Clonazepam is a safe and effective medication when used as directed. Physical dependence may develop after 2 or more weeks of daily use. The risk of withdrawal reactions when stopping therapy with clonazepam is increased with prolonged us of the medication. Clonazepam may cause drowsiness, so caution should be used when combining it with other medications that cause drowsiness. These could include:.
When starting clonazepam, anxiety or insomnia may improve rapidly or over a period of days or within hours of the first dose of medication. The FDA has found that benzodiazepine drugs, such as clonazepam, when used in combination with opioid medications or other sedating medications can result in serious adverse reactions including slowed or difficult breathing and death.
Patients taking opioids with benzodiazepines, other sedating medications, or alcohol, and caregivers of these patients, should seek immediate medical attention if that start to experience unusual dizziness or lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slow or difficulty breathing, or unresponsiveness.
As a benzodiazepine, clonazepam comes with the risk of abuse, misuse, and addiction to the medication. Physical dependence to clonazepam can occur with prolonged use of the medication.
A withdrawal reaction may occur when stopping clonazepam, but this risk can be reduced by slowly reducing the dose of clonazepam when stopping. Do not stop taking clonazepam abruptly, and do not make any changes to therapy without consulting your health care provider.
Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions.
Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein. The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness.
About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. Your Journey Individuals with Mental Illness. Your Journey Family Members and Caregivers. Your Journey Identity and Cultural Dimensions. Other side effects might be interrupted sleep, lack of concentration, or blurred vision. Klonopin also can cause more serious side effects.
Klonopin can be taken with or without food, depending on your preference. The most critical factor is to take your dosage consistently as prescribed. Any variation in how you take it can disrupt its effectiveness. Due to its sedative effect, Klonopin can cause drowsiness, dizziness, or lack of coordination. In that case, just wait until that next dose. If you forget to take a dose, you might notice some withdrawal symptoms.
Taking 2 doses will increase how long Klonopin stays in your system and can cause a greater chance of overdose. Taking Klonopin with substances, such as opioid pain medications e.
Combining Klonopin with any of these drugs alcohol, cannabis, and opioids can make it more addictive to you. There are risks associated with taking Klonopin while pregnant, so it is not usually suggested. But if you depend on Klonopin to manage your anxiety, panic or seizures, and want to continue it, be sure to discuss with your prescribing clinician or obstetrician about how to best proceed. Be sure to inform your primary care doctor as soon as you can about the Klonopin you are taking because of its potential effects on pregnancy, fertility, and breastfeeding.
There have not been sufficient studies done regarding human fertility and Klonopin, but a study in rats did show a lower pregnancy rate in those being given this medication.
Klonopin passes into breast milk. Since Klonopin does have a long half-life and stays in our body for a few days, it is often recommended for someone who is breastfeeding to take a lower dosage or choose another medication with a shorter half-life. Our care team will work with you in figuring out the best course of action, whether your dosage is too high, too low, or if you may benefit from another medication.
If you stop taking Klonopin suddenly, you may experience headaches, fatigue, seizures, tremors, sweating, nausea, or diarrhea. You also could experience psychological withdrawal symptoms, including mood swings, confusion, depression, anxiety, memory lapses, and hallucinations.
There are tapering off methods to better ensure a safe withdrawal, which Minded can help you understand. Keep track of your dosage, so you know how long Klonopin will stay in your unique body systems.
If you take clonazepam for more than 2 to 4 weeks, your dose will need to be reduced gradually before you stop taking it. There's a risk you can sleep very deeply and you may have trouble waking up. It can also be taken by children from 1 month old for epilepsy. It's not suitable for everyone. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor before starting clonazepam if you: have had an allergic reaction to clonazepam or any other medicine in the past have myasthenia gravis , a condition that causes muscle weakness have sleep apnoea , a condition that causes breathing problems when you're asleep have lung, liver or kidney problems have spinal or cerebellar ataxia where you may become shaky and unsteady and have slurred speech have or have had problems with alcohol or drugs have recently had a loss or bereavement, depression or thoughts of harming yourself or suicide have been diagnosed with a personality disorder are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or breastfeeding are going to have a general anaesthetic for an operation or dental treatment.
The usual dose for: epilepsy in adults — the starting dose is 1mg taken at night increasing to 4mg to 8mg over 2 to 4 weeks epilepsy in children — the dose varies depending on their age. It will be increased gradually over 2 to 4 weeks involuntary muscle spasms adults — the starting dose is 1mg taken at night increasing to 4mg to 8mg over 2 to 4 weeks panic disorder — 1mg to 2mg each day restless legs syndrome — micrograms to 2mg each day If you're older than 65 or have kidney, liver or severe breathing problems, your doctor may recommend a lower dose.
What if I forget to take it? If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. What if I take too much? If you take too much clonazepam, you may get symptoms including: poor coordination or trouble speaking feeling sleepy a slow or irregular heartbeat uncontrolled eye movements muscle weakness feeling overexcited.
Urgent advice: Contact for advice if:. Common side effects These common side effects happen in more than 1 in people. If you get these side effects, keep taking the medicine and speak to a doctor if they bother you or do not go away: disturbed sleep such as vivid dreams feeling sleepy drowsy in the daytime feeling light-headed, unsteady or dizzy muscle weakness Serious side effects It happens rarely, but some people can have serious side effects when taking clonazepam.
Tell a doctor straightaway if: your breathing becomes very slow or you have short, shallow breaths your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow — this could be a sign of liver problems you find it difficult to remember things amnesia or are confused you see or hear things that are not there hallucinations or think things that aren't true delusions problems with your coordination or controlling your movements you have swollen ankles, a racing heartbeat, cough and feel tired — this could be a sign of heart problems you bruise easily, feel tired, have nosebleeds and have breathlessness — this can be a sign of blood problems you notice mood changes such as talking too much, feeling overexcited, restless, irritable or aggressive mood changes can become serious and are more likely in children and people over 65 years old Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, clonazepam may cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis.
Do not drive, ride a bike or use machinery or tools until you feel better. If you still have these side effects after a week or they get worse, speak to a doctor. If you still have these side effects after a week or so, or if they get worse, speak to a doctor.
Clonazepam and breastfeeding Clonazepam is not recommended while breastfeeding. Non-urgent advice: Tell your doctor if you're:. Before you start taking clonazepam, tell a doctor if you're taking: anticonvulsants, used to treat epilepsy antipsychotics and antidepressants, used to treat mental health problems and depression hypnotics, used to treat anxiety or sleep problems medicines used to treat muscle spasms, such as baclofen or tizanidine medicines used to lower blood pressure including ACE inhibitors such as enalapril and lisionopril; calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine and felodipine ; and diuretics such as indapamide and bendroflumethiazide drowsy sedating antihistamines , such as chlorphenamine or promethazine strong painkillers such as codeine , methadone, morphine , oxycodone, pethidine or tramadol.
Important For safety, tell a doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins, or supplements. How does clonazepam work? Clonazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines.
How will it make me feel? This will usually get better as you get used to taking the medicine. How long does it take to work? How long will I take it for? How long you take it for will depend on why you're taking it.
When used for epilepsy, clonazepam is usually prescribed long term. Will I become addicted? What happens when I stop taking clonazepam? If you stop taking it suddenly, you may get some side effects, such as: confusion seizures or fits depression feeling nervous or irritable sweating diarrhoea The risk of these side effects will be reduced if you lower your dose gradually.
Important Do not stop taking clonazepam without talking to a doctor. Can I drink alcohol with it? The duration of your treatment with Klonopin will depend on what you are taking it for.
If Klonopin is for sleep-related problems, your doctor should regularly review whether you need to continue taking it. Generally Klonopin is recommended for short term use, namely for weeks, not months or years.
Klonopin starts working fairly quickly. You can start feeling its effects within an hour. Klonopin usually lasts for hours , meaning you should be able to sleep through the night when you are on the right dose for you of this medication.
The right dose is essential, otherwise a person will wake up in the middle of the night if the dose is too low or sleep late into the morning if the dose is too high. As we noted before, taking Klonopin for anxiety and sleep can cause drowsiness, being less coordinated, and dizziness. But, like many other medications, Klonopin effects may also include other behavioral and physical side effects. It is important to be aware of these potential effects before starting the medication and while taking it too.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness , Klonopin can affect behavior and mood in rare cases. Behavioral and mental side effects include hallucinations, paranoia, excitement, unexplained rage, nightmares, irrational thoughts,and suicidal thoughts.
The side effects that can affect our mood include anxiousness, depression, loss of memory, feelings of loss, feelings of sorrow, mood swings and lack of interest in activities that we once found enjoyable. Ataxia is a loss of balance or problems coordinating our body movements. Other physical side effects might include seizures, accidental falls, weak or shallow breathing, or an unusual heartbeat. Adverse effects that Klonopin can produce include painful or difficult urination, chronic insomnia or sleepiness, blurred vision, headache, and slurred speech.
Some additional, potential physical side effects from Klonopin include fluctuations in your weight, loss of appetite, diarrhea, pain and inflammation, sweating, nausea, and fever.
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