Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of clonazepam tablets. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects. The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause their body to process drugs more slowly.
- Both drugs belong to the same group of medications called benzodiazepines.
- Supportive care and medical observation are the mainstays of the treatment.
- Before starting to take a new medication, a person should tell their doctor or pharmacist about any other drugs that they are taking or planning to take.
- Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use clonazepam only for the indication prescribed.
- This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
The risk is increased in those taking concomitant sedatives, including substances like benzodiazepines, alcoholic beverages, and so on Label 22,24. Suddenly stopping this medication may cause serious (possibly fatal) withdrawal, especially if you have used it for a long time or in high doses. To prevent withdrawal, your doctor may lower your dose slowly. Withdrawal symptoms may sometimes last weeks to months. Benzodiazepines are a class of medications that slow down activity in your brain and nervous system.
Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with clonazepam tablets. With misuse, clonazepam is taken differently than how it was prescribed. With addiction, clonazepam is taken even with possibly harmful outcomes.
Questions about taking clonazepam tablets
When a person takes this drug, they will have more GABA in their body. This will help them have fewer panic attacks and seizures. Other drugs may interact with clonazepam, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
Medical uses
(For example, it may be taken more often than prescribed.) With addiction, clonazepam is taken even if it causes harmful outcomes. Misuse and addiction increase the risk of overdose and even death. Like most drugs, clonazepam tablets may cause mild and serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that clonazepam tablets may cause. Clonazepam can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication or alcohol. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.
Your care team will tell you how much medication to take. Call emergency services if you have problems breathing or unusual sleepiness. Clonazepam can cause a worsening of seizures in persons having multiple types of seizure disorders. In such cases, its dosing requires adjustment or an increase in the dose. Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with clonazepam. You should refer to the prescribing information for clonazepam for a complete list of interactions.
Clonazolam is not approved by the FDA for clinical use and is classified as a Schedule I drug with the potential for abuse in certain states. There are cases reporting serious side effects requiring critical care admission and intubation with mechanical ventilation. Clonazolam is sold in powdered april is alcohol awareness month national institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism niaaa form, blotter form, liquid form, and tablet form. Clonazolam was first synthesized in 1971 but was not licensed for therapeutic use. Benzodiazepines can pose a threat without you ever knowing it. Taking precautions is one of the best ways to protect yourself from unknowingly taking these drugs.
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval.
Don’t take a higher dose or take it more often than what’s recommended by your doctor. Doing these things can be dangerous and may lead to life threatening problems. This drug should only be used during pregnancy if its benefits outweigh its risks. Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or become pregnant while taking the drug. Clonazepam may harm a fetus if it’s taken while you’re pregnant. So it may not be safe to use this drug during pregnancy.
Clonazepam dosage
Care is also necessary when prescribing this drug to geriatric patients as it significantly increases the risk of falls due to poor motor control. Clonazepam is a medicine used to treat panic disorders and certain types of seizures. Dosage is based on your medical condition, age, and response to treatment. Older adults usually start with a lower dose to decrease the risk of side effects. Do not increase your dose, take it more often, or take it for a longer time than directed. Taking clonazepam increases your risk for misuse and addiction.
Doing these things increases your risk for serious side effects from the drug. Instead, talk with your doctor about any concerns you have with clonazepam. Your doctor can adjust your dosage or suggest other medications if clonazepam isn’t working for you. There’s a risk of developing addiction with long-term use of clonazepam. Addiction increases your risk for misuse, overdose, and in some cases, death.
Alcohol and other sedatives, such as opioids and antihistamines, can aggravate the sedative effects of clonazolam and can result in deep sleep or coma. So, it is better to avoid these medicines and alcohol while consuming clonazolam. Taking the drug for a short time can reduce the risk of dependency. Furthermore, reducing the dose slowly methadone: medlineplus drug information before completely stopping the drug might also be helpful. Be very careful to remain within the recommended dosage range of clonazolam to avoid serious adverse effects. Since the drug is not approved for clinical use, it is better to use other approved benzodiazepines under prescription, such as clonazepam, alprazolam, and diazepam.
As both Xanax and clonazepam may cause drowsiness and poor coordination, people taking these drugs should be cautious about driving and operating machinery. 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.
Naloxone is used to treat an opioid overdose, but clonazepam isn’t an opioid. Your doctor will prescribe the form that’s best for you. ” section above for more information about these forms.