory conditions or sleep apnea
• Those with liver disease impairing drug metabolism
• People with a history of depression or suicidal thoughts
• Anyone with a history of unusual reactions to benzodiazepines
• Pregnant or nursing women (temazepam crosses the placenta and enters breast milk)
• Older adults are at increased risk for falls, cognitive impairment, and other complications
• People who must remain fully alert for safety-critical work
• Those taking other medications that interact dangerously with temazepam

If you have any of these risk factors, discuss safer alternatives with your healthcare provider for managing trouble sleeping.

Alternatives to Temazepam for Insomnia

Given the risks associated with temazepam, exploring alternative approaches to chronic insomnia is important. For those considering discontinuation of substances like temazepam, it’s essential to be aware of potential withdrawal symptoms.

Non-medication approaches:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)
• Sleep hygiene improvements
• Relaxation techniques and meditation
• Addressing the underlying causes of sleep problems
• Exercise and lifestyle modifications
• Light therapy for circadian rhythm issues

Lower-risk medications:

• Melatonin and melatonin receptor agonists
• Certain antidepressants at low doses
• Antihistamines for occasional use
• Orexin receptor antagonists

Working with a healthcare provider to address the root causes of insomnia—whether related to mental health problems, pain, medical conditions, or poor sleep habits—offers more sustainable solutions than long-term sleeping medicine use.

Finding Help for Temazepam Dependence at La Hacienda

If you’ve been taking temazepam regularly and recognize signs of physical dependence, or if the side effects of temazepam are affecting your quality of life but you’re unable to stop safely on your own, professional treatment provides the answer. At La Hacienda Treatment Center, we’ve spent over 50 years successfully treating benzodiazepine dependence, and we understand the unique challenges of safely discontinuing medications like Restoril.

Our comprehensive approach includes:

Medical detoxification in our Special Care Unit: With physicians available seven days a week, we provide the continuous medical oversight essential for safe benzodiazepine withdrawal. Our doctors create individualized tapering schedules, manage emerging symptoms, and monitor closely for any dangerous complications. This level of medical care—having doctors on-site every single day, not just during business hours—sets us apart from other facilities and ensures your safety during the vulnerable withdrawal period.

Treatment for underlying conditions: We address the sleep problems, anxiety, or other mental health problems that may have led to temazepam use initially. Our comprehensive assessment identifies co-occurring conditions, and our clinical team develops treatment plans that address both the medication dependence and underlying issues.

12-Step foundation and spiritual support: Recovery from prescription medication dependence requires more than just physical detoxification. Immersion in 12-Step principles provides a spiritual foundation for lasting sobriety and a framework for managing life’s challenges without relying on substances.

Family healing: Our family program recognizes that prescription medication dependence affects entire family systems. Through family therapy and education, we help repair relationships and teach loved ones how to support your recovery.

Continuing care: Recovery extends beyond initial treatment. Our continuum includes outpatient programs, telehealth services, and ongoing alumni support to maintain the gains you’ve made and prevent relapse.

Take the First Step Toward Safe Recovery

If temazepam or Restoril has become more than a sleep aid—if you’re experiencing unwanted effects, struggling with physical dependence, or finding that you cannot sleep without the medication—don’t face this alone. Attempting to stop benzodiazepines without medical supervision can be dangerous, but with proper care, full recovery is not just possible—it’s happening every day at La Hacienda.

Whether you’re in Texas—from San Antonio to Houston, Dallas to El Paso—or anywhere across the United States, people travel to La Hacienda because of our proven track record, superior medical oversight, and comprehensive approach to recovery. Our 40-acre campus in the peaceful Texas Hill Country offers a natural environment conducive to healing body, mind, and spirit.

You can call La Hacienda any time—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our compassionate admissions team is available right now to answer questions, verify insurance coverage, and help you take the first step toward freedom from temazepam dependence. Don’t let another night pass under the control of a medication that may be causing more harm than help.

Call La Hacienda Treatment Center today. With licensed physicians available every single day, medically supervised withdrawal, and comprehensive treatment grounded in both addiction medicine and 12-Step principles, we offer the expertise and compassionate care you need for safe, successful recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources:

More information about prescription drugs:
Medlineplus: Temazepam
Restoril™ (temazepam) Capsules USP (PDF)