Drug interactions
Diazepam + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Diazepam and Pholcodine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Pholcodine is an opioid cough suppressant with sedative potential, and combining it with diazepam may increase drowsiness and respiratory depression. At antitussive doses the effect is generally modest.
What this interaction means in plain words
Diazepam and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression from opioid activity and GABA-A potentiation.
What to do
Monitor for excessive sedation and slowed breathing, particularly in older or respiratory-compromised patients. Avoid alcohol and higher-than-recommended pholcodine doses.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Diazepam
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Diazepam with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Diazepam and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Pholcodine is an opioid cough suppressant with sedative potential, and combining it with diazepam may increase drowsiness and respiratory depression. At antitussive doses the effect is generally modest.
How serious is the interaction between Diazepam and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor for excessive sedation and slowed breathing, particularly in older or respiratory-compromised patients. Avoid alcohol and higher-than-recommended pholcodine doses.
What other medicines interact with Diazepam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Diazepam with, for example, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Alfentanil, Alprazolam. The full list is on the Diazepam page.
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