Clonazepam can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior thoughts or actions of harming oneself. A person should tell their doctor if they have worsening depression , suicidal thoughts or behavior, or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.
A person may have slowed reflexes, poor judgment, and sleepiness. This can be dangerous. If a person drinks alcohol, they should talk to their doctor. If a person has an allergic reaction, they should call their doctor or local poison control center right away. If their symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room. A person should not take this drug again they have ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal cause death. If a person has worsening symptoms of depression or any suicidal thoughts thoughts of harming themself , call the doctor right away.
For people with acute narrow angle glaucoma : A person should not take this drug if they have acute narrow angle glaucoma. It can make the condition worse. For people with liver disease: If a person has liver problems, their body may not be able to clear this drug well.
This can cause the drug to build up in the body. This puts them at a higher risk for side effects. For pregnant women: Clonazepam is a category D pregnancy drug. That means two things:. A person should talk to their doctor if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
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.
For women who are breastfeeding: Clonazepam passes into breast milk and causes side effects in a child who is breastfed. A person should talk to their doctor if they breastfeed their child. They may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication. For seniors: The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. Clonazepam can interact with several other medications.
Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects. Below is a list of medications that can interact with Clonazepam. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Clonazepam. Before taking Clonazepam, a person should be sure to tell their doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs they take. They should also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements they use.
You may also ask a family member or a friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication. If you miss a dose of clonazepam, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose.
Discuss this with your healthcare provider. Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed. Avoid drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs while you are taking clonazepam. They may decrease the benefits e. Alcohol increases the risk of accidental overdose with medications like clonazepam.
If an overdose occurs call your doctor or You may need urgent medical care. You may also contact the poison control center at A specific treatment to reverse the effects of clonazepam does exist. This medicine, called flumazenil, can reverse the effects of clonazepam but must be given through an IV at a hospital. Only a doctor can decide if you need this medication.
If you experience these side effects after starting clonazepam they will often improve over the first week or two as you continue to take the medication. 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.
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? In addition to the clonazepam uses described above, you might have been prescribed Klonopin as an effective treatment for REM sleep disorders, including night terrors.
As we mentioned earlier, Klonopin for anxiety and sleep can be used to treat REM sleep disorder. REM sleep disorder, sometimes called dream-enacting behavior, is where a person may act out vivid dreams with sudden, sometimes violent arm and leg movements. Depending on the Klonopin dosage, it has also been shown to be an effective treatment for those of us with panic disorders, social anxiety disorders, and seizures.
The way Klonopin for sleep works is that it increases levels of a calming neurotransmitter in our brains. This helps to relieve our anxiety, prevents seizures, reduces the instance of awakenings from REM sleep disorders, and relaxes tense muscles.
It promotes deep relaxation of the muscles and deeper states of sleep than REM, which is near to wakefulness. The Klonopin for sleep dosage is typically 0. Your doctor will probably start you off with low Klonopin doses, then gradually increase the dose until it is the right Klonopin for sleep dosage for you. We also want to mention that when you take Klonopin as recommended, addiction to it is uncommon.
However, you will need to gradually reduce your Klonopin or generic clonazepam dosage for sleep before you stop taking this medication, in order to prevent possible withdrawal. As with many medications, we should not drink alcohol while taking Klonopin because alcohol can increase the likelihood or severity of potential side effects from this medication. We also need to avoid anything with caffeine, which includes coffee, caffeinated sodas, tea, and chocolate.
Food and drinks that contain caffeine act as a stimulant which can inhibit the calming effect that Klonopin is meant to provide. 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.
0コメント