Should i try klonopin

I figured my doctor knew what he was doing. After all, he kept refilling my prescription and never said anything about it. A couple years later, though, I felt depressed and started seeing a therapist. When she found out how much Klonopin I was taking, she said I was "grossly overmedicated.

That shocked me, and I decided I didn't want to take Klonopin anymore. One afternoon I went home and did something that turned out to be incredibly stupid: I flushed my remaining pills down the toilet and quit "cold turkey. The next morning, I felt like I was dying.

I had chills, my head hurt, and my body was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't even get out of bed. But I eventually wondered about the possible connection between my symptoms and my having stopped taking Klonopin.

I had my wife call my psychiatrist to ask him if the two things could be related. He said they were, and that I never should've stopped taking my Klonopin cold turkey. It turns out that when you stop taking benzodiazepines suddenly, you risk a boatload of horrible symptoms, including anxiety, depression, dizziness, headaches, irritability, muscle spasms, nausea, heart palpitations, seizures, and tremors.

Funny thing, though not really : My doctor had never mentioned that to me. I got my Klonopin prescription refilled and felt better almost immediately after I started taking it again. I can't even begin to tell you how scary that was.

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. Your Journey Frontline Professionals. Get Involved Become a Fundraiser.

Get Involved Awareness Events. Get Involved Share Your Story. Get Involved Partner with Us. In addition, if you take other medications besides Klonopin, you should be aware of how these medications could affect one another. Interactions between medications can be mild, moderate, or severe, and they are not limited to prescription medications. You also need to be aware of any over-the-counter products, herbs, or supplements that are not safe to take with Klonopin. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure if it is safe to take your medications or supplements with Klonopin.

Klonopin poses a serious risk of misuse, abuse, and addiction. This can lead to overdose and even death—particularly when other substances are used at the same time, such as opioids or alcohol. There is also risk of physical and psychological dependence when you are taking Klonopin.

Taking the medication daily for longer than two weeks increases your risk of developing physical dependence. Stopping Klonopin suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms , such as seizures, which can be life-threatening. If you want to reduce or stop your dose, talk to your doctor. They can guide you to slowly take less of the medication over time, an approach known as tapering.

Never stop taking Klonopin abruptly without talking to your doctor, even if you are experiencing side effects. People who are older might be more likely to experience medication side effects, including those that commonly occur with benzodiazepine use. Older people have also had increased risks of falling and negative cognitive effects. When you start taking Klonopin, avoid activities that could be dangerous to you or others until you have adjusted to the medication.

Wait until you know how you feel taking it and how it affects your body before you:. There are several types, or classes, of prescription drugs that should be used with significant caution when combined with Klonopin. These include:. Several specific prescription medications are known to interact with Klonopin. These medications can change how much Klonopin is in your body as well as how well the drug works. Medications that may increase the levels and effects of Klonopin include:.

Medications that may decrease the levels and effects of Klonopin include:. Some people with social anxiety disorder also take an antidepressant. The effects of Klonopin may be intensified if they are combined with other drugs or alcohol. Make sure that you tell your doctor about all the medications you take as well as any substances you use—including any over-the-counter products, herbal remedies, and supplements.

Over-the-counter OTC medicines or herbal supplements or remedies could interact with Klonopin. Examples include:. Also, grapefruit juice may pose a risk. Grapefruit contains compounds that can change how certain medications work. You might not have to give it up completely, but your doctor might advise you to limit how much you have.

Check in with them to see if you should avoid it while taking Klonopin. If you have medication that you do not need, make sure you know how to dispose of it properly. Prescription medications cannot necessarily be tossed in your trash or flushed down the drain. When medications are disposed of improperly, they can harm people, animals, and the environment. For example, drugs that are flushed down the toilet end up in the local water supply, and when medications are thrown out in the garbage, they could find their way to a person who would be harmed by taking them or end up on the street where they would be sold illegally.

To help prevent these outcomes, many hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and other community organizations offer take-back programs for unused or expired medications. If your doctor has not given you instructions about what to do with unused Klonopin, ask a pharmacist. They can tell you how to properly dispose of your medication.

It's best to not have drinks such as coffee, tea and cola, or to eat a lot of chocolate because these contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and may reduce the calming effects of clonazepam. Alcohol can increase the effects of clonazepam and make you go into a very deep sleep.

It's important you do not drink alcohol while you're taking clonazepam. There's a risk you will not be able to breathe properly and you may have difficulty waking up. Clonazepam will not affect any contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception.

There's no evidence that clonazepam will affect fertility in either men or women. If you're trying to get pregnant, or you're having problems getting pregnant while on clonazepam, speak to a doctor.

Do not drive a car or ride a bike if clonazepam makes you sleepy, gives you blurred vision, or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions.

This may be more likely when you first start taking clonazepam, but could happen at any time for example, when starting another medicine. It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive. Even if your ability to drive is not affected, the police have the right to request a saliva sample to check how much clonazepam is in your body.

UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking clonazepam. If you have panic disorder, there are some things you can try to help, including:. If you have restless legs syndrome , there are some lifestyle changes that can help, including:.

Page last reviewed: 2 January Next review due: 2 January Clonazepam On this page About Key facts Who can and cannot take clonazepam How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions. About Clonazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? Clonazepam works by increasing levels of a calming chemical in your brain.

This can relieve anxiety, stop seizures and fits or relax tense muscles. The most common side effect is feeling sleepy drowsy during the daytime. 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?