Librax combines chlordiazepoxide 5 mg with clidinium bromide 2.5 mg. It is used for irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis and peptic ulcer where cramping and anxiety both contribute. Because it contains a benzodiazepine it causes drowsiness, is intended for short-term use, and can cause dependence.
What is Librax?
Librax is a capsule containing two active ingredients:
- Chlordiazepoxide 5 mg, a benzodiazepine — the same class as diazepam — at a low dose.
- Clidinium bromide 2.5 mg, an antimuscarinic antispasmodic that reduces stomach acid and relaxes gut muscle spasm.
The combination reflects an older but genuine clinical observation: in some digestive conditions, anxiety and gut symptoms drive each other. Stress increases gut sensitivity and motility; unpredictable gut symptoms increase anxiety. Librax targets both — the clidinium relaxes the gut, the chlordiazepoxide reduces the anxiety component.
That is also the reason for caution. Chlordiazepoxide is a benzodiazepine, and benzodiazepines cause tolerance and dependence with continued use. A medicine that is genuinely helpful for a few weeks becomes a problem in its own right over months.
Librax is a prescription medicine and is not a first-line treatment for IBS in current practice — antispasmodics without a benzodiazepine, such as Bevispas or Hyospasmol, are usually tried first.
What is Librax commonly used for?
Librax is prescribed for digestive conditions where spasm and anxiety both feature:
- Irritable bowel syndrome, particularly where anxiety is a clear contributor.
- Gastritis, as adjunctive treatment.
- Peptic ulcer disease, alongside treatment directed at the ulcer itself.
- Functional gut disorders with a prominent stress component.
- Enterocolitis and related conditions, in some circumstances.
It is adjunctive — an addition to treatment rather than the treatment itself. For a peptic ulcer, the important treatment is acid suppression and, where relevant, eradicating Helicobacter pylori. Librax eases symptoms alongside that; it does not heal an ulcer.
For IBS, current management leads with diet, trigger identification, stress management and a plain antispasmodic. Librax has a role where anxiety is clearly driving symptoms and other approaches have not been enough — as a defined course rather than an indefinite prescription.
How Librax fits into this medicine category
Librax is unusual in this section because it spans two categories:
| Group | Examples | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Antispasmodic + anxiolytic | Librax | Gut spasm plus anxiety |
| Direct antispasmodics | Mebeverine (Bevispas) | Gut muscle spasm |
| Antimuscarinic antispasmodics | Hyoscine butylbromide (Hyospasmol, Scopex) | Gut spasm via nerve signal |
| Antiemetics | Metoclopramide (Adco-Contromet) | Nausea and vomiting |
| Acid-reducing | PPIs, H2 blockers, antacids | Reflux, gastritis, ulcers |
If your main problem is cramping without a significant anxiety component, a plain antispasmodic does the same job without the benzodiazepine. That is worth discussing with your prescriber — see the digestive, stomach and nausea medicines hub.
What to check before using Librax
Do not drive until you know how it affects you. The benzodiazepine component causes drowsiness and slowed reactions, and the effect can persist into the next day.
Avoid alcohol. It adds substantially to the sedation.
Tell your prescriber or pharmacist if:
- You have a history of dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines or other substances.
- You have breathing problems, including sleep apnoea or COPD. Benzodiazepines suppress breathing.
- You have glaucoma, particularly narrow-angle — the clidinium component matters here.
- You have an enlarged prostate or difficulty passing urine.
- You have myasthenia gravis, or a bowel obstruction.
- You have liver or kidney disease.
- You are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding. Benzodiazepines are generally avoided.
- You are older. Benzodiazepines are associated with confusion, falls and fractures in older adults, and antimuscarinics compound that.
- You take opioids, sleeping tablets, or other sedating medicines. Combining benzodiazepines with opioids carries a serious risk of suppressed breathing.
Follow the dispensing label. This page does not set doses.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Intended for short-term use. Benzodiazepine dependence develops faster than most people expect — within weeks of regular use. Librax is not a medicine to stay on indefinitely for IBS.
Do not stop abruptly after prolonged use. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be serious, including anxiety, insomnia, tremor and, after extended use, seizures. Longer use is tapered under medical supervision.
Watch for dependence. Needing it more often, taking more than prescribed, or anxiety about running out are worth raising with a doctor. This is common and treatable.
Expect drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision and constipation — the combined effects of both ingredients.
Confusion and falls in older adults are a real concern with this combination. Report new confusion or unsteadiness.
Seek medical attention for eye pain with blurred vision or halos, inability to pass urine, excessive drowsiness or difficulty waking, slow or shallow breathing, or confusion. Seek assessment for bleeding from the bowel, black tarry stools, unexplained weight loss, persistent vomiting or severe abdominal pain — those need investigation rather than symptom treatment.
Related medicine guides
- Browse Digestive, Stomach & Nausea Medicines guides
- Read: Hyospasmol used for
- Read: Adco Contromet used for
Frequently asked questions
What is Librax used for? Irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis and peptic ulcer where both gut spasm and anxiety contribute. It contains chlordiazepoxide and clidinium bromide.
Does it contain a sedative? Yes. Chlordiazepoxide is a benzodiazepine, which is why it causes drowsiness and is intended for short-term use.
Can I take it long term? It is not intended for indefinite use. Benzodiazepine dependence develops with continued use, so it is prescribed as a defined course.
Is it better than a plain antispasmodic? Not generally. If anxiety is not a significant part of your symptoms, a plain antispasmodic does the same job without the benzodiazepine.
Can I drink alcohol with it? No. Alcohol adds substantially to the sedation and to the suppression of breathing.
Can I stop taking it suddenly? Not after prolonged use. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be serious. Ask your doctor about tapering.