Drug Comparison
For educational purposes only — a decision-support tool, not a substitute for clinical judgment.
Side-by-side rubric across 96 psychiatric medications. Every rating traces to a verbatim primary-source quote — click any cell to see it.
How to read this tool ▾
Rating scale
– Favorable / lower than class baseline
± Minimal / equivocal
+ Low / uncommon
++ Moderate / common
+++ High / very common
++++ Very high / class-outlier
Frequency vs severity
F = frequency, S = severity. Each gets its own pill colored on the same traffic-light scale: green → blue → yellow → orange → red. Click any cell for incidence percentages and NNH.
Evidence tier
A Network meta-analysis / RCT / FDA label
B Cohort / registry / pooled label data
C Expert review / textbook / case series
Sourcing
Click any cell to see the verbatim source quote and citation. Missing data shows n/a.
Data depth
++ Graded — frequency + severity, primary-source traces
+ FDA label — §6 frequency only (dashed border). Click for sub-types.
Blank — not yet checked (not “absent”)
–±++++++++++ABCF = frequency · S = severity · Dashed border = FDA label only · Click cell for details
1 drug selected — Temazepam(click to collapse)
1/4 selected
Temazepam
Restoril
Benzodiazepine Hypnotic (BZD) · C-IV
FDA-approved indications
- Short-term treatment of insomnia (7 to 10 days)
Off-label uses
- Anxiety (short-term adjunct)
- Preoperative anxiolysis
MechanismGABA-A receptor positive allosteric modulator
Half-life8.8 hours (range 3.5-18.4 hours)
Decision GuideWhen to pick each / when to consider an alternative
Temazepam
Consider when
- Both sleep-onset AND maintenance insomnia — intermediate t½ (~8.8h) covers both; most effective benzo for WASO in elderly NMA
- Insomnia in hepatic impairment — glucuronidation-only metabolism with no active metabolites; clearance preserved in liver disease
- Next-day alertness critical among benzo hypnotics — hangover essentially absent in controlled trials despite intermediate t½
- Insomnia patient on CYP3A4-interacting medications — glucuronidation pathway avoids interactions that affect zolpidem and eszopiclone
- +1 more
Consider an alternative when
- Long-term insomnia management — FDA-approved short-term only (7–10 days); eszopiclone and DORAs have 6-month nightly data
- Abuse or dependence concern — higher liability than Z-drugs and DORAs in UK postmarketing addiction cohorts
- Pure sleep-onset insomnia — zaleplon or zolpidem IR have faster onset (~1h vs ~1.5h to peak)
- Elderly where fall prevention is paramount — all benzos Beers-listed; low-dose doxepin and DORAs offer WASO benefit without benzo risk
- +1 more
| Axis | Temazepam Benzodiazepine |
|---|---|
| Boxed Warnings | |
Abuse / addiction liability | |
Respiratory depression (opioid / CNS depressant co-use) | |
| CNS | |
Sedation / somnolence | |
Cognitive dulling / anterograde amnesia | |
Dizziness | |
Headache | |
| GI | |
Nausea / GI (general) | |
| Discontinuation | |
Withdrawal / discontinuation | |