Some people may misuse clonazepam to get “high.” But misuse of clonazepam increases the risk of overdose, and in some cases, death. These drugs have different active ingredients, uses, dosage forms, alcohol intoxication and strengths. For example, clonazepam and alprazolam have similar side effects, drug interactions, and warnings. Clonazepam doesn’t come in other strengths, such as 3 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg or higher.
How and when to take clonazepam
Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing. Taking clonazepam and opioids together increases your risk for serious side effects.
Overdose symptoms
Klonopin can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication, alcohol, or other drugs that can slow your breathing. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you’re unsure whether it’s safe for you to drive while taking clonazepam. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving. Clonazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications.
Additional Dosage Information
Both drugs have their different off-label uses, which the sections below will look at in more detail. Both are short acting drugs, but clonazepam stays in the body for longer than Xanax. The half-life of Xanax is 6–25 hours, while for clonazepam, it is 22–54 hours. The most common use of Xanax is as an antianxiety medication. Pharmaceutical company Upjohn created this drug in 1969, and doctors now write more than 50 million prescriptions for Xanax each year.
- Taking Klonopin may cause an addiction to the drug, even if it’s taken as prescribed.
- Benzodiazepine respiratory depressant effects are more serious when compounded in patients with respiratory disease.
- A special MedGuide will be given to you by the pharmacist with each prescription and refill.
- If they’re more severe or don’t go away, a person should talk to their doctor or pharmacist.
- With misuse, clonazepam is taken differently than how it was prescribed.
Do not stop taking clonazepam without talking with your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will tell you how to stop clonazepam to reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you experience any of the following serious symptoms. Following is a list of modified CIGY terms that reflect treatment-emergent adverse events reported by patients treated with Klonopin at multiple doses during clinical trials.
For restless legs syndrome, there are other medicines that can help regulate the levels of dopamine or iron in your body. For epilepsy, treatment options include a range of different anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), a special diet (ketogenic diet) and surgery. This allows your body to get used to being without the medicine and reduces the chance of side effects when you stop taking it. If your doctor recommends you stop taking clonazepam and you’ve been taking it for more than 2 to 4 weeks, they will reduce your dose gradually. Speak to your doctor if you’ve had problems with alcohol or recreational drugs. The mean elimination half-life determined for clonazepam is independent of the dose given and has been documented as being about hours 22,24.
You should store Klonopin tablets at a room temperature of 77°F (25°C) in a tightly sealed container away from light. If needed, you can keep Klonopin at 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C) for short periods. Avoid storing this medication in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms. When you get Klonopin from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically 1 year from the date they dispensed the medication.
If this is the case, a person should talk to their doctor, who can make an alternative recommendation. A doctor or pharmacist should carefully monitor how a person uses benzodiazepines alcohol abuse and alcoholism to manage the risk of dependence. Xanax is a useful medication for people who experience panic attacks. The drug helps relieve the symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks.
Examples of these drugs include chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan). Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Klonopin, as the reaction could become severe. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Although early studies reported an increased risk of congenital malformations with diazepam and chlordiazepoxide, there was no consistent pattern noted. Whenever possible, the daily dose should be divided into three equal doses.
This drug should be used only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. A person should call their doctor right away if they become pregnant while taking this drug. This medication may cause accidental overdose and death if taken by other adults, children, or pets. Mix any unused medication with a substance like cat litter or coffee grounds.
Behaviors of concern should be reported immediately to healthcare providers. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including Klonopin, increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior in patients taking these drugs for any indication. Patients treated with any AED for any indication should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.
The stated frequencies of adverse events represent the proportion of individuals who experienced, at least once, a treatment-emergent adverse event of the type listed. An event was considered treatment-emergent if it occurred for the first time or worsened while receiving therapy following baseline adhd and alcohol evaluation. Flumazenil shouldn’t be used in people with certain conditions or for overdose from a mixture of substances or unknown substances. Your doctor can tell you more about these precautions for the drug’s use. Financial assistance to help you pay for clonazepam tablets may be available.
Patients dependent on clonazepam should be slowly titrated off under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional to reduce the intensity of withdrawal or rebound symptoms. It is critical that a person does not stop taking either drug suddenly. Doing so can lead to adverse effects, such as life threatening seizures, as well as withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines like clonazepam commonly cause drowsiness, ataxia, dysarthria, and nystagmus. Overdose with clonazepam is generally not life-threatening if the drug is taken alone, but may lead to areflexia, apnea, hypotension, cardiorespiratory depression, and coma. Coma, if it does occur, usually lasts a few hours but it can become more protracted and cyclical, especially in elderly patients.