Triazolam: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking
triazolam (
Halcion®) if you have:
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Specific Precautions and Warnings With Triazolam
Some warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking triazolam include the following:
- Insomnia can be a sign of other medical conditions. Your healthcare provider should make sure your insomnia is not due to a treatable cause.
- Triazolam is a controlled substance, which means that it has the potential to be abused. There are special rules and regulations for prescribing and dispensing triazolam. Triazolam is generally not recommended for people with a history of alcohol or drug abuse (see Halcion Abuse).
- Triazolam can cause psychological and physical dependence and is often abused. The risk of abuse and dependence is greater for those taking high triazolam doses for long periods of time (more than a few weeks).
- Triazolam can cause severe drowsiness and difficulty breathing, which may be life threatening. This risk is increased when triazolam is combined with alcohol, narcotics, or other medications or substances that cause drowsiness and sedation (see Drug Interactions With Triazolam for more information). You should not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how triazolam will affect you.
- Some people report having daytime anxiety while taking triazolam. This is a sign of triazolam dependence, and usually requires that you stop taking triazolam. Tell your healthcare provider if you experience daytime anxiety while taking triazolam.
- Although all benzodiazepines can cause memory loss to some degree, triazolam seems to be worse than most other benzodiazepines in this aspect. Let your healthcare provider know if you notice any problems with your memory, especially if you do not remember things that happened after taking a dose of triazolam.
- Elderly people are more sensitive to the effects of triazolam and should be started with a low triazolam dosage. Triazolam may increase the risk of falling, which is especially dangerous in elderly people (who often have weak or brittle bones).
- Sometimes, people react to triazolam in a way opposite of what is usually expected. That is, they may become agitated, aggressive, restless, and may have difficulty sleeping. Tell your healthcare provider if you experience these effects.
- Triazolam can be dangerous in people with lung problems or breathing problems. Be sure to discuss any breathing or lung problems with your healthcare provider before taking triazolam.
- Triazolam is considered a pregnancy Category X medication. This means that it is definitely not safe for use during pregnancy. Do not take triazolam during pregnancy (see Halcion and Pregnancy).
- It is not known if triazolam passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Halcion and Breastfeeding).
- Triazolam can interact with certain medications (see Drug Interactions With Triazolam).
